GC: Not as many users?

[Robbie088]

Hey, I was just thinking the other day as I was playing on Ep. 1 and 2...does anyone else feel that there aren't as many users this year as there were this time last year? I'm not just talking about people swtiching from Ep. 1 and 2 to Ep. 3, but I mean overall...there just doesn't seem to be a lot of people from US anymore (Antares is practically dead now...never thought I'd see the day when Deneb had more users than Antares). Anyone else feel this way?

[hucasts_rock]

Yeah, most of the ep3 users linger in vega now, and those left go to altair or deneb to play ep1&2, but the number of players has decreased in general, I see what you're saying. I used to see 500+ people on the US server, now I see 300 at the most on rare occasions.

[Mixfortune]

Well, it's only natural that considering the often difficult task of newer players obtaining this game there number of people still playing will decrease over time. It's rather hard to get new players to PSO to bother and get the game on their own initiative without perhaps a reference from their friends.

Come further into summer when more people are out of school and you may see an increase, but there's no telling just how much it will be.

[Saciel]

not to mention that with the 50 hz users beign forced onto 60 hz there may be a slight increase in players... though that'll probs only effect european servers << shrugs >>

[_knot_]

Yeah, the Antares fall was very surprising. But I like Deneb and Altiar, so I can't complain, just as long as the non-legits stay on Vega, I will be FINE.
http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_bunny.gif

[Ahya]

Whats the popular place for legit players .. cause im thinkin' about playing online soon..I dont want to end up with hackers stealin' all the exp. when i play too.. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif oh im on gc

[LoreSeeker]

I suggest that servers be renamed. Here are the names I propose:

Vega=Noob
Altair=Social Outcasts
Deneb=Legits
Antares=Old Memories

So, if any of you are looking for me at any point, I'll be on Old Memories 08-01.

[AzureBlaze]

I blame Episode 3.
But not for everything, but I do feel it's responsible for a big chunk of the decline we've been seeing on the USA ships. But you got to look at why before you deny:

-Cards are just fine, and tons of people love 'em. YuGiOh and Magic and Pokemon and everything are great for their fans. Card games are also popular, a lot of people play them. This is also fine.

-BUT
The two "Fandoms" don't seem to cross over. People who love Halo are unlikely to want a StrawBerry Shortcake themed farming game. But Strawberry has plenty of fans! So does Halo. There just isn't much crossover.

-Ep 3's the same way.
People who liked PSO liked it for the action, teaming and social aspects. Runnin' around killin' stuff with friends and grabing cool weapons was the ideal. Cards...they don't have the action a lot of the original people liked. Because PSO is so great...they gave Ep3 a chance, but with Ep2 not reciveing any more updates, and a lot of users switching off 2 to 3, the action-lovers are bailing out.

They obviously wanted to attract pure Cards fans with the game, but forgot to notice that it's not tied into any real popular physical cardgame/show/trend. Also, as cardgames go, it's not at the top of the charts as compared with others of the type, in gameplay/graphics/whatever else. With the quiet success (not loud success like Halo or SOCOM has) the PSO series didn't have the attracting power to grab new people to Card as much as they wanted.

I can't tell you how many good people I've had to say a permenent goodbye to, because of Card. People are leaving, and they don't seem to ever be coming back. They're going where the action is.

[Nai_Calus]

Hey! Don't be dissin' Altair! XP

Altair 4 used to be the cool people's block. XP And Altair 9 was home for ages. XP

[Mixfortune]

I don't know how EPIII can contribute to the fall of EPI&II if it's not that popular with the EPI&II players, unless you mean that EPIII somehow acts as a deterrent for new players to the series. If EPI&II players didn't like EPIII, it doesn't necessarily stop them from playing EPI&II.

Actually, I stopped playing altogether for a while there... EPIII actually made me come back and play online again, for both EPIII and EPI&II.

[Nai_Calus]

It's something like this:

Ep3 comes out.
People buy Ep3.
Some people migrate to Ep3 and stay there, not coming back to Ep1&2.
Some people migrate to Ep3 and then quit entirely.
Fewer people left on Ep1&2.
People left on Ep1&2 get bored because everyone left for Ep3 or left period.
People leave Ep1&2 because there's nobody on.

Sure, I could find a game on Vega. But who the FUCK wants to go actively play on Vega?

[Robbie088]

Man I'm sick of people always nagging about Vega. Sure there are a lot of dupers/hackers, but that just means don't play with them! Move to a different lobby of the block to get away from the people who are jerks enough to keep spamming the message area, but seriously, it's the server that keeps me busy mostly (since there's never enough people on any of the other servers to play with). I've met a great deal of decent non-dupe/hack people on Vega (me being one of them) and by the way, no need for the foul language there.

[Eanae]

I think that Ep.III would account for most of the losses Ep.I & II are having. I, myself, haven't gotten the chance to play online (can't find a broadband adapter and a long enough wire to run to my room http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif). And with the amount of people probably getting tired of the game by now, and how hard it is to actually get the game (almost no stores carry it), it isn't really suprising that it's going down hill. But I know one day I'll be online. So I guess it's mostly upto to the all offliners to get their butts online already and repopulate the Ep. I & II world.