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The 'Other' Section => AnesisRO Archive => Archive => Feedback => Topic started by: Razer on October 31, 2013, 04:20:11 am

Title: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: Razer on October 31, 2013, 04:20:11 am

Note : This is not a thread attacking the server, please do not use my thread to attack the server. It merely raises concern and looks on to ways to improve things. If you can suggest things to improve , those are welcome in the thread :)

I am curious about the path this server is taking. So I have a question is the server. Is it?

A] A nice little place which isnt focused on growing and will remain as is. The server Ranking no longer is relevant. Its job is to only cater to the small group of people that still play.

B] A place which intends to grow aggressively, get hundreds of  players and try to seriously compete for the number 1 ranking someday soon.

If the answer is B then continue reading.

There are some facts one has to come to accept. This is no longer anima, anthem or animus RO. It is important to wipe that slate clean and treat anesis as a new server which is blessed to have 50 players already. If one keeps thinking about the past , they will always keep comparing and not work on this as a new project.

Second while its not wrong to see changes relating to PVP,DA,SQIs - The thing is new players have nothing to do with this. PVP is enjoyed by a small fraction on the community across every server. The highest priority should be PVE. Most people enjoy PVE and PVE is the sealing deal that decides whether a player stays or leaves. Once the server adds some custom content, in game Ad system etc, the server will grow a bit and then one could focus on PVP. I understand there are the daily quests but these alone are not enough to make the mark.

As far as Zeal and ambition goes, I understand the staff has lives. But someone , even if its just one person needs to release meaningful updates practically every week. This is not only a healthy practice, it also sends a positive message across to the players - both new and old. The updates could be small yet be meaningful. It also means that certain projects which are considered high value are prioritized and completed within a short time frame. If you wait weeks or months to complete something the community needs badly, it is obvious that you may end upsetting a large part of the community. Some people will complain, some will defend but the fact remains that they will all be disappointed.

Lastly, I do believe some advertising could be done to attract players. Whether its getting gold membership in Voting sites or facebook Ads. A lot of other RO server ads show up in both googleads and facebook Ads. Some of these servers are doing great. I know the server may not deserve the first rank right off the bat but it troubles me to see some crappy high rates enjoying higher ranking over aRO . To get more votes and reviews , the server needs more players. Its vet base is not enough to help it rise. It needs news players which will join and stay. The server can no longer be reliant on the vet community. It has to rely on the players that will join.

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: GM Ai on October 31, 2013, 11:17:35 am

Thank you for your feedback!  We appreciate that you have taken the time to post your thoughts on things that might help us improve.  :)
There is a little bit of confusion regarding some of your concerns, so please bear with me as I address your points.

---

Regarding Anima, Anthem, and Animus:
   We are strongly embracing our identity as AnesisRO, as demonstrated in our anniversary event (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=121461.0) and related mass email.  We, as staff members, only bring up our past server names in cases where players ask or might appreciate the courtesy of being informed that their characters and accounts are still intact.

   However, I believe you may be referring to our mindset when it comes to willingness to listen to new suggestions and changes that would have been immediately shot down in our previous incarnations.  Please rest assured that we will be reviewing our existing rules and policies one by one in the near future to determine which ones still apply and which ones we would like to change or remove.  There are actually some ideas we are considering that may leave you surprised!  This will be part of another big change players should hope to see in roughly two months.  Please look forward to it!  :D

We are not currently investing the majority of our energies on PvP matters, so I feel that we are in general agreement on this point.

Regarding "zeal and ambition":
   Some of the staff members feel somewhat bemused by this section of your post.  We have had nearly weekly updates for the past year, and I have compiled a quick list of mostly in-game updates for your convenience in the spoiler below.  There may be a few lapses at the start due to the server move, and there are slowdowns near big updates and also more recently.  I have also omitted irrelevant announcements about site status and loading screen contests.

October 26, 2012 - Server up, double EXP (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=118533.0)
November 04, 2012 - Start of the Pumpkin Festival, double EXP (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=118641.0)
November 13, 2012 - Direct Assault leaderboards added (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=118730.0)
November 13, 2012 - Item Shop adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=118729.0)
November 21, 2012 - Pumpkin Festival adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=118808.0)
December 24, 2012 - GM-hosted Christmas event (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119129.0)
December 26, 2012 - Restricted WoE potions added (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119155.0)
December 30, 2012 - Restricted WoE event (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119182.0)
January 01, 2013 - Direct Assault rewards added (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119215.0)
January 15, 2013 - IsFörsvar added, new Loading Screens added, new hat drops added (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119346.0)
February 08, 2013 - Biolabs F4 added, SQI and other adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119584.0)
February 08, 2013 - Quest Checker NPC added (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119590.0)
February 12, 2013 - Valentine's Day event, some fixes (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119626.0)
February 20, 2013 - 18 fixes/adjustments/implemented suggestions and SQI adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119708.0)
February 26, 2013 - Professor Bill, OBB/OVB changes, more fixes/implemented suggestions (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119763.0)
March 06, 2013 - More fixes/implemented suggestions (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119845.0)
March 13, 2013 - St. Patrick's Day Event, more fixes (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119908.0)
March 20, 2013 - PvP Voting System added, Daily Quest revamped into Job Agency, more fixes/suggestions implemented (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=119969.0)
March 27, 2013 - Easter event, LH4 adjustments and drops added, Job Agency adjustments, Day/Night cycle adjustments, more fixes/suggestions implemented (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120028.0)
April 01, 2013 - Treasure Hunt mini-event (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120062.0)
April 09, 2013 - New slotted middle headgears, more fixes/adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120143.0)
April 11, 2013 - Automated services added in-game, more fixes (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120155.0)
April 30, 2013 - Item shop discount, Facebook raffle, Match Me returns (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120310.0)
May 07, 2013 - Dyed hat NPC, Professor Bill update, automated pet/homunculus rename added in-game, many suggestions implemented (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120378.0)
May 15, 2013 - Professor Bill update, item drop changes (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120457.0)
May 21, 2013 - Drake's Treasure, Release the Kraken! (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120502.0)
May 28, 2013 - New custom hat quests added, Wolfchev's Laboratory shortcut quest added, more fixes (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120575.0)
June 04, 2013 - New custom hat quests added, PCB sprite changer added in-game, more fixes/adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120630.0)
June 12, 2013 - Dewata Island added, Wolfchev's Laboratory instance added (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120699.0)
June 19, 2013 - Faction dungeons added, more DA rewards added, new custom hat quests added (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120766.0)
June 26, 2013 - Faction war event introduced, new custom hat quests added, more fixes/adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120831.0)
July 03, 2013 - July 4th event, faction dungeon monster adjustments, more fixes/adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120886.0)
July 11, 2013 - New custom hat quests, minor adjustment (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120935.0)
July 17, 2013 - Teamspeak returns, new custom hat quests, more adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=120966.0)
July 24, 2013 - Faction event and dungeon monster adjustments, new custom hat quests, more fixes/adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=121009.0)
July 31, 2013 - Faction event adjustments, more fixes (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=121054.0)
August 08, 2013 - New custom hat quests, more fixes (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=121103.0)
August 15, 2013 - New custom hat quests (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=121165.0)
September 04, 2013 - Scaraba Hole added, El Dicastes added, Hazy Forest added, Mora Village added, Bifrost added, new custom hat quests, more fixes/adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=121264.0)
September 25, 2013 - Event celebrating GM Haine's 5th year on staff (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=121346.0)
October 27, 2013 - Anniversary event, item shop update, Facebook raffle, blank card exchange added (alternative to ad credits in game, part 1), wiki opening, Halloween event, more fixes/adjustments (http://www.anesisro.com/forums/index.php?topic=121461.0)

   We can only conclude that your feedback about update frequency ironically gives evidence that weekly updates unfortunately do not make as much of a difference as suggested.  This is something we have been deliberating as of late and is one of the reasons behind the slower, but generally bigger, updates more recently.  However, this is not to say that we are in disagreement over needing to complete high-profile projects more promptly.  :)


Finally, regarding advertisement:
   We definitely agree on this point and have been considering our options.  There is one major update we would like to get out of the way by the end of the year before we do this, but we will be jumping on this immediately afterward.

---

Once again, we thank you for your feedback and will keep it and others' thoughts in mind while we move onward as AnesisRO!  If you have any other concerns, please feel free to add them in a follow-up response or PM them to me if you would like them to be more private.

*Ai

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: Adellie on October 31, 2013, 07:57:07 pm

I agree with a lot of razer's points.
   and i know that you guys are probably aware of tons of this stuff, but yerr

New Image, same community
I would really love to see our population grow. I understand that the number of people seeking a ro server to settle into is in decline but i still think its worth a shot to focus first on newbies, rather than the vet community.

I like the way that razer put it: Treat ourselves as a starting community of 50.

The anniversary events and the mass e-mail seem to give the server a new image-- but log in, what's different? The population's mindset is still the same. Newbies can't compete in woe/pvp, and i imagine that all the melee mains roll their eyes when prontera wars break out. Don't have a kaho/valk? Good luck finding an endless party. I hate how incredibly big the stat/bonus difference is between a player with restricted gear is when compared to someone "decently geared". High-end gears are still staple, etc.

I hope you guys don't go all out with advertising before this is addressed - because to put it bluntly, i wouldn't stay on this server if i were a new player. And i don't go back to servers that i don't like.
   Faster experience through novice battle manuals, beginner weapons and the job agency don't help at all, if in the end, you're still way behind others at 99/70. Besides, this should be a low rate server.

PvE
I also agree that PvE is important, because its the easiest way to make friends.
   So force people to party!
   I think the umbala event did a good job of this. It's been fun! /ok I've partied with at least 7 friends and 4 strangers  since the event started... which admittedly sounds like very little, but feels like way more than usual.

Updates
I am always impressed by the dedication that the staffers put forth, given that they are volunteers. It's obvious that some of them are constantly working on things for the server. I don't know about the ones that don't make public appearances, but i imagine that there's at least one person working his/her ass off behind the scenes.

However! And i think that i've complained about this before:
   SPREAD OUT YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR GODS SAKES. ಠ_ಠ
   You have so much content coming out, but some people don't realize this because you're chunking them into fatass tldr updates. I think the community would be much more impressed if you made multiple threads for different things from the same maintenance, and spread out posting 2hrs from each. Sounds dumb, looks good. Keeps people excited and watching the forums.

...

...and now i'll make a thread with some neutral event-related feedback to redeem myself from all this negativity @@;

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: Adellie on October 31, 2013, 08:41:41 pm

/wow

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: singer of strange songs on October 31, 2013, 09:12:05 pm

Leave the people relations to Ai, Skoll. Her posts tend to make me feel warm and fuzzy. /lv

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: Adellie on October 31, 2013, 09:39:36 pm

I prefer skoll's posts because of her table flip gif. /gg

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: Yakusoku on October 31, 2013, 10:46:46 pm

Quote from: Adellie on October 31, 2013, 09:39:36 pm

I prefer skoll's posts because of her table flip gif. /gg

you mean the one with the incorrect turning conveyor belt? LOL...

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: DirtySanchez on November 01, 2013, 04:29:20 am

The player base isn't going to increase over-night.

Keep up the great work team. I'm enjoying the peace while it lasts.

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: Simply a Robot on November 01, 2013, 08:37:27 am

No love for the robot? D: I mean...I know I'm just a machine...but I have feelings, too! =P

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: singer of strange songs on November 01, 2013, 09:27:19 am

You evolved past the point where emotions are petty things to you. Don't tell me you're going Bicentennial Man on us now.

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: beowolf123 on November 21, 2013, 08:13:33 pm

I know I am not wanted, but I think we as players should do random raids, and quest together make vids, and take pics post them around places showing people who are searching for a server that they will find a thriving community.. Bit Angel had the idea when he was here. I am just trying to continue where he left off.(I am not doing a very good job at the moment :/)

Title: Re: The Server needs zeal and ambition.
Post by: yamirichard on November 25, 2013, 05:01:52 am

Thanks Razer for the love for anesis...  ;D

I truly hope you didn't mean to wipe the player data (well, you said to treat aRO as new server)
Most of players already move on and treat this server as new one... new community.. new friends (since oldies are resting somewhere and didn't come back yet)

Beowolf's idea is actually good... making videos will be very interesting and it will be easier to some players to share it

so far, the staffs are doing great job... every update is entertaining... although we should admit that life really overtake our time and excitement
keep strong, aRO