Server population seems too low

chilliD0g

I'm completely new to this, but I don't understand the plan that they have for server population.

In their wiki, it states 8 to 10 k max live players.
On a Map of 1200 km^2 and 80+ nodes (towns, cities etc.)

To compare to, for example, new world pre Brimstone has about 40 - 50 km^2 (not perfectly clear).
I find that population density good when out in the middle of nowhere you rarely meet people, but the towns seem lively.
(Im ignoring the limited recourses problems and hot spots)
New world has a 2.5k max live population
But normally at peak, servers live at 1.5k to 2 k live pop.
So let's compare:
-Ashes 80 + Nodes or cities seem way bigger and numerous (alpha One videos) than in new world.
- Ashes has 8 to 10 k max live pop (as per wiki), so that is roughly 4x new world's max population and roughly 5.5x normal live population.
- Map size new world 50 km^2 vs 1200 km^2 (generous pre brimstone) so that is roughly 24x to 30x

So all in all Ashes seems to have a lot less population density.
Plus way bigger towns and less fast travelling (more players commuting in the middle of nowhere).
This might be the worst take ever, and this stuff ends up not being comparable at all.
It seems to me that 8 to 10k live server pop is way too low.
And should probably be more like 30k to 60k.

Is there anything i'm missing, what are your thoughts, or is the 8 to 10 k on the wiki just very outdated.

Veeshan

Most people will congregate around 5 spots on the map which are the 5 metropolises and the nodes around them, so these places there be alot of players so many players in a close area where fewer people will be further away from these nodes where ever they pop up so i think we have a good diversity of pop

Around the 5 metro nodes will be bustling probaly to populated, and nodes further away will be more sparse population so i think there be decent diversity for population. Also thats 10k players online at once there probaly be 20-30k players on a server just not on at once.

i suspect there be 1k players around each metrolpolists (Within 15min travel time) at any given time when server is full and the remaining 5k will be scattered in the less populated places

chilliD0g

Veeshan wrote: »

Most people will congregate around 5 spots on the map which are the 5 metropolises and the nodes around them, so these places there be alot of players so many players in a close area where fewer people will be further away from these nodes where ever they pop up so i think we have a good diversity of pop

Around the 5 metro nodes will be bustling probaly to populated, and nodes further away will be more sparse population so i think there be decent diversity for population. Also thats 10k players online at once there probaly be 20-30k players on a server just not on at once.

i suspect there be 1k players around each metrolpolists (Within 15min travel time) at any given time when server is full and the remaining 5k will be scattered in the less populated places

I know New world also has 2.5k max live at once or more typical 1.5 to 2k so that was the comparison.

The metro Nodes will be important and obviously will be the focus, but if the game ends up in a way where only the 5 metros (plus a couple of others) matter and all the other nodes just end up abandoned, i wound not like that.

15 min travel time is a lot, so these will have substantial space between them. I'm not too concerned the trading Area in a big city will be completely empty, but if you have to run thou many empty streets just to get to an area of interest in a big city or even a metro. That would suck.

Then again, i might just be very wrong.

Fantmx

Server size will be just fine from both a technological and gameplay design perspective. The key is understanding how nodes work and also that 750 km^2 of the 1200 km^2 is water.

Dolyem

https://forums.ashesofcreation.com/discussion/54639/overthinking-numbers-of-nodes-and-their-populations#latest

Already did some math on this subject. Enjoy

Ludullu

As others have said, the world will be smaller than that whole number. The players will be concentrated in bigger cities and farming locations (which will be around those big cities).

And what I'd add on top of that is that we need all that space to house all the freehold that people will build. NW is a "run wherever you want and be there" kind of game, while Ashes seems to be "stay in one place and help it prosper" kind of game.

You'll see density of people when you do any non-solo content (though I'd assume that solo content will be concentrated in particular places too) and you'll see a ton of human activity around the world. You'll see houses with farms or animals or shops on them all along the roads that lead to big cities. You'll see npcs work those lands, so it'll create even more activity. And considering the party-based design of most content - you yourself will most likely move in a group, unless you decide to be a super casual.

What a big world does allow though is exploration and the feeling of grandeur of the world. Running for 20 minutes on a mount from a metro to a metro should, in theory, provide you with quite a sight. And when you then consider that people will have different house skins and different mounts and different caravans and all of that shit would be bustling with movements around the roads you're running on - I really dunno how the world would feel empty.

tautau

...and you will be tempted to stop in at taverns in smaller nodes and in freeholds to see what kind of food and drinks they offer (those provide buffs of varying quality and duration) for future reference, always new items being produced.

Oh yeah, based on node development the world may have changed since you last passed through, need to see what new dungeons exist. Of course, new node development should be investigated as well: market offerings, new temples, libraries, caravansaries, potential astronomical observatories, guild halls, and other constantly changing content. Your 20-minute ride might turn into a four-hour adventure - even if you don't get caught up in a caravan battle or hunting down a PKer for drops.

Arya_Yeshe

I am not super sure people will sit in 5 nodes, makes sense if you think of the 5 metropolis

But those 5 nodes will be frequently low on gathereables, so I think will be going back and forth and travelling quite a lot