(Question) Population

[The_Traveler]

Is it just me or is the shard population way down compared to four years ago?

Visiting the various cities in game over the weekend I'm finding ghost towns. Even Luna only has a few people at any one time.

Exploring the wilds I'm not finding anywhere near the amount of player vendors that I did in the past.

The biggest shock for me was not seeing a vendor house by Brit gate and Cashman's home is gone.

 

[The_Traveler]

No need for a second thread.

Global chat - Ignored by most players? The few times I see it in use people are either bickering about who won/lost a duel or somebody is looking to see if somebody else is on.

 

[Schuyler Bain]

Well you will most likely receive varying responses, but in general the trend tends to be that population is lighter during the summer months. Folks are busy with outside activities, vacations, kids out of school and so on.

Also keep in mind that players tend to migrate with the content. Queens soulforge and the abyss itself... less population across more land mass is another possible explanation.

As to Global Chat... you are correct. Most players "log-out" or join different channels. The system was introduced at the end of last year or the beginning of this year (cant recall) and there is zero moderation so global chat tends to be the worst of the worst. If they add in better ways to control the individual experience or start moderating then it may become more useful.

 

[The_Traveler]

Thank you.

 

[Victoria Navarre]

No need for a second thread.

Global chat - Ignored by most players? The few times I see it in use people are either bickering about who won/lost a duel or somebody is looking to see if somebody else is on.

I turn on the global chat when I first log on. If the pvp'ers start using alot of profanity,which is a rare day that they don't,I will turn off the chat.

 

[Prime.]

Is it just me or is the shard population way down compared to four years ago?

The shard population on every shard is way down compared to four years ago....

 

[Bob_the_fart_guy]

It is my personal opinion that imbuing is killing Ultima Online.


Why chase after an artifact if you can craft a ring or piece of armor that has better stats? Kinda kills the true definition of an "artifact" doesn't it?

I mean... There are people that spend months getting "that perfect suit" together. If you are "me" then you spend years. I just don't have the time to dedicate the amount of game time to get super good. Don't get me wrong... my ideal vacation is not going to Vegas, or Hollywood or New York... Its gaming for a 5, 6, 7 day Ultima Online binge. If that makes me a weird loser nerd, then so be it. Its what I like. I simply love Ultima Online. However... in my opinion imbuing is killing Ultima Online. I mean, there are the forever-fans (myself included) that won't leave. But people are leaving UO.

Oh... crap. Who put me on the soap box? My bad. *hops off soapbox*

 

[Victoria Navarre]

Why chase after an artifact if you can craft a ring or piece of armor that has better stats? Kinda kills the true definition of an "artifact" doesn't it? *hops off soapbox*

I think EA killed the artifact market by their own hand by allowing many of the "rare artifacts" to become available to almost anyone. They allowed too many to spawn and thus took away the real meaning of the work "artifact".

 

[Vlaude2]

I personally like imbuing because I think it helps level the playing field again for pvp. But I've never been a fan of the uber-item based game especially since the AoS expansion. To me, UO was best when the only ruleset was felucca and all you had to do was get your skills up and grab a heavy xbow to participate in massive guild wars. I felt as though the original years of UO were when you could see the true vision the creators had for the game. Then as the population grew business decisions trumped all else and when EA finally took over, well... that vision is gone now. Apparently thousands of others have shared this sentiment over the years

 

[Flutter]

Haha Bob on a soap box!
Imbuing is not so bad. You still need to get those Dev created items to work around.

To the OP a lot of time guilds are mosting using their guild/alliance chat so you wont see the kind of chatter in general chat as you do in some "other" games.

Besides who'd want to interrupt the giant egos that argue non stop?! From what I can tell from general chat everyone who plays sucks at UO, cheats, and should quit. You make sure you believe all of it!

Shard population isn't down though. Just try participating in an EM event LOL! That one at the Pirates Den you couldn't move there were so many people there.

 

[Black Sun]

Yes, shard population is down, but like someone else pointed out, every shard is like that. Compared to other shards, Cats is still doing just fine. We're pretty busy. I've visited a few other shards that are complete ghost towns. Not a single person to be found even during their "peak" times.

 

[Bob_the_fart_guy]

Flutter, quit laughing at me! Yeah... I am a person that could stand on a "soap box" for hours about Ultima Online. I try my darn-dest to hold back.


As many players who know me, know I have characters on every shard. But Seige and Mugen seem to host to players that wish it were like "the old days" yeah, it may not be a perfect copy, but its closer. I have a house on Seige and several people that I used to game with on Catskills play with me there. The absence of insurance on those shards used to make artifacts all that more cool. But now with imbuing..... well. Dangit Flutter! You tryin' to get me on that soap box again?

Alright everyone I gotta' go to work. I'll check in later.

 

[Flutter]

*steals Bob's soap box*

*leaves a cookie*

 

[Zosimus]

Yes, shard population is down, but like someone else pointed out, every shard is like that. Compared to other shards, Cats is still doing just fine. We're pretty busy. I've visited a few other shards that are complete ghost towns. Not a single person to be found even during their "peak" times.

Well some claim its summer and more people are outside and stuff but yet again I heard the same arguments over the winter months but with holidays, college and school. With EQ2 now going to FTP may hurt UO and some other games a little. In todays economy FTP games are picking up alot of players.

I do agree with your assesment about other shards though. Vendor situation is a good sign on how healthy a shard is. If you dont see much everyday items needed on vendors and little or no competition then its a bad sign. I have many toons on many shards and Cats is alot more populated then some think.

 

[Flutter]

I don't know, I think we just get different waves of people. The summer people and the winter people.
Running the guild I do I hear excuses from both about why they aren't playing much
Then there's the rest of us year round people wondering where everyone is hiding.

 

[Zosimus]

To be honest I prefer pvp/rvr then the pvm/pve part. Not talking bad about the ones that like to do that it's just not me. I was so waiting for the devs to finally do something then they got silent at the proposed time frame. Midsummer if I recall? Its past midsummer now and no word. I guess disappointment is the best word I can descibe how I feel. Atm both accounts I have been playing are inactive till I see some news about it. I may reactivate them next month long enough to store away stuff in the bank and on chars until some news comes out on the anti cheats. When I can play another game with active rvr and busy for 3 to 5 hours a night when i play and not worry about cheats being used its a little more fun atm. I love UO and its freedom to do what you want to do but this game is long overdue to be fixed and I truly hope it will so I can play again soon.

 

[Bob_the_fart_guy]

... Ok, teach an "an old dog a new trick here" and tell me what rvr is an acronym for. Just trying to keep up with the times... god I'm getting old.

 

[Zosimus]

In warhammer online and Darkage of Camelot instead of pvp and everybody against each other they have what they call realm versus realm (RvR). So in Daoc for example there are 3 different realm you can choose and fight for. You have your own lands to defend plus you can try top take the other 2 realms lands. Its extremely a large land mass to defend and try to take over with enemies everywhere and fighting. Underwater battles with use of potions to breathe is awesome.

Warhammer online there are 2 sides you can choose to fight for. Order or chaos. You fight over the lands in 3 areas of each 4 different tiers for control to raid the city of your enemy. You can also tyry to stop the other side by defending your keeps or doing mass ganking on them at battle objectives. Pretty awesome when ya running with a group of 50 in one war band and ya run up on 10 of them lol.

 

[Corvak]

I love RvR. PvP in WAR is a pile of fun.

WoW has a similar thing too, where every two hours theres a big battle for a castle. Vehicles and everything

This fall: LOTRO is going Free to Play.
EQ2 is as well (news to me!)
WoW: Cataclysm, if not out, will be close to it.
Final Fantasy 14.
The Old Republic.

 

[Black Sun]

This fall: LOTRO is going Free to Play.
EQ2 is as well (news to me!)
WoW: Cataclysm, if not out, will be close to it.
Final Fantasy 14.
The Old Republic.

If SWTOR lives up to the hype, you guys may find me hanging out in a galaxy far far away.