Inside developer's mind

[sXs]

Captain Jack, who gave us the stats and you have given us developers priorities. I see it as a pretty simple thing to figure out by by asking one question.

What is the goal for opening another server/world.?

Would a new server be focused on keeping veterans happy or would the goal be to attract and retain new players?

If you try and focus on both you may lose both. Veterans will want to be able to bring more than just experience along with them, Like Vane said, it would feel like a waste of 4 years. So if it for veterans, then the setup and development would require new mechanisms.

If the primary goal is to attract and retain new players then really nothing need to change. Simply open a new server. As Mugi stated, new players will always gravitate towards newest/smallest server. This goal would mean NOTHING transfers between servers, otherwise you lose control over initial goal.

The third option here is to leave things as is. I do think with a few tweaks to opening registration page, the selection process at registration, the first 1000 turns, beginning missions, and availability of information, you can increase retention rates.

The question can only be answered by you the developers. What would the primary goal of a new server be? Although all of us appreciate the AWESOME way you involve us in game development, the decision truly is yours. Once that decision is made, the path becomes much clearer.

[Captain Jack]

We used to have 2 worlds. You are currently playing world number #2.

It is not among our plans to open a new world but we are interested in the feedback. According to this feedback we will conduct our future plans.

If I can help more, here are some interesting points:
-There can be no relationship between the worlds.
-If we created a new world, we could use a different map, setup,rules, etc.
-We could even put an expiry time. Like as if,knowing that it will run for a specific amount of time (ie, 1 year).
-In this case, we reduce all the risks.
-Regarding credits, we should not be putting limits by taking in mind how a player obtained them. Just like someone with a big purse can obtain any number of credits he desires, just in the same way someone who already has them, should be able to use them. Anything else, unbalances the credit value and creates problems. After all, the credit purse is already the same for any number of activated worlds.

The most pressing reason that we could consider a new world, is the amount of signups per day. These are currently pretty high (3000+ signups in last month) and If we cannot increase the retention rates with another way, a new world can become a more realistic scenario.

If you ask us what WE would prefer, we would prefer to stick with a single world for now. We are more inclined to a tournament world which will have different rules, different map perhaps and would end after a pre-set amount of time (like 3 months). Still,something that would need a lot of discussion first.

[Bmw]

I like the setup there is here its one reason I stayed but with as many people as there are flagged active I find it kind of insane (I was thinking somewhere around 1k-2k people marked as active even the one's that started the process to create there character but never finished it.

[sXs]

We used to have 2 worlds. You are currently playing world number #2.

It is not among our plans to open a new world but we are interested in the feedback. According to this feedback we will conduct our future plans.

If I can help more, here are some interesting points:
-There can be no relationship between the worlds.
-If we created a new world, we could use a different map, setup,rules, etc.
-We could even put an expiry time. Like as if,knowing that it will run for a specific amount of time (ie, 1 year).
-In this case, we reduce all the risks.
-Regarding credits, we should not be putting limits by taking in mind how a player obtained them. Just like someone with a big purse can obtain any number of credits he desires, just in the same way someone who already has them, should be able to use them. Anything else, unbalances the credit value and creates problems. After all, the credit purse is already the same for any number of activated worlds.

The most pressing reason that we could consider a new world, is the amount of signups per day. These are currently pretty high (3000+ signups in last month) and If we cannot increase the retention rates with another way, a new world can become a more realistic scenario.


If you ask us what WE would prefer, we would prefer to stick with a single world for now. We are more inclined to a tournament world which will have different rules, different map perhaps and would end after a pre-set amount of time (like 3 months). Still,something that would need a lot of discussion first.

I think I saw this idea in an earlier thread. Maybe make the connected world by itslef a "training" world from which you can graduate? In this world players could change their initial gameplay style settings to figure out which type of player they wanted to be. Set the expiry date or "graduation" date. Make early missions specific to their choices. Specific missions if they choose to fly black, specific when they choose merchant and so on. If they decide to try a different style their progress reset, or reset to a certain level.

Just my initial thoughts. I will study further.

[Maha]

what about a world for rent? a special world can be opened on request. the one who rents the world can chose from a few scenario's and invite friends or sell tickets to those interested. such a model could be used as a follow up on shadowoods team draft. sponsors can donate to the cost to start the competition world.

[Bmw]

One thing you could do with a new world is start it up around a year or so before the end of the current server (it's around 2020 if I'm right) and with that year or so the newer players can build up and so can the older one's making the transition to the new server less painful.

[J. price]

I am in favor of creating a second world. in my opinion, i think it would be fun if you only allow people that have been active for a month or more to join the new world. that would keep the original server more or less the same and the second a fun addition that won't be as swamped with inactives and such.

As for the credit suggestion, here is what I think. I have seen several games that restrict credit usage from world to world. They use some sort of code to mark which credits are bought and which are exchanged from in game currency. You could add the feature that any credits that are bought with real money can be used in either world and those bought with in game currency can only be used in the world they were exchanged in.

[Slindur]

If a second world is opened up, I would at least try it and would keep some presence in Avonmora.

After reading Danik's post, I felt most energized about possibilities. I like the idea being a world where it is important to risk and put yourself out there. That is a different world than Avonmora (I know that there are many examples of people taking risks and benefiting a lot from it, but by and large, Avonmora is a relatively low risk world.), one that could incite innovation by having to try out different tactics and not have as clear an edge as there currently is in Avonmora.

For example, I would like to see a second world (at least the next time another world is opened up) be a time limited one to see what having 2 worlds might do to Avonmora. The world could be one where there is no clear best ship (The MoW), but there could be different advantages that players could utilize. Ship speed, larger ship size for stamina in battle vs. smaller ship size for difficulty hitting the ship, training for crew for faster firing of cannons, training for crew to be more accurate with firing, training crew for rowing to add more speed, heavier cannons that have a longer range to hit the other fleets vs. lighter cannons with shorter range but a little faster ship movement/agility, etc. Having a world for a short time to try out mechanics and add a lot of action would be a lot of fun. Leading people to switch up guilds/nations in the other world could add some new connections and alliances would be a plus in my book too.

This world might have fewer ports to stimulate more action too. More action is something that many have been advocating for Avonmora and would be a good basis for a second, temporary world. If it worked in a 3 month trial, then decisions could be made about having tournaments in temporary worlds every so often or about making a permanent other world. With the trial, I think that people should all be given certain number of resources to start, though players will have to choose how they will allocate those resources to different aspects of the game (number or ships vs. quality of ships, attribute points for crew training, different qualities of their cannons, etc.). With that, I would see that players cannot take things into the new world, though there could be an option to buy certain things. I would think that some cap on buying would be good, say players can only buy things twice in total while in the 3 month world to not give to big an advantage to people with more money. That would allow the paying customers to have an advantage, but not make it too much of an advantage.

My 2 cents (for now),

Slindur

[Stan Rogers]

If the primary objective is to get better player retention among new players, I'm sure you have considered a Pirate's Glory Lite?
An alternate world where the player does not have to work their way up into prosperity and big ships/fleets but rather, a world where a new player is presented with a gift of 10-20 ships of their choice to plunder or trade with and turn them loose in a new world where they get to enjoy the benefits of long term investment Without the time needed.
A very limiting but enjoyable game world a player learns the importance of danger, gc, trade and plunder, skirmish- the whole thing all from day one but there must be a big choke or limiter.
Maybe the ships given can only go to lvl 5 so the strongest ship would be a lvl 5 sotl. No credits, stipends, no voodoo, ship or credit market.
Perhaps bequeath a limited voodoo pack that can be experimented with but no presents/wives/ trading of such. Again, just enough to wet the appetite for the real version.
No resources should be allowed to migrate out of this new world to Avonmora.
Soon, the players who enjoy what they learned are clamoring to get into Avonmora where they start just like everyone else with the tools to be somewhat successful.


When the new player gets to some benchmarks, to go any farther, they must join the Avonmoran world where they start the same as any other player except they now are armed with the knowledge of what to do to make a living.

JMHO on how an alternate world would help the game in general to enhance new player retention

[Mugiwara]

only problem with your suggestion is when a new player will adjust to easier and faster version of avonmora they wont excited to play for long duration of same game. first show slow one and second faster one can be appealing but for fast to slow its not same sadly.