Curious About Playerbase/activity

Hi, my server seems to be really, really, really dead. I don't think there's a large enough player base on my server that's interested in end game that isn't already in a linkshell that does it(there's ONE on my server).

I'm curious how the situation is here? Are there potential people/recruits looking for a linkshell and end game progression team?

I'm scouting around and looking for a good place to transfer to with more potential people to play with and actually experience content with.

And no, I do not have any interest in asura so please do not suggest that. I specifically want people from this server to tell me how it is. I used to play here, it's why I'm asking here first.

Asura has the most population
Odin is second
He he he :)

You wouldn't survive on Asura. Good that you realize that before wasting your money.

This seems counter intuitive since you JUST made a thread looking for people for a shell, then think about leaving the server.

Fixed that for you.

Incorrect the only shouts/yells on Odin are people selling items. During Japanese time you will see one and yes one Japanese linkshell selling omen items. Most of the shouts and yells on Odin are for amb, cp, omen, dynamis D and unity pick up groups in English and Japanese. The few merc linkshells there are post on here to promote never in yell and shout.

Lol

If there's nobody to find(and there isn't on most servers), not worth starting a shell. How would you personally recommend someone progress if they're not looking to buy mercs, be carried, or multibox their whole group? The options aren't great right now.

I agree. Nothing is wrong with asura as a whole. Some people just need to block, ignore or I Dano be an adult and not give the mercs their attention. Same goes for the ridiculous arguements in yell. It’s very simple to ignore and it’s not against the rules of the game(depending on what is being argued though.) I’ll never let something so trivial ruin my personal game experience. But some people get triggered I guess.

I imagine the situation is the same on every not-Asura server. People that's interested in endgame already have an endgame ls. People that's interested in endgame but unable to get into endgame ls due to personality/gear/skill reasons already transferred to Asura so they could PUG. The remaining player base has no interest in endgame.

If you are aiming to start an endgame ls from scratch but not on Asura, you would need a "base" or core group to work on. Either 5-6 close friends with variety of jobs that won't quit on You, or a social ls that already been doing easy content on regular basis.
With a base it's easier to attract more people on your or other servers to join, or help.

Without a base or core group it wouldn't work. Not-Asura servers don't have enough new or returning player to support a progression ls.

Here are some of the solution, IMO:
1) Bite the bullet and transfer to Asura, with much bigger new player base it will be easier to build a progression ls from scratch.

2) Join an existing endgame ls on Not-Asura servers.

Try to figure out the reason why you can't join endgame ls on your server and fix it. Try to get a ref from their ls or something. If it doesn't work on your server send a cross server app on different servers via PM or tell. FFXIAH is a great tool for this.

3) Build a core group. Start a social is by handing out free pearls, then build a progression ls from this big pool of social players. Out of every 10 social ls member maybe 1 of them would be motivated to do endgame.

Ive seen several social ls successfully become aeonic ls this way on Not-Asura servers. However this method takes tons of time and there's always chance to fail.

If you want to do endgame in shortest amount of time, No2 is the best way.

On my server, the "Social LS" is dominated by a single, huge, zerg linkshell. So that isn't really an option ;/

My server is kinda in a very bad state. It's why I'm looking for other servers and asking about theirs. Afania, you're on bahamut, what is the situation over there?

most of the endgame LS on valefor are kinda clique-ish~

Sylph is dead too for endgame, I wouldn't recommend it. Bite the bullet and transfer to Asura. There are minuses but on Asura the game feels closer to how it was during its heyday.

Ragnarok has a decent amount of people. Not as horrible as Asura, but not as dead as Valefor.

Like, it was only 30 hours ago. You can't just say "hey I want to start a group!" "oh no answers in one day, *** it, i'll change servers"

I had an account on valefor, among others. I know how dire it is. I left, but I fit in on assura. It blew enough at first I thought about trying a different server. Knowing their post history, assura is not a good fit.

You can make things happen anywhere. And you can do nothing anywhere. It's on you to have a reputation.

Every minute you spend "not doing content/looking to do content" on whatever server, is identical to the minute you would spend failing that same content on asura.

To my knowledge every server has Endgame ls, they may be too dead for PUG or build a ls from scratch but not necessarily too dead for Endgame.

Asura is great for PUG, but PUG is not always the most efficient option for Endgame. Playing on asura don't always mean free tickets to Endgame ls, otherwise you wouldn't see Asuran post "what job should I level to get into Endgame" on forums all the time. You still need connections and good resume to get into Endgame ls on Asura. The only difference is that if you can't get in at least you can still PUG on Asura and function at half of efficiency of Endgame ls.

When it comes to Endgame my opinion is that getting into an endgame ls that operates at high level(consistently has enough member for events, doesn't struggle to win, uses strategy that members have fun with) on any server is a better choice than PUG on Asura. So if there's good opportunity on any server, that should be the priority.

If there are really no opportunity, then PUG on Asura is a viable back up option. I wouldn't consider it the best option though. PUG can be frustrating and time consuming due to the lack of trust and familiarity.

Do high level endgame with PUG on not-Asura server is mostly not worth the time and effort. If you want to PUG, I would go to Asura.

If I'm OP I would just send out endgame ls applications to ls that I think it would be a good fit on ALL servers, instead of being "Asura only" "Sylph only", that's limiting the possibility and opportunity. I would only consider PUG on Asura if all the application fails.

I would also pick a ls that's "right fit" on not-Asura server over a ls that's not a right fit on Asura. Nothing is more important than playing with like minded people and have fun, IMO.

I'm not in a rush to finish end game asap(I can see myself capable of duo + 1 mule everything not omen cats/helms). I'm just looking for a better server with some semblance of a player base to make my home. Valefor is not good if you aren't in the two end game linkshells that don't recruit.

I don't want people to come to a dead server for my LS, and picking up people when I pug casual stuff like SR/JP/Ambu would probably be better on a more active server as I know my servers entire shout group player base right now and they're all pretty casual/not interested in end game progression

Bahamut seems pretty good, might look into Ragnarok. Thanks you helpful posters who provided feedback!

edit: To be clear, I don't want to pug content. Pugging easy casual stuff like SR/JP/Ambu is just a great way to meet people and find potential linkshell members.

Every not-Asura server is mostly the same. PUG for Endgame is not a viable option. Pretty much every server has like 2 maybe 3 Endgame ls that can clear aeonics level of content, if you can't get in, nothing gets done, at least not efficiently.

Bahamut and Ragnarok arent Asura-1 that let you PUG things or do endgame with people don't already have a group. There are no grey area between Asura and not-Asura servers when it comes to do endgame without an endgame ls. The only viable server to do endgame effectively without an endgame ls is Asura.

Edit:
Also, about the 2 servers that you are considering, based on my limited knowledge, Bahamut is better for NA and Ragnarok is better for EU. Bahamut lean towards bigger and super structured Endgame ls with less small static opportunities, ragnarok has more smaller groups and multi boxers. So it depends on what you prefer.

Those of us who have found success and a home on smaller servers know that we have it harder than the "big boy" servers. Its harder to find a solid group of 10-18 committed people, the AH never has the HQ items you want at a respectable price, and even shouting for something like Sinister Reign or Ambuscade starting from 1/6 can take an entire evening on a bad night.

But for the most part, we like our little homes. No fighting over the better pop locations in Reisenjima, short Ambuscade wait times, and its really easy to get a reputation- both positive or negative. That makes it a lot easier to do word of mouth recruiting for shells as opposed to the old model of website-application-trial.

When my shell is looking to add a new person or two, we're looking for how you handle yourself in non-ideal situations as opposed to your parse under the most perfect scenario. Because sometimes, we just don't have the bodies online sometimes for all roles to be covered...so what are you gonna do? Nothing for the night? Or find a way to still get something done?

Take a few days to analyze the shells you see most frequently when you walk thru town, do PUG ambuscade, CP or the like. If you had a particularly good time doing something with a person, check the shell they're wearing (realizing most people carry 2 pearls these days for social reasons, so you can't always see their "event" shell) and see what they do. Then reach out to the leadership to see if they are accepting new members, and maybe what job(s) they're specifically in need of.

Great example from my shell recently- had a guy come back to the game after a 2+ year break. He's in love with DRK, and everything that you can do with it, and he's a very savvy player, but was steeply behind the gear curve. I did a few PUG ambuscades with him, and while his gear wasn't hot (talkin skirmish scythe stuff), he was using his /jas well, stayed alive, and was using sets that "made sense" even when they aren't BiS. But, as with most established endgame shells, the DD slots are often reserved these days for the most pimped out chars a shell has for efficiency sake.

So he leveled GEO and geared it to workable levels in about 2 weeks. Now, he's on a variety of jobs at events, contributing, and using his built up GEO to be viable at events, while being able to lot gear for his DRK and improve it over time.

For a returning player, its what a shell can do for YOU and figuring out what you can bring to the table- and often that means playing your not-Favorite job in order to make your favorite better. For an established player with good reputation and gear, its about what you can do for the SHELL. You hit a point where because of the lack of high-end endgame players these days that you become valued for being on time, having good sets, and playing your job(s) well.

Just know there are successful endgame shells of very tight-knit people on the backwater servers. Its not the total end of the world.

Man just come to Asura and pug everything, don't even need an endgame shell.

I agree with it is more about who you know so you can avoid the terrible pick up groups. And find people you can trust.

I've done more in a shout groups then my entire experience on my dead server.

Say what you want about asura, but I've gotten at least 30x the amount of progress completed over here than probably lakshmi and cerberus combined. If you have thin skin and you're bothered by trolling then maybe not for your. If you have tried hard to look for *** to give but you just can't ever seen to find it, you'll do nicely on Asura cuz it won't really bother you. Comes with the territory, but at least you're not sitting around watching your moogle spin for hours waiting for a shout

oh ok....

Asura is a terrible place and everyone there should feel bad!

Me and one of my friends restarted not so long ago. If you find yourself on Asura and a little overwhelmed and in need of some starting gear just let me know. I'm sure we can spare a few hours getting you some things from Escha :)

Thoughts on "terrible PUG" people keep saying on forums.

Although pick up groups could work just fine in sr or cp pt, it's MUCH harder to make it work in ambuscade VD.

The mechanics in ambuscade VD is too complex these days, one bad pull, slow on silence, slow on cures, slow on flash right after hate reset move will cause death and slow down the kill speed or even wipe and hp.

In pug if member don't know each other very well or new to the content it's harder to "fix" your play style to make it work. In general, expect to fail or do bad runs a few times with your team if members are new to the content, before a good run happens.

Now the problem with PUG is that since people don't know each other very well, members are MUCH more likely to quit or kick people after one fail because one person not familiar with the content or team may *** up if there's not enough communication going on.

It's human nature: if your ls mate or friend *** up a run you would trust them to fix themselves next run. If random person you don't know *** up a run you would just think "ok this is a terrible player, I'm out".

So eventually the pt will keep replacing members and never reach a point that every member pt enough time to get a good run happen.

The situation is worse on bigger server because longer queue time makes people less willing to retry, and every random member that you pick up are more likely to be a complete stranger. On 300 people server people more or less would at least know this random member that you pick up, or pt at least once, thus have higher level of familiarity and trust. That wouldn't be the case on 2100 people server.

Also just FYI, when we started this month's melee ambu VD we spent 15 min on clear, and wiped half the time. By the end of month
Our clear time was 5min closer to 4, with zero death. Do you think I invited Steve jobs to pt for 66% performance increase?

Lol no. We just spam it over and over and over with mostly the same people, and make playstyle and job roles adjustment in the process, eventually reached the point that pt functions at high level. Unfortunately in PUG it will be much harder to reach high level of performance unless you get lucky.

Tl;Dr: I don't understand the logic behind trying to convince OP to transfer to Asura just to pug and give up their original goal of finding or building an Endgame ls. If you HAVE the choice of not to PUG Endgame and do endgame with static or ls instead, then static or ls is absolutely the better choice.

If you could get a static that works on Asura, great. 2 birds in 1 stone. If not then PUG is not more efficient than static on 300 people server.

The point was you can be on a dead server and hope you can keep your linkshell going. Or you can have a lot of people to pick from on Asura. It isn't that Asura is better it gives your more options.