NCSOFT & Server Population Management

[Calindor]

If they had channels in normal abyss areas...I'm pretty sure I wouldnt play Aion.

[eidolonnight]

Originally Posted by Solaire

If anybody is on a bad enough computer they're actually crying about a load screen for a different channel selection... start mowing lawns or something, and buy a new computer. :P It's an awesome hassle free way of not having thousands of people in one area at a time so no one can even move. lol

By that same token, anyone is on a bad enough computer they're actually crying about lag in a major city... start mowing lawns or something, and buy a new computer. :P

Your argument kinda doesn't work does it? Two things I'd like to address. If your computer was really that great I doubt you had lag issues in WoW. I went to the Isle on day one and had absolutely no lag (except for the bombing mission) and this was on a medium pop server. Secondly, my issue with load screens has nothing to do with their length or anything relating to computer performance. My issue is that load screens destroy the submersion efforts of the game. MMORPGs especially intend to provide a fluid environment that draws the user into the game. Things such as load screens essentially throw the user out of the game and then drag them back in. Now, I realize that loading new content is a necessity, but it should be done sparingly or you risk making the user feel like they're not really part of the game.

Though I'm sure that many like the idea of channels in starting areas, this situation is a slippery slope. Once channeling is allowed in those areas it is all too easy to say "Oh, well area X is kinda crowded let's channel that too." Before you know it the whole thing snowballs and the entire game is channeled (like Guild Wars).

[asenia]

I really wish there was some way we could all play together - internationally

Im british (and living in britain) and my fiance is american (living in america)....I usually have to purchase a US version of any games we play - and therefore have to leave any european friends behind And of course there is also the issue of time differences, I usually find a way around it but, sigh it would be nice to have more options. I know this is probably technically difficult...Im just dreaming

[LethalGT]

Originally Posted by asenia

I really wish there was some way we could all play together - internationally

Im british (and living in britain) and my fiance is american (living in america)....I usually have to purchase a US version of any games we play - and therefore have to leave any european friends behind And of course there is also the issue of time differences, I usually find a way around it but, sigh it would be nice to have more options. I know this is probably technically difficult...Im just dreaming

I'd like to know how that works.

[eidolonnight]

Oh, screw it. Let's just have a setup like EVE:

A unique aspect of EVE is that it is run on one server. In EVE you can find over 10,000 players at any given time interacting in the same persistent universe. Other MMORPGS are played on multiple servers called Shards; these have a limited number of players on each, usually between 500 and 3000.

There is a centralized server cluster, located in London, with several proprietary proxy (slave) servers. The proxy servers have dedicated bandwidth to the central cluster. The proxy servers take some of the load off the game logic servers in the cluster by doing data integrity checks and virtual multicasting, making them – in a sense – a software router.

This server architecture, together with clever game design, allows us to have more players, distributed over greater geographical distances, together in the same world, breaking records held by our predecessors in the MMOG genre.

[Blur]

Yea but You have to remember that a limit is useful, for me its better to have tons of servers than one in which 10 players are kill-stealing each other because the number of mobs is less the players

[Calindor]

unfortunately you can play EVE for weeks and not see another single player other than a name on your hud, or maybe someone camping a gate.

[kieron]

Originally Posted by Calindor

unfortunately you can play EVE for weeks and not see another single player other than a name on your hud, or maybe someone camping a gate.

That all depends on where and when you play. Go into Empire, COSMOS or an alliance conflict region and you won't be able to avoid seeing other players. The one server concept has some interesting benefits, including a very robust and active community. It would be *very* interesting to see a fantasy MMOG with the same architecture.

[Shu]

I originally posted this as an approach to the way that raid boss spawn rates should be handled. I realized that this method actually has value in its server population management, and I think it deserves to be in this thread. I think it would be a really smart idea for NCsoft to try and possibly bring something like this to Aion. It could make Aion be known for its excellent GM devotion to the community, having one of the greatest server balance/spawn rate control mechanisms, and also strongly enforce the PvPvE concept, where the E part of that concept is its own living, breathing faction that can dynamically adapt with player interactions. Think of it like Dungeons and Dragons. That game is still alive mostly because of the DM system, because the game can adapt to any situation because it is a real person behind the enemies you face and the obstacles you overcome.

Originally Posted by Shu

How about this: Instead of having "timers", the raid boss spawn times are strategically decided by GMs specifically for each server? They can have access to the data of average playtime ranges, time zones, etc. and make intelligent decisions based on their understanding of the server/guild/player status. Every server will have different norms depending on the Aion community in that server rather than having their playing times and playing styles limited by the rules of the game.

For example, on weekdays, a GM might see fit to spawn the boss at the most heavily populated time in order to spur on competition between legions and factions, or they may choose to spawn the boss secretly when few players are logged in and force players to team up with trustable strangers in order to take down a raid boss. On weekends, they can keep players guessing because schedules are generally more flexible, and for holidays, they may choose to make the raid boss spawn more often than usual to allow more people a chance, and etc.

This may not fit into any other MMO other than Aion, only because the PvPvE is so strongly defined here. The Balaur will always be the one opposing faction that both player factions must overcome, even if there are other PvE creatures to face. The GMs have already said that they will be pulling the strings behind the Balaur just in case there is server unbalance. Well, if the casual players are calling foul on the game devs for catering to the hardcore or vice versa, the GMs can just take over and do what it takes to solve the problem.

Also, for servers with less population, there would be less spawns, while larger servers have more. That is, of course, if they intend to do this. Otherwise, they could always provide an incentive to switch over by offering less competition for more rewards on a less populated and underleveled server so that established legions can balance themselves throughout all of the servers instead of having all of the competition in one server.

This plan was born right here and now, so I haven't had time to think about the specifics, but I think it has potential... so I hope it isn't left behind and forgotten. I hope the NCsoft considers this method of raid boss/server population management.

[eidolonnight]

Originally Posted by Calindor

unfortunately you can play EVE for weeks and not see another single player other than a name on your hud, or maybe someone camping a gate.

I know that this isn't what you meant, but your statement reminds me of a common complaint. I have oftentimes heard complaints about certain areas being "abandoned." People say, "You'll only find people in the major cities." Perhaps I expect too much reality in my mmorpgs, but this congregation of players to certain hot spots is natural. Complaining about this phenomena is like complaining about the lack of people hanging out in the backwoods of Idaho. Eve is unique in many ways, and I'm not sure how much I like it it, but the key feature I did enjoy was the single server concept (granted, it's not actually a single server but rather a large cluster). My main issue is an issue I've experienced in WoW for awhile. I'm constantly meeting people in RL and making new friends. I am now left with dozens of alts an various realms just so I can play with those other people. It's a pain. It would be much nicer if there was merely a single realm or if you could easily switch (like the channels in Guild Wars). I recently spoke out against channels in the game, but I should add that if there was a single server/realm/shard/whatever that channeling would be OK and probably necessary.

[pyrocrazy]

I'm for having 1 huge server that everyone can play on and it having channels(which would simply replace servers) instead of having many servers without channels...

The only difference would be is that because all the channels are from 1 server that you can play with 100% of the playerbase, it would basically be like having 20 servers and you can just move freely between any server...they would just be named channels

note: 20 is just a random number I thought of

[Calindor]

I had a slight difference with EvE, though...Atleast in MMO's where players cluster to the larger areas, you atleast see the odd newbies or know of these players. In EvE I played for about 5 weeks total (a few attempts over the years) and I could have sworn it was a single player game...I know all about the concepts and that in other areas it is populated, but you run around doing quests/missions, there is no incentive to go with other players or even a notice of any of them...not to mention when you use those acceleration gates (which made no sense since your ship had warp) they put you into your own instance, so you can even see other players in the PvE areas...not to mention the missions always stay the same even if you goto a new zone, its the exact same thing with a different name....I dunno my first MMO was Earth and Beyond, a space mmo that came out before EVE, and we kind of shunned EVE . Its a unique game, but imo the skills should not be time based, now there is really no point in playing for the first 6 months to a year, you just need some currency and to log on each time a new skill is learned...the quests you do as a lowbie should involve partying, interacting with other ships and maybe getting bonuses for doing them in formation or something, and each mission should be a new one....

off topic :<

[eidolonnight]

EVE was rather empty, but on the other hand... it is space. I see what you mean. I suppose my main issue is the mobility of your character. Who wants to pay an insane amount of many just to move a character? BTW those fess for moving characters are absurd. It should not cost that much to move data from one server/data center to another. The whole thing should pretty much be drag and drop, and if it isn't then someone ought to design a system that allows for that kind of portability.