Guild Wars 2

HERO.2057:

6 servers Very High, 18 servers Full… and oceans of empty space, with no one in it.

How is this possible?

Because Very High and Full are based on number of accounts, whereas real world experience is based on number of current players.

Cheers.

Something is very wrong. Either the masses are in FOTM or some other instances, or Anet has a bigger problem on their hands. I really can’t stand when Game companies lie about their numbers. Age of Conan had servers with less than 100 players TOTAL, still registering “Medium” population in the server list. In fact, they are still to this day stuck at medium when in reality they should read “Very low”. This kind of shenanigans needs to go away. I know the servers are not full. There is no reason to lie about it.

Wasabi Kitty.8247:

Populations are down, this is obvious wherever you go.

No, populations are spread out in both location and playtime. This isn’t launch anymore.

http://www.guildwars2guru.com/arenanet-tracker/topic/244352-server-populations/

how hard is this to understand? from the first time they mentioned how the server population worked it made sense.

like CC Eva says in the above link, if a server is Full – it’s because of the amount of players currently online and playing at the moment. hence the fluctuation from full to very high to high depending on the time of day.

Server pop is how many are currently online, so if the server you want is “Full” then try again at like 3am. Or 8am. Or noon.

Fozee.1083:

Wasabi Kitty.8247:

Populations are down, this is obvious wherever you go.

No, populations are spread out in both location and playtime. This isn’t launch anymore.

Exactly. People are there, and we’re in all levels of zones and instances. To add to that the game world is really huge, lower levels and LA will always be more crowded but there are tons of other places for people to be.

Then they need to increase the player cap, because a sever should never read “Full” and have 0 WvW participation.

Server population is based on the amount of accounts registered to that server.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Server-Populations/first#post703192

The link that SantusVeritas.4607 has posted was a pre-edited version of Eva’s post.

She changed it to reflect the real information.

SantusVeritas.4607:

http://www.guildwars2guru.com/arenanet-tracker/topic/244352-server-populations/

how hard is this to understand? from the first time they mentioned how the server population worked it made sense.

like CC Eva says in the above link, if a server is Full – it’s because of the amount of players currently online and playing at the moment. hence the fluctuation from full to very high to high depending on the time of day.

That post was edited, here is the post today:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Server-Populations/first#post703192

Everyone that is staying is focused on Fractals. Gear treadmill is responsible.

It is not a surprise, we all saw this coming. Lion’s Arch is overflow city, the rest of the world is largely under populated.

Roargathor.2743:

Then they need to increase the player cap, because a sever should never read “Full” and have 0 WvW participation.

Hard to say, your server can kinda evolve in a PvE server. If all PvP savage guilds leave for the WvW top servers and all new PvP players keep going to these servers.

That’s another problem. People jumping ship because they want to be on a “Winning server”… I just want a competitive server. Fort Aspenwood was fine for a while, but ever since the FOTM, WvW has been suffering huge loss of participation. I think this is the case on most servers. It was a terrible mistake to introduce more vertical progression that is exclusively attained in PvE. I know they aim to fix this, but if they don’t make it available in WvW, then they should never have introduced it in the first place.
Back on topic, I seriously doubt that the 18 “Full” servers are actually full. I’m pretty confident that FC is trying to artificially even out populations by locking the higher pop servers from transfers. I say this because weeks ago it was fairly easy to see the fluctuation from “very high” to “Full” and back when refreshing the server list. That doesn’t happen anymore. Over the last few days, the list of “Full” servers has not changed, and I have checked all throughout the day and night, into the wee hours of the morning with no changes. So I have the choice to play with my GF on a server with NO wvw participation, or move to one of the WvW deficient leftovers…. WEAK SAUCE.

@roargathor it is either like that or the number 1 WvW server will become a monster with lag spikes etc. There is no guild who want to do daily WvW runs? It is all like the classical MMOs where everyone joins the top guilds until there is 1 guild on the whole server. That is no fun and 1 massive server is no fun either.

PowerCat.5738:

Arenanet response that server population is tied to accounts registered to that server:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Server-Populations/first#post703192

It fluctuates because people switch server either very late, or very early.

This can’t be used as an argument because this is why overflow servers were made. If they are in place it shouldn’t matter how many dead accounts are on a server. Server pop should be directly related to players logged in concurrently not accounts.

This is Anets way to keep server pops balanced… it will go away…. the game is still new and the first year is always the roughest.

Roargathor.2743:

That’s another problem. People jumping ship because they want to be on a “Winning server”… I just want a competitive server. Fort Aspenwood was fine for a while, but ever since the FOTM, WvW has been suffering huge loss of participation. I think this is the case on most servers. It was a terrible mistake to introduce more vertical progression that is exclusively attained in PvE. I know they aim to fix this, but if they don’t make it available in WvW, then they should never have introduced it in the first place.
Back on topic, I seriously doubt that the 18 “Full” servers are actually full. I’m pretty confident that FC is trying to artificially even out populations by locking the higher pop servers from transfers. I say this because weeks ago it was fairly easy to see the fluctuation from “very high” to “Full” and back when refreshing the server list. That doesn’t happen anymore. Over the last few days, the list of “Full” servers has not changed, and I have checked all throughout the day and night, into the wee hours of the morning with no changes. So I have the choice to play with my GF on a server with NO wvw participation, or move to one of the WvW deficient leftovers…. WEAK SAUCE.

But how do you know they aim to fix it? How hard is for programers to import in game some codes so you can buy ascended gear for () amount of Badges?

Gord.8654:

PowerCat.5738:

Arenanet response that server population is tied to accounts registered to that server:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Server-Populations/first#post703192

It fluctuates because people switch server either very late, or very early.

This can’t be used as an argument because this is why overflow servers were made. If they are in place it shouldn’t matter how many dead accounts are on a server. Server pop should be directly related to players logged in concurrently not accounts.

This is Anets way to keep server pops balanced… it will go away…. the game is still new and the first year is always the roughest.

The overflow is map based, not server based.

You join the overflow if the map is full, not if the server’s concurrent connection has been reached.

Please read the official anet answer here:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Server-Populations/first#post703192

Lies. All lies.

I must be on a really good server. I’m on Stormbluff Isle and I see people all of the time. I’m leveling an alt and I always find people in zones even at awkward night hours. Always people in Lions Arch.

Phew. Usually I pick bad servers when games come out but I’m glad I lucked out this time. :’>

mulch.2586:

You know, it was 10 servers very high yesterday morning.

At this rate, no one will be able to play GW2 by Friday.

Game completely dead, no one playing anymore. Cuz it’s Too crowded. Cryin shame, it is, crying kittie shame.

This just made me laugh.

Roargathor.2743:

Something is very wrong. Either the masses are in FOTM or some other instances, or Anet has a bigger problem on their hands. I really can’t stand when Game companies lie about their numbers. Age of Conan had servers with less than 100 players TOTAL, still registering “Medium” population in the server list. In fact, they are still to this day stuck at medium when in reality they should read “Very low”. This kind of shenanigans needs to go away. I know the servers are not full. There is no reason to lie about it.

Could not agree more.

STOP HIDING THE TRUTH ARENANET! We know that the servers are NOT Full. You’re just trying to trick us with your false listings. To try and hide the fact that your game is slowly bleeding players. You may have the fanboys on your side who will fight to the death to protect your game, but we all know the truth! Can’t hide it forever!

If you’re just going to go out of your way to try and prove that the game is “bleeding players”, just please leave. You’re not helping the situation, you’re making it worse by lying and chasing away any new players. This isn’t a country and there are no immigration laws in video games — if you don’t like it, get out.

I don’t care if there’s a mass exodus, there will always be enough players to support the game. It’s good enough. Just be transparent about the server populations, and let people move to where their friends are. I’d rather be on a server with queue times than an empty one.

Roargathor.2743:

I don’t care if there’s a mass exodus, there will always be enough players to support the game. It’s good enough. Just be transparent about the server populations, and let people move to where their friends are. I’d rather be on a server with queue times than an empty one.

No one wants anyone to play on a server or in a situation they do not want to play in, but you have to look at this with a wider lens. By enabling transfers or opening space on the fuller servers, you cause two things to happen – 1. you increase the queues on that server, and 2. you exacerbate the issue of diminishing populations on servers that need the people. Everyone except the individual (one person) transferring is hurt by this.

So, from an individual perspective, you may feel cheated by not being able to create a character or transfer to that ultra-full server – but from the community perspective, this is an issue that is much more complex and cannot be solved (in fact, it will only be made worse) by the solution you are advocating.

Again, it is not an ideal situation – and hopefully better minds than ours (at ArenaNet) are working on solutions that fit everyone’s needs.

Wasabi Kitty.8247:

Just checked.

Fort aspenwood.

Everything except Lion’s Arch is empty.

Everything that can be contested is contested. (especially dungeon entrances)

Outmanned buff in every map in WvW.

And yet, somehow, we’re “full”

…

Trying to figure out how you “just checked” and confirmed “..everything except Lion’s Arch is empty”.

Really? Because it seems like that would take the better part of the day to really check everything, and even then.. how could you ever be certain the map you just left didn’t fill up behind you?

Sooooo…when is AUS/NZ getting their server?

Seriously I hate (nearly always) being a second class gamer citizen.

The AUS gaming communty is a strong one and we deserve to have our own server!

I’d bet they’re counting characters that exist on those servers whether or not they’re logged in game. That’s the only explanation.

Blaeys.3102:

Roargathor.2743:

I don’t care if there’s a mass exodus, there will always be enough players to support the game. It’s good enough. Just be transparent about the server populations, and let people move to where their friends are. I’d rather be on a server with queue times than an empty one.

No one wants anyone to play on a server or in a situation they do not want to play in, but you have to look at this with a wider lens. By enabling transfers or opening space on the fuller servers, you cause two things to happen – 1. you increase the queues on that server, and 2. you exacerbate the issue of diminishing populations on servers that need the people. Everyone except the individual (one person) transferring is hurt by this.

So, from an individual perspective, you may feel cheated by not being able to create a character or transfer to that ultra-full server – but from the community perspective, this is an issue that is much more complex and cannot be solved (in fact, it will only be made worse) by the solution you are advocating.

Again, it is not an ideal situation – and hopefully better minds than ours (at ArenaNet) are working on solutions that fit everyone’s needs.

You didn’t read the thread. There are no queues on some of these “Ultra full servers”. On Forth Aspenwood, there was maybe 50 players in all WvW zones, no queues, and no overflows in Lions Arch, yet the server list marked it as full. This had been the case for at least 3 days. Something is up, and it’s not the population.

bojangles.6912:

eisberg.2379:

I’m more impressed that they haven’t had a need to even shutdown servers yet. SWTOR was already shutting down servers before this point, and they didn’t add any servers when they went Free to Play.

LOL learn your facts first please. Like someone already said, ToR had a lot more servers then GW2. Oh and ToRs population has been steady over 500k and now risen a lot since going f2p. GW2 on the other hand has declined like a landslide since launch and not getting any better. Amazing how they stopped announcing game boxes sold when they couldn’t get much higher after the first month of launch.

LOL and your facts that gw2 is declining sir/ma’am?

Roargathor.2743:

Blaeys.3102:

Roargathor.2743:

I don’t care if there’s a mass exodus, there will always be enough players to support the game. It’s good enough. Just be transparent about the server populations, and let people move to where their friends are. I’d rather be on a server with queue times than an empty one.

No one wants anyone to play on a server or in a situation they do not want to play in, but you have to look at this with a wider lens. By enabling transfers or opening space on the fuller servers, you cause two things to happen – 1. you increase the queues on that server, and 2. you exacerbate the issue of diminishing populations on servers that need the people. Everyone except the individual (one person) transferring is hurt by this.

So, from an individual perspective, you may feel cheated by not being able to create a character or transfer to that ultra-full server – but from the community perspective, this is an issue that is much more complex and cannot be solved (in fact, it will only be made worse) by the solution you are advocating.

Again, it is not an ideal situation – and hopefully better minds than ours (at ArenaNet) are working on solutions that fit everyone’s needs.

You didn’t read the thread. There are no queues on some of these “Ultra full servers”. On Forth Aspenwood, there was maybe 50 players in all WvW zones, no queues, and no overflows in Lions Arch, yet the server list marked it as full. This had been the case for at least 3 days. Something is up, and it’s not the population.

The thread is about adding more servers. Your input was you wanted to transfer to a server currently listed as full because you think the server you are on is dead population wise.

My input was that there is a deeper issue and that is more than just about one person transferring to the server their friends are on. You freely admit that you feel the server you are on is empty. Then the system in place needs to be pushing new players and transfers to that server – not opening the doors for people to move to servers where population is less of an issue. Doing otherwise would cause more issues than it solves.

There are plenty of other threads about what the full/high in the log in screen means. While it is important to know that, that was not the original – or your – topic in this thread.

It is a tough issue for a developer to address.

PowerCat.5738:

Gord.8654:

PowerCat.5738:

Arenanet response that server population is tied to accounts registered to that server:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Server-Populations/first#post703192

It fluctuates because people switch server either very late, or very early.

This can’t be used as an argument because this is why overflow servers were made. If they are in place it shouldn’t matter how many dead accounts are on a server. Server pop should be directly related to players logged in concurrently not accounts.

This is Anets way to keep server pops balanced… it will go away…. the game is still new and the first year is always the roughest.

The overflow is map based, not server based.

You join the overflow if the map is full, not if the server’s concurrent connection has been reached.

Please read the official anet answer here:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Server-Populations/first#post703192

Sorry but you’re wrong. The overflow system is for the map that is on that specific home server and activates when there is high concurrency in that map on that server. This is why if I play on JQ and you play on HoD we cannot play on the same map unless we are on overflow. The whole purpose of the overflow system was designed to compensate for high concurrency on a server.

The servers maximum population was set to preserve the player experience by ensuring there were enough players to play with but not too many to deplete system resources and cause lag/crashes/ etc. It doesn’t matter if the number of players on a server reaches it’s limit if only 20% (random number) of that population is playing concurrently. This is a conservative approach by Anet just in case 100% of the population of a server comes back at the same time (probably like this Friday). At any rate I am not saying Anet is wrong for that approach, but I do agree with the consensus here that it is hurting the game.

So to everyone please read and understand the entire post. This is a valid issue and 10 pages of debate slows down the process for the devs to fix it. If you don’t agree that is fine but at least get you’re facts straight before starting a debate.

Not trying to be a dick, just saying.

Thanks

mulch.2586:

Game completely dead, no one playing anymore. Cuz it’s Too crowded.

Lol what?

Vasham.2408:

mulch.2586:

Game completely dead, no one playing anymore. Cuz it’s Too crowded.

Ya see the kids listen to the rap music…

Lol epic

I think ANet needs to get guesting in asap and add an option to choose from overflow servers like we could in GW1 and just play with your friends in that ‘instance’ of the world if the original on that server is full. That way, it doesn’t matter what server anyone is on you can just guest to one.

Also all those servers being full is complete bullcrap, most of them are pretty dead and ANet servers do not work like most I think where it matters who is actually online and playing, because there is no way 100% of the population is just sitting in LA on my server or doing dungeons.

Orr is completely dead along with most other parts of the world.

Hell I haven’t even seen an overflow since the last major event… but my sever is full, right? Right?

Blaeys.3102:

Its really the only logical thing for ArenaNet to do. There are servers that need more people right now – for both WvW and PVE.

Keeping fewer servers full is more important than trying to salvage lower pop servers.

Of course, that statement sounds somewhat ridiculous given that so many servers read full, but I hope we all know that to be misleading.

What we really need is an undertow mechanic to complement the overflow mechanic; undertow would consolidate players from multiple servers into a single zone.

Ansultares.1567:

Blaeys.3102:

Its really the only logical thing for ArenaNet to do. There are servers that need more people right now – for both WvW and PVE.

Keeping fewer servers full is more important than trying to salvage lower pop servers.

Of course, that statement sounds somewhat ridiculous given that so many servers read full, but I hope we all know that to be misleading.

Agreed. But, if this is the case, then we should be advocating for server merges rather than just extending the server cap on higher pop servers and basically letting the lower pops die on their own.

Opening new servers or raising the caps (which were the original topics in this thread) with the way things are currently set up would only make the situation worse. I think ArenaNet realizes this and that is why we see the “full” status as often as we do.

Part of the problem is they allow you to sit on the character screen all day. I tested it today was gone for 4 hrs and came back home and still on character screen.

I went on vacation for 7 days … away from any form of computers. Before i left , it was like 4 servers full and all the rest at High or very High (U.S). Now im back , im logging in to find 7 servers Very High and all the rest at Full …. What happened ????

My guild home world is Yak bend .. i can’t go back .. i swapped world because i wanted to complete world at 100% and it was impossible because the Yak world was stuck with the same color in WvW for weeks … now i finally have the 100% world completion but im stuck on Borlis Pass world ….

there is something very wrong and don’t smell good .. in 7 days all servers went from high to Full and in the GW2 front home page Mike Lewis announce us that 34,000 accounts was terminated ( botting )

it makes no sense

I am relieved that I play a game where this is a problem.

Xolo.3580:

I am relieved that I play a game where this is a problem.

Lol except you completely missed the part where the servers aren’t actually full.

I too have problems trying to group my new family members to the server my guild uses. Clearly this issues is high among the community. I think the whole system is just plain broke and technical support says there will be a fix (SONY) Soon Only not Yet.

If a new user were to jump into any server to get their feet wet, now they must wait 7 days in order to switch to the server they truly wanted to play in. Not only does this decrease the probability of success; it then forces them to wait and not play. I can think of no better method to discourage new players than this scenario.

Many people rooting for this game to fail!

Death Reincarnated.3570:

Sooooo…when is AUS/NZ getting their server?

Seriously I hate (nearly always) being a second class gamer citizen.

The AUS gaming communty is a strong one and we deserve to have our own server!

They’d have to add 3 servers for you wouldn’t they? Would be odd if they had an uneven amount of servers for WvW. It would be a 1v1 WvW because they don’t have a third server for the match.

bojangles.6912:

LOL learn your facts first please. Like someone already said, ToR had a lot more servers then GW2.

TOR released with 103 servers, according to information I’ve located online. It’s down to 20 servers as of this date, less than GW2 and less than other competitors such as Rift and Aion.

GW2 released with 52. And still has that many.

Yes, it’s fair to say that SWTOR had more, but that doesn’t change the fact that SWTOR’s incredible population plunge led to it losing over 80% of its original servers, and now it has less of a population count in both players and servers than other subscription-based competitors. SWTOR was supposed to compete with WoW, TERA, and GW2 on the big stage….and now it’s not competing with any of those games. And it’s well below Aion, Lineage, and Runescape, too. It’s now more in competition with the next tier of games below all of those in pop count….games like Eve, Rift, and LOTRO.

So yes, SWTOR had lots of servers at launch, but that only helps highlight how much of a disaster SWTOR turned out to be, and how surprising it is that GW2 has not consolidated any of its servers yet. I suspect they will have to eventually, but the point that the OP made is still valid, and you are entirely missing it.

Oh and ToRs population has been steady over 500k and now risen a lot since going f2p.

I’d love to hear your evidence for that. Because all existing data suggests that SWTOR’s population went up briefly after the F2P launch, and has since began to go back on the decline again.

For example: http://www.torstatus.net/shards/us/stats <—— All US servers are down in total population by about 5% from last month.

It’s just a much smaller decline than before because the game is (partially) free, and because most of the typical “try then abandon” crowd has already left the game (the same crowd that GW2 is in the midst of losing now).

Most people who are playing SWTOR now are doing it to get through the story, and then they’re likely leaving again. EA foolishly locked off and limited almost all of the other content behind pay barriers, so once those free players finish the story, they have very little left to do. I don’t expect their population to hold at 500k for long, if indeed it even is at that level.

GW2 on the other hand has declined like a landslide since launch and not getting any better. Amazing how they stopped announcing game boxes sold when they couldn’t get much higher after the first month of launch.

Actually….they have 1.56 million non-digital sales of the game as of the first of this month.

http://www.vgchartz.com/game/37350/guild-wars-2/

VGChartz doesn’t track digital sales, but given that we know over a million people bought the game via digital pre-purchasing as reported by several major news sites before the game’s launch, it’s safe to estimate that GW2 has likely sold about 3 million total units.

Maybe next time, before shooting your mouth off, do a little internet research to make sure you know what you’re talking about, ya?

Aevic.9675:

Death Reincarnated.3570:

Sooooo…when is AUS/NZ getting their server?

Seriously I hate (nearly always) being a second class gamer citizen.

The AUS gaming communty is a strong one and we deserve to have our own server!

They’d have to add 3 servers for you wouldn’t they? Would be odd if they had an uneven amount of servers for WvW. It would be a 1v1 WvW because they don’t have a third server for the match.

Three it is then.

One each in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

AUS gamers are still treated as second class gamers and it kittens me up…

This issue is increasingly frustrating to my friends and I because several of us are on different servers which makes it difficult to do any PVE together. Some are considering leaving the game because of this.

It would be nice to have some clarity from ANET if guesting will ever actually be worked on because as far as I can tell, the only information available regarding it is that “…there is no estimated time of deployment” (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/World)

We would be perfectly happy with the solution from GW1 where you could select your overflow instance and easily meet up together.

It would be nice if there was a way to queue up to join a FULL server because its unrealistic to have people logging in at all hours of the day to check availability.

It’s so strange. Servers are full, yet zones are dead. My server should be overflowing with people, yet when I leave cities it feels like a ghost town…

Thank you fractals and ascended gear.

every server is “very high” right now. none are full

as of this posting anyway. theyll be full in like 20minutes because everyone in NA coming home from school.

Balthalzar.6243:

every server is “very high” right now. none are full

as of this posting anyway. theyll be full in like 20minutes because everyone in NA coming home from school.

Better try and transfer now if you are looking at it. Xmas Holidays are coming in the states. All schools including colleges will be off for 3-4 weeks. Liable to to get a little crazy in less than a week.

moirweyn.9872:

One word: Fractals
Another word: Instanced

So instanced like GW1 because it was all Instanced.

Please there are no hard numbers here at all going one way or another you cant get any thing from this.

I have a friend joining the game and my server has been full for weeks (from what I can tell). They really need to get guesting working at this point even if it’s just the option to join an overflow.

I get the WvWvW thing of locking down the character to 1 server but at this point to play with my friend I either have to:

a) Ditch my guild and transfer to another server (or at least not participate in group events beyond dungeons).
b) Tell my buddy to solo and check every hour of the day in hopes a slot opens up on my server.

Neither one seems like a great solution.

HERO.2057:

6 servers Very High, 18 servers Full… and oceans of empty space, with no one in it.

How is this possible?

Poor zone population management design, that’s how. My guess is that when WvW or some other popular zone becomes heavily overcrowded and queues start to manifest, the server automatically starts to move up the High>Full list irrespective of how deserted other areas are. That is why we get kicked into overflow in LA and yet can’t see any players in a level 30 zone at the exact same time.

Per CC Eva:

“Connor, when you see a server FULL means that it is full from people actually playing there at the moment, independently of where did they create their accounts. For example, if a player creates an account in Vizunah Square and then moves to Baruch Bay, then all the characters of this player will go to Baruch Bay and he will be counted among the total amount of players of Baruch.”

The other post that’s less clear… from the same time period.

VOLKON.1290:

Per CC Eva:

“Connor, when you see a server FULL means that it is full from people actually playing there at the moment, independently of where did they create their accounts. For example, if a player creates an account in Vizunah Square and then moves to Baruch Bay, then all the characters of this player will go to Baruch Bay and he will be counted among the total amount of players of Baruch.”

The other post that’s less clear… from the same time period.

I don’t believe she is quoting the full story. There have to be modifiers. Do you really think that a server that can only handle 500 players in WvW can be physically FULL? No, they look at the stats and want to make sure that the queue times don’t get ridiculous so when the ACTIVELY LOGGED IN population hits a certain point they escalate the rating to prevent to many new players joining. It is like airline overbooking.

I have been able to join “FULL” servers by simply waiting for offpeak times.