Demographic change? Peak vs off - hours

[Lusche]

While working on my stats compilation, I noticed that the current tour activity indicators (kills, hours, pilots, etc.) don't differ that much from the same time last year, yet each time I log on the numbers I see on the login screen are far worse.
After checking some more numbers, my notes seem to support my perception: A disproportionately high loss of activity during off-hours compared to US peak time over the past few years.
Of course that makes me wonder... If my perception is correct, what could be the reason? Less non-US players? Fewer squeakers? Or lemming behaviour: Players logging in only when they expect the numbers to be "sufficiently" high? (same effect that keeps the minor arenas...minor)

[uptown]

I haven't played this current tour but in the 2 previous tours I'd log in after 1am cst. The first thing I noticed was the lack of Raw Prawns (Aussies) and the Black Knights (Germans I believe).
Also, I thought the numbers were down by 15 or 20 players per country at the same time from the year before. This year I noticed that once the eny kicked in, usually on Rooks side having the most players at around 50 or so, most would log off around 3am and the arena would balance out to around 20 on each side. Most would do their own thing, if anything at all, while a small group would take undefended bases. It got really boring after only 2 months back, hense why I probably haven't played this tour.

[Chilli]

Lusche,

When did the mega horde become the prominent scene of action?  All do respect to all squads and players, this is not a hate the player post, so please don't make it into one. 

I work at night, and play during the very lean off hours, routinely.  So, I have several ideas about what influences low off peak hour numbers.

1)  NO FIGHTS, zero, none, nada..... 

2)  STAGNANT MAPS, been around more than 5 days, and every flight takes more than 8 minutes to see any action

3)  FUTILITY IN DEFENSE, large mobs of players taking your stuff and nothing you can do about it..... again nada....

4)  LOW CHANCES OF MAP RESET, many players will stay logged in longer if they had any feeling that maps could be won with low numbers

5)  LEMINGS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT in early morning play, the second the clipboard map is revealed to them, and those options would be either #1 thru #4.


Forum Posters asked for challenging gameplay when they had 50% towns with white flags, so this is what they have asked for.  Could you imagine splitting the arena now with 65 players in the LWMA? 

Lusche, the question is why are the numbers not GROWING, when HTC is rolling out better upgraded graphics and more toys?  Subscriptions staying the same, doesn't sound all that convincing to me for a strong product.  I believe numbers go up and down and hit plateaus as a function of external factors. 

I am very excited about a number of things that HTC has released in the past few years.  I just wish for a more FUN "capture / perk / eny / something", to give me a reason to want to fly with a small group and chuckle it up on the way to handle some cartoon country business.

[MachFly]

Even though I expected to have a lot more free time this tour I was very busy and had very little time to play (less then 2 hours).   

[Ardy123]

Less non-US players? Fewer squeakers? Or lemming behaviour: Players logging in only when they expect the numbers to be "sufficiently" high? (same effect that keeps the minor arenas...minor)

I don't know if you should limit it to non-us players, I have noticed a significant decrease in the player base and I live on the west coast of the US. My experience from the few times I have logged on at 4pm (7pm EST) there were a surprising number of players, unlike when I log in more 'normal' times. Its almost if your not in the center of the US or the east coast, its going to be dead. As I said in another thread, its not uncommon for me to log in and see only ~150 players total and have that dwindle to ~60 by 1am.

2 years ago, the numbers were much higher during non Centeral/Eastern US time.

[Trukk]

Lusche, the question is why are the numbers not GROWING, when HTC is rolling out better upgraded graphics and more toys?

Because with the competition in today's market, it's going to take more than eye candy and toys to grow.  There's not a lot of compelling gameplay for the average player in the main arenas.

[coombz]

Because with the competition in today's market, it's going to take more than eye candy and toys to grow.  There's not a lot of compelling gameplay for the average player in the main arenas.

We have eye candy?!? 

It's just one mans opinion, but I feel that AH looks seriously dated...although I'm not saying that's a big factor in declining player numbers, because I don't think it is...it's probably a very very small part of it though ;]

Chilli's points #1 and #2 nail it for me, I usually enjoy fighting at offpeak times because of the smaller fights and occasional nice 1v1s, last few occassions I've tried to play at those kind of times it's just been completely dead. Nothing going on

[zack1234]

I think a free meat pie would increase numbers 

[coombz]

I think a free meat pie would increase numbers 

Yes I agree that would bring the Aussies back in force

[thndregg]

It's just one mans opinion, but I feel that AH looks seriously dated...

Could be worse:

[Tilt]

Plse do not tell me that that is looking North East from field A1 on the old Mindinoa terrain....... because then I will know how seriously sad I have become to actually recognise it.


On a non US sales & marketing front my questions would be "what is the route a potential non US player will take to find AH?" and " when he/she finds AH and plays it, what will their reference experiences be when assessing it?"

[Butcher]

Yes I agree that would bring the Aussies back in force

Or the Beaufighter.

[Noir]

Even if I'm available to play off peak I generally don't because it is boring.

[Lusche]

No doubt we generally do not have the numbers we had 4 years ago, and the reasons for that are manifold. I was just wondering about the disproportional loss at offpeak numbers, which I do have a vital interest in - that's my prime time
And I have to admit that Trinity with only 60 players on isn't really something I'm particularly fond of 

In the last weeks, I frequently ran into LW numbers at ~75%  the level of last year's fall, yet overall activity indices (played hours, kills)  hadn't changed that much. That's why I started to ponder if there was any particular clientele that is causing this - perceived - issue.

Even if I'm available to play off peak I generally don't because it is boring.

This kind of thinking (which is by no means unknown to me  ))  may be an accelerator, just as the minor areas suffer from the "nobody goes there because nobody is there" effect.

[Krusty]

Because with the competition in today's market, it's going to take more than eye candy and toys to grow.  There's not a lot of compelling gameplay for the average player in the main arenas.

Balderdash! There is no true competition for AH. I'm not implying it's perfect but you can't dismiss it as lacking in gameplay or in not being "compelling"

You make of it what you want. You can fly a fighter, attacker, jabo, bomber, dive bomber, CAP, base defense, long range escort, GV, PT, SOP, DOA, PTA, and any other number of TLA's you want to throw in there.

 

It is not any lack of game feature that is the product, because for the most part you can still do everything today that you could 5 years ago. Whatever changes might take place are most likely influenced by other factors.