Attracting Players back to NPC Cities

[gokuzo]

Before you read this suggestion – please note that I am NOT proposing any changes to player cities or their specializations. Player cities will always be superior (and safer for jedi players as an example) for buffs, crafting and sales – but maybe not as convenient as a city with a Starport?

Attracting Players back to NPC Cities:
It has been stated by new players, veteran players and CSRs that major NPC cities need more of a purpose to maintain a constant presence of online players. Bazaar terminals, enhancement terminals and Starports are the only unique benefit which player cities are not currently able to match. I’m sure you will all agree that there are many benefits resulting from a populated major city – for example social interactions, random PVP, help for new players, buffs from docs/ent close to Starports, trade, advertising and so forth.

My suggestion would be to grant major cities new features to attract players. A lot like the player city “specialization” ability. I’m sure the code for the “specialization” feature could be used as a template for a few of the items below:

1] Theed and Coronet could be granted the same “specialisation” bonus which player cities receive for medial buffs and entertainer buffs.

2] Mos Eisley and Moenia could be granted an Experience bonus within the city limits (encouraging new players to grind in the starting areas) [combines with group Exp bonus] [NPCs in the cities might need to be tweaked to ensure more advanced players are not attracted to AFK grinding]

3] Bazaar Terminal sales across the galaxy could be capped at 50,000 credits and with sale duration of 14 days

4] Mos Eisley parking garages could allow players to repair disabled vehicles for 5k plus the normal repair charge

5] Dantooine Mining Outpost and Dathomir Science Outpost provide a +25% bonus to surveying (sampling) inside the city limits

These are just a few ideas based on what is currently available in the game and which might require as little coding & graphic input as possible.

[Koven]

You have some good ideas here Goku and hopefully others will join in with some of their own. I agree that there are things that could probably be done to draw people to NPC cities without taking anything away from the player cities. In addition to the reasons you mentioned, I think it would be beneficial to the server population in general. Awakening currently has over 18,000 registered accounts with many people joining each day, but it doesn't feel like many of those people are sticking around. I can't help but think that many players logging in for the first time and finding ghost towns at the big three (Eisley, Theed, Cnet) get the impression that our server population is low.

1] Theed and Coronet could be granted the same “specialisation” bonus which player cities receive for medial buffs and entertainer buffs.

With the upcoming patch including dual-spec for player cities this suggestion in particular would be great addition to NPC cities as long as they are only to provide a single boost.

[guitarsmasher]

Before you read this suggestion – please note that I am NOT proposing any changes to player cities or their specializations. Player cities will always be superior (and safer for jedi players as an example) for buffs, crafting and sales – but maybe not as convenient as a city with a Starport?

Attracting Players back to NPC Cities:
It has been stated by new players, veteran players and CSRs that major NPC cities need more of a purpose to maintain a constant presence of online players. Bazaar terminals, enhancement terminals and Starports are the only unique benefit which player cities are not currently able to match. I’m sure you will all agree that there are many benefits resulting from a populated major city – for example social interactions, random PVP, help for new players, buffs from docs/ent close to Starports, trade, advertising and so forth.

My suggestion would be to grant major cities new features to attract players. A lot like the player city “specialization” ability. I’m sure the code for the “specialization” feature could be used as a template for a few of the items below:

1] Theed and Coronet could be granted the same “specialisation” bonus which player cities receive for medial buffs and entertainer buffs.
This would stifle the amount of traffic player cities would get. Many reasons players build cities and house the ents/docs there is for the convenience of their merchants as well as the player
2] Mos Eisley and Moenia could be granted an Experience bonus within the city limits (encouraging new players to grind in the starting areas) [combines with group Exp bonus] [NPCs in the cities might need to be tweaked to ensure more advanced players are not attracted to AFK grinding]
Experience bonuses are generally frowned upon due to the nature of this server. It prides itself in being a hardcore server
3] Bazaar Terminal sales across the galaxy could be capped at 50,000 credits and with sale duration of 14 days
I feel this would undermine all of the hard work and many hours players have spent building up their merchants as well as all of the mayors that have worked so hard on their cities.
4] Mos Eisley parking garages could allow players to repair disabled vehicles for 5k plus the normal repair charge
NPC cities already allow for the use of garages to repair vehicles.
5] Dantooine Mining Outpost and Dathomir Science Outpost provide a +25% bonus to surveying (sampling) inside the city limits
I tend to not agree with this as it diminishes the dual-specs for cities that are coming soon.
These are just a few ideas based on what is currently available in the game and which might require as little coding & graphic input as possible.

I whole heartedly respect your suggestions, but the reasons I put in italics would be my main reasons for not supporting this. Last I wouldn't liken cities as being safe havens for Jedi. In fact I think the last place a Jedi would want to get caught is in a player city. Generally speaking the Jedi on this server build their own unmarked cities all across the galaxy drop a mission terminal and call it a day. They also have their own Doc/Entertainer close by at all times.

I just want to reiterate that fundamentally any changes like this I feel would ultimately hurt the player cities. This however, is just my opinion. I just worry that it will lower the significance and hard work that many have placed in their cities. Many of these hubs have been here since the server went live and they are very well established.

I think there are other ways to keep new players here, and many of us are very helpful ensuring that new folks know where to go.

[evilryu]

Slightly hurting player cities vs growing server population? I'd take the latter.

Anything to give new users (especially first time to SWG) the incentive to stick around longer is a good thing imo.

Personally, if there were ents and docs in NPC cities, I'd buff there all the time, saves the running around.

[Veriscythe]

There are some good points here, however I would rather see new content, adjustments to professions before this. We are having a bunch of new people join the server, however it seems there is also a bunch of people leaving the server as well, in some instances whole guilds have left. I think that is where the focus needs to be, is bringing them back and keeping more people from leaving. An influx of new faces is great unless there are more leaving than coming.

[Caledonia]

Love to see the option of Mayors being able to place Enhancement Terms in Player City's, that way crafters can empty stomach and have at it

but yes new contents, quests, prof balances etc would be great also.

Me, i'm just happy i'm playing one of my all time top games once again

[Sionix]

I agree but I do not agree. SWG even in live was and is a PLAYER DRIVEN game.. from services to economy. NPC cities are still a necessity.. for example you cannot get your stats migrated without an image design tent.. and those are only in NPC cities. You can only go off planet if you go through a major NPC city. Starter buff terminals are provided nowhere else except NPC cities. While it is great to want to change things, one of the main reasons people loved SWG originally was the fact that the game is more player directed then being forced to be in certain areas . Even in live, NPC towns were something many of us rarely used unless there was a need. Geesh I remember customer service in live as being extremely annoying and unflexible in live as well.. we got what we got end of story.

Keep in mind there is NOTHING stopping anyone from setting up ents and docs in NPC towns.. like Airy used to do in Mos Eisley. He worked hard at it.. In some ways it is even more work then holding a player city. Make a CM... stage a player event for ents to grind out their heal xp. Create your own event in a NPC city.. shoot your idea to the devs.. many times they are happy to jump on board and help out if they are given enough notice. And before you say it... I HAVE done that in the past.. it is not hard to throw a post up on the boards saying "Hey I am going to do this in Theed today.. come join me!" Now I do it in my own town instead.

Bazaar Terminal sales across the galaxy could be capped at 50,000 credits and with sale duration of 14 days<br abp="882"><br abp="883">4]

This idea I like...

We who hold and run player cities can tell you, while most people say "Oh cool town!" it is not a easy thing to keep one up and solidly running. You need town cooperation and players willing to help. No PC town is run by just one person, not the bigger ones that provide a lot of services. They are putting the effort in (to the point some people set their alarms to get that ent and doc on at reset in the early am hours) to make sure the server has ents, docs, vendors and other services up for the WHOLE server to use. It is a big function and part of SWG.

Our devs have a lot on their plates.. and it's not like they get paid to make sure we have our game. And they do it on their own time around their own personal schedules. Donate some time if you can code.. offer to be a CSRi to help players.. be active in Neutral and Faction chats... help out newer players.. even if it is just advice.. these things will give them more time to get things done for us in game. We have more events here then we ever did in live btw.. Ya I am coming off like we should be grateful.. but tbh.. I am because I can play SWG thanks to them..

[Cynar]

I think it's a good idea to try to attract people to use npc cities, there's no doubt. Lots of ideas both good and bad have been thrown around over the last couple of years. Right now there are too many private servers for such a small audience of players. Most players want easy xp, quick rewards and Jedi. Eight out of 10 servers cater to that. We don't and then there the NGE servers because people really want some form of JTL. The fact that we have such a small player base and the game has such a steep learning curve is another issue. If it weren't for new player helpers we would probably have 0 new player retention.

While I do agree long-term its a good idea to make non-player cities more attractive I also think that we need to look at ways of shrinking of our player run cities. Everyone and their brother tosses one down and next thing you know we have a city abandoned for X reason. Yes entire guilds have left for one reason or another. Lack of pvp, slowness of updates, difficulty level, lack of human coping skills, disagreements with me..... You name it, we've lost entire guilds because of it. With this being a sandbox mmo it really is designed around the people who play to keep other people playing, and to help retain new players.

You can slap a new coat of paint on a Ford Pinto, but it's still going to be a Pinto. Staff is limited on time, Luckily we have the best Event Coordinator in the emu-verse, but it always will come back to the players. We have a great community, but in order for it to grow it has to help nurture itself. The emu community is fairly toxic. Just go on reddit for 10 minutes. You'll want to puke and never go back. Basilisk is best because people are afraid to play anywhere not run by emu. Niceness and competetion will help build us back up. Many people have tried to form associations or take it upon themselves to help new players, and in the end they find it was rewarding, the critique that came with it wasn't.

So if you want to help build Awakening back to the way it was in Feb of 2015 when we had 900 players online at a time, everyone has got to help. You don't have to stand in the players cities. Nothing is keeping you from being in X-Cantina, or X-Med center except you! Merge with other player cities, help clean up the blight. Make it a point to get out there and YOU BE in the NPC cities. Bonues are nice and will certainly be considered for the future, but it doesn't hurt you in the here and now to get your asses out there and be in the public eye.

[guitarsmasher]

I think it's a good idea to try to attract people to use npc cities, there's no doubt. Lots of ideas both good and bad have been thrown around over the last couple of years. Right now there are too many private servers for such a small audience of players. Most players want easy xp, quick rewards and Jedi. Eight out of 10 servers cater to that. We don't and then there the NGE servers because people really want some form of JTL. The fact that we have such a small player base and the game has such a steep learning curve is another issue. If it weren't for new player helpers we would probably have 0 new player retention.

While I do agree long-term its a good idea to make non-player cities more attractive I also think that we need to look at ways of shrinking of our player run cities. Everyone and their brother tosses one down and next thing you know we have a city abandoned for X reason. Yes entire guilds have left for one reason or another. Lack of pvp, slowness of updates, difficulty level, lack of human coping skills, disagreements with me..... You name it, we've lost entire guilds because of it. With this being a sandbox mmo it really is designed around the people who play to keep other people playing, and to help retain new players.

You can slap a new coat of paint on a Ford Pinto, but it's still going to be a Pinto. Staff is limited on time, Luckily we have the best Event Coordinator in the emu-verse, but it always will come back to the players. We have a great community, but in order for it to grow it has to help nurture itself. The emu community is fairly toxic. Just go on reddit for 10 minutes. You'll want to puke and never go back. Basilisk is best because people are afraid to play anywhere not run by emu. Niceness and competetion will help build us back up. Many people have tried to form associations or take it upon themselves to help new players, and in the end they find it was rewarding, the critique that came with it wasn't.

So if you want to help build Awakening back to the way it was in Feb of 2015 when we had 900 players online at a time, everyone has got to help. You don't have to stand in the players cities. Nothing is keeping you from being in X-Cantina, or X-Med center except you! Merge with other player cities, help clean up the blight. Make it a point to get out there and YOU BE in the NPC cities. Bonues are nice and will certainly be considered for the future, but it doesn't hurt you in the here and now to get your asses out there and be in the public eye.

Well said Sir....well said.

[DarthDominus]

Not gonna quote what has already been re-posted ...but great message Cynar! I wholeheartedly agree.

Really am looking forward to housing / city cleanup with pub 8. At that time, it might be a neat idea to have the total allowable player cities allowed reduced, for players to consider mergers of cities, and other things we can do to bring the population closer together. I know everyone likes to "run their own show" - but for the good of the game and the community - maybe discussion could happen between Mayors on condensing a bit somehow, the few active cities there are on each planet?