The Daily Grind: Should MMO companies reveal server loads?

@(Unverified)
butthurt biodrone is butthurt

@(Unverified) A little oversensitive it seems. It's the "latest" and "greatest" MMO that's a little over a month old. It still has a whiff of the new car smell. Don't worry, the screenshots will fade to other, newer titles soon enough as TOR fades into the background of all the other MMO offerings.

@Fabius Bile

Biodrone is quite possibly the most asinine presumably insulting word I've ever heard.

Do I play swtor? Sure, It's pretty good, my friends play it but I don't think it's the second coming of Jesus. What I want is I want massively to go back to reporting news properly, keep their bias in their editorial column (the soapbox) and act like they're journalists. This is, in my opinion, the best MMO blog out there just as Joystiq is the best general video game blog, and I'd love to not be driven away because they're allowing their standards to slip.

Bias in reporting is a pet peeve of mine, it drives me absolutely bananas and it sticks out like a sore thumb to me. Massively has always had a pro-sandbox slant but it was pretty low key for the most part. Then they announced SWG closing down and suddenly every swtor article of any substance was posted as a (at times subtle) hit piece on the game as if it personally went out and shot every massively writer's dog.

So please, I implore you, keep your standards high and just stop covering the game.

@(Unverified)
I dunno, a ton of servers at standard and heavy population is still a LOT more than almost any game covered on this site.
I wouldn't say she's hating on anything.

@(Unverified) I agree with you whole-heartedly. Ever since TORs launch, the folks at massively (some, not all) have gone out of their way to showcase The Old Republic in a negative light. It's no secret joystick caters to the WoW crowd, but the increasing number of negative associations with TOR are simply unparalleled.

This article is another fine example of the "journalism" at massively. They know WoW is in decline (not because of TOR, but bad decisions made by acti/blizzard) and instead of letting go of their sacred cow, they bash one of the few contenders that WoW has.

It's funny because now, it happens so often it's hard to not notice the favoritism/nepotism.

It's sad really.

@(Unverified)

Some people see Evil everywhere and others see conspiracies.

@(Unverified)
I don't recall many of the editors here having an overwhelming fondness for WoW. The last time I cared enough to check, most of them don't even play it, and several of them are openly critical of it.

I think it says a lot about how we've come to view the "success" of games that a screenshot showing pretty normal server loads is somehow considered TOR-bashing. That's about what WoW's server loads looked like on a given day when I was playing during Wrath and BC. Whether or not BioWare should merge servers to help with imbalance was a hot topic in the comments on a recent article, so it's obviously something that generates conversation.

@(Unverified)
I also play SWToR. I can read my guild chat, the general chat on my server, one of the most heavily populated servers out there (TOFN) and the official forums.

I can tell you, the game is jumping the shark at a ludicrous speed, the community that still cares have their pitchforks at hand all day long and those who didnt care left a few days ago to never come back.

and I doubt 1% of the population even heard about massively, or the claims of bias in their articles.

blaming the game's dismal performance in all fronts to a perceived bias in media coverage warrants you the label of "biodrone", no matter how asisine you consider that label to be.

@(Unverified)

"Bias in reporting is a pet peeve of mine, it drives me absolutely bananas and it sticks out like a sore thumb to me."

This article isn't a form of reporting. It's just a question meant to get the community involved a bit.

"Massively has always had a pro-sandbox slant but it was pretty low key for the most part."

Correction: Some of Massively's staff have a pro-sandbox slant. There are quite a few people who contribute, if you can't stand reading opinions that are different from yours then pick out the people who enjoy sandbox games and stop reading their articles.

@(Unverified)
There has always been bias in reporting and always will be. Thats what we have a brain for, we can decide for ourselves if what we are reading/hearing is true/not true or somewhere in between.

Also I did not even know it was a screenshot of the SWTOR servers as I don not play that game as it has not released where I live. So the fact that they never once in the writeup said it was SWTOR and they never commented on the population numbers suggest you are over reacting and deep down are afraid for SWTOR, That picture seems to show it is doing fine.

@(Unverified)

Hatered of swtor? lol

They gave it game of the year based purely on hype...and removed any faith I had in massively being objective.

@(Unverified)

Please, tell me what an "objective" game of the year list would consist of.

@(Unverified)

As a SWTOR fan, I don't think this was meant to be a slam on the game. I think she probably grabbed the screenshot at non-peak hours, and that's pretty much what the server loads look like during the early day.

@(Unverified) Yep, Massively sure does hate SWToR. Except when they're covering it all the time, then to judge by the comments they're in Bioware's pockets. Except when Trion's paying them off to cover Rift, but whenever they don't do that they hate Rift, but no, now they're being paid off by blizzard to hate them both!

Face it, you - like many people determined to find anti- or pro- game you love/hate bias - are simply seeing what you want to see.

@(Unverified) Actually, I like and currently pay for and play TOR; it's the only sub game I've got going right now. It's slow going because I've got a relatively new baby taking up my time, but I have a 32 Smuggy Scoundrel right now, Scrapper-specced the better to kick people in the balls. :D

No conspiracy here. To my knowledge, there are 6 Massively staffers actively playing TOR. Doesn't mean everything's going to get positive coverage -- whether the game screws up or poops solid gold, we're going to report it. It's what we're paid to do.

I picked the screenshot because it's a modern and recognizable game and because it's something I currently have access to and can take screenshots in.

Daily Grinds aren't "articles" or news; they're basically polls without a vote. We pose a question and ask for your opinion. That's pretty much it. It says that, though, right at the end of the post.

I completely don't understand the accusations of sandbox bias here. Sandbox fans can still like themeparks, and anyway, sandboxes hide their server pops too. I don't understand the ravings about pro-WoW bias on the site either. I think I might be the only person left on staff who would even consider playing it again, but that's really nothing to do with this community topic.

-Bree

@Brianna Royce

http://www.swtor.com/server-status

...incase anyone is interested.

It appears the game is still quite steady and strong. But I could be wrong in interpreting that.

@Utakata

Apparently unless all of your servers are at full load, it means that your game is dying.

But if all your servers are at full load it means you're not balancing the player population correctly and your game is dying.

Gotcha!

@Rialle

I'm not sure your equating your quip (which I think is brilliant by the way) to me. If you are, I in no way advocate or believe in that position.

I mostly posted that link so peeps can get a better picture of what the server loads are in SWTOR in real time without having to purchase the game. Since Royce-sama's "at the moment" screenie is causing some contention. :)

@Utakata

Not directed at you, per say. Just an addendum to your post.

It seems like people who want to claim a game is dying will point to the fact that when it launched a bunch of servers were at full most of the day but a couple months later they are mostly at medium or low.

Completely disregarding that this is because when a new game / xpack comes out there are lots of players who want to play it as much as possible. Once they hit cap and the newness goes away, they may not log in as much or for as often, especially the more "casual" players.