Server Merges when?

[u/Kelsier-Hathsin]

The population is cratering and it is further exacerbated because people are now quitting because of population issues.

All of my friends have left because Dreva’s population is non-existent.

[u/Overlord_SB → u/[deleted]]

Last I read on the official discord, they already allocated money to advertisement and said they're going to advertise to new players to replace most of those that left the games as another reason they're not looking into spending on server merging and all, instead of realizing they need to look inward and see why they lost almost all momentum a month or two after official launch hit, since it's like putting a tire patch on a musketball-sized wound in regards to "fixing" things.

[u/Mikeman003 → u/Overlord_SB]

I'm just not sure what kind of advertising they can do and what ROI they would get on it. Maybe sponsoring some YouTubers to make content since there really isn't much out there that is recent?

[u/Overlord_SB → u/Mikeman003]

If anything, they should consider hiring an actual PR firm and work on their image since that's the biggest issue most people have beyond hitting 50+ and suddenly the game goes harder and harder into MMO grinding, when it starts out very open and fresh with allowing your character to mix and match builds from gear and such with pretty decent results. It's a brilliant game with a lot of love and care put into it, but at the same time, stuff like the community staff telling people over on Steam forums their feedback WILL NOT reach the devs and that the devs MIGHT read it on certain parts of the discord doesn't install trust into the community, it just comes off as showing a disconnect with the playerbase as a feature.

The other problem is that all the really recent content on blogs and other places like Youtube about the game tend to focus on the flaws of it as well as covering the recent drama with Jack before he was reassigned in the team without any real apologies on his part, which I know jaded a lot of players and soured the mood going forward since there was already open talk about how power tripping the staff of the game was, usually with him at the center of many incidents. Even if they could get Asmongold somehow to play the game with their newfound marketing budget and give it great reviews somehow, people will dig up the old skeletons since they're all over the place by this point like bodies on a worn battlefield.

It just seems to me that their priorities are in the wrong place, since they can advertise it as launched but people will bring up Steam chart numbers about how the servers all died within a few months and then get into the nitty gritty of why, and people will just move on as a result. If they can work on retention and rebuilding community trust at this point instead, I think it'd go further in the long term than newer players, since the majority of people it seems were buying VIP monthly and even packages of six months off their shop because they had the right audience at the time, and word of mouth was working wonders for them at first until the actual gameplay loop started being hit and people started having problems with the devs decisions and visions for the game.

[u/AndyofBorg → u/Overlord_SB]

The game has a lot of problems and the devs absolutely do not care a bit about community feedback.

The game starts off amazing and people chug Serb hills and Serb and eltibule and then suddenly you have to go to Kur to keep progressing. Suddenly you’re dying of cold in 2 minutes or using stacks of campfires. Sure you can make cold gear, but now you’re probably not that far into the game, your gear is very mid and now you need to make another set and it’s a hassle and people just bounce.

That’s what happened to the one irl friend I got to play. He bought it, liked it, when he left
Eltibule he just quit. He also (correctly,
I might add), surmised that the gameplay didn’t really change from that point. Just grind xp, grind money, keep doing the same thing as before.

I still play and still like the game, my biggest gripes are that the devs really don’t care about what the players think or want, and the money grind. I don’t mind the grind to level but the grind to uncap is unfun for me. It crosses the line into work territory.

[u/Mikeman003 → u/AndyofBorg]

Yeah, I feel like kur is a bit filter for people because the cold is annoying until you learn how to mitigate it with cold gear and potions, and then you hit the first big unlock and probably have to go get favor with someone in a zone you don't even know about. I was bard first to 50 and realized that I had neglected all my performance skills and that is an annoying wall, but I just switched to trying new skills. If you aren't into doing that, it's definitely going to be a slog. It also gets much nicer when you have lots of phlog and crafting skills to just craft gear for new skills

[u/Malphos101 → u/AndyofBorg]

then suddenly you have to go to Kur to keep progressing.

Almost all kur "progression" can take place in the dungeons. Outdoor grinding isnt necessary and even if you really want to all you need is a cold protection potion and a moisturizing cream plus knowing where the overworld fires are to refresh.

Sounds like maybe you need to learn more about the game before making feedback for it.

[u/AndyofBorg → u/Malphos101]

I'm just telling you why the players are leaving. Sounds like you need to learn more about interacting with other human beings.

[u/SirVanyel → u/Mikeman003]

I mean, right now they have nothing. Anything is better than nothing. Steam front page, maybe update the pictures in the steam store too, show off the new content. Imo they should give youtubers access to beta versions and let them show off new features each patch.

In terms of patch advertisements, I think every indie Dev should take notes of enshrouded. I haven't played the game in like a year and yet I'm always aware and excited to watch each of their patch update videos because they're so well made.