I've noticed that the player population was 600 the highest, and from reading old posts of the more older players aRo had over 1000? how did that number drop and will the GM produce anything extraordinary that sets aRO apart from other servers that would hopfully raise the server population?
To answer the first part of your question, the bulk of that drop was caused during the server split that happened almost 2 years ago. We lost a few more, I think, when the server transferred from AnimaRO to AnthemRO, but most of what was lost in that switch was regained in new players, so didn't impact us as hard.
To answer the second part of your question, I suggest you look at our last several announcements in that section of the forums. The GM's and Administrators have been very hard at work updating the servers with new and better content. They've brought us up to roughly 11.2, we now have a mailbox system, they just added WoE 2.0, and many many other things.
Also regarding the server speed. I've read that it was 3x 100mbps on carrier class network. for what would the 3 different networks hook up to? Also, wouldn't a 1000gbps be better? I've heard some servers upgraded to this speed and the lag is very minimal.
1000gbps sounds extremely costly. It's not like upgrades of that nature are free. >_>
Also, most lag that people experience while playing is NOT server-side lag, but lag resulting from their own PC, their own internet connection, their distance from the server (such as people who play overseas), or some combination of those.
Finally I would also like to question how long do you estimate the server be running? For the next 3-4 years maybe? Since there is no steady stream of money to provide the server, unless people are donating constantly, and the whole ad sponser thing.
We can't see the future any better than you can. We can all hope the server will be around for years, but it's an impossible thing for anyone to say with any level of certainty whatsoever exactly how long aRO will be around.
As far as steady income, it would appear that we do alright with the donations. I'm not sure exactly how "steady" it is, but it's given us the ability to last this long, so why not longer?
