Prospective Player- Too Risky to Play? Population?

The concept of this game is great, but I'd like to get a few more questions answered before I potentially waste my time and money. I'd normally just search the forums for similar threads... though there haven't been many posts in the last month (probably not a good sign).

1) From a very brief IRC chat with MrDDT, I know the game is "underpopulated" and that many players have left, but what kind of numbers are we talking about? Under 1000? Under 100? Under 50? Is it stabilizing at all? Are there new people coming in or just existing players leaving?

2) How many (active) members do the biggest tribes have? About how many active tribes are there?

3) Is it even worth getting into the game now? Obviously game launches always have more people playing than a few months after, but is it bad enough that I should save my money and play something else (and wait for the game to improve, or ArcheAge to release, etc, etc)?

4) In your opinion, will the game get better or worse with time? (Is there a good chance that the advertised features will get implemented before the playerbase drops low enough to close the game?)

5) Can you terraform caves, tunnels, and multi-level structures? I haven't seen any videos of people creating underground caverns (something I enjoy in Minecraft).

Thanks for your time... Maybe I'll see you in-game :cool:

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Originally Posted by potaco

The concept of this game is great, but I'd like to get a few more questions answered before I potentially waste my time and money. I'd normally just search the forums for similar threads... though there haven't been many posts in the last month (probably not a good sign).

1) From a very brief IRC chat with MrDDT, I know the game is "underpopulated" and that many players have left, but what kind of numbers are we talking about? Under 1000? Under 100? Under 50? Is it stabilizing at all? Are there new people coming in or just existing players leaving?

2) How many (active) members do the biggest tribes have? About how many active tribes are there?

3) Is it even worth getting into the game now? Obviously game launches always have more people playing than a few months after, but is it bad enough that I should save my money and play something else (and wait for the game to improve, or ArcheAge to release, etc, etc)?

4) In your opinion, will the game get better or worse with time? (Is there a good chance that the advertised features will get implemented before the playerbase drops low enough to close the game?)

5) Can you terraform caves, tunnels, and multi-level structures? I haven't seen any videos of people creating underground caverns (something I enjoy in Minecraft).

Thanks for your time... Maybe I'll see you in-game :cool:

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1) i'd say 50-100 online at any given time, just based upon apparent numbers in game chat. but only the devs really no. it seems stabilized, but that could jsut be my neck of the woods.

2) not even sure what a big tribe is nowadays. more than 10?

3) The game is in an alpha state. It may evolve into something good. It may tank. It is currently very unfinished and missing many core feature / core features are undergoing significant adjustment.

4) Could go either way. No way of knowing...and also depends on what your definitiion of 'better or worse' is. We have a significant pro/anti pvp schism in the player base, and what is good for one, is potentially horrible for the other...but from a development standpoint, the only folks that know the financial status of the game, and how long they can bleed operating costs, are the developers and i don't see them disclosing that information.

5) multilevel above ground, yes. below ground/tunnel no.

1) I would say for sure under 1000 active people.
2) Most from a tribe Ive seen active at once is like 10 to 15 right now.
3) I would say its worth getting now if you are ok with a game in progress, not talking about like WOW where you are waiting for content, but lots of things being worked on. Also if you are ok with being solo most of the time. Or if you are ok with solo, and want to get a head start for when it does get much better. (Like me.)
4) Much better with time.
5) No caves or tunnels. Multi level structures should be in the next month or 2.

Thanks for the replies... Just out of curiosity, how do/would multi-level structures exist if you can't build underground? Aren't they kind of the same concept? i.e. an open space with something directly above it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by potaco

Thanks for the replies... Just out of curiosity, how do/would multi-level structures exist if you can't build underground? Aren't they kind of the same concept? i.e. an open space with something directly above it.

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Buildings with 2 stores are not the same as digging into the ground making caves.

The issue isn't with + vertical space and -vertical space, it has to do with the terraforming system. The game can handle digging down and piling up, it just doesn't know how to handle going sideways, ie. having ground above a space and below a space. It can only deal with a solid volumetric space.

They plan to have tunneling for mines and such, but that will require a rewrite of how the terrain data is stored and manipulated and most likely also how it is displayed. (short version: a terraforming rewrite).

Going further on what Drevar said, if you've ever done world/land mapping, to change 3D height you change the color of the 2D map. The prospect of digging through something would require a very different amount of coding....... since height (vertical direction) is really the thing that a 2D overhead color map shows. That's how I'd think their t-forming works, but I'm not really technically anywhere near a game designer.

Makes sense... I didn't realize that the structures in-game are all pre-built. I was thinking it was more along the lines of Minecraft, where you build a structure piece by piece. As a programmer myself, I can understand that it could be quite an undertaking to get tunneling working, depending on how terraforming was originally implemented.

Actually you can with the current game mechanics make multi level structures... We have 2 examples in our tribal area.

Just have to pile up dirt, place structures on top and remove the dirt to have as many as 3-4 stories.

We have 15 out of 22 active and the rest from time to time...

The dynamics of the game are a work in progress and many have not been patient to wait for things to be fixed.

To be honest, if crafting and building is your thing you will have fun here for a long time.. if you are willing to think and dream up and experiment .. kinda what this game was designed for in the first place. If you want it all made for you then no... you will bore quickly.