Freedom sheep, or why the sky is falling

[Zetsumei 0]

Seems so, the machine and maybe even the network both are reaching their peak?

I'd offer my hosting services but alas, that isn't what he wants i'm sure. I don't even know if my server could handle it either, game servers are kind of a hardcore implementation - they need to have a decent setup and a good connection. This stuff costs money, not to mention the maintenance.

[Yggdrasil 233]

I think they're already at their peak lol, rolf's just in denial.

Just cause your servers "can" hold this many people, doesn't mean they should. Like overclocking XD

[Zetsumei 0]

Agree'd, eventually it just sputters out and can't handle anymore (this is the lag we see). If its pushed further it can result in corruption, loss of data, blue screens of death, or ultimate failure of the hardware all together. Especially if the hardware is overheating or dusty, or just not capable.

And we don't want any of that to happen, for sure.

[Yggdrasil 233]

Agree'd, eventually it just sputters out and can't handle anymore (this is the lag we see). If its pushed further it can result in corruption, loss of data, blue screens of death, or ultimate failure of the hardware all together. Especially if the hardware is overheating or dusty, or just not capable.

And we don't want any of that to happen, for sure.

It probably will, with the switch to the new servers, and the wurmegeddeon. It seems rolf only takes action if it physically blows up XD. Hooray for not wasting the servers, but preventative maintenance would do wonders XD

[Othob Rithol 700]

The specs are on the Blog a few months back. Mid-range Dells, something like $30k for the three of them.

At $10k a pop subscription revenue of Freedom would pay for one in about a month, so its a pretty major capital investment. But if one unit can't meet the demand then a second unit needs to be brought online, otherwise revenue isn't be captured.

[Zetsumei 0]

Indeed, every PC does well with regular maintenance, it gets dusty and it needs to be blown out - instead of blown up.

I use an air compressor and do mine about once a month or so, whenever it needs it.

If he is using actual servers, 10k a pop could buy a lot better than from Dell (which is notorious for being trashy and forcing their things to be hardcoded into their PC's, dell bios, etc).

Also I wonder what kind of connection they are running on, sure you can buy the servers but if you don't have an equal connection (Say a T1 line) it will lag like crazy.

[Yggdrasil 233]

The specs are on the Blog a few months back. Mid-range Dells, something like $30k for the three of them.

At $10k a pop subscription revenue of Freedom would pay for one in about a month, so its a pretty major capital investment. But if one unit can't meet the demand then a second unit needs to be brought online, otherwise revenue isn't be captured.

So he has three, I assume one for freedom and one for wild? Or are they all on a single server?

Crazy the amount of cash this game generates, its really a wonder rolf doesnt have more payed staff. Would really get this game moving I'd think.

[Zetsumei 0]

Hell he doesn't even need to pay staff, for such a game as this, I would work For Free.

[Yggdrasil 233]

Indeed, every PC does well with regular maintenance, it gets dusty and it needs to be blown out - instead of blown up.

I use an air compressor and do mine about once a month or so, whenever it needs it.

If he is using actual servers, 10k a pop could buy a lot better than from Dell (which is notorious for being trashy and forcing their things to be hardcoded into their PC's, dell bios, etc).

Also I wonder what kind of connection they are running on, sure you can buy the servers but if you don't have an equal connection (Say a T1 line) it will lag like crazy.

I think the overall issue is wurm is nolonger a baby game, despite what rolf has in his head he needs to step up and start treating it like the game it is. Hire staff, get better servers, get an actual IT guy amg.

Rolf take a cue from your OWN GAME "Wurm is waiting".  Minecraft went alpha and Notch hired a crew to work on it, this is wurms time to do the same. Strike while the irons glowing rolf, STRIKE IT

[Procne 0]

Crazy the amount of cash this game generates, its really a wonder rolf doesnt have more payed staff. Would really get this game moving I'd think.

How much exactly? Where were those graphs... IIRC, a month ago, there were around 1000 active premium accounts. Some of them are not paid with money, but with in game silver. But I guess we can assume that each of these accounts generates 7-8 euro per month. That's like 8000 euros per month, minus servers maintenance costs.

Hmm seems low, probably I've read wrong graph. Can anyone check?

[Zetsumei 0]

Crazy the amount of cash this game generates, its really a wonder rolf doesnt have more payed staff. Would really get this game moving I'd think.

Hmm seems low, probably I've read wrong graph. Can anyone check?

7000 Euro = 10024.344837 US Dollar

1 EUR = 1.43204926 USD | 1 USD = 0.6983 EUR

[Procne 0]

7000 Euro = 10024.344837 US Dollar

1 EUR = 1.43204926 USD | 1 USD = 0.6983 EUR

Uhm I think we all know, why do you post this?

[Zetsumei 0]

Eh, well you said it seems low - when really for a game such as this (not too mainstream) it isn't that low. I posted it because of your post, 10grand a month isn't something to laugh at. I don't make that, that's for sure.

Its enough to buy servers and do what they need to do - sure there could be more but that's the process they are in right now, attracting more players through updates and correct decisions. Progressing the core game mechanics and systems. Plus if you have a dedicated team that is more interested in the betterment of the game and not simply their own monetary gain, that's even more put towards the game instead of on costs of maintaining or improving it.

Guess my point is that 120k a year is more then a lot of american's make.

[Procne 0]

7000 euro is not that much for a company. Before Rolf gets any of this he has to pay for server maintenance, and then taxes. If he decides to take some of this money out of the company as his salary then he has to pay even more taxes. And if I'm correct taxes are quite high in Sweden (around 45% together of personal taxes?).

Maybe you don't make that much, but don't be surprised if your boss has to pay that much for you. Taxes, insurance, and all that stuff.

7000 euro profit for 1 person company is really not that much.

[Proximo 402]

Well this sure derailed fast.  It's now a financial discussion...

[Procne 0]

Not sure if it's derailed. When discussing server expansion / new server it's obvious that financial aspect is the most limiting and important one.

[Ecrir 887]

Not sure if it's derailed. When discussing server expansion / new server it's obvious that financial aspect is the most limiting and important one.

True, and from a financial point of view a new Freedom server is an investment that's highly likely to earn itself back in no time, just look at how popular Freedom is now, and then also take into account what time of the year it is (read, no school). So considering the financial aspect, he should do it asap, shouldn't he?

[Silvirwolfe 390]

• It's not the Freedom Server that is the problem!
  It is a victim, too.
  No, it's not the landscape of Freedom - this is a perfect landscape for a prem-only server.
  And it was this beautiful, just a few months ago! You ppl have been at the last impalong? Return to this place today, and see what happened. The same great area, but now surrounded by a slum wasteland.
  No freedom anymore on Freedom.
  

Seriously?? Granted it is different than it was a few months ago. But I wouldn't go that far. Considering those that are in the area didn't have the writs to all the decaying houses there, we have to wait it out for them to rot.

[Pumba 0]

• It's not the Freedom Server that is the problem!
  It is a victim, too.
  No, it's not the landscape of Freedom - this is a perfect landscape for a prem-only server.
  And it was this beautiful, just a few months ago! You ppl have been at the last impalong? Return to this place today, and see what happened. The same great area, but now surrounded by a slum wasteland.
  No freedom anymore on Freedom.
  

Seriously?? Granted it is different than it was a few months ago. But I wouldn't go that far. Considering those that are in the area didn't have the writs to all the decaying houses there, we have to wait it out for them to rot.

Silvir, that is exactly the point. We have alot of noobs in our nice area, leaving decaying houses and stuff all over the place. I'm sure he/she didint mean the premium players and deed-owners in the area. Just look at Clay Bay, once a beautiful simple harbour is now littered with strange stone walls, decaying sheds and misplaced items and furniture. All because of the noobs that come through the area, sadly.

[Aodhan 1]

Even worse is where the 2009 impalong was over by Halcyon...utter devastation.

*edit* There are a few nice deeds in that area too, but I was addressing the undeeded areas being some of the hardest hit when the server was opened to f2p

[Mongori 0]

Hi,

Seriously?? Granted it is different than it was a few months ago. But I wouldn't go that far. Considering those that are in the area didn't have the writs to all the decaying houses there, we have to wait it out for them to rot.

I guess you're an inhabitant in this area?

I feel with you, and I'm in fear that my deeds surroundings soon will look alike. It has already started. And we cannot stand against the flood.

No charge nor accusation against you - you hadn't a real chance to prevent the destruction of your area but to do lay down a real huge, costly deed.

As Elite did near our areas, may he be praised over and over! This way he saved for us poor deeding neighbors just a bit of then real "Freedom", where we have not to pass one decaying shack after the ofter, searching for wasted spawns ...

Elite, we own you - deeding huge areas to preserve at least a bit of the original Freedom is so much welcome! We're ready to help, to pay back as much as possible to us, or even to help to enlarge your area with shrinking deeds.. Guess you know who's talking. Else, forum PM.

You cannot do anything against it but to deed it. If you don't do, as soon as one shack falls down, the next newbie will start to built.

It's a pity. This is a server where Premium chars live, where even the majority of Premium chars live.

And still this majority of PvE premium chars get's shifted over and over. Any game change is aimed to the very few PvP fiends, ignoring, and often damaging the majority of the PvE premiums. The PvE Premiums, that pays the same money as the Wild premiums, have to bear the burden to educate them new players.

This is not good, IMHO.

Would it be so hard to make another server, another PvE server where the new players would spawn? Freedom isn't a server meant to cater ppl capped at 20, never was.

Please, a big, new, server now, for the further incoming newbies, with multiple spawn points, with adequate landscape and monsters. With portals to go there for the Freedom Froobs, and ways of reach by ship for any Prems.

This - no more new free players, no more free alts - would make Freedom the great PvE server it once was. Might make it the paradise again that we have lost. Might give us the impression again that our $$$ are even worth a fraction of the $$$ spent by the PvP freaks.

As you might see, me, as a paying player on Freedom, is thinking twice now when it comes to add new money. We feel forgotten. We pay for two huge deeds, and for 3 to 5 Premium players. We (me & wife) have at least 3 other Premium players on our deeds.

[Zetsumei 0]

Its too late for that in my opinion, it would just be easier to add a second freedom server for prems only, that way we have a premium PVP and premium PVE server, to be catered to respectively. After all the same needs for PVP are much different than for PVE and consider they are paying players too, probably even giving the majority of the income, they should at least be considered and listened to.

However as for freedom01, there has to be a place for the new, prospective Pay to Play players to learn the ropes of the game.

[Othob Rithol 700]

As mentioned several times before, that was tried. It was called Mol Rehan Home and was the counterpart to the mixed Jenn Kellon Home server. It was an abysmal failure.

If you collected marbles and stamps, and your collection storage was being rapidly filled up with marbles, you wouldn't build an extra room for the stamps - you'd build it for the marbles.

If you are a housing development and you are full of people and want to expand - you mostly build houses for the people coming in, not houses for the people that are already living there.

Launching a premium only server is nonsense. It's a high risk proposition that entails inconveniencing a large number of its potential customers. If you played the game you'd know that Wurm has a much higher sense of "baggage" than any other game on the market. Loading up all your possessions and relocating to another server is a lot of work. And abandoning sites you have spent years on is likewise a negative. In addition, all of the older Freedom players were already once forcefully relocated through no fault of their own, and would resent moving again. These things tend to deter potential migrants from moving servers helping to ensure that an all premium server launch would likely be a financial disaster.

Now, allowing an already existing well populated server to slowly shift towards premium only - that makes sense. It's already profitable and the act of sealing it off is just increasing its quality thus promoting customer retention.

[Xevus 0]

I completely agree with Othob. You have to look at it from a business point of view before you can just assume that it's best for the business (yes Rolf owns a business, anyone who passed grade school should see that by now.) To neglect all of that potential income in favor of the existing prem players is simply asking to be shut down.

Let me show how this would work:

1) Free players are ignored

2) New player influx decreases

3) Existing prem players eventually burn out

4) Game flops over dead

[Proximo 402]

Mongori you sound like a bigot.  Yes let's just deed off everything so new players can't even find somewhere to settle so they all quit?

As Elite did near our areas, may he be praised over and over! This way he saved for us poor deeding neighbors just a bit of then real "Freedom", where we have not to pass one decaying shack after the ofter, searching for wasted spawns ...

Elite, we own you - deeding huge areas to preserve at least a bit of the original Freedom is so much welcome!

Deeding off huge spaces just for spite so that you don't have to suffer anyone else, god forbid new players?  And people wonder why Freedom is so "crowded".  You're part of the problem.  Great sense of community you have there.

People like you shouldn't even play online games.  You would be much happier having a game that catered just to you I think.