Shattered Kingdoms

Okay, so I am already playing but I do have wishes that would excite me even more to play.

My main problem is that not many are about when I play. To me it looks like most people log on around happy hour time (the same time where it has always been the most players playing I think) and I am not able to play then as it is in the middle of the night for me. This wasn't too big a problem for me in the past as I could find ways to entertain myself and make a somewhat competitive character. It was possible explore areas and find decent and even top-tier equipment solo. This seems impossible now, except for very few items which of course are taken. I can only think of one or two viable builds for such exploration and I am not interested in playing that currently. Implementation of more no-magic rooms and heavy downgrading of equipment just makes it dull being around alone or with too few (friendly/allied) players to adventure with. Oh, and when I speak of the "past", I mean when I just started playing and the player count was about the same as now and there were almost no one playing in my day time. Later the player count was better all day long.

I am not putting my hopes up for changes to be rolled back. However I am hoping that changes will be made that makes the game more playable for those who reside in Europe (and perhaps other places such as US east coast? I heard it is a problem for them too?). I suggest more happy hours that are placed according to different time-zones. I remember the mud used to cater to a whole bunch of Europeans, Australians and what not. It's my gut feeling that I'm one of the very few left from Europe? Also I suggest that an imm or maybe even two from Europe (or another timezone other than west-coast) are let into the flock to assist with events for players outside the US and perhaps US night owls. Well, events aren't even needed - just active imms that interact with players in one way or another to give the game some of that "live" atmosphere "game masters" are so good at creating.

Other than that I have to say I think the game has become better in a great many ways the past year and kudos to the staff for that!

I am in Germany for the month and I feel your pain blu. The game right now caters for west cost folks, and living there has been nice to play, but trying to play from Germany kinda sucks. Can't really help with the GRP or enjoy happy hour. Unless you want to live your life around the game. The whole death benefits for happy hour do not make sense at all. Those should be there when no one is around to help you find life, and not when the who list actually boasts a few priests. Or maybe make happy hour available every six hours, for one hour? This way every time zone can enjoy its positive effects.

Happy hour timing is based around prime time for the entire continental United States. Not just the west coast. Honestly, it is pretty early for the west coast as a lot of people haven't even gotten off work yet. But that's one of the problems with the world being a sphere...

I can't guarantee any changes in the time for happy hour. For the reasons why, you have to understand the primary reason for why we started having happy hour in the first place. It is to concentrate activity into a certain zone of time so that people can find other people to play with and jumpstart an entire evening of activity that we hope lasts well past the end of happy hour itself. And it works. But having more than one happy hour per day would reduce the effect (as much as 50%) as people pick the time most convenient to them.

I understand that the current happy hour time is at it's most inconvenient for folks in Europe, where it is the dead middle of the night. What I will promise is that when the player base expands to the point where we consistently have 30+ people online all evening in North America, then we will have a base to build on and will revise the schedule for happy hour to be more friendly to our European players.

TL;DR Want more happy hour? Recruit some friends to play today!

Yes, can we please change that the world is a sphere already?!

Okay, so I can accept the reasoning behind why the happy hour is placed as it is. However, it doesn't really help defeating the problem I am (and I assume others are) challenged with. Perhaps it is possible to either add benefits to the US prime time happy hour and make other happy hours with less benefits or to make something entirely different that makes the game more playable for low player counts or that makes the game interesting for new or old players outside US timezones. I dunno and sorry for not coming up with concrete ideas... yet.

I haven't had any luck attracting new players to the game for many years, even though I have introduced the game to some. Some think it looks cool and love the idea, but just don't think it's something for them I need better tictacs I guess

It's actually an oblate spheroid. I'm getting a little tired of these claims that the Earth is a sphere when that change was addressed billions of years ago.

As a continental US player from east coast, I can tell you that the happy hour is inconveniently timed for me during the week and is hardly prime time. I am usually getting ready for bed around 2100-2130 which is when it starts for me.

I will agree with that statement as I'm usually logging off just as happy hour begins so as to put my children to bed and log back on just as happy hour ends for a short period longer.