Exact Number of Players?

[xcomvic]

Can a GM or TS give us an exact figure of how many players there are on the North American server? Is there anyway to find this out in game? I am not talking about the /who command, but like a /users command where it tells me the number of players in the a) game currently b)game total (online and offline).

[cerest]

I'm sorry, we never release those numbers to the public.

[xcomvic]

That means its very very low, because that isn't classified/confidential. It IS a matter of public knowledge.

[balsalt]

Sony doesn't release those numbers either, and I assure you subs on any of their games are not low.

DAOC is the only one I know of that still prominently displays server pops, though I am sure there are others.

[hubba1]

Like one poster said, the only MMORPGs that I know actually say how many players it has on are:

Dark Age of Camelot (on main page, right side)

Asheron's Call 2 (used to, dont know now)

I can't think of any others that do so now.

[lyrah68]

Get into a LARGE guild that is able to be in EVERY region in game. Plan an event that spreads at least ONE member in each region. Then, in guild chat plan a /who at the EXACT same time. Not sure how you would also count the newbies unless you have four members on vox create one of EACH race and hit the /who at the same time.

Yeah Voice communication program would HAVE to be the way to do this. Since at LEAST four would have to be OFF their guilded character in order for this count to be accurate.

Also...in order for this to be accurate, this guild would have to do this several times per night (about once an hour would work) and for at LEAST a week to get an accurate statisical reading of number of players.

IF you happen to get this number...please do tell the rest of us players. I have heard WILD guesses in the range of 400 during prime time (an EXTREMELY pessimistic number in my MUCH less than humble opinion), to 3k (an EXTREMELY Optimistic number in my opinion). I would GUESS a number closer to 1.5k to 2k on the weekends would be closer, but since it IS a guess...I wouldn't give it any more value than the other guesses.

EQ DID publish the number, so did Horizons, but BOTH removed the counters when they started a downward turn. It is OBVIOUS why that happened. (EQ counter was removed shortly after one month post Kunark release, I was just moving into Lake Ill Omen at the time. I forget which game release was then, but it was the cause for the temporary down turn. And Fennin Ro's numbers were still WELL into the 2.5k ish range during prime time Week day.)

[balsalt]

Originally Posted by lyrah68

Get into a LARGE guild that is able to be in EVERY region in game. Plan an event that spreads at least ONE member in each region. Then, in guild chat plan a /who at the EXACT same time. Not sure how you would also count the newbies unless you have four members on vox create one of EACH race and hit the /who at the same time.

Yeah Voice communication program would HAVE to be the way to do this. Since at LEAST four would have to be OFF their guilded character in order for this count to be accurate.

Also...in order for this to be accurate, this guild would have to do this several times per night (about once an hour would work) and for at LEAST a week to get an accurate statisical reading of number of players.

IF you happen to get this number...please do tell the rest of us players. I have heard WILD guesses in the range of 400 during prime time (an EXTREMELY pessimistic number in my MUCH less than humble opinion), to 3k (an EXTREMELY Optimistic number in my opinion). I would GUESS a number closer to 1.5k to 2k on the weekends would be closer, but since it IS a guess...I wouldn't give it any more value than the other guesses.

EQ DID publish the number, so did Horizons, but BOTH removed the counters when they started a downward turn. It is OBVIOUS why that happened. (EQ counter was removed shortly after one month post Kunark release, I was just moving into Lake Ill Omen at the time. I forget which game release was then, but it was the cause for the temporary down turn. And Fennin Ro's numbers were still WELL into the 2.5k ish range during prime time Week day.)

EQ actually took the numbers down a little bit later than that, but well before SoV, but at the time it happened, they were still increasing subscriptions. Their reasoning as put forward on the old EQ forums was to try and balance the server loads as people tend to head for heavier populated servers. However the consensus was they felt no need to offer demographic tools for the use of their competitors. The only game release I recall around then was Asheron's Call.

As for your ambitous plan, yes it could work, or you could ask the devs and see if they would give it up.