+- Discovery Gaming Community (https://discoverygc.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Discovery General (https://discoverygc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Forum: Discovery RP 24/7 General Discussions (https://discoverygc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=23)
+--- Thread: Is Sirius too big? (/showthread.php?tid=76084)
Is Sirius too big? - Lucky Luke - 03-06-2012
One problem that I see with factions not meeting the requrements, is that there are a lot of them, but only so many players. Sirius keeps on expanding, and new groups and unofficial factions pop up everywhere. If every faction requires x amount of time to stay alive, and each player is a member of y factions, then the total amount of time each player will have to spend just on this, soon adds up to a lot. Then there's the chars each player has that's not in an official faction. This will soon be a full time job, and that's when it starts to feel... not FUN anymore. Instead it will feel like another job on top of your RL job. Then there's the forum work that needs to be done. For those running the factions, I assume that it can be a lot of work.
Since there aren't 225 players online all the time, it would be pointless to increase that number now. I think it's high time to ask ourselves two questions, and use an open mind when answering them.
1. Does Sirius have too many systems in relation to how many players there are? Is it already too big?
2. Why do so many players choose to play as indies or in unofficial factions?
I'm not sure how many systems there are, but my guess is that we're getting close to one system per serverslot. There needs to be a reason to go to a system. And with so many empty systems, why not try to re-make them. Instead of adding systems over and over, a remake could make an old system feel new. Just as a faction needs activity to stay official, maybe there should be something similar with systems. Jumpholes aren't forever. They will appear and disappear. Why can't some systems simply be "closed down" if no one ever goes there?
Today we see unofficial factions popping up here and there. Some stake a claim in some system, and some exist without an "official" home base. Some of these factions manage to survive and go official, but most fade away for different reasons. If you start looking in to each groups RP, you soon find that a lot of them has an RP that is more or less identical to the official factions RP. So... Why create a new group if you don't bring anything to the table? Are the official factions that hard to get in to, or what? Why isn't it appealing to join the official factions for so many players? If I'm not mistaken, The Angels have some sort of weekly goal, and i think one of them is to get a new player to join an official faction. Maybe it's time for the official factions to do the same. Place yourselves on a strategic spot, and catch the new players in-game. If you think they're gonna find you in forums, you're wrong, coz most new players don't even know there is a forum. It doesn't matter that the info about forums comes up every time you log a char. A new player has other priorities, and it's OUR job to teach them how things are done here. Assign a mentor to them... Give them tasks to fulfill as recruits... Make them RP! Their mentor can help them out if they get stuck. With a higher number of active members in each faction, the workload will decrease. Think about it!
Now you give me your thoughts on this! Freelancer is the coolest game ever, and I'd sure be sorry if it just disappears like a fart in the wind.
Is Sirius too big? - Ursus - 03-06-2012
Player density is the metric. There are too many systems, but they exist because there are too many factions. Eliminate one <strike>unlawful</strike> faction from each house and redistribute their assets. Delete the CR NPC faction now that =CR= is disbanded. Increase player count per faction, reduce number of assets.
Is Sirius too big? - dodike - 03-06-2012
We have as many systems as the player cap.
Is Sirius too big? - Ursus - 03-06-2012
combining 0 players in system A with 0 players in system B does not change the density
you need to combine the groups of 1-2
Is Sirius too big? - CandidFriend - 03-06-2012
Well, the way I see it...
Alot of the non-vanilla systems are MEANT to be backwaters or guard systems (personally I dislike the concept of the latter, but that's a different thread) so don't necessarily count toward much.
A the end of the day, having so many systems is good in the sense it gives room for unofficial or origional factions to stake a claim, and for people to explore. Wheras most systems that have players in them are trade-route terminus routes, mining grounds, or in Liberty. Every now and then an unofficial faction will pop up and claim one of the backwaters, put some use to it, etc.
As per official factions... I can't say much. Some will likely be reborn later as activity or RP picks up, or new members fill the void. All of the official factions started unofficial anyway, right~?
I think maybe alot of indies or unofficial factions are dissatisfied with the official-ness and all the admin intervention. It makes it feel too regulated and not as fun. Maybe a shift in paradigm of the way Factions are handled. Say... remove the line between "official" and "unofficial", and just have whatever faction is presiding over an NPC faction at the time buy whatever rights it wants/needs OR have to pay over time for things like guard systems/ability to boss indies around/etc
Is Sirius too big? - Klaus Lange - 03-06-2012
" 1. Does Sirius have too many systems in relation to how many players there are? Is it already too big?
2. Why do so many players choose to play as indies or in unofficial factions? "
1. Ofc it's too big. Please, devs, do not take this as insult, but at this time Gallia is totally unnecessary. It's excellent developed House, with great storyline and many possibilities, but for much MORE players allowed online than 225. I heard Digital Anvil planned FL Multiplayer with 4000 players online instead of 225, but Microsoft deleted it. Situation when we sometimes have more systems than players on server is sick. We have to do something with that, seal Gallia and some other far systems, it could be "the greatest ION storm ever in Sirius, who malfunctioned many jump gates and holes, effectively sealing many worlds from rest of Sector... "
Is it really no any chance to increase max players capacity? You raised some time ago limit from 180 to 225. Is it really fault of software that we can't enjoy 1000 other players online?
2. Why do so many players choose to play as indies or in unofficial factions?
I don't know, I suppouse (as I can experience it in RFP) official factions are quite booring in this time. What I can do in RFP? I can catch smuggler, die in fight against Hessians, or fight with LN. I presented RFP idea organising raids on O-54, in order to change RHA from predators to prey. Such ideas are wonderful for RolePlay (look for RHA subforum, they are exactly that what I dream RFP should be), but we need more players.
Too less players -> RolePlay suffers -> new players are not interested in joining, others leave -> possibilities of such faction are decreasing -> RP suffers ...
And circle is closed.
I think there should be requirement for players to belong for at least one official faction. Rookies could be allowed to "free time", before achieving specific level, for example 60. AND, there should be limitation for faction maximum players estabilished by admins, alongside with limitation of caps. For example, RHA should not be more numerious than RFP+RM. Sorry for same Rheinlandic examples, but I "specialize" in Rheinland, so it's House the best known to me. I also think if official corporate factions are suspended/disbanded due to lack of activity, they can unite themselves, like AGS. For example, Daumann, Kruger, and Republican could be "Rheinland Industrial Konglomerat" , with appropriate 1st, 2nd and 3rd ID, keeping all the rights and obligations for each specific firm in union (e.g. Omega 7 mining fields).
Is Sirius too big? - Omicron - 03-06-2012
Systems with 0 players are completely not an issue. Take a look on systems which are supposed to be habitated but playerbase is either low or nonexistant. And I am looking at Kusari, Sigmas and Alpha (rather low numbers of Casts I see recently)
Is Sirius too big? - MÃmir - 03-06-2012
1. Yes
2. Don't know, but from my experience having played on this server since 2008 and never having joined a faction (but been close to) I haven't done it because it puts a lot of limitations on me as a player and on my character's freedom. There's a lot of red tape / bitching / etc. involved in it, and for some of us this is mostly a casual game with added layers you can dive into further to the extent you want.
Also there is a tendency for faction players to believe they are better than everyone else (please don't flame me, you know its true) - I guess this comes from having to deal with lolwuts a lot, and in the end giving up totally on everybody not flashing a tag. It just leaves a lot of indies, myself included, with a really bad impression of faction players in general, but naturally this is probably due to a minority of faction players, but they leave a lasting impression nevertheless. Seriously, there is a lot of dbagging going on at times when you meet faction players in space - some don't even respond to simple prompts like "Howdy".
On the other hand, the official factions are sort of the janitors of Discovery and serve a very very important function in maintaining this community, as well as the gameplay on the server, so I highly appreciate all the effort fation players put into it. If just the attitude changed a bit, and it was possible to tag along on a more casual basis...
Thats my 2 cents anyways, and I am not necessarily saying it's the grand "truth", it's just my experience.
Is Sirius too big? - Govedo13 - 03-06-2012
Well- Factionlancer ?
Remove the useless Guard Systems, simple brutal minefield with gate and password for the gate would do the job better..
Remove half of Gallia and the ton of useless systems.
Give back the Guard IDs making them official faction Only.
So you would get the desired activity.
Freelancers are civilains and merc
There is no independent LNS capitan.
Small not that attractive official factions with not so good PvP options suffer a lot since there are only requirements to them only.
Faction rules sux.
It was always better to be indie player then faction player- no metagaming/no rage in game/forum/ no lets log to kill that guy. Just pure fun. Change this by removing "independents".
Is Sirius too big? - Hielor - 03-06-2012
I used to hate Gallia, but then I discovered that it's a powertrader's paradise. Big, empty systems with no pirates. I've already earned back the cost of the 5k transport + equipment I put into it in only a few hours of playing.
Honestly, I think the game needs two or three more houses like Gallia so I can trade more without having to worry about seeing anyone, ever.
</sarcasm>