Shard gate or merge...

[Striga]

Wanna do something or not?
Shard gate (two shard connect by gate easy solution) or merging shards.
or stay in this limbo ............open your eyes players look around and travel trought the Us and European shards..... Wake up!
Plse respect and quiet.

 

[Kylie Kinslayer]

Neither honestly. Xfer tokens and shard shields are enough imo.

 

[Frarc]

No.

 

[Winker]

No, No and No again

 

[Old Man of UO]

Neither honestly. Xfer tokens and shard shields are enough imo.

I don't think this is enough.

I don't want to merge shards and mess with housing, but I would like to merge dungeons, Ilshenar and Lost Lands. That shouldn't mess with housing at all. Sure, it would impact Xfer tokens and even shard shields a bit, but I think the benefits far outweigh that problem.

 

[Woodsman]

but I would like to merge dungeons, Ilshenar and Lost Lands. That shouldn't mess with housing at all. Sure, it would impact Xfer tokens and even shard shields a bit, but I think the benefits far outweigh that problem.

EA accountants don't see things the way you do, which is why they would never allow it.

It's not a bad or new idea - Ilshenar may have originally been designed to be some kind of gateway between shards, but that fiction line was dropped.

The problem is that shuffling existing players around really don't do anything to attract new players, which means it doesn't help UO in the long run. It may make a few existing players happy, but I think most existing players would be happier if there were more people playing.

 

[Old Man of UO]

It may make a few existing players happy, but I think most existing players would be happier if there were more people playing.

That's a good point. But keeping current customers happy should be a top priority of any business. Just a rule of thumb, it costs 10 times as much to attract new business as it does to keep current customers. We don't want to lose any more players!

 

[Sevin0oo0]

I think too many hurdles exist to facilitate either, might be why they Sell tokens and offer scaled down versions only to long term vets.

 

[Woodsman]

That's a good point. But keeping current customers happy should be a top priority of any business. Just a rule of thumb, it costs 10 times as much to attract new business as it does to keep current customers. We don't want to lose any more players!

If you are in a business where you lose customers on a frequent basis due to factors outside of your control or your business has been steadily declining for 5 years, then your priority should be on replacing those customers.

Because if you don't replace those customers, you're not going to have any current customers to keep happy.

 

[Old Man of UO]

If you are in a business where you lose customers on a frequent basis due to factors outside of your control or your business has been steadily declining for 5 years, then your priority should be on replacing those customers.

Because if you don't replace those customers, you're not going to have any current customers to keep happy.

*scratches head*
Sorry Woodsman, that makes no sense. I am in a business losing customers every day, while trying to attract new customers. The point is, you don't spend the bulk of your time trying to attract new customers while neglecting your current customers. That is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Woodsman]

*scratches head*
Sorry Woodsman, that makes no sense. I am in a business losing customers every day, while trying to attract new customers. The point is, you don't spend the bulk of your time trying to attract new customers while neglecting your current customers. That is a recipe for disaster.

It makes sense if you've lost 75% or so of the business you are doing compared to 10 years ago, and if you have decided not to worry about new customers. You may lose customers every day, but the key is that you are trying to attract new customers.

I honestly wish they had done the Ilshenar as a gateway between shards thing, but unfortunately it was sidelined for some reason, and now money is involved with character transfers.

 

[MedeaDF]

No. No!

I admit, I love my shard shields, but they're enough for my little voyages through shard space...

 

[Old Man of UO]

I honestly wish they had done the Ilshenar as a gateway between shards thing, but unfortunately it was sidelined for some reason, and now money is involved with character transfers.

I'll agree with you on this part. The bean counters are letting short-term income (shard transfers) interfere with long term income (subscriptions). Shard transfers should never have cost real dollars.

 

[LordDrago]

I am gaing have to go with no.

For the same reasons stated the other 238 times this topic has been brought up.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Some players like their small communities. Some don't. Those who don't can transfer off using existing mechanisms or can make new characters. The UO experience doesn't depend upon having a lot of players. If it depends upon having a lot of players for someone in particular, that someone can, as stated, transfer off using existing mechanisms or can make new characters.

It's not only about housing, though given the critical role of housing in UO, given its broad appeal and how often we've cited it as a unique and important feature of the game, even if it were all about housing that wouldn't be unreasonable.

-Galen's player

 

[Ashlynn_L]

How feasible is a shard gate? Has anyone considered this? It seems to take a chunk of time to do a shard transfer. I sorta doubt that a shard gate is going to be as quick as taking a gate from britain to nujelm. On any modern game it might seem like a simple thing, but we're playing a game with antique code and stuff.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

No, there is no reason to merge shards. If you don't like the population of the server you're on, move to another one.

 

[darkvulf]

No, there is no reason to merge shards. If you don't like the population of the server you're on, move to another one.

i'm on the most populated (i think anyway) shard and i don't like the population, what do you suggest i do?

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

i'm on the most populated (i think anyway) shard and i don't like the population, what do you suggest i do?

Do the opposite: Play on a smaller shard. The biggest shard is seemingly Atlantic, and their population is big enough that I start to lag as soon as I think of starting a character there. The few times I've made a character there (usually called something creative like "Atlantic Tester"), and actually logged in, I have been quite impressed by how much lag there is relative to my respectable ping to the shard.

So clearly you are unhappy with Atlantic's over-population, in which case you should move to a smaller shard.

-Galen's player

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

How feasible is a shard gate? Has anyone considered this? It seems to take a chunk of time to do a shard transfer. I sorta doubt that a shard gate is going to be as quick as taking a gate from britain to nujelm. On any modern game it might seem like a simple thing, but we're playing a game with antique code and stuff.

The problem is not technique, the problem is not the "how to do it." The problem is that it's a bad idea to start with.

-Galen's player

 

[Basara]

Personally, I wouldn't mind each server area having a "Shared Ilshenar" and/or "Shared (Trammel) Lost Lands". You couldn't travel between shards, but it would let the shards of a region socialize with each other. Heck, you could remake the Lost Lands its own facet, fixing its incredibly horrid geography, make it to where there are about 50 different champ spots, and throw Fel T2A into the mix as well. That way, it would be so big it would be hard for one shard's guilds to dominate the champs, and there would always be the dungeon champs for those not wanting to go to the combined T2A.

 

[darkvulf]

Do the opposite: Play on a smaller shard. The biggest shard is seemingly Atlantic, and their population is big enough that I start to lag as soon as I think of starting a character there. The few times I've made a character there (usually called something creative like "Atlantic Tester"), and actually logged in, I have been quite impressed by how much lag there is relative to my respectable ping to the shard.

So clearly you are unhappy with Atlantic's over-population, in which case you should move to a smaller shard.

-Galen's player

lag isn't an issue, and i feel like the population isn't high enough

 

[Goldberg-Chessy]

Wanna do something or not?
Shard gate (two shard connect by gate easy solution) or merging shards.
or stay in this limbo ............open your eyes players look around and travel trought the Us and European shards..... Wake up!
Plse respect and quiet.

For whatever reason my shard sucks so instead of taking the nominal time and effort to personally relocate I want the Devs to disrupt the entire world to make it even easier for me to bail on my main shard.

All this inexplicably in the name of a better future for who?

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

lag isn't an issue, and i feel like the population isn't high enough

Look at it this way: Many UO players clearly like the smaller communities, or Atlantic would be more-populated than it already is.

Lag may not be an issue but it would appear to be so for many given the complaints I read about it. And, when servers were more populated, lag and "trailer park" or "subdivision" or "urban sprawl" atmospheres were the nexus of complaints.

The solution is not to disrupt the gameplay of others because you find the most populated server too under populated. Indeed, what are the odds, even if say 80% of UO players were on Atlantic, that they would all be in the same place at the same time often enough to satisfy you? If you PvP the odds are even stronger against such happening because, based on observation and the unending stream of failed incentives to go to Fel and the number of people who complain that their only playstyle is cross-shard Factioning, not enough people like Fel or like to PvP to seriously matter.

-Galen's player

 

[darkvulf]

Look at it this way: Many UO players clearly like the smaller communities, or Atlantic would be more-populated than it already is.

Lag may not be an issue but it would appear to be so for many given the complaints I read about it. And, when servers were more populated, lag and "trailer park" or "subdivision" or "urban sprawl" atmospheres were the nexus of complaints.

The solution is not to disrupt the gameplay of others because you find the most populated server too under populated. Indeed, what are the odds, even if say 80% of UO players were on Atlantic, that they would all be in the same place at the same time often enough to satisfy you? If you PvP the odds are even stronger against such happening because, based on observation and the unending stream of failed incentives to go to Fel and the number of people who complain that their only playstyle is cross-shard Factioning, not enough people like Fel or like to PvP to seriously matter.

-Galen's player

why would anyone want a smaller community on a MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE game? Sounds like those people don't like competition with others, therefor should go play a single player game.

 

[Viper09]

I like the idea of merging one facet, such Ilshenar or T2A (a place where there is no housing). Shard gates, while a neat idea, would never happen as long as they are selling transfer tokens.

 

[Cirno]

why would anyone want a smaller community on a MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE game? Sounds like those people don't like competition with others, therefor should go play a single player game.

Some people just prefer smaller communities.
No ulterior motives, just personal preferences.

 

[SlobberKnocker]

they should increase the game map on the busier servers and close some of the low population ones.

when was the last time anyone cared what happend on Sonoma, or Balhae LOL.

 

[Dan123The123Man]

Interesting Idea, i don't know if it's worth checking into.

 

[Lady Storm]

The Players have spoken NO
We have had this question answered by the dev so many times. Please understand the answer is no.
Petra before this becomes a scream fest or a rant, lock up might be best.

 

[SlobberKnocker]

i think we should start a facebook rally.

Balhae = bad, booo. Down with Balhae.

 

[Dan123The123Man]

i think we should start a facebook rally.

Balhae = bad, booo. Down with Balhae.

good idea lol

 

[hen]

Drachenfels is my home. I don't want mergers or shard gates.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

why would anyone want a smaller community on a MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE game? Sounds like those people don't like competition with others, therefor should go play a single player game.

Multiplayer doesn't equal a lot of players; it means multi.

A lot of players doesn't equal competition either.

And CAPITAL LETTERS do not equal making sense.

Following your logic I should tell you to go play another game with a higher population or where high populations are important to the game experience, so server mergers make more sense. I have, thus far, refrained.

-Galen's player

 

[SlobberKnocker]

nice poem. i think cutbacks at ea will have shard mergers coming around pub 80. inevitable.

 

[Dan123The123Man]

nice poem. i think cutbacks at ea will have shard mergers coming around pub 80. inevitable.

lol do u think we will make it to pub 100?

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

nice poem. i think cutbacks at ea will have shard mergers coming around pub 80. inevitable.

We have seen no evidence that keeping open the shards adds significantly to the cost; indeed folks here who appear to know more or less what they're talking about suggest exactly the opposite: That the cost of the servers is small compared to the gain of keeping the players who like the small community.

Granted EA's quite irrational and prone to irrational decisions, so literally all bets are always off. But other than that fact, which has always been true? No good reason to think this is coming save for the fact that I don't think the Producer understands the fact that this is about more than just housing.

-Galen's player

 

[Petra Fyde]

We've finished with this re-hash of a frequently turned down idea I think