[Official] Clustering Thread

[IainC]

As most of you will know, we are currently considering clustering the English servers. We've had one poll on this and are currently running a second. Numbers however only tell us so much and so we are looking for more detailed feedback about your views on this subject.

Firstly I'll lay out what the principle advantages and disadvantages of clustering are.

The advantage:
+ The populations of Prydwen and Excalibur will increase immediately. This will mean there will be more people available to group with, raid with or RvR with.

The disadvantages:
+ Excalibur and Prydwen will become essentially one server with many duplicated zones. New players (of which there are many since Catacombs) will only have a choice of one realm. Players who currently play both servers on more than one realm will find that it is harder to swap between their characters. Existing players who want to try a different realm to their main characters will have to either open a new account or delete all the characters on their main account.
+ There are many well defined and closely knit communities on both servers. The sudden introduction of so many new allies and enemies will undoubtedly change those communities for ever. Game economies will most certainly change and, in genera,l items will become far more expensive across the board. This is likely to affect Prydwen more than it will Excalibur.
+ Clustering is irreversible. Once we have taken the step we cannot go back to having separate servers for Prydwen and Excalibur. If you don't like it afterwards there is no changing your mind.


Why Cluster?
Keep in mind that when Mythic clustered servers, they were responding toa situation where some servers had a primetime population of less than 300 people. Our servers have prime time populations of close to 1000 for Prydwen and 1500 for Excalibur. They are by no means dead servers, last night on Prydwen there were approximately 250 people in New Frontiers zones which is a very healthy RvR population. The smallest realm (Hib/Prydwen) is still able to run large scale raids with little difficulty. Not clustering now still leaves the possibility open for the future should populations drop low enough to require it.

I'd like to know why you voted the way you did and why your choice is the best one for the servers. Abusive, offtopic or spam responses will be deleted.

[Flimgoblin]

voted no - the servers are big enough to survive on their own and I don't think something that's a disincentive to new players is a good idea.

Maybe later if things get worse, but not now, not if it's irreversible.

[Puppet]

Voted yes. Prydwen isnt big enough for long.

Incase we dont cluster Im guessing approx 50-75 RvR-active people will cancel; including alot of bots (which are prolly also counted in NF active people).

Then we're down to 150~ people in the frontier; including bots thats too low for such a wide area.

Lately on Prydwen you see 3-5 FG's roaming from ALL realms; basically no bases to run a FG as its no fun to fight a handful of the same enemies night in night out.

The problem with a Bountypoint-shortage on Alb/Pryd and Mid/Pryd is enough indication their population(s) isnt big enough to keep their keeps at an acceptable level. They need clustering to be able to do so.

[- English -]

Voted yes

I want more FGs roaming in NF, atm on Excal there are only about 2 guilds in each realm, and with the possiblity they arent on, RVR is zergy and boring. Without more RVR Guilds and 8v8 fights, I think alot of people will quit; i know i will - zerging sux

[Bloodclot]

voted yes.

as upcoming hib/pryd group we want to fight our excal/mid allies or fight albs in a different point of few.

and when there are no keeps taken. rvr is pretty dead (both servers).

[Shanaia]

Originally Posted by Puppet

Voted yes. Prydwen isnt big enough for long.

This is the exact WRONG reason to vote yes...

Don't you see that voting no now doesn't mean that the servers won't be clustered ever? If what you say happens in deed happens surely the servers will be clustered. The whole idea behind clustering was to revive dead servers. Not to merge 2 living servers because they "might" die in the near future.

Prydwen and Excal are alive and well ... clustering wasn't designed for the situation the servers are in atm.

I voted no because I think it is shortsighted and simply not necesary yet.

[Ballard]

Voted Yes. I dont think new players have the knowledge of the game to objectively weigh up the benefits of mulitple servers as opposed to one clustered server anyway. So I dont believe this issue will have a noticable impact upon new numbers. I know when I started DAOC I didnt know what server was what and that raids would need so many ppl , or even what master levels were...

Prywden is only just 'surviving' when we would all like to have a flourishing (or at least good) rvr scene. And some of those players have been hanging in there waiting for this and will leave if it doesnt happen soon. Even excali is quite dead outside of prime time.

[Samaroon EatsCheese]

aint voting but dont want clustering

hard enough to get solo fights as a non stealther anyway ;x

[ImaNoobie]

Voted No.

Since GOA refuse to open more english servers (ie Co-op, normal) and we only have 2 (PvP doesn't count) we are limited to only playing 2 realms as it is. Unlike the French/German who have more servers therefore being able to play all 3 realms.

It is also VERY unlikely we'll have any new server type (currently being voted on in the US) as GOA obviously don't like spending money.

Clustering, as stated, would reduce the game we pay/ed for to one third of the content available. The US have a lot more servers and clustering doesnt affect them the same way, they are still able to play all 3 realms simutaneously without the need to delete characters/open new accounts.

If the servers do get clustered then im sure you'll notice your active subscriptions falling.

[Penguin]

Yes - Much rather have more people around, although Prydwen has picked up a bit recently, i can't see it staying this way for long. Also even though it has picked up, i'd much rather see more people than there already are in other zones. It's not just about RVR remember. I want more people to group with in classic zones too...

[Gamah]

I haven't voted on the second cluster poll, In general I think clustering will be bad for my play style..However I can see how / why many people want it.

Ironic though if you look at most of the people saying "givf cluster" its members of "elite" guild groups who call everyone else roleplayers (Xxitard). I don't consider myself a casual player or a "roleplayer"..But apprantly if you think against the grain of the hardcore players (Note I didn't say good players) then your a retard or a roleplayer.

Anywho I digress

I don't want clustering for one simple reason, zergs..they have been bad enough on Prydwen let alone excal..however people do claim that a higher population would spread out RvR...With the mentality that prydwen and Excal have had for so long (all RvR in one place) I don't see this happening, I just see bigger zergs.

Anyone that wants to make an intelligent counter-argument to this post is more than welcome, any troll with an IQ lower than a turnip on weed don't bother. Although I'm against it, I can see (and hope) my thoreys on the issue could possibly be ill-founded..and as I have always done since I started playing this game on release day..I'll accept the change and adapt.

[ImaNoobie]

Originally Posted by Penguin

I want more people to group with in classic zones too...

Classic/SI/ToA zones won't be clustered. Its just NF and Cities...

[Gamah]

Originally Posted by ImaNoobie

Classic/SI/ToA zones won't be clustered. Its just NF and Cities...

Even if they are not clustered, people from other servers can port to that zone..clustered means there will be 1 NF zone..but if an area is not clustered players from BOTH SERVERS can still visit it.

[Watchh]

Yes 2 Cluster, we need more active rvr even on Excalibur, the zerg will surely spread out over more zone's/keeps. and more fg's to fight can't be a bad thing

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Gamah

Even if they are not clustered, people from other servers can port to that zone..clustered means there will be 1 NF zone..but if an area is not clustered players from BOTH SERVERS can still visit it.

What he said