Are players leaving?

... sit down, kick back and relax, and talk about anything that doesn't belong on one of the other forums.
Razhak
Posts: 1396
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2015 7:43 am

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by Razhak » Mon May 30, 2022 5:08 pm

Now there's someone I'd take on again as a DF.

myzec
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 2:40 pm

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by myzec » Mon May 30, 2022 6:49 pm

I started actively playing again 2 weeks ago, largely due to the comments on this thread. Sadly I had a bad experience with some players a few days ago and on the same day with an imm. As a result I decided to take an extended break. Hopefully you guys are having better interactions.

puny
Posts: 281
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2015 9:00 pm
Location: USA

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by puny » Fri Jun 03, 2022 9:22 pm

Zang sent me a link to this post over discord, but as a reflection of my current life, I did not see it until today (almost 2 months later).

I came back for a while because I had some extra time and I missed the game and the community. Regrettably, I witnessed some of the negative experiences posted in many of the previous posts on this thread. Thankfully, I was not a direct target, but seeing it happen was upsetting none-the-less. I have been a part of this game in one form or another since 1998 and over the intervening years I have had both wonderful and terrible experiences. But, it was the genuine connections that I made which brought me back through the trying times and made me want to play more than I probably should have during the highs. Ultimately, my personal approach to the game was that I enjoyed the game and I wanted to share that enjoyment with players on all sides (LS, SS, and DS) and help them hopefully experience the level of enjoyment that I did. I had positive relationships with most players, even the ones that were reviled by others (Imms and players that did great things, and Imms and players that unfortunately did unkind and/or abusive things).

I will say that the last time I was very active (earlier this year) I witnessed a lot of negativity on DS, which was very upsetting because I remember the days when there were very few active DS and we all took care of each other and didn't tolerate a$$-hats on DS. I think that foundation of DS is still present, but it is not as prominent as it once was. Still, DS remained a relatively positive place on average, though somewhat diminished from its previous glory. Admittedly, I have not played for months, so perhaps that has improved.

I also witnessed what appeared to be two prominent competing factions within the player-base (not so much LS vs DS, but actual people vs other people OOC that was drug into the game). They seemed to be doing their utmost to grief each other, which is unacceptable by my standards. First off, this is a game and should be treated as such. All should be welcome, encouraged, and if possible supported as they attempt to achieve their goals for their alts. Second, when there are long-term players banded together against other long-term players, inevitably their interpersonal abuses and attacks cut massive swaths of collateral damage through the game experiences of newer or otherwise innocent players. It's like two armies repeatedly fighting over the same installation, in the end neither is truly the victor, and the installation they were fighting over is utterly destroyed (the game is the installation and the two factions no longer play and have nothing but bitterness over a game they once truly and purely enjoyed).

All of the above, combined, reduced my desire to play, but none of it would have truly kept me completely away. The nail in my playtime coffin was IRL. I didn't feel the desire to play more than a couple nights a week, but my responsibilities as a single dad of 3 kids under the age of 10, without any family support (because they're 500+ miles away) is what put an end to my current playtime. I will likely still log on every once in a while, but until my kids are older I will not be able to give any serious playtime to this game that I still love. And I do still love this game.

For all of its often frustrating changes and up and down emotional rides, I have met some wonderful, and I mean truly, genuinely wonderful people through this community. I have people I count as friends from all over the world. I have helped people through the loss of family members (parents, spouses, siblings) and I was helped and supported through my own loss of my mom 2007. The community that WoTMUD has created is beautiful. For the most part, the people are kind, supportive, and genuine. I only hope that our community's open, accepting, and compassionate strengths are able to maintain it through this current challenge so that it will succeed and grow again in the future.

Sincerely,
Brad (the player behind Puny)

Xorzir
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2016 3:29 pm

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by Xorzir » Sat Jun 04, 2022 1:02 am

A lot of the things that Puny said are very accurate. The community seems to have diminished and while I am not a prominent player, I still play alts and am trying to currently learn new chars and playstyles to keep me involved.

I am hesitant to say these things based on my small amount of influence on the game, however I do feel they need be said.

DS:
I have trouble playing. There are either 15 people on or no one, and it is more cliquey than before. I remember levelling and ranking Xor and sending a tell to anyone and getting a 'yeah, come join us' kind of response. And that still happens on Xor, my alts are less wanted in what could be called 'Supreme' smob/pk groups. That comraderie was an essential part of DS and it seems to have lost a bit of it, call me biased, but removing zerk attack left a ton of newbies out in the dark for wtf they even statted that char and levelled them. It was not OP, Ghar ftw.

LS:
I have found a bit of turmoil on LS simply because I have started a channeler and got her to Journey Accepted and had a ton of support through that. But there is support and there is Support. I find myself questioning whether someone is just using me as a channeler, or trying to make the mud a more fun place for all of us. On other alts I am hesitant to engage in smobbing or pk because it could end at the drop of a hat and because I am no leader, I don't know how to extend it.

SS:
This is where I have found the most support and willingness to teach about not only the maps and smobs and exp, but about the culture surrounding the mud in it's entirety, which I used to find on DS. Playtimes seem to be the biggest issue for this 'race' and that cannot be helped except through more folks playing.

EQ:
fk eq. if you have a unique play it, if you have a rare play it. Eq should be easy and not something that comes up. I'm not saying DM style, but it should be simple to get a basic whatever set, then a decent weapon of whichever, and eventually trinks. which I think is where its at atm.

Sorry if I made no sense, please tell me why if I didnt.

X

Thore
Posts: 378
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:06 am

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by Thore » Sat Jun 11, 2022 1:55 am

What's one less player, right?

Equitant
Posts: 174
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:30 pm

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by Equitant » Thu Jun 23, 2022 3:04 pm

Hello friends. I've not read more than 3% of these posts. Seems a lot are about meanies and feelings. Lots of big words, logic, rebuttals and all that. Very boring.

I left for a few years and was pleasantly surprised when I returned to see a lot of people playing again. Seems there are a lot of good changes and some very not good ones. I applaud the imms for their effort and re-energizing this game. That said, I just came on here to complain about the regular zone changes and how frustrating they are for a returning player like me, who doesn't use maps. Recent north zone changes seem pointless. I go to Cair and get lost. I go to Two Rivers and get even more lost than usual. I don't think I agree with balancing of decades of zone knowledge and brain training to whatever it is you're making these changes for.

That is all. I hope everyone has a great day!

Edit: Read some more posts and seems many people not happy with zone changes and not wanting/willing to relearn the game yet the massive zone changes keep happening. Please read this nice post and revert back. Thanks!

may72
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:48 am

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by may72 » Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:00 pm

Honestly? my biggest issue in recent years as a casual player is the rent system.

I play a bit for a few weeks, come back after a few months and find i cant afford my gear any more? It just feels so 80's

It was the reason i quit after my brief return on an alt.

Aloisa
Posts: 968
Joined: Tue May 30, 2017 8:24 pm

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by Aloisa » Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:57 pm

may72 wrote:
Fri Jul 01, 2022 6:00 pm
Honestly? my biggest issue in recent years as a casual player is the rent system.

I play a bit for a few weeks, come back after a few months and find i cant afford my gear any more? It just feels so 80's

It was the reason i quit after my brief return on an alt.
Rent costs got lowered a ton recently, and imms will pay off old debts!

Aureus
Posts: 968
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 11:13 pm

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by Aureus » Fri Jul 01, 2022 8:30 pm

If you haven't logged on in more than 28 days then rent debt gets cleared automatically now, too.

Draz
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2017 9:14 pm

Re: Are players leaving?

Post by Draz » Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:52 pm

Holy dung does it? Great to hear.

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