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Head start servers, what's the point?

MarzzoMarzzo Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
Some backers will be able to play on headstart servers (2 days head start I believe). After the headstart these servers will open up to the general public.

After the headstart new fresh servers will also open up for everyone.

I asked around a lot and not a single soul that was NOT eligible for the headstart said they would play there at all since they all wanted to start at the same time as everyone else. Also, many people who are eligible for the headstart (me included) don't want to play on a headstart server.

Headstart servers will be limited in many ways till "full release" but it still creates a big problem.

99.9% of non-headstart players won't pick a headstart server at full launch, they will all pick a fresh server. This will create a big divide (and potentially very dead servers later on) in the community at launch.

The solution? Make every single server headstart or scrap the idea completely.

Comments

  • GumdropsGumdrops Member, Explorer, Kickstarter
    99.9% of non-headstart players won't pick a headstart server at full launch,
    Where did you get the numbers, just your own friends?
    Reminder to stay on topic
  • MarzzoMarzzo Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    MODBOT wrote: »
    99.9% of non-headstart players won't pick a headstart server at full launch,
    Where did you get the numbers, just your own friends?

    Yes, and my guildies from some other games, over 100 asked. Not a single one was interested at all they hated the idea.

    I think it is okay but most people just want a fair start.

    Usually (based on other games) people pick headstart servers based on the knowledge that many newbies will join later and they will have advantages because they will be many levels ahead (free material farms and no competition for mobs). New players know this though and don't want to give the advantage and this way they almost always pick a fresh server.
  • GumdropsGumdrops Member, Explorer, Kickstarter
    Interesting, maybe im counting to the 0,01% but I personally prefer the headstart server even without headstart because I don't want to be with a mass of other players in the beginning area.
    Reminder to stay on topic
  • unknownsystemerrorunknownsystemerror Member, Phoenix Initiative, Royalty, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited September 2019
    Reads more like a "someone has something I don't and can't get, so I will shit all over the idea!" post. (even though he does with BoW) Since we are just making up numbers I will do the same. 99% of people at launch will have no idea of the long road of development and will have come on board after the huge marketing push that is sure to come once they have a date. Intrepid will vastly underestimate the server load required like every other mmo launch (WoW classic is the latest example) and people will go to whichever server still has room and least amount of queue time. Which will be the headstarts, since the estimated 5k people that have headstart will have spread onto those and gotten out of the starting portal areas, making the queue times less.
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  • DamoklesDamokles Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Well to be honest here guys... what will the headstart people be able to actually do?
    Nodes will be blocked, which means that they wont be able to open up new quest zones.
    They will do all the quests at the beginning, and then wait for everyone else to join....
    Then they will have to wait for everyone to do their beginning stuff, or they will have to do all the expedition quests on their own.
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  • KarthosKarthos Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    So here's the thing.

    Polling your own guildmates and friends means literally nothing.

    You are essentially only talking to people who are like you. Who joined your guild to do thing you also like to do, who are your friend because you have alot in common, including really bad ideas on how polling actually works.

    So what's happening is you're just confirming your own bias.

    The reason games have a head start is to "soft launch" the game. I've been part of many head starts that were really "dead starts" because issues with the server were discovered. Stores do a soft opening all the time. Tired and true method.

    Just because you don't want something and "100" other people who are predisposed to agree with or humor you also voted in your favor doesn't mean that thousands of others should cater to you.

    Selfish and entitled. This is what I'm reading here.

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  • The point for some head start players is to gather information before the rest of their guild joins the server on the normal launch day. Head start players can actually be the reason for other players to join a server.
  • AzathothAzathoth Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I will be on one. Also, after a few weeks, what's the difference between a regular server and one that started 2 days early? This might actually allow me some pretty open and smooth game play for the first month or two since "so many" people are worried about a "fresh server."

    Not my concern really.

    What will I be able to do?

    Travel, and get far away from the soon to be max influx of people on release day.
    That way the area I am in could potentially be a little less populated for a few days in that, upon release, I doubt many people will actually care that there was a two day head start. I know it's an MMO, so there should be a lot of people about, and I want that too. But the mass congestion of starting areas is not something I will have to do with my first character, and that will be nice.

    As for guilds, yeah, I get that. Because if you are in a tight guild and only 10 of hundred of your mates have access to a head start, I could see why waiting for them to pick a server would be best.
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    +1 Skull & Crown metal coin
  • NagashNagash Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    to be honest I got the pack with the headstart not for the head start but for the lifetime sub so I couldn't care less about the headstart
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    The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead have no desires, petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace
  • VarkunVarkun Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Nagash wrote: »
    to be honest I got the pack with the headstart not for the head start but for the lifetime sub so I couldn't care less about the headstart

    Yes was the lifetime sub that attracted my money that if delivered on has the potential to keep me playing for many years.
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    Close your eyes spread your arms and always trust your cape.
  • When the launch will be near, I plan to buy headstart package. The reason is that I would like to go to a nice place little far from the startzone. So when the real launch is started, I will be able to develop the chosen node immediately and I will have some level advantage. If all beginner quests will be solved in that 2 days, I can farm some materials or/and xp from mobs.
    But! I also have some fears. Like in WoW classic the first servers are full, with big queues, but the new ones are less populated with less queues. If I chose a server what will be overpopulated, I can lose all of my advantage. Maybe I should restart in another server.
  • unknownsystemerrorunknownsystemerror Member, Phoenix Initiative, Royalty, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    @Ghoosty There is no headstart available for purchase, and there won't be in the future. Steven already ruled it out after such a stink was made the first time.
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  • It seems I remembered wrong. Somehow I remembered that the preorder packages contained headstart, but now I checked and you are right.
    In this case my fears are not valid. :)

    Thank you!
  • DamoklesDamokles Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Ghoosty wrote: »
    But! I also have some fears. Like in WoW classic the first servers are full, with big queues, but the new ones are less populated with less queues. If I chose a server what will be overpopulated, I can lose all of my advantage. Maybe I should restart in another server.

    I think that they could fix that by giving everyone on those full servers one time server transfers. The main reason why people stay on such massively overpopulated servers is because they dont want to lvl a new character to the same lvl as their old one.

    I also think that they did a good job with slowly adding more servers to the roster instead of starting with many at the same time.
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  • Damokles wrote: »
    I think that they could fix that by giving everyone on those full servers one time server transfers. The main reason why people stay on such massively overpopulated servers is because they dont want to lvl a new character to the same lvl as their old one.

    This may good solution in a game like WoW. These transfers are not live from the first day. What if I can transfer to a server where my dreamed node is already a vasal of another node? In AOC each server will be different, with differently open. I know I can start a node siege, but how many chance I have as a new player there without friends.
    But as unknownsystemerror confirmed there will not available to buy a headstart package, it is not my problem anymore.

  • NagashNagash Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Varkun wrote: »
    Nagash wrote: »
    to be honest I got the pack with the headstart not for the head start but for the lifetime sub so I couldn't care less about the headstart

    Yes was the lifetime sub that attracted my money that if delivered on has the potential to keep me playing for many years.

    life time sub for unlife ^^
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    The dead do not squabble as this land’s rulers do. The dead have no desires, petty jealousies or ambitions. A world of the dead is a world at peace
  • AtamaAtama Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    I’ll be on a head start server. Guess I’m part of the 0.1%.
     
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  • DamoklesDamokles Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Atama wrote: »
    I’ll be on a head start server. Guess I’m part of the 0.1%.

    I will most likely also join a headstart server as well even though i dont have a headstart xD
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  • OnyStyleOnyStyle Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    It may seem unappealing to go on the head start for you and your guildies who do not have the benefit But for those of us who do, we see it as an opportunity to scout out areas, be ahead of the curve and not need to compete for leveling spots.
    It is also important to note that people follow their friends. So if just one person has head start and has 5 friends, then those 5 friends will choose the head start server on launch. Of course, it does not end there, those 5 friends could have friends as well and the cycle repeats. Not to mention guilds with leadership going to a head start server could bring dozens or even hundreds of players to a server.
    I expect the head start servers will be super populated. Which, for a player driven game, is appealing to me anyway.
  • DamoklesDamokles Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    OnyStyle wrote: »
    It may seem unappealing to go on the head start for you and your guildies who do not have the benefit But for those of us who do, we see it as an opportunity to scout out areas, be ahead of the curve and not need to compete for leveling spots.
    It is also important to note that people follow their friends. So if just one person has head start and has 5 friends, then those 5 friends will choose the head start server on launch. Of course, it does not end there, those 5 friends could have friends as well and the cycle repeats. Not to mention guilds with leadership going to a head start server could bring dozens or even hundreds of players to a server.
    I expect the head start servers will be super populated. Which, for a player driven game, is appealing to me anyway.

    And for those that want some information on headstart servers: just watch one of the probably hundreds of streams of players that have a headstart ;)
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  • Undead CanuckUndead Canuck Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Sign me up for the 0.1%. I want to explore without worrying about tons of people around.
    Maybe find a nice location to attract my guildies so we get off to a quick start leveling it.
  • MarzzoMarzzo Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Damokles wrote: »
    Atama wrote: »
    I’ll be on a head start server. Guess I’m part of the 0.1%.

    I will most likely also join a headstart server as well even though i dont have a headstart xD

    Would you mind telling me why?
  • HartwellHartwell Member, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    edited October 2019
    I think it depends on the kind of player.

    A lot of people don't read forums, but they do still try to aim for a high populated server at the moment when they join. This kind of player will probably join whichever realm is at the top of the server list when they first jump into the game and sort by realm population. Once they make a character they are comfortable with, they'll stick through the queues even if they are hours long. They know the long-term consequences of joining a low pop server.

    Another kind of player is the type that joins whichever server their friends are going to. These players need a server name to coordinate. They need a list of server names. If a single friend plays on a headstart realm, they'll probably end up being there with all of their friends and their friends' friends. These people can really snowball a server population.

    Then there is the streamer and their followers. This one probably worries me the most. A single popular streamer could bring a lot of traffic to a realm. A headstart realm might be what they'll go for if AoC makes a splash in viewer interest. They also take a lot of people with them if they go out the door, sometimes leaving a void in the population.
  • NoaaniNoaani Member, Intrepid Pack
    edited October 2019
    Marzzo wrote: »
    99.9%
    Marzzo wrote: »
    over 100 asked.
    In order to get a tenth of a percent you need to ask 1,000 people (though to state it as a statistic you need far more than that).

    If just one person out of a hundred says they are interested, that is 99%. In order to get 99.9% you need to ask 1,000 people and only have one person say they are interested.

    Not a big deal, but if you're going to use numbers, use the right ones. If you don't use the right ones and get called on it (as you have been), then admit you don't know how numbers work, or that you made the numbers up.

    I mean, it's not like you can claim a decimal point and additional digit is a typo.


  • AtamaAtama Member, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    noaani wrote: »
    Marzzo wrote: »
    99.9%
    Marzzo wrote: »
    over 100 asked.
    In order to get a tenth of a percent you need to ask 1,000 people (though to state it as a statistic you need far more than that).

    If just one person out of a hundred says they are interested, that is 99%. In order to get 99.9% you need to ask 1,000 people and only have one person say they are interested.

    Not a big deal, but if you're going to use numbers, use the right ones. If you don't use the right ones and get called on it (as you have been), then admit you don't know how numbers work, or that you made the numbers up.

    I mean, it's not like you can claim a decimal point and additional digit is a typo.


    62% of all statistics are made up.
     
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  • MakinojiMakinoji Member, Warrior of Old, Kickstarter
    As a new player, I would actually prefer a server that was already started, reason being that the markets could be a little bit more forgiving since it'll be saturated by those HS folk trying to get rid of their starter stuff. It definitely has it's advantages to new players. The HS people would be able to give pointers to the newer folks and possibly carry them through the early content to catch up and pass down gears and othe things.

    Everyone will be on the same level due to the nodes not being active until launch, so in essence, every one new or old will be contributing as soon as the button is switched to live.

    The flip side of this would be that there would be spots being farmed for resources and could deplete quickly or XP spots dried out. Also the open world PVP issue of knowing where newer players will be and campers.

    I do agree with the down the road sentiment, servers could be lopsided for a bit as the population tries to even itself out. The only advantage I could see a smaller server having is the placement of the node, there would be more room for wiggle.
  • DamoklesDamokles Member, Alpha One, Adventurer
    Marzzo wrote: »
    Damokles wrote: »
    Atama wrote: »
    I’ll be on a head start server. Guess I’m part of the 0.1%.

    I will most likely also join a headstart server as well even though i dont have a headstart xD

    Would you mind telling me why?

    I will most likely either look for a headstart server and watch some twitch streamer explore it or i will find a normal server. I dont think that thos3 with headstarts will have such a big advantage as other people. They will have no nodes to advance like i said earlier after all and you need node advancement to unlock more quests.

    "Each race has their own starting area (starting zone), featuring a divine gateway. The exception to this is the Tulnar, who have a starting area without a divine gateway.

    Players will be able to choose their starting Divine gateway. This choice is not restricted by race.

    There will be small NPC settlements at the starting areas. These represent scouts that were sent ahead of the main expedition back to Verra. These settlements are designed to acclimatize new players entering the world.

    Starting areas have some distance between them."
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