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Massive Everquest Server Merger

Posted by Zonk on from the emigration-problems dept.

EvilBastard writes "Sony Online Entertainment has announced the next round of server consolidation, where 36 Everquest Servers will be merged over the next 6 weeks, with 18 servers vanishing for good. Servers to vanish include Veeshan, Karana and Mithaniel Marr. Where two servers merge, the server with the highest population keeps it's name, however some characters will have the option to add their server as their in game title. This is the third server merge that Sony has performed, after the earlier combination of the 4 PVP servers and an earlier proof-of-concept merger."

2 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Population dips by nytmare · · Score: 2, Informative

    Previous competitor MMORPG releases have only made EQ's populations dip mildly each time. But the Oct/Nov 2004 releases of EQ2 and World of Warcraft is the first time EQ has suffered a massive sudden decline. I estimate EQ lost two thirds of its players based on the player count in populous zones like Bazaar and Plane of Knowledge on my server. Players haven't been allowed to see the actual server population numbers for a long time now.

    The good news is the population hasn't fallen a lot since that time. EQ isn't dead, just reduced.

  2. Re:End times are nearing... by PhiznTRG · · Score: 3, Informative
    Your complaints are a result of the game designer/maintainer succumbing to the player demands that everything be made easier, thus ensuring the ultimate death of the game.

    There was a post a while back about an essay that said this very thing and people got upset, saying that you shouldn't ignore the players since they know best. They don't, though. The best way to make an online world succeed over the long run is to ignore the players - people quit, complain, whine, etc. but as long as new players are joining then you are doing something right. It is when you listen to the players so much that all of the unique features that got players to join in the beginning are removed and no new players want to join. Thus beginning the downward spiral to eventual obsolescence.