Orien Population

[Crazywist]

Logged a few toons on Orien the other day. I couldnt believe how many toons I saw. Even the snowy side of Korthos had toons running everywhere. It reminded me of the old days. It would be nice if they would rotate the default server every once in a while.
Enjoy your game. :)

[Lanadazia]

Logged a few toons on Orien the other day. I couldnt believe how many toons I saw. Even the snowy side of Korthos had toons running everywhere. It reminded me of the old days. It would be nice if they would rotate the default server every once in a while.
Enjoy your game. :)

it used to be on argonessen this way. right now its pretty empty.
i'd vote for a server merge, like putting one more crowded and one less crowded server together, and swap the default server every month. so we keep getting new players on all servers, while keeping the base-polulation healthy too

[Marshal_Lannes]

DDO is undergoing a renaissance on Orien right now. There are LOTS of people playing here each day. Come on over and join us! Loads of LFMs for every level group (in heroics anyway, Epic LFMs are there but they are less than Heroic). Lots of friendly TR Reaper groups and I run into new players almost every day. The game really feels alive here on Orien.

[CaptainPurge]

So they haven't changed default server yet? We're looking at a full year now for Orien.

[PermaBanned]

So they haven't changed default server yet? We're looking at a full year now for Orien.Just guessing here, but I think they'd prefer to never change the default again. Why send potential new customers to a server that's *perceptibly dead?

* "perceptibly" because for new players (who want to play an MMO with multiple players in a group) all the Guild groups, Channel groups, Static groups and soloists are invisible & thus effectively nonexistent.

[Marshal_Lannes]

So they haven't changed default server yet? We're looking at a full year now for Orien.

I don't think there is a need to do so. Keeping Orien the primary server has proven that the game can be robust and dynamic still and is very much alive. This serves as a defacto server merge. I would provide a free transfer grace period where you can transfer any number of characters for a nominal fee (say 100 points). This allows those playing on vacant servers to come over to Orien. I'd run this from Black Friday through the New Year.

[Lanadazia]

Just guessing here, but I think they'd prefer to never change the default again. Why send potential new customers to a server that's *perceptibly dead?

* "perceptibly" because for new players (who want to play an MMO with multiple players in a group) all the Guild groups, Channel groups, Static groups and soloists are invisible & thus effectively nonexistent.


I don't think there is a need to do so. Keeping Orien the primary server has proven that the game can be robust and dynamic still and is very much alive. This serves as a defacto server merge. I would provide a free transfer grace period where you can transfer any number of characters for a nominal fee (say 100 points). This allows those playing on vacant servers to come over to Orien. I'd run this from Black Friday through the New Year.

well, so why did they change the default server from argonessen to orien? it used to be the exact same thing on argonessen until they decided to change the default to argonessen.
i'd not think about chaning servers twice, but since i had to transfert at least 10 toons to get all my stuff with me, that i've been playing for for years i don't think this would happen.
i don't understand why there is no cheaper option like a complete account transferral to another server or such.
on the long term it was basically argonessens death sentence to put the default server on orien. the well populated server with a vivid LFM, new and friendly pugs and uprising new guilds is long gone.
sometimes the LFM has like 5 entries on a primetime friday/saturday night :/
hence my suggestion to merge other servers, or swap the default server every month, so all servers get some fresh meat.
another way would be, to not put any default server and people had to choose on their own.
or just putting a randomized default server.

to me its kinda hard right now, to convince other people, that this game (especially this server) is not dead and that its worth a try.
it was hard before too, to explain that the starting area + harbor are 'just the beginning and stuff will get so much better later on'
like you have literally delve into ugly sewers on each quest and face kobolds. meh!

can we get some love to level 1-5? new free adventure packs, or revamp of the older quests?

[Marshal_Lannes]

We had two Marketplace instances Sunday on Orien. Two! With no festival even going on. Things are happening over here I tell you. Really nice to see that. It may be happening more often I just noticed it because a group member said where are you guys I can't see you in the market!

[Niminae]

Keeping Orien the primary server has proven that the game can be robust and dynamic still and is very much alive. This serves as a defacto server merge. I would provide a free transfer grace period where you can transfer any number of characters for a nominal fee (say 100 points). This allows those playing on vacant servers to come over to Orien. I'd run this from Black Friday through the New Year.

No. Setting the default server to Orion is in no way a 'defacto server merge.' Nothing other than a server merge will substitute for a server merge. Server transfers cost 2495 DDO Points, which costs ~$30.00 US. Players who joined a low population sever in good faith and suffer a much reduced player experience because of this are apparently expected to pay $30 per character in order to enjoy the benefits of playing on a server with a higher population. I find that expectation to be preposterous.

[Marshal_Lannes]

No. Setting the default server to Orion is in no way a 'defacto server merge.' Nothing other than a server merge will substitute for a server merge. Server transfers cost 2495 DDO Points, which costs ~$30.00 US. Players who joined a low population sever in good faith and suffer a much reduced player experience because of this are apparently expected to pay $30 per character in order to enjoy the benefits of playing on a server with a higher population. I find that expectation to be preposterous.

I have already proposed a transfer amnesty day - maybe Black Friday, maybe when Ravenloft comes out, where server transfers can be done on an account wide basis for a one time nominal fee (say 750 TPs).

[Phil7]

We had two Marketplace instances Sunday on Orien. Two! With no festival even going on. Things are happening over here I tell you. Really nice to see that. It may be happening more often I just noticed it because a group member said where are you guys I can't see you in the market!

well good for you Marshal, I'd love to come to Orien myself but guess what... I'm in a guild which I want to stay in and I have friends in Cannith too. Sure it's a bigger server with more players but then I lose all of my friends and guildies. Oh and I have 5 toons in total.
Now solve me this

[Wonedream]

Logged a few toons on Orien the other day. I couldnt believe how many toons I saw. Even the snowy side of Korthos had toons running everywhere. It reminded me of the old days. It would be nice if they would rotate the default server every once in a while.
Enjoy your game. :)

Meanwhile somewhere at 3 am (to be fair) in Thelanis I find myself standing there in Gianthold looking at the only other toon there.... and he is obviously afk.... and wondering "why am I not on Orien?" along with "I remember when Gianthold was always packed here at Thelanis..."

[Wonedream]

well good for you Marshal, I'd love to come to Orien myself but guess what... I'm in a guild which I want to stay in and I have friends in Cannith too. Sure it's a bigger server with more players but then I lose all of my friends and guildies. Oh and I have 5 toons in total.
Now solve me this

I got 40 mules all levels 12 or higher on with my main... I had em all spread out over 8 servers at lvl 20 but decided I wanted them all on the same server where my main was, and the cost was too much at the time, so I deleted the old ones and remade them into newer better versions (even at 1st life, my knowledge is paying off) and got them all to lvl 12 (a few left overs from that server are above 20).

I'd up and move em all to Orien if it wasn't involving a payment 41 times... o.O

At least it makes the goal of making it easy to pay 41 times not be anything to blink at more worth while :P

But until that goal is met, if there was some other way or something to bring my collection... I'd move to Orien hearing what I hear.

[Marshal_Lannes]

well good for you Marshal, I'd love to come to Orien myself but guess what... I'm in a guild which I want to stay in and I have friends in Cannith too. Sure it's a bigger server with more players but then I lose all of my friends and guildies. Oh and I have 5 toons in total.
Now solve me this

Well if they did the one time 750 (for example) point amnesty server transfer it would be account wide so all 5 of your characters go for 750. Either you convince your friends to come with you or they stay. The game can't really account for that. I am not sure on airships. I don't know how difficult that is to code. I guessing that could not be done though so you would either have to start up a new guild on Orien or join one of the many active ones currently recruiting. There are going to be some negatives of course to moving to a new server but ultimately, if I were on a server with 5 LFMs and no one around I'd transfer my two main characters to the server where you are getting the full DDO experience.

[Spadedragon]

Mean while all the other servers die.

[scipiojedi]

I got 40 mules all levels 12 or higher on with my main... I had em all spread out over 8 servers at lvl 20 but decided I wanted them all on the same server where my main was, and the cost was too much at the time, so I deleted the old ones and remade them into newer better versions (even at 1st life, my knowledge is paying off) and got them all to lvl 12 (a few left overs from that server are above 20).

I'd up and move em all to Orien if it wasn't involving a payment 41 times... o.O

At least it makes the goal of making it easy to pay 41 times not be anything to blink at more worth while :P

But until that goal is met, if there was some other way or something to bring my collection... I'd move to Orien hearing what I hear.

That's why I am building up toons on every server. no one on your server to play? Simple, hop on another one.

[Lanadazia]

Well if they did the one time 750 (for example) point amnesty server transfer it would be account wide so all 5 of your characters go for 750. Either you convince your friends to come with you or they stay. The game can't really account for that. I am not sure on airships. I don't know how difficult that is to code. I guessing that could not be done though so you would either have to start up a new guild on Orien or join one of the many active ones currently recruiting. There are going to be some negatives of course to moving to a new server but ultimately, if I were on a server with 5 LFMs and no one around I'd transfer my two main characters to the server where you are getting the full DDO experience.

well. i have one main character. a few other toons too, like a hagglebard or mules galore, yet i wouldn't transfer my main character only.
that some servers, especially the 'default server' have the full DDO experience, while other servers run dry is in fact a game issue and SSG should be held accountable.
if the population on the default server is huge (like it used to be when the default server was argonessen) that server is fine and doesn't need much work. in the meantime the 3 less crowded servers could be merged into one. maybe they can do a poll so players can vote yes/no for a server merge.
when i started playing DDO i picked the most crowded server for a reason. i like the LFM system alot, right now its pretty dead. guess you have to be in special guild/TR/raiding channels to get things going - too bad!

[dogsoldier]

I am playing on Orien, have been for a little while now, it is fun server to play on, almost always groups going for all level ranges, and if you start one it quickly fills. I started on Thelanis, played some on Cannith, then a good amount of time on Ghallanda.

The new players are what make Orien so great, and it is important to help them out and make them feel welcome. I have all of the packs, so really don't need the Turbine Points for much (occasional feather fall, or deathblock augment), so I frequently use them for Guest Passes, usually also with some advice on which packs they should pickup with their earned points. And I show people around if they are not familiar with the area/quest. Lately I have been helping people get coins if I see them struggling with them in the Harbor, and help people get key gear (such as the silver longbow for a lvl 8 ranger today).

Over the years I have seen some behavior that is pretty hostile to new players. At one point in time, people actually looked up your equipped gear on MyDDO to see if you were worthy of their leet group, ha. And they would only accept people into their leet groups if they approved of their optimal max DPS build. Yes SSG should do more to help those servers with struggling populations. There is community responsibility for player retention as well.

[Mindos]

I am playing on Orien, have been for a little while now, it is fun server to play on, almost always groups going for all level ranges, and if you start one it quickly fills. I started on Thelanis, played some on Cannith, then a good amount of time on Ghallanda.

Cannith is the current default server as of the date of this post.
(in case anyone was late to the thread)