Rough Player Numbers?

[weasel82]

Hey guys...anyone know of trending active users reports over the past few years, or even earlier, or is that stuff sort've unknown to us regular people.

I'm just sort've curious.

[Asha]

Why do people keep asking this?

[weasel82]

Maybe because we haven't gotten an answer?

[Sam]

during EG the highest I saw was 525.... during the evenings the norm is high 300's and maybe into the 400's on weekends.

[weasel82]

Thanks! That's sounds about the same as a few years back!

I'd really love to see a good marketing campaign set up for GSIV. This game is still such a great one!

[Fallen]

500-600 during festivals
400-500 Peak play times
300 average for normal play times
100-200 Odd hours

[loxe]

back the first time i played (late 90's) evening population would easily be 800 plus and during merchant events well over 1000. The sad part is i really think that the game was better back then. even with the .................................................. .......................lag

[phantasm]

The game is far better now.

Before you reach level cap anyhow, I can't speak for after.

[Rallorick]

I think the game is far better now. I've been playing off and on for a year now, and played quite a bit back in the late 90s... with 1300+ people, starting out was ridiculous.

It was hard to find a room you could hunt in. Everyone got into arguments over who was 'camping', and who was too strong to hunt where they were...

At the time, I figured it was just tough to keep the game robust enough to handle the volume of players. Now, it's sort of the opposite.

[Terzl]

I have to chime in here, because as someone coming back to the game after a very long time - this is fascinating to me.

When GS moved to the web from AOL/GEnie, the first night there were over 2000 people in the lands at once. This is before anywhere else existed other than the Landing, so imagine how full it was!

It never hit that mark again but would peak at 1300+ on Friday nights and Saturdays. Wild.

What is amazing to me is that during those years, the single complaint about the game was overcrowding. You just couldn't hunt effectively because there were people sitting in rooms waiting for critters to generate. You had to craft strategies to hunt at off-hours, or in out-of-the-way places.

It became a top priority and then, IceMule was born. Creating new hunting grounds was all everyone wanted. It's wild to see now how an issue that seemed so monumental and impossible to solve doesn't exist today.

Terzl

[WRoss]

I have to chime in here, because as someone coming back to the game after a very long time - this is fascinating to me.

When GS moved to the web from AOL/GEnie, the first night there were over 2000 people in the lands at once. This is before anywhere else existed other than the Landing, so imagine how full it was!

It never hit that mark again but would peak at 1300+ on Friday nights and Saturdays. Wild.

What is amazing to me is that during those years, the single complaint about the game was overcrowding. You just couldn't hunt effectively because there were people sitting in rooms waiting for critters to generate. You had to craft strategies to hunt at off-hours, or in out-of-the-way places.

It became a top priority and then, IceMule was born. Creating new hunting grounds was all everyone wanted. It's wild to see now how an issue that seemed so monumental and impossible to solve doesn't exist today.

Terzl

Ice Mule and River's Rest were around when the switch was made to the web. They had been around for well over 2 years.

[Endaar]

I think that if the population were effectively doubled; say, 1000-1200 online for festivals, we would be in a pretty good place.

I'm of the mind that it's really not as fun with only a 50/50 chance of finding an empath and rogue in town when you need them, and to have certain towns (cough cough Zul Logoth cough) completely desolate (yes I know that has partially to do with what's available to hunt around there, but still).

Just my $0.02.

[petroglyph]

The game's done far better than 2,000; I once saw it hit 3,000.

Of course, it crashed almost immediately.

[Fallen]

Even if more people were to play I don't think services would be as readily available as they once were. Many MA all of the services they require and would continue to do so. 24/7 access to a service > hoping for the best.

[Makkah]

The game's done far better than 2,000; I once saw it hit 3,000.

Of course, it crashed almost immediately.

This... is bullshit. You sound like fucking Regyy claiming he saw 3500 in game one time.

[Drew]

The game's done far better than 2,000; I once saw it hit 3,000.

Of course, it crashed almost immediately.

I have spitfire logs, if you can find them higher than the spitfire, show me.

[Drew]

July 28 1997, 10PM.



[Spitfire, Main Deck Starboard]
"Ahoy t' deck" comes a call from the rigging high above where a crow's nest can be seen perched among the yards of the mainmast. The breeze blowing in from the open sea carries off the rest of the garbled message. A group of thickly muscled sailors works intently, polishing railing and checking tack for wear. One, a particularly robust halfling, oversees their efforts, barking orders in her loud, raspy voice. You also see some aft stairs and a louvered door.
Also here: Naina, Cycon, Sassinack, Lord Keltrax, Royalrat, Shaliegh, Alaqua, Lord Sythsyn, Megraill, Lady Twoflame, Lord Dharah
Obvious paths: north, west.
who
>There are 2028 active players online
Type WHO FULL to get a list of active players

Staff on duty:
Trinitle Vellina Justuce Cedrus
Melinor Flamingrose




Numbers never went up from there after the web switch. So it would have to be before the web switch at a big festival or something. I don't think the game ever clipped past 3000.

[Rallorick]

3000 does seem a little more than possible. when it broke 1500 you might as well have left the game anyway... it wasn't going to be fun.

I had figured after the required migration to web accounts, the numbers were going to drop significantly. I was pretty surprised when it didn't... that color shifting glaes spider was TOTALLY worth it...

[petroglyph]

July 28 1997, 10PM.

Numbers never went up from there after the web switch. So it would have to be before the web switch at a big festival or something. I don't think the game ever clipped past 3000.

Meh. I don't see much point in arguing? My memory says it was in December 1996, a week or two after AOL went unlimited, but I don't have any logs that predate the web switch. If there was a way to log using the crappy AOL Mac front end, I never figured it out.

[Rallorick]

yeah AOL unlimited really jacked the game numbers...

Lazy nerds suddenly had more free cash flow.

[Mike]

Long exile, considering a return, etc.

So, exactly how many people hang around DragonRealms now? I was considering asking on the official forums, but I recall these and wisely utilized the search function before posting.

I'm trying to figure out if I'll tinker with DR or GSIV (if either, or not both) and decent population numbers are stupid good for my subconscious.

[phantasm]

You should play DR.

[Terzl]

Ice Mule and River's Rest were around when the switch was made to the web. They had been around for well over 2 years.

I stand corrected.

IceMule and RR were before the move to web.. wow. I remember those areas being opened to try and provide some more space for everyone.

I agree with whoever said you should leave the game when there were 1000+ because it wasn't fun. You made me remember when we'd log out during heavy lag because you were at risk of dying and losing priceless gear.. hah, lots of frustrating but fun memories.

Terzl