Author Topic: HoJ numbers  (Read 10467 times)

Offline Caradir

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HoJ numbers
« on: March 10, 2012, 07:21:10 PM »
Now as some may be aware, Hoj simply doesnt have enough members to do anything in game it seems.

Every night this week for at least some of the night i have been the ONLY person online in HoJ.

I see the facts as simply this, the HoJ core isnt there, hasnt been for a long time, we simply do not have enough membership to be able to play any MMO effectively at current numbers.

So as much as i like you guys and have had numerous fun adventures through the years, i cannot see myself continuing to play under HoJ in MMos i mean they are MULTIPLAYER and without anyone to play with (oo err) just not fun, for me.

I guess what im saying is that this is my notice of intent to find a new home in SWTOR, as much as it pains me to do so. SWTOR is my game for the next wee while and if thats what i need to do to get enjoyment from it then it is what i have to do.

"Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money." Josiah Stamp (Governor Bank of England 1928-41)

Offline Goatboy

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2012, 08:34:29 PM »
Sounds sensible enough, matey.
I think everyone needs to do what they need to do to enjoy the game to its fullest.

I find myself only logging on for 15 mins of lag on Ilum to grind gearbags and for organized events like the ops last week.
Never been good at alting and doing content twice. And if there are only one or two people online that aren't saying too much, I'm not hanging around.
To some extent swtor is less suited for active guild chat because of all the conversations and cutscenes though.

I do want to give kudos to Kurtt for posting recruitment threads, hollering in /1 and pulling people in with pugging.
But I think apart from Kurtt no one (myself definitely included) has really made any moves to grow the guild either?

It seems everyone plays loads of bigger or smaller games as well. So the few numbers we do have, are spread out even thinner across games.ot a
And the majority doesn't seem to pug much.

So I agree things may be a bit meh at the moment, but there's definitely a cause for the mehness I suppose.
Perhaps more organized events would help, but there definitely won't be a big number of people online every day on the short term.

But I think it's important to realize that good old pre-split WoW days are long gone.
People have had kids, finished school, have WoW/mmo burnout. That sort of stuff.

Hell I don't know. I've missed most of what has (not) been going on anyway due to shitty pc or real life things.
I'm sure there are people with better opinions on what has happened over time.

And also

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« Last Edit: March 10, 2012, 09:53:47 PM by Goatboy »
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Offline Warcold

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2012, 09:58:34 PM »
Hell I don't know. I've missed most of what has (not) been going on anyway due to shitty pc or real life things.

And also

Chicago - If You Leave Me Now

Have fun matey o/
« Last Edit: March 10, 2012, 10:00:21 PM by Warcold »
'Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime, and every kindness, we birth our future.'

'We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.'


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Offline Taith

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2012, 12:16:38 AM »
To some extent swtor is less suited for active guild chat because of all the conversations and cutscenes though.

Weird that, isn't it? I never imagined the conversations with quest givers would have drawbacks.

Synch is currently discussing a merge with another guild in Star Wars. It's down to a small number of people who appear to want to stay in it, but it's not enough for endgame.

I cancelled my sub last weekend. I'm just not playing it enough to be getting my money's worth out of a subscription. After Tython and Korriban, I have some serious problems with the overall zone design that leaves me without any enthusiasm for it. I really liked those two planets, so I'm disappointed to have reached this point.
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Offline Taith

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2012, 12:17:37 AM »
Double post ... somehow.
DC Universe Online (EU PC): Psilance, Psion Hero, Noctirian, Sorcerer Villain
Neverwinter: Theron Dios, Control Wizard (Beholder)
Star Trek Online: Eric@TaithZero
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Offline Kurtt

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2012, 09:11:49 AM »
Haven't got time to post a full reply now, so sticking this post up as a placeholder.

I've got a couple of ideas to toss around :D

Offline Mangala

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2012, 01:36:16 PM »
Totally salute you for saying it dude, so many others in the past just slope off - making it worse for the guys who do stick around till the bitter (I get there first btw as I am already so bitter :D) end in which ever game. You know you'll find a home somewhere - just hope its a group that isnt as bitter as us (or me...)

To be honest, the MMOs we do play together just get less and less engaging - for me at least anyway -
Wow - was the first for many of us, and the first of that specific section of MMOs for me (crafting in swg and pvp in planetside were very different to what I found in wow) and really did have a hook and worked really well on bringing people together - until LFD and such things came in.

Lotro - great story, lots of stuff that could be done as groups, but eventually again we drifted apart on there due to RL/whatever/EVE, and then when we did it try it again the great group content wasnt there, it was now bitesize or just easy mode. And then of course there are its expansions which just make it more like a korean grind mmo every few months.

War - Massive promise, awesome execution up until we saw the cluster fuck that was T4.  Good story, a world several of us had dabbled in as nippers and generally fun times. We had a good solid group up until that point - and then we went EVE.

EVE - My baby.  Again started with a solid group, but I think the time commitment for eve is too much for many - especially as we got older and had families/career changes/vanished (Rubino!).  I am still there mind - mainly as its the best of the PEW PEW environments on offer. No battlegrounds, no grinds to get gear to be better - just market trading if you have half a brain (or incursions if you dont). Hell Im a director - and major content provider - for a community of over 2000 characters (possibly 1600 actual people, several hundred of which are online every week.  This keeps me engaged - and feeling like I want to nuke the world some days - there is very few boundaries as to what we can do/how we do it. My attachment to eve is my own issue of course although in some ways a symptom of the wider issues that plague our little group

SWTOR - Class line (trooper at least) so bloody amazing. Really is great playing that through - and being in the same timeline as KOTOR with the throw backs to it just adds a nice touch. But, as others have said, they felt too much like a single player game with some chat thrown in.  Ive mentioned elsewhere that they could have intertwined them all more - much more as in actually intertwine them, give players more reason to group outside of heroics (and even then so many people across the game just gave up on those due to the retard crowd making them harder than they seemed) and the flashpoints, which except for FE are forgettable and do not really seem to tie in to any story that I can see. Personally, I am not sure if I am done or not with the game - still want to experience some of the other storys, but while they are more solo experiences I dont think its worth it - given that the grouping options dont "grab" me as much as such used to do. I got to 50 on my Trooper, took one look at the "dailies, tokens, weeklys, bags for this, bags for that", lazydev mode of content provision and just realised I cannot be bothered, despite wanting to try and keep going. Such stuff doesnt engage me, I want content, story, that sort of thing in a game like this made in a universe that is so rich and by a great group of software bods, not the same old same old that bores me in level based mmos as it is :S

----

Also yes we have all grown up and changed a lot, we just arent who we were 7 years ago (dayum!) or 4 years ago for others and so on.
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Offline Kurtt

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2012, 04:36:59 PM »
I was thinking, maybe it's worth looking to merge with a smaller guild with a similar mindset?

I really enjoyed raiding this last week, and would love to work on HoJ to get it up to the level of some other guilds with lots online and lots of activity. However, it does seem as though I'm fighting an uphill battle.

If you do decide to jump ship Garry, maybe its worth looking for a decent guild (with a proper Star Warsy RP name...) that we can all jump ship to together? I think if we're going to splinter, why not look for a decent guild to all join?

I think it would suck if we're all still playing but in different guilds.

Offline Goatboy

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2012, 05:38:20 PM »
If going that route, I'd personally prefer a huge huge huge guild where not everyone knows eachother at all and where there are no issues with conflicting former guild identity. Which I suspect will occur when merging or joining with a smaller guild.

I think an alliance or merge with a similarly small guild would just delay the same problem, with added difficulties of people management, culture clash, separate forums to keep an eye on, etc.

Jon, you're still headmaster of HoJwarts.  ;)
What are your plans/hopes/wishes for HoJ in general for the future?

Also interested in hearing what people feel would be needed to 'fix' things as well.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 09:03:51 PM by Goatboy »
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Offline Mangala

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2012, 09:22:21 PM »
TBH, I cannot see a strong MMO future for us as we stand now, more of this as a touch stone for ebuddies and what not, along with trying to find stuff on steam we all play and that jazz. The core of the forums are literally the guys who have tried all sorts in the past to make this work, and a solid core is important, but a core that all share the same view of x or y game is good too - and that we dont :D

As far as MMOs go, the way things are going now with them in general, they have much faster lifecycles and low community retention - and even lack of ingame community - which was always a biggie in keeping this group together, but as tools like LFD, or easily soloable content get more and more popular due to various reasons (grown up mmoers who dont have xxxx hours to spend on stuff, newbie dumbshit mmoers who want it all now and so on) come along the reasons to be grouped in such games get fewer and fewer outside of raids/ops/whatever and then ofc F2P and all that nonsense...

Personally on mmos, my last - excepting whatever time I have left in eve - is probably Planetside 2, its 10 years nearly since I started these, and ive come full circle. Started with pew pew and am pretty much ending on pew pew.  Theres no other mmo out there I can think of I would play (the 40k mmo is too shrouded in will it wont it and wheres the darkness and grimness for me to retain interest) at this stage as im not really feeling level based, pve directed content mmos - its the enthusiasm you all showed that keeps me going, but even that has to wane.  Or SOE will screw PS2 up somehow and then I'll get angrier than normal at eve and Im done full stop (or given i have a lotro lifetime I just do 1 level a month on alts to qualify for my credits until they shut it down).
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 10:02:43 PM by Mangala »
"May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk."


Offline Mangala

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2012, 09:38:27 PM »
Weve been at this for 7 years nearly which is awesome going either way :)
"May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk."


Offline Mangala

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2012, 09:48:14 PM »
And yes before anyone says it, I do focus a silly amount of time in EVE, but its what interests me - not so much organising stuff for and being a director of a pretty eve-famous group - a large amount of player created content, with minimal rules set by the devs. This focus really doesnt help the rest of you I know.
"May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk."


Offline Goatboy

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2012, 10:16:55 PM »
Thanks for sharing thoughts dude. :)
HoJ owes you more than it could ever pay back. So we won't try.  ;D

And btw, there is an edit post feature. :P

On Tuesday I'll be on Mumble during the 12 GMT Ilum weekly reset slideshow bonanza.
Would love to have a chat with those that care about HoJ to see what options there are and what the concensus is.

Fizzling out and splitting up in any game that requires numbers is the easiest option.
Finding a another guild to merge into for swtor purposes should be doable.
And another option would be to get a few folks together to dedicate time to playing and recruiting according to some sort of plan to see if that would lead to something to prolong the community that has been going for 7 years in one form or the other.
Daikini of the House Goat, the First of His Name, The Unmilked, Queen of the Meadow, The Chickens and the Pigs, Queen of the Field, Nibbler of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Wub, Lady Regent of the Seven Barns, Breaker of Fences and Mother of Ducklings.

Offline Mangala

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2012, 10:19:37 PM »
I forget about the edit post button as im currently spamming my way to 1k posts on the rvb forums by ignoring that same button :)


FOUND IT: Edit: I may have to see this slideshow for myself, I am intrigued by how bad it is. Considering Ive jumped 100 guys into systems with 1000 in local all fighting to no lag/slideshow, I need to see how a smaller numbers game breaks it ;)
"May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk."


Offline Mangala

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Re: HoJ numbers
« Reply #14 on: March 11, 2012, 10:28:25 PM »
Id say one thing.

Dont start in on an MMO at launch ever again, in fact ignore it for months before hand.

Then play after 1 month or two post release.  Let the dust and stuff settle. And for health sake, ignore any official forum ever.

While jumping into swtor feet first was good, the attrition rates on us due to staggered launch, wtf queuing system, that stupid sharding on servers that are already shards anyway, and generally the free month is worth a play crowd was awful.  (Warhammer had similar horrible launch if mmeory serves but also to counter that had massive reasons to group and be social).

And deffo dont beta a game ever again, let it literally be new.  (I have to hold myself to this despite the fact that all previous PS subs get PS2 beta access eventually).
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 10:32:49 PM by Mangala »
"May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk."