Okay Arlo, based on that, why is the game dying? And don't say that it isn't, any game that a few years ago had 500+ playing on Titanic Tuesday, even more with split arenas, and now has typically 220 on those nights, sometimes less, I check every night, and oft times at 9pm central there is 180 or less.
Everything, including the maps, are controlled by HTC. Fester did the most recent map addition. How long did it take him to get it approved after it was submitted? And even though by all accounts it's an excellent map, has that helped bring the numbers back up?
This particular HQ/Dar/Numbers issue is just one symptom in a patient with dozens of problems contributing to its failing health. The one thing all of these symptoms and problems have in common as they can only be treated by the intervention of one party - HTC. These non stop posts and threads about problems have been here since the beginning, but it's reached a crescendo in the last year or so, a trend that has matched the falling numbers on a chart (Lusche, want to make a chart showing increase in complaint/suggestion threads as they relate to falling numbers?). My point is that HTC is the only thing standing in the way of making changes to stem the flow of outgoing players, and back to my earlier question in the thread, how many changes have been implemented in the last few years? Lusche says only one in 2012, and a pretty minor one at that.
Arlo, you sound much like HTC when they choose to engage as they have in past threads like this (12 hour etc). It's the players problems, if they don't like it, adapt or leave, but don't blame HTC for any of the problems. That's ridiculous IMO, if your customers want something different, and you want to stay in business, you give it to them. If you choose not to, and instead put the onus and blame on them...well, the current numbers are the result of that. And this in a situation where there is no direct competition, it's not like this is Pepsi and if Pepsi won't change their flavor to what customers want, there's always Coke. HTC has the advantage of being the only game in town for this genre, yet still, massive outflux of players in the last few years.
I for one don't necessarily believe the game will "die", but it'll certainly become less fun for those around playing it still, if the numbers continue to slide, or even just stabilize where they are. None of us know HTC's financial position, it's possible they have the means to keep this open even if nobody subscribed due to other revenue streams. Even if that IS the case, why would anyone choose to not intercede and make changes if for no other reason to chart the results in terms of subscribers leaving/staying, is beyond me. I know that in my line of work, when a crisis/ambush occurs, the very worst thing you can choose to do is nothing. Nothing is what we've seen, vis a vis changes to the framework of the gameplay, now for several years, as like I said, somebody (Lusche) who would know says that there has been one slight change in recent memory, since the huge slide in subscriber numbers started at least.
The reason this frustrates me is I remember a very different HTC back in the beta and first years of the game. Active, friendly participation regarding gameplay mechanics, and aircraft models, and the like. Now, instead we get fights between HTC and members, threats of PNG/suspension if continued pressing of points and arguing continues, and a lot of plain old radio silence so far as intentions and plans go. It's gone from positive progressive to extremely negative and apathetic. Just my opinion. But based on the hundreds of threads like this, I know I'm not the only one with this opinion.
I would finish with this:
Fine. Again, i don't see the crisis
I would retort that looking at the average numbers in the MA from just a couple/few years back to now, if you don't see a crisis, you just aren't paying attention. This little thread about this little issue may not seen to be a "crisis" by Arlo's definition, and maybe he's right. But add a number of these issues together, and that's precisely the problem IMO - many little issues make big issues, issues that HTC has not responded to; so their customers do instead. By leaving.
