by MarpTarpton » Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:38 pm
There wasn't an option to wipe the server without giving store items or characters so I could not vote.
That said, you can't resize the map for all the reasons meow listed. Not possible, can't happen, don't suggest it. I don't put much stock in the theory that people don't like playing Salem because Providence is too big. Not that it isn't. It's way too big. But here is where our thoughts went.
1) Map is impossible to resize without removing bases and towns. These things can't be moved except for every object at a time, manually, like lifting objects in game. So, not an option.
2) JC made a strong commitment to no wipes of Providence unless some kind of catastrophe befell the game or code. We determined the size of the map was not worthy of a wipe.
3) The size of the map is still a huge issue. We overcame this with landmarks and surveys. Although you are unlikely to stumble upon an active player (depending on how far and/or where you travel), you have plenty of space to create and explore and destroy, plus crimes are still trackable.
4) People who want to play in a world where they are likely to meet others would do well to play the expeditions.
Now, I'm not sure this is the best course of action. I have questioned the player psychology of permadeath persistent world MMOs in my mind and with friends over and over, trying to pin just what those players really need for playability. I don't think one perfect answer exists. Whether the world is always the same or whether you wipe all the time, it's the value of your content and the culture of the community that provides retention.
Providence's map is what it is. It's not a seasonal concept that will grow or shrink to meet the demands of its players. It won't have wipes that reset the player interest. Like the functions mentioned above, we instituted expeditions to serve that function. This isn't to say that in the event the players of Salem unanimously demanded a wipe that we wouldn't oblige, as it's for you guys we made our commitment in the first place. But I don't see it coming to that and I don't think a smaller permanent server would create retention, though I can see the argument that closer quarters would increase encounters and thus make the game more fun if that's what you're playing for.
Procne wrote: Devs have again proven that they dont give a crap about untalented and lazy players.