Server Pops: The TruthFollow

Ok. Here it is in a nutshell. I am going to answer everyone's question about Server Pops and the like. Let us take some time and really examine the situation with serious consideration to the facts.

Commonly asked questions:

1.) Why is my server so empty?

2.) I am on the Island and no one is around. Where is everyone?

3.) I am in the starting zones (Oakmyst, Forest Ruins, etc.) and no one is here. What's going on?

4.) Is EQ2 losing people left and right?

Answers:

1.) Define empty. If there are 20 people in each zone, are you considering this empty? When you really get right down to the meat and potatoes, that's not bad. How many people (barring raids) can you have in a single group? 6. That answer is always going to be the same. So if we look at this mathematically, that is a possiblity of 3 and a half FULL groups. How often do you find yourself in a full group? More often than not, it is a trio or a quartet or a duo.

2.) Most people have moved far beyond the Isle of Refuge. The majority of the people you see on the Isle are alternate characters of the high levels. These people don't really care about staying on the Isle too long. They know what's there and are ready to leave as soon as they can.

3.) Again, see point two. You are in starting zones that most people have passed by months ago. There really isn't a reason for them to stick around.

4.) This is one question I can't answer. I really don't believe we are losing people left and right. Do not be put off by the "Server Populations Suck" threads. It isn't true.

I guess the whole point of this thread is to make people realize that empty is such a loaded word. I find myself soloing and harvesting most of the time in Norrath. The less people, the better. More mobs and more harvest all for me I couldn't care less if there were 100 people in the zone or 3. In fact, I always try to wait people out if I find myself in a second instance. And if you have to group, join a guild. All servers have guilds. My guild has about 50 people in it and there are usually around 6-12 people on at a time. That's a raid group right there!

So please, in closing, if there must be another Pops Suck thread, be a doll and define "empty" for us.

Edited, Mon Oct 3 11:50:41 2005 by Mearyk

Well, there's a lot less players on than there were shortly after launch, so...a lot of people left. I would define "empty" as less than 5 people LFG, which has been the case most of the time I've been on. I do think some server mergers are in order.

True. I just do a "/" in the chat box and that shows how many are in that zone.

I have also found that even though there may not be someone LFG, you might be able to snag someone by asking them with a /tell or using /ooc.

In fact, a few days ago, not LFG, I was tooling around Antonica with my 24 Warden, and out of the blue got asked to help out with a named mob. I suppose they did a full search for all healers and found me. I jumped in and got some good exp out of it.

This is advise worth following, I never accept blind invites unless I am on the LFG list, and I know a few others that follow the same rule. It is just a pain to have a box pop up in the middle of your screen when you are in the middle of a fight.