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+=====================================+
| THE STATE OF THE DONUT - 2019 |
+=====================================+
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Greetings fellow Genesisians, |
| |
| As many of you know, Gorboth started a tradition to, at the end of |
| every year, write a "State of the Donut" common board post. This post |
| often included interesting facts and statistics about the last year in |
| Genesis, as well as a look ahead. Now, who am I to break such a great |
| tradition? |
| |
| Of course there will be a "SotD" post this year too. It's a little later |
| than usual, and of course written by me instead of Gorboth, but here it |
| is - The State of the Donut 2019. |
| |
|============================================================================|
| THE PLAYER NUMBERS |
|============================================================================|
| |
| Now, I am not the same statistical mastermind (*cough*, nerd!) as |
| Gorboth, but I will do my best to shake up some numbers and compare |
| them to previous years. Thankfully one of Gorboth's resignation gifts |
| was to compute some nice graphs for me to use in this post. So, I have |
| a whole year to figure out how to do them myself for 2020... |
| |
| Please note that in the below charts only online mortal players (not |
| wizards) that are NOT linkdead are counted. |
| |
| Let's start by taking a look at the average player numbers during 2019. |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| Average player activity by week for entire year, beginning Jan 01 2019 |
| |
|------------+-----+----+-----+----+----+-----+----+----+-----+----+----+----|
| 36.5 |X X | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 36.0 |X X | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 35.5 |X XX | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 35.0 |X XX | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 34.5 |X XX | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 34.0 |XXXX | | | | | X | X | X | | | | |
| 33.5 |XXXX | | | | | X | X | X | | | | |
| 33.0 |XXXX | X | | | |XXX | XX| X | | | X | |
| 32.5 |XXXXX| X | | | |XXX | XXX| X | | | X | |
| 32.0 |XXXXX| XX | X | | X|XXX | XXX| X | X | |XX | |
| 31.5 |XXXXX| XX | XX | | XX|XXX |XXXX|X X | X | |XX | |
| 31.0 |XXXXX|XXXX| XX |X X |X XX|XXXX |XXXX|XXX | XX | |XX | X |
| 30.5 |XXXXX|XXXX| XX |X XX|X XX|XXXX |XXXX|XXX | XX | |XX | X |
| 30.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|X XX|X XX|XXXX |XXXX|XXX |XXXX | |XX | X |
| 29.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|X XX|X XX|XXXX |XXXX|XXXX|XXXX | |XX | X |
| 29.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|X XX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX | X|XX |XXX |
| 28.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|X XX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX | X|XXX |XXX |
| 28.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX | XX|XXX |XXXX|
| 27.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX | XX|XXX |XXXX|
| 27.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX| XX|XXX |XXXX|
| 26.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|X XX|XXX |XXXX|
| 26.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXX |XXXX|
| 25.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXX |XXXX|
| 25.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXX |XXXX|
| 24.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXX |XXXX|
| 24.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 23.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 23.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 22.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 22.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 21.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 21.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 20.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 20.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 19.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 19.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| A 18.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| V 18.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| G 17.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 17.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| P 16.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| E 16.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| R 15.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 15.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| H 14.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| O 14.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| U 13.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| R 13.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 12.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| E 12.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| A 11.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| C 11.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| H 10.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| 10.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| W 9.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| E 9.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| E 8.5 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
| K 8.0 |XXXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXXX|XXXX|XXXX|XXXX|
|------------+-----+----+-----+----+----+-----+----+----+-----+----+----+----|
| Month |Jan |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Aug |Sep |Oct |Nov |Dec |
|------------+-----+----+-----+----+----+-----+----+----+-----+----+----+----|
| |
| Mean yearly average players per hour = 30.86 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| What do we make from this? Well, January was great, and the summer months |
| were also surprisingly strong compared to how it usually is during the |
| summer. Looking at the year as a whole we can, however, see a small but |
| clear decline. |
| |
| So, how does an APH (average players per hour) of 30.86 stand up compared |
| to previous years? The answer can be found in this nice chart that shows |
| the APH for the last 11 years. |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Population Levels in APH over the last 11 Years |
| ( quarterly histogram ) |
|--------------+-------------------------------------------------------------|
| 40.0 | X |
| 39.0 | X |
| 38.0 | XX X |
| 37.0 | XXX X |
| 36.0 | XXX XX |
| 35.0 | XXX X XX |
| 34.0 | XXX X XX |
| 33.0 | XXX X XX |
| 32.0 | XXX XXXX X |
| 31.0 | X XXXX XXXX XXX |
| 30.0 | X XXXX XXXX XXX |
| 29.0 | XX XXXX XXXX XXX |
| 28.0 | X XX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 27.0 | X X X XX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 26.0 | X X X XX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 25.0 | X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 24.0 | X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 23.0 | X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 22.0 | X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 21.0 | XX X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 20.0 | X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 19.0 | X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 18.0 | X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 17.0 | X XX X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 16.0 | XX XXX X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 15.0 | XXX XXX X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 14.0 | XXX XXXX X XX X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 13.0 | XXX XXXX X X XXX X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 12.0 | XXXX XXXX XXX XXXX X X X X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 11.0 | XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX X XXXX X X XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 10.0 | XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX X XX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 9.0 | XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
| 8.0 | XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX |
|--------------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----|
| Qtr. | 1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234|1234 |
|--------------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----|
| Year | 2008|2009|2010|2011|2012|2013|2014|2015|2016|2017|2018|2019 |
|--------------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----|
| Yr. Ave | 15.8|16.1|13.0|14.0|10.7|12.5|13.3|24.2|29.1|36.6|35.2|30.5 |
|--------------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----|
| |
| This proves what we already suspected from looking at the other graph, |
| the player numbers HAVE declined a little in 2019. However, if we look |
| at the big picture, 2019 was still the third best year since Gorboth |
| started measuring APH back in 2008. Not too bad after all! |
| |
| Here's a more detailed look at our player numbers compared to 2018 only. |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Comparing player activity over two time periods: |
| A: Jan 01 2018 - Dec 31 2018 |
| B: Jan 01 2019 - Dec 31 2019 |
|-------+-------+-------+----------+--+-----------+-------+-------+----------|
| Hour | A | B | % change | | Weekday | A | B | % change |
|-------+-------+-------+----------+ +-----------+-------+-------+----------|
| 00.00 | 39.41 | 35.45 | -10.03 %| | Sunday | 35.05 | 30.60 | -12.70 %|
| 01.00 | 36.00 | 33.04 | -8.23 %| | Monday | 33.86 | 30.37 | -10.30 %|
| 02.00 | 34.75 | 31.95 | -8.06 %| | Tuesday | 34.80 | 31.23 | -10.24 %|
| 03.00 | 35.26 | 32.51 | -7.79 %| | Wednesday | 34.52 | 30.81 | -10.75 %|
| 04.00 | 34.95 | 31.54 | -9.74 %| | Thursday | 34.11 | 30.11 | -11.71 %|
| 05.00 | 33.11 | 29.51 | -10.86 %| | Friday | 33.72 | 29.91 | -11.31 %|
| 06.00 | 31.19 | 26.00 | -16.63 %| | Saturday | 34.75 | 30.66 | -11.77 %|
| 07.00 | 28.46 | 23.54 | -17.26 %| +-----------+-------+-------+----------|
| 08.00 | 27.79 | 23.14 | -16.76 %| |
| 09.00 | 28.30 | 24.07 | -14.95 %| |
| 10.00 | 28.70 | 24.5 | -14.64 %| +--------------------------------------|
| 11.00 | 29.14 | 25.34 | -13.03 %| | - - - Field Sizes - - - |
| 12.00 | 29.83 | 26.77 | -10.25 %| | Number of days in Period A: 364 |
| 13.00 | 30.28 | 27.40 | -9.48 %| | Number of days in Period B: 364 |
| 14.00 | 32.16 | 28.87 | -10.24 %| +--------------------------------------|
| 15.00 | 34.60 | 31.12 | -10.04 %| |
| 16.00 | 36.45 | 33.44 | -8.25 %| |
| 17.00 | 39.11 | 35.28 | -9.78 %| +--------------------------------------|
| 18.00 | 41.44 | 36.91 | -10.93 %| | Overall Summary |
| 19.00 | 44.62 | 39.00 | -12.59 %| +--------------------------------------|
| 20.00 | 46.12 | 40.51 | -12.17 %| | Overall average for Period A: 34.40 |
| 21.00 | 46.45 | 41.04 | -11.65 %| | Overall average for Period B: 30.53 |
| 22.00 | 44.89 | 39.43 | -12.16 %| | |
| 23.00 | 43.00 | 38.88 | -9.58 %| | Overall increase/decrease: -11.2 % |
|-------+-------+-------+----------+--+--------------------------------------|
| |
| So, in short, we're down 11.2% compared to last year. Now, we should |
| remember that 2018 had quite the spike thanks to the PC Gamer article, |
| and especially the links from their social media accounts. We obviously |
| won't receive that kind of exposure every year, so, statistically 2018's |
| numbers are somewhat inflated due to that, but still, -11.2% is -11.2%. |
| That's of course something we need to work to turn around in 2020. |
| |
| Now we know how the playerbase has changed overall, but has there been |
| any interesting changes within the playerbase during 2019? This chart |
| that shows which occupational guilds our active players belong to is |
| always fun to look at (unless you are a kender). |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| Average number of active players per guild per day |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2018 Ranking 2019 Ranking |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1. Mercs (6.561) 1. Mercs (6.164) |
| 2. SoHM (4.320) 2. -SoHM (2.552) |
| 3. DArmy (2.572) 3. DArmy (2.464) |
| 4. WoHS (1.625) 4. WoHS (1.370) |
| 5. Calians (1.435) 5. Knives (1.338) new! |
| 6. Knights (1.150) 6. Rangers (1.115) |
| 7. Rangers (1.098) 7. ^+Angmar (0.906) |
| 8. Glads (1.065) 8. Clerics (0.708) |
| 9. Cadets (1.030) 9. Neidar (0.706) |
| 10. Mages (0.884) 10. Monks (0.703) |
| 11. Neidar (0.863) 11. Cadets (0.700) |
| 12. Clerics (0.855) 12. Ogres (0.585) |
| 13. Monks (0.704) 13. Glads (0.472) |
| 14. Angmar (0.608) 14. !Calians (0.401) |
| 15. Ogres (0.569) 15. !Knights (0.351) |
| 16. Academy (0.350) 16. Academy (0.214) |
| 17. PoT (0.084) 17. @Mages (0.170) |
| 18. Kender (0.046) 18. *Union (0.109) |
| 19. Union (0.002) 19. PoT (0.085) |
| 20. Kender (0.021) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| + Biggest APH gain (Angmar at +0.298) |
| - Biggest APH loss (SoHM at -1.768) |
| * Biggest growth (Union at 5,350% growth) |
| @ Biggest decline (Mages at 81% decline) |
| ^ Biggest rise (Angmar up 7 ranks) |
| ! Biggest fall (Calians & Knights down 9 ranks) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| Note that guilds with two distinct factions (Rangers and Dragonarmy) |
| count as one guild in the statistics above, and that the Fire Knives |
| numbers are based on the time they have been open, and not the entire |
| year. Also, the Elvish Archers are not part of this chart as they were |
| recoded near the end of the year, and using data from only a few months |
| would not give us very reliable numbers I think. Before the recode they |
| were considered a layman guild with an occupational option of layman |
| power. So, that's why they have not been included in these charts in |
| the past. But from next year, they will be! |
| |
| This clearly shows which guilds are the most popular, right? Or? Well, |
| statistics are fun, and sometimes they definitely tell the truth. |
| However, sometimes it's good to be a little sceptical too. For example, |
| the Shadow Union have a crazy growth of 5,350%, which sounds awesome, |
| but they are still ranked near the very bottom of the list. The huge |
| increase in growth percentage-wise is mainly due to the fact that they |
| were more or less extinct in 2018, not that they suddenly have become |
| very popular. |
| |
| Also, this chart does not take into account all factors, for example |
| some guilds are much more restrictive about taking on new members than |
| others, and some guilds only allow players of certain race(s) or align. |
| For example the Mercenaries allow all players of all sizes, races, and |
| aligns to join, while on the other end of the spectrum we find the |
| Secret Society who only allow ONE specific align-restricted sub-race. |
| It's of course an unfair comparison, but it does make sense to compare |
| similar guilds, and we can for example clearly see that the Mercenaries |
| are much more popular than the other free for all melee guild - the |
| Gladiators. |
| |
| Another thing that skews the statistics is the fact that different |
| guilds also have different policies regarding idling players. Some |
| guilds work to promote active players, while in other guilds it's |
| perfectly okay to stay logged in and idle for days or even weeks. One |
| player idling in their guild for weeks or months obviously bumps up |
| that guild's popularity in the statistics, but in reality it may not |
| reflect that guild's actual activity. |
| |
| So, while the guild statistics above give an indication about which |
| guilds are the most popular, it's far from the whole truth. But what |
| if we compare the guilds to themselves, perhaps that would give a |
| better idea about how a guild is doing? Below you can see the average |
| players per hour for each occupational guild compared to their own |
| numbers the previous year. |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| Guild growth from former year |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Ranked by APH increase Ranked by relative change |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1. Angmar + 0.298 1. Union +5,350% growth |
| 2. Union + 0.107 2. Angmar +49.0 % growth |
| 3. Rangers + 0.017 3. Ogres +2.8 % growth |
| 4. Ogres + 0.016 4. Rangers +1.6 % growth |
| 5. PoT + 0.001 5. PoT +1.2 % growth |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 6. Monks - 0.001 6. Monks -0.1 % decline |
| 7. Kender - 0.025 7. DArmy -4.2 % decline |
| 8. DArmy - 0.108 8. Mercs -6.0 % decline |
| 9. Academy - 0.136 9. WoHS -15.7 % decline |
| 10. Clerics - 0.147 10. Clerics -17.2 % decline |
| 11. Neidar - 0.157 11. Neidar -18.2 % decline |
| 12. WoHS - 0.255 12. Cadets -32.0 % decline |
| 13. Cadets - 0.330 13. Academy -38.9 % decline |
| 14. Mercs - 0.397 14. SoHM -40.9 % decline |
| 15. Glads - 0.593 15. Kender -54.4 % decline |
| 16. Mages - 0.714 16. Glads -55.7 % decline |
| 17. Knights - 0.799 17. Knights -69.5 % decline |
| 18. Calians - 1.034 18. Calians -72.1 % decline |
| 19. SoHM - 1.768 19. Mages -80.8 % decline |
| |
| * knives (new) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| Interesting. What do we make of this? We already mentioned the Shadow |
| Union with their whopping 5,350 percent growth, but the Army of Angmar |
| has also done well this year. A number of guilds have remained steady, |
| while the biggest losers are clearly the Knights, Calians, and Mages who |
| have lost a large number of their active players compared to 2018. Ouch! |
| |
| Overall, it's easy to see that most guilds have lost players compared to |
| 2018, which of course is not surprising. We saw earlier that the player |
| numbers are down overall, and we have also added a new guild to the mix. |
| And I am not even counting the Elvish Archers now, who we can probably |
| count as a new guild as well, since they are now a relevant occupational |
| option. More guilds and fewer players can only lead to one thing - less |
| players per guild. |
| |
| On average, only six guilds enjoy an APH over 1.0, meaning that at any |
| given time only six guilds have one or more players awake. We now have |
| 21 occupational guilds (23 if you count BDA/RDA and the ranger companies |
| as separate guilds), and with around 30 players awake on average, this |
| means we are getting quite close to a situation where there is one |
| occupational guild per player. This is not a good development, and it's |
| no wonder many complain on inactive guild leaders and long joining |
| processes. It's clear we do not really have the number of players to |
| support this many guilds. |
| |
| The solution? If we don't think outside the box, the only solutions are |
| to get more players and/or close and/or merge guilds. Close guilds?!? |
| What?? Wait, wait, I said "If we DON'T think outside the box there are |
| two solutions". If we do think outside the box perhaps we can think of |
| something better. I've been thinking a lot about an alliance system |
| lately. |
| |
| I also want to mention that I am not complaining on the wizards who put |
| in a lot of work in creating guilds in the last few years. I think all |
| new guilds (and the recode of the Archers) were very good additions that |
| filled needs in Genesis. But, we have to perhaps calm down with more |
| occupational guilds unless they add something very unique or fill a |
| clear void. Occupational guilds that is, layman, craft, and racials I |
| definitely think we could have more of. We have two very unique |
| occupational guilds in development, and these two may very well be the |
| last new occupational guilds for some time. But, more about the future |
| below, let's focus on last year's statistics for now. |
| |
| One thing that I am curious to know is the good/neutral/evil balance |
| when it comes to guilds. Let's check it out, and also see how things |
| changed from 2018. It should be noted that some of the neutral guilds |
| tend to lean towards one side or the other, but since they do allow |
| their members to be both good or evil they are listed as neutral. |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| Guild activity by align - 2019 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Good-aligned Neutral-aligned Evil-aligned |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Rangers 1.115 Mercs 6.164 DArmy 2.464 |
| Clerics 0.708 SoHM 2.552 Knives 1.338 |
| Neidar 0.706 WoHS 1.370 Angmar 0.906 |
| Calians 0.401 Monks 0.703 Mages 0.170 |
| Knights 0.351 Cadets 0.700 PoT 0.085 |
| Kender 0.021 Ogres 0.585 |
| Glads 0.472 |
| Academy 0.214 |
| Union 0.109 |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Total: 3.302 12.869 4.963 |
| Total %: 15.6% 60.9% 23.5% |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| As expected the neutral guilds rule Genesis, mainly because there are |
| more of them (and mercs are neutral). More interesting is that it's a |
| pretty big gap between the good and evil guilds, with a clear edge for |
| the evils. But how was it in 2018? |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| Guild activity by align - 2018 |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Good-aligned Neutral-aligned Evil-aligned |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Calians 1.435 Mercs 6.561 DArmy 2.572 |
| Knights 1.150 SoHM 4.320 Mages 0.884 |
| Rangers 1.098 WoHS 1.625 Angmar 0.608 |
| Neidar 0.863 Glads 1.065 PoT 0.084 |
| Clerics 0.855 Cadets 1.030 |
| Kender 0.046 Monks 0.704 |
| Ogres 0.569 |
| Academy 0.350 |
| Union 0.002 |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Total: 5.447 16.226 4.148 |
| Total %: 21.1% 62.8% 16.1% |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| The neutral guilds remain quite stable, but we can see a clear shift |
| of balance between the good and evil guilds, where things are the |
| opposite now compared to how it was in 2018. The opening of the Fire |
| Knives is of course one part of the reason, but even without that, the |
| goodie guilds definitely took a hit in 2019. |
| |
| Again, this doesn't tell the whole story of course, as many of the |
| neutral guilds members tend to align with either the good or the evil |
| side, especially the Wizards of High Sorcery with their different |
| orders. Still, it does give an indication of the good vs evil balance |
| in terms of guilds and their active members. |
| |
| Okay, enough statistics, I know I promised to share some of my thoughts |
| for the future. However, before we do that, let's stay in 2019 for a |
| little longer and look at what our fantastic volunteer workforce |
| achieved during the year. |
| |
|============================================================================|
| WIZARD ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
|============================================================================|
| |
| Trying to create a list of EVERYTHING that changed or was added to the |
| game is of course an impossible mission, but hopefully I have managed |
| to cover most of the major stuff. |
| |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| January: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - With equipment now always surviving Armageddon, the ironstone |
| imbuements become unstable and are temporarily removed. (Gorboth) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| February & March: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Not much happened here, most likely the wizards were busy working on |
| the rather big changes and additions that were introduced in April, |
| May, and June. |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| April: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - EVENT: The first brand new event in several years, the Golden Egg |
| Event, takes place during Easter. Zail is the first to turn his egg |
| into a golden egg and wins the event. (Cherek, assisted by Varian) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| May: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - The <home> command used by newbies to teleport back to their start |
| location is changed so it can no longer be used in combat. (Shanoga) |
| - The global rules regarding guilds skill allocation is changed in |
| order to allow for more interesting, and better balanced, guild types. |
| Especially rogue class guilds benefit from this change. (Arman and |
| the AoB team) |
| - NEW GUILD: The Fire Knives of Faerun opens its doors to the world. |
| Watch your backs! (Nerull) |
| - An expansion option called "The Doomseekers" is added to the Neidar |
| Clan guild. (Arman) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| June: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - The Secret Society of Uncle Trapspringer has their skills reviewed |
| and updated. (Arman and the AoB team) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| July: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Quietstone imbuements become less effective. (Arman and the AoB team) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| August: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - The powers of layman guilds (and one occupational) are adjusted to |
| provide a more balanced game experience. Significant changes were |
| made to the Elemental Worshippers, Warlocks, Holy Order of the Stars, |
| and Heralds. Minor adjustments were made to the Army of Angmar (both |
| occupational and layman), Templars of Neraka, and Thornlin Militia. |
| (Arman and the AoB team) |
| - NEW AREA: A new pub opens at the docks in Sparkle, replacing the old |
| one. It comes with several new quests, a room for arm wrestling |
| competitions, and the pub's bartender, Ellingnor, becomes the first |
| non-binary NPC in Genesis. (Gorboth) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| September: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - A quiet month leading up to an eventful end of the year. |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| October: |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| - GUILD RECODE: The Elvish Archers guild (both occupational and layman |
| branches) is completely recoded and now provides a much better and |
| more balanced experience. (Carnak) |
| - Due to the suddenly popular archer guild, arrows are changed so |
| that they eventually decay, and the huge piles of arrows are no more. |
| (Cotillion) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| November: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - EVENT: The 14th Scavenger Hunt Event is held with 100 completely new |
| and harder riddles. After an exhausting week Diri & Creed are |
| victorious in the most prestigious, and probably toughest, event in |
| Genesis. (Cherek and Varian) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| December: |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - EVENT: The annual Wheel-of-Fun Event is updated with some new features, |
| and Montagu wins the "Luckiest Player in Genesis"-award for a second |
| straight year. The odds of the same person winning a purely luck-based |
| event two years in a row are astronomical, but it somehow happened |
| anyway. (Cherek) |
| - GUILD RECODE: The Minstrel guild receives a much-needed recode, and |
| the world is filled with music. Who will be number one on the charts |
| in 2020? (Arman) |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
|============================================================================|
| THE YEAR OF THE AZURE RUNE-ETCHED LONGSWORD |
|============================================================================|
| |
| One thing that you may feel is missing from the above list is a mention |
| of the ever-saving equipment system and the change to a decay system. |
| That's because the ever-saving system was implemented in the fall of |
| 2018, and the decay system arrived in early January 2020. While the |
| actual changes do not belong on a 2019 list, I think it's still worth |
| mentioning, as the year of 2019 was truly special in Genesis history. |
| Players inventories and racks have never been so full of awesome EQ, and |
| one story from the Discord chat pretty much sums it up. I don't |
| remember who said it, but he or she had tried to give away some really |
| good EQ to newbies in Sparkle, but they had all declined saying they |
| already had better EQ... |
| |
| 2019 was truly a unique gear, err, year for the players of Genesis, and |
| those of us who got to experience it can tell fond stories of piles of |
| intense-imbued azure swords and more great helms of the hawk than you |
| could carry. Those who were not here to see it probably won't believe |
| you, but then you can at least refer to this common board post as proof! |
| |
|============================================================================|
| WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? |
|============================================================================|
| |
| That was that. 2019 is over. 2020 has been here for over a month, and |
| a few notable things have happened already. We have a new and much- |
| needed system for equipment decay (thanks Arman and Carnak), we have a |
| whole bunch of new wizards, and shockingly we have a new Keeper! As I |
| promised in my "Hello" post, I would share some of my plans for the |
| future in this post, so, here we go... |
| |
| Let me start by saying that I love Genesis, and I am sure many of you do |
| as well. It's a fantastic game created by hundreds of different people |
| during the course of more than 30 years. You are part of a community |
| that has existed online for more than 10,950 days. Very few online games, |
| if any, can rival those numbers. Genesis might actually be THE oldest |
| Massively Multiplayer Online game that is still alive and kicking, and |
| we are still doing quite well! |
| |
| However, to continue for another 30 years and beyond, we can't just sit |
| back and relax. Genesis may be wondrous in many ways, but there are |
| still ways for us to improve. Obviously, we want to keep attracting new |
| players, and have as many as possible stay around for a long time. So, |
| what can we do to continue growing as a game? |
| |
| Well, to attract more players we need to let people know that we exist. |
| It's as simple as that. At some point, I would like to try to form a |
| dedicated team of wizards (with mortal assistance) who will ONLY focus |
| on promoting the game. If you're interested in being a "seller" of |
| Genesis, feel free to contact me. |
| |
| The other way to increase the number of players is of course to make the |
| game more fun. But how do we make the game more fun? Well, the game is |
| fun already for many players, but in my opinion, the best way to make it |
| more fun for MORE players is to offer more ways to enjoy the game. I |
| think there is definitely room for improvement when it comes to keeping |
| players around after they've done all the things that are fun when you |
| experience them the first time. |
| |
| Sure, grinding, questing, and advancing within your guild can be fun, |
| and should definitely always be a part of the Genesis experience, but |
| all those things aren't eternal. Eventually you have finished all or |
| most quests, you've hit myth (or at least been grinding enough so it |
| stops being fun), and you've tried all the guilds you are interested in. |
| But what is eternal? What can't you run out of? Well, as long as the |
| game has players in it, you can't run out of players to interact with. |
| Players interacting with players is in my opinion what makes Genesis, |
| and most other similar games, the most interesting. |
| |
| I think it's time to shift our focus from individual growth and solo |
| play to finding ways to improve player interaction and conflict. I think |
| more than anything Genesis needs more conflicts, more politics, more |
| roleplay, more socializing, more competition, and simply more ways to |
| keep players engaged that aren't necessarily related to grinding. |
| |
| Some of the things I would like to see are: |
| |
| * Player versus player combat that is actually FUN for both sides. |
| * More guildwide conflicts that are FUN for everyone involved. |
| * Now, as you noticed above, we have way too many guilds compared to |
| the number of players for any serious guild wars to even be possible, |
| so, I would like to introduce a way for guilds to becomes allies, |
| declare war, etc, with benefits, drawbacks and rewards for the |
| involved guilds. |
| * New players being able to take part and being successful in these |
| conflicts and fights without having to spend 3+ years grinding |
| to myth++ first. |
| * More opportunities to just socialize and roleplay with other players |
| without feeling the need to always grind to "keep up". |
| * Make the Genesis world and NPC's challenging again. Soloing huge |
| bosses and large groups of powerful enemies is just silly, and |
| doesn't exactly encourage teaming and socializing either. |
| * Make grinding more interesting for high-level players. Counting |
| fantastics and not watching your stats grow is fun for some, but |
| surely we can come up with something that's more fun. |
| * Make all Genesis races equally good. Different, sure, but no race |
| should be clearly superior or inferior to another race overall. |
| |
| Wow, those are some serious goals. Well, I didn't accept the offer to |
| become Keeper just because it's a fun title. I am supposed to barge in |
| with new energy and ideas and dust off some old lazy wizards, get |
| everyone working towards a common goal, and all those things all Keepers |
| do when they are new. After all, Gorboth claimed he would double the |
| playerbase, which nobody really thought was likely at the time. But, |
| as you can see in the graphs above, he did! Compared to that, my tiny |
| goals should be a piece of donut-cake. |
| |
| All of the above will of course require some serious work, and as most |
| of you know it's impossible to promise anything in the ever-changing |
| wizard world where the workforce is 100% volunteers. However, I will do |
| my best to make these things happen at some point. If we could just make |
| half of them a reality, I think Genesis would become an even better |
| experience, and it isn't bad today. Not at all! |
| |
| Gorboth always ended these posts with his famous words "Onward and |
| Upward". I am not entirely sure if it's a tradition for all Keepers to |
| have their own slogan, but if anyone has a good suggestion, let me know. |
| |
| <insert cool slogan here> |
| Cherek, Fresh Keeper of Genesis |
| |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
