Low Population

Ok i didn't know if this was the right section for this as its not really a rant but i only been back in Istaria for a couple days and the amount of changes and updates has been quite a lot to take in. I personally think you guys have done a good job with the content changes. But however i always come to the same question: "how come a game like this has so little population?" I mean i love this game even if i go away from time to time ill still be a istarian. Surely it wouldn't hurt to try and re-advertise this game id love to see the population increase again. Maybe this is wishful thinking? I cant say but i sure as hell refuse to give up on the idea of a bigger community. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions or ideas about ways to advertise that's cheap but effective feel free to comment

I have to agree that some better advertising might be in order, though I have found advertising to be very expensive. Might be worth looking in to.

We definately need to look into that. We need new ideas.

Maybe a "talk to the team"?
And we need to do that very well stuctured.
Different sections for different probs and suggestions.
A simple "What to do to get more players"? is not enough nowadays.

I've thought about this some since I returned last fall (it's still under a year, so I'm still a newbie, right?)...

There are two challenges that need to be overcome.
1. How do we get new people to take a look at the game?
2. How do we keep them from getting frustrated early on so they realize just how wonderful and complex it is?

My thoughts on both:

1. The best sales team out there is the existing player base. If you know others that play computer games of any type, encourage them to try it. Stress that you can make a trial account, but if you play a human you can play forever for free (most MMO's only support free play for a week or 10 days or rely on microtransactions for their revenue stream). The reality is that many of them, if they try it and like it, will eventually want a dragon. Or a plot. Or both. And then they'll become paying subs.

2. My biggest gripe/issue (and also my greatest love) with the game is how big and vague it is. Istaria is unlike other MMORPG's like WoW where you start out with a big yellow ! right in your face and you're basically led from one area to the next with no confusion as to what to do next. Instead, it's really more a big sandbox with a lot of really cool RPG elements built in. IMO. Feel free to disagree ;) What we really need to keep players from giving up and getting frustrated:
- a better downloaded .pdf manual with a "getting started" section that spells out all of the NT quests for biped and dragon
- a downloaded .pdf of all beginner formulas and techniques, with those that are sold indicated as such (and by whom)
- a downloaded summary of all schools, similar to what was in the original hintbook or what is available on Istaria reference.

Note that I stress downloaded - make these part of the initial download and then have clickies to these on the start up screen. There's plenty of real estate there for a few simple links.

Once you've made a character and "explored the world," NT is frankly a bit underwhelming. However, when I started again, I felt like NT was HUGE. And I had a heckuva time finding some of the quest/kill mobs. A simple map that shows where the different quests are completed wouldn't be that tough to make, and again if it's downloaded with a "map of New Trismus" link on the startup screen... I can't imagine this taking a ton of dev time.

ALL of the above is intended for one thing only: Get people to try that first hit, and come back for another taste, and another... and about the time they get to Kion/Parsinia/Sslanis they will realize just how awesome and complex the game and classes/skills/crafting are... and then they'll see that perfect spot for a plot of their own... and we've got another subscriber.

None of the above would take a ton of time - most of it already exists in one form or another. All I'm really proposing is that we make it easier for true newbies to get a little more help to prevent that initial frustration where they decide that it's not worth investing extra effort just to find out where a quest ends. And then they swap to something like Farmville and never come back.

An enormous amount of work has gone into improving the introduction stages of the game, with huge tutorial overhauls as well as T1/2 massive revamps. The content is there, the directions are there (or helpful players when the directions get misinterpreted), but to be honest, I really think that the pricing is the main drawback. I've never really gone down this line of thinking myself, as I always thought it was appropriately priced for a (computer) MMO, however, other computer MMO's are no longer the only competition for Istaria/Horizons. Here's how and why I've started to think that pricing is an issue:

If you choose F2P (which is a fantastic option to begin with), you're limited to one human character only, which in itself isn't a huge issue other than the fact that you could play as a standard Human character in just about every other game ever made... so nothing unique to draw you to that subscription method.

Ok, let's say you're happy with the Human and no plot. Your vault holds 300 items... by the time you've worked your way up to say Lvl 40 in a single craft school and single adventure school you probably have at least one set of armor, one set of cargo armor, 2 sets of jewelry, tools, cargo disk(s), weapons... so there's 40+ items. Now add it quest rewards, quest items (which you have no idea if you need to keep them after the completion of the quest, so you do anyway), unscribed forms, tech comps, trophies... there's another 100 if you're a bit of a hoarder (depending on how many forms you've looted and kept). So Vault space is a serious issue for F2P-ers and I dislike having to spend an entire day every week emptying and sorting through all my loot.

Ok, so let's say you choose the payment options... $10/month for no plot (why bother? fair enough, you may want to try a dragon for a bit before deciding if you want to pay a bit more for the lair)... so $15/month (~$180/year or ~$155/year for an annual sub). For some people that could be their entire gaming budget. Let's compare that to say the PlaystationNetwork, which is less than half that... ~$70/year for an annual subscription, which gives you heavily discounted games every month and even some free!

As sad as this is for me to say, when I realised the amount of money I've spent on monthly subs for this game over the last 10 years, I'm no longer getting the return on investment I would like... I've been hunting the same Epic mobs for longer than I wish to admit, and I still don't have a single Reklar item, but that hardly matters since almost all epic gear is pretty sub-standard. It's great the dev's have worked so hard on all aspects of the game, but as a long time player, I have no use of the nice trinkets and quest rewards from anything below 100.

So what keeps me here? The community of course! I enjoy helping others with hunting, not so much crafting... that I still very much dislike. I have a lair I would love to finish one day but I have all but lost the will to continue with it. Don't despair, I have no intention of cancelling any of my subs (I just started switching to annual subs since I've lost out on more than 100 Loyalty tokens by only having monthly subs... why is my Loyalty somehow less than others when I've been playing and paying for so long?!?)

Anyway, I'm glad this is in the rant section :p The main point I think I was trying to make is the price is no longer competitive in the overall gaming market.

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Originally Posted by Marynah

I have to agree that some better advertising might be in order, though I have found advertising to be very expensive. Might be worth looking in to.

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Advertising is VERY expensive. Those nice banner ads you see on gaming sites like mmorpg.com? They run into the THOUSANDS per month and are charged based upon the number of views.

The Dev Desks and word of mouth are our affordable forms of advertising. I am unsure why some folks might not get them in their email, perhaps their spam filters caught it?

Yildar, your #2 point is interesting. Though I'd question how many people truly download and read a game manual or starter guide? I don't think I've read a game manual for a downloaded game ever. For a physical one while I was waiting for it to install, maybe, but for a game I simply downloaded on Steam or direct? Nope, don't think so.

NT is large and spread out when compared to Spirit Isle or Skalkaar. You said "underwhelming" though. How do you mean?

Thank you all for your feedback. We appreciate it!

Maybe I am too old school, I still use paper reference a lot. I have a dozen or so sheets I have created like spell and form checklists, plans for next armor upgrades and techs required, etc. plus the Brady hint book from way back when.

What I meant by NT was that when you first start it seems huge. Doing the assessor quests I felt I was running miles. But when you go back it feels a lot smaller. Underwhelming is what I called it, and that's how I feel when I visit the village where I grew up IRL - my perspective has changed... The point I was trying to make is that although it's easy to find stuff there now, starting out it was a vast unexplored (and at times bordering on overwhelming) place. My concern is that some people may find that frustrating and without an easy resource to help them they may give up. They may not want to ask in a chat channel, but if it's on their PC they may take a few seconds to look it up. Or I may be totally off base.

Yeah no one is about to look through their games big box for the manual and lore, especially new players.

It is difficult understandably to get people into games that are not only old, but also difficult. Without assistance from other players, Istaria is brutal, and I doubt anyone would want to deal with the level of frustration. They'll just quit and move on. It's a sad turn for gamers around, especially when games like Candy Crush are raking in the dough for impulse instantaneous gratification. These games are what is now. Money talks.

Anyone who appreciates older games has already done their homework and are staying.

Dragons are what set this game apart. Everything else has been done in some form or fashion in other games. Seems to be a lot more dragon players than there are biped players. People who get into the game as a dragon, will probably get sick of it within six months, and never explore the bipeds. If something could be done to make a connection for dragon players (the draw in) to try out bipeds, then perhaps you may see more people overall around.

As Amon said, the cost of banners alone on high traffic sites is killer. People don't black hat SEO and juice links and domains for nothing. It's all about the traffic and what money they can pull from it.

One thing I would like to see is some of the older quests brought back. Wishgiver comes to mind, as well as Tazoon. It's awkward when the capital is desolate.

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Originally Posted by Dracillion

Dragons are what set this game apart. Everything else has been done in some form or fashion in other games. Seems to be a lot more dragon players than there are biped players. People who get into the game as a dragon, will probably get sick of it within six months, and never explore the bipeds. If something could be done to make a connection for dragon players (the draw in) to try out bipeds, then perhaps you may see more people overall around.

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This is the best argument for dragon prestige/multi classes that I have seen in a long time.

What's kept me going for a couple months was that I was able to get someone to roll in Istaria with me. If I came in just by myself and tried to do a random grouping thing, I doubt I would stick around. It seems too much like "get to 100, then there's groups".

In the 20s the quest line starting from Broken Cargo Disk that leads into Plundered Tombs actually seems to be some spiffy content but its only any good because of researching some very obscure posts that talked about it. Playing randomly, what would happen is either I would ignore it ("oh, here's two title quests, just do those"), try it and give up because Hunt Master is way too hard to solo after you just got the broken disk, or do some and forget about it completely since part of it drops from your log if you die or log out.

I'm certain there's a number of people who like the brutality and complexity of it all, but I don't think many want to solo 100 levels in order to join up. So basically the challenging group content in the leveling range needs to be opened up a little. I don't want to group to kill easy trophy mobs or have a level 40 character crush the 20s content, so a few pointers indicating the good stuff would probably work better than letting everyone float around the ionosphere wondering what's up.

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Originally Posted by alizarinblaze

In the 20s the quest line starting from Broken Cargo Disk that leads into Plundered Tombs actually seems to be some spiffy content but its only any good because of researching some very obscure posts that talked about it. Playing randomly, what would happen is either I would ignore it ("oh, here's two title quests, just do those"), try it and give up because Hunt Master is way too hard to solo after you just got the broken disk, or do some and forget about it completely since part of it drops from your log if you die or log out.

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I can tone down the Hunt-Master, though for the record that quest is given out by Sergeant Jonis in Bristugo. I do want to point out that the quests starting with the Lost Cargo Disk at Elissa Malna in Sable Shores are linear. They lead one to another from Sable Shores to Bristugo to Dalimond and are quite clear about who to visit, where to go next, etc.

Order has a crisis atm.
which is cautious optimism.

I watch new/young players try to get a feet on Istarian ground- --and see them fail and leave.
They ask for help or someone to fight with. Its heartbreaking sometimes.
So here I say again, what I said before so many times:
As we do not have enough players with the right level for beginners or low tier chars,
or not enough players at all
the game has to support those more than it does before.
Yes a lot has been done, great work devs. But that is not enough. And its urgend in my eyes.

so here my suggestion:
GIVE DOUBLE XP FOR ADV. AND CRAFT UNTIL LEVEL 35.
RoP can be started with 50/50 and all quests done (craft included)
and if some vets level schools or new chars easier that way-who cares.

In my eyes-and my experience: Its NO fun to play this first level in an undiscoverd country (and I know Istaria like my clutch^^)
without friends or guildies that help (which I always had- hated first level nevertheless).

More good ideas pls.
We need something to spread amongst players- or Order will be deserted soon.

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I watch new/young players try to get a feet on Istarian ground- --and see them fail and leave.
They ask for help or someone to fight with.

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Perhaps a link to the forum question/help section could also be added into some part of the tutorial, if it isn't there already (haven't paid attention to the tutorial in a while >.>)

People posting their questions on the help/question section would, at the very least, create a decent list of things new players could look at if they noticed the search function.

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Originally Posted by LOVWYRM

Order has a crisis atm.
which is cautious optimism.

I watch new/young players try to get a feet on Istarian ground- --and see them fail and leave.
They ask for help or someone to fight with. Its heartbreaking sometimes.
So here I say again, what I said before so many times:
As we do not have enough players with the right level for beginners or low tier chars,
or not enough players at all
the game has to support those more than it does before.
Yes a lot has been done, great work devs. But that is not enough. And its urgend in my eyes.

so here my suggestion:
GIVE DOUBLE XP FOR ADV. AND CRAFT UNTIL LEVEL 35.
RoP can be started with 50/50 and all quests done (craft included)
and if some vets level schools or new chars easier that way-who cares.

In my eyes-and my experience: Its NO fun to play this first level in an undiscoverd country (and I know Istaria like my clutch^^)
without friends or guildies that help (which I always had- hated first level nevertheless).

More good ideas pls.
We need something to spread amongst players- or Order will be deserted soon.

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The problem with this Lov is we will see what we always do and always have... Particularly with dragons.. they will rocket to adult.. and quit ... by doubling their XP all you are doing is making that gulf which is obvious in the late thirties to early 40's all the more obvious..

What i would suggest is a minor (ok not so minor) buff of some description that slowly lowers until it eventually disappears altogether... Perhaps one that to start with increases the the effectiveness of all healing cast upon the low level char by 100% until level 20 and then at every level beyond 20 it lowers by say 4% until at level 45 it is normal... for crafting perhaps the same formula might work as an XP boost.

I like your idea, Calyndrell.
Maybe something between your and my idea would be the right thing.

I was aware of the dragon prob- but maybe I was not clear enough:
RoP can only be STARTED with 50 adv AND 50 craft AND ALL adv AND craft quests played to level 50. Will keep èm busy for a while;)
even with double xp till lvl. 35

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Originally Posted by LOVWYRM

I like your idea, Calyndrell.
Maybe something between your and my idea would be the right thing.

I was aware of the dragon prob- but maybe I was not clear enough:
RoP can only be STARTED with 50 adv AND 50 craft AND ALL adv AND craft quests played to level 50. Will keep èm busy for a while;)
even with double xp till lvl. 35

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lets keep rop stuff out of this pls this is not the answer to population.

i think for low levels:
give people abilites earlier/easier than higher teirs. (especially when it comes to dragons. i still remember spring 2012 update because that was the moment when i had to actually find a guild because i couldn't raise new chars past kion alone.)

> Make dragon t1 ability quests easier again.
I know some players here who could never get past them alone, and had to wait a while before people noticed it and offered them help because they were too shy. Not that i like it being wholly solo, but at the same time, kion quests for dragons are obscenely hard for low levels. Even i struggle with them with new chars without multilogging in help, and it can be really hard to find help at your level at this time, and harder to stroll into a channel and ask. Please make them completable alone again. (also i've always said since then - t1 quests are proportionally the hardest dragon quests to level that you get for a reason. when i said "obscenely hard for low levels" i really meant it.)

> Make t1 enemies weaker for their level, even out some quests.
a. First cleric quest when coming out of NT requires you to kill cedar treants. Please change this is this is actually one of the herdest cleric quests you get on NT - you're likely fighting a lv6 thing, with lots of health, at lv4, with not so much health, very little armour, and more than likley still a refurb weapon.
b. Make enemies in general easier. There's a lot of places in lesser aradoth where you need a group to fight normal mobs..which is...bad. You either get no xp if a high level helps you, or are left to your own devices because most of the quests are too hard alone and you can't find help your own level.

From my perspective it is mainly not so much a problem of difficult contend, because many things can be done in a 2 man team as long as 1 is a healing class. The main problem is getting in contact with people in this game. In other games there is quite often a public channel where everyone starts in - and yes they are often spammed but its a good way to find people doing the same stuff as u want to do. In Istaria you have to join every channel by urself.

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Originally Posted by Lantis

From my perspective it is mainly not so much a problem of difficult contend, because many things can be done in a 2 man team as long as 1 is a healing class. The main problem is getting in contact with people in this game. In other games there is quite often a public channel where everyone starts in - and yes they are often spammed but its a good way to find people doing the same stuff as u want to do. In Istaria you have to join every channel by urself.

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There already is something similar.
Unless it's been changed, last time i checked, one of the first few tutorial boxes advises you to join chat channels (i beleive it direclty advises upon entering MP).
But the problem is...
> Forcing people into chat channels against their will can be stressful for shy players
> Very few people read the tutorials (form my experince of new people on order)

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Originally Posted by Azath

There already is something similar.
Unless it's been changed, last time i checked, one of the first few tutorial boxes advises you to join chat channels (i beleive it direclty advises upon entering MP).
But the problem is...
> Forcing people into chat channels against their will can be stressful for shy players
> Very few people read the tutorials (form my experince of new people on order)

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The tutorial prompt is woefully inadequate. I said it years ago and I'll repeat it again - the tutorial prompt is no substitute for automatically dumping new players in the new player channel after character creation, and the same can be said for new dragon players.

Shy players can leave the channels if they create a new character, same for those who are antisocial. Tutorial prompts suck because as we all know, most people don't read them. Automatic assignment of one or two public chat channels would make a big difference to new players. To this day I still encounter guild mates who are completely oblivious to the existence of new player, marketplace, dragon, and other populated chat channels.

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Originally Posted by Azath

> Make dragon t1 ability quests easier again.
I know some players here who could never get past them alone, and had to wait a while before people noticed it and offered them help because they were too shy. Not that i like it being wholly solo, but at the same time, kion quests for dragons are obscenely hard for low levels. Even i struggle with them with new chars without multilogging in help, and it can be really hard to find help at your level at this time, and harder to stroll into a channel and ask. Please make them completable alone again. (also i've always said since then - t1 quests are proportionally the hardest dragon quests to level that you get for a reason. when i said "obscenely hard for low levels" i really meant it.)

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By Contrast my 11yr old son has managed to get to level 29 (Hatchling including most of the side quests)without any help from either my wife or myself :D well with the exception of a few simple crafted scales with a few techs on them. So do they need scaling? perhaps only very very slightly. The important thing to note is the ORDER in which you do the quests.. some are just too hard at level 20 so you do the others first and Viola at level 25ish they are much easier.

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Originally Posted by Calyndrell

By Contrast my 11yr old son has managed to get to level 29 (Hatchling including most of the side quests)without any help from either my wife or myself :D well with the exception of a few simple crafted scales with a few techs on them. So do they need scaling? perhaps only very very slightly. The important thing to note is the ORDER in which you do the quests.. some are just too hard at level 20 so you do the others first and Viola at level 25ish they are much easier.

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And what new player knows the correct order to do them with? And where to hunt the best mobs (like with water elementals - it was a long time before i realised it was easier on the shore than in the lakes)?
It's just luck there if you're doing it all alone, and hope that when you quit a quest because it was too hard, the next one you pick up is actually the right one.

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Originally Posted by LOVWYRM

And its urgend in my eyes.

In my eyes-and my experience: Its NO fun to play this first level in an undiscoverd country
without friends or guildies that help
More good ideas pls.
We need something to spread amongst players- or Order will be deserted soon.

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I hate to repeat myself

Please don't change anything on starter island or New Trismus. it was the challenge of the game that hooked me and kept me coming back . i played for 1.5 years solo and out of all chats . it was the most exciting and yes difficult times in the game but it was just as awarding when I finally got past that mob or quest that kept defeating me . I have seen many players leave cause of boredom after level 100/100/100/100 dragon or 200 adv rating biped what is there to do ? you have built your plot/lair , you have tried to get epic hunts going but no one wants to hunt , and farming for trophies is so boring ( even worst that leveling craft schools ), you even create multiple characters but it is the same. and then there are the players that have left cause they disagree with where the developers are taking the game. yes it is getting easier to help new players but it is the veterans that also need to be satisfied .please develop new quests and area where a high level biped can level without being overwhemed ( doom is only good for so long and Barrier vale is a death sentence for a solo biped ). as for Order .. it is the same old complaint by many too many player that would rather just sit in New Trismus and just Roleplay ( and there is nothing wrong with Roleplaying ) but when new and veteran players can't get a group together for a difficult hunt again and again.. they finally give up and eventually leave . same goes for the players that leave cause of the development and restructuring of Istaria ..after years of asking for age old bugs to be fixed and are ignored and then to have abilities nerfed orto find out that a new update has Broke part of the game and can't get fixed ( cenotaphs) .

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Originally Posted by Azath

And what new player knows the correct order to do them with? And where to hunt the best mobs (like with water elementals - it was a long time before i realised it was easier on the shore than in the lakes)?
It's just luck there if you're doing it all alone, and hope that when you quit a quest because it was too hard, the next one you pick up is actually the right one.

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to requote myself.. my 11 yr old son... he realised this area is hard but theres some on the shore.. he learnt how to pull pretty much on his own.. yes we have been there to help him if he's stuck but we let him try things his way.. he has required very little if any tuition and normally its cos he misunderstood the directions. about the only thing i would ask for is if atleast for the early quests if either map coordinates or preferably if a symbol could be added to their map help find it. (if the maps not possible coords (say nearest 6 figure grid) would work)

much truth in your words , terrox.
(exept the hard way up to level 30)

Its been the vets who rendered possible the famous 10 years
Its the vets who leave one by one now-though they swore they never will.
They tell me: Give me a call if there is something to hunt-and I`ll be back in a min.
I do not ask for special treatment for vets - but even for a fan girl like me there is nothing left to do. So I pay for our subs-
and log in now and then.
Yesterday we had a Sog hunt- omg- we`ve been so excited. Not because of Sog (boring) - or the Demonogii it dropped
(and noone needed) we loved to group-and play together..
Don`t get me wrong PLEASE:
This is no attack towards devs-who`s work and enthusiasm I appreciate so much- or some infantile whinig- its observation and what I feel.
Maybe we need a new concept (I think we do)and a new target audience - both slowly implemented but in time.
I am sure lots of people have ideas- we should start to collect and brainstorm.

I kinda followed up on the hinted suggestion lov :D

so I've started this

http://community.istaria.com/forum/s...424#post298424

I wonder if the color schemes of the areas may attract more players, just something bight and catchy?

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Originally Posted by LOVWYRM

or the Demonogii it dropped (and noone needed)

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I still miss many of SoGs weapons for my collection. I just randomed too low ;D

If I may add some feedback (Amon if you are reading this please skip to "SEO"):

Istaria is an "old hero game", aimed at a category of dedicated players that used to abound back at Everquest times. These days the very idea of not having a true hand-holding theme park annoys most contemporary players. They demand maps where quests have huge arrows highlighting the whole path, visual indicators about the exact direction the next NPC is, possibly (many new MMOs do this) also indicating the distance from it.

Another showstopper is the graphics. These days players expect ray traced lighting including radiosity glass windows, true 3D maps, DirectX 10+ visual effects and shaders. Even Istaria's forums look "1995 epoque", whereas these days players expect social media integration, forum "achievement" points with various degrees of unlocking badges and more.

Basically, Istaria is lovely for us ancient players who come from another player culture. A select few modern players too like Istaria but "select few" are so few they won't even replace the natural turnover.

It's a pity, because Istaria deep mechanics and crafting are so immensely superior to the graphics candy contemporary theme parks...

Finally, a MMO needs to be known or it slowly dries up. Until 4-5 years ago I could still find some very rare players (I have been and still am extensively playing most MMOs out there) who heard about "Horizons" (nobody knows it's called Istaria now) and I had to mention "the MMO with playable dragons" to get them to recall.

Since 4-5 years, however, it's like Istaria does not exist. Nobody knows about this game.

So far I have only listed factors that Istaria won't be able to change.

But now I list stuff that could be improved at least to give Istaria more visibility for free.


SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
These days I have learned a number of concepts about SEO and internet marketing.

Istaria search engine positioning has some improveable details. In example, the SEO title is cut wrong, the description does not really entice to try it and is incomprehensible:

What Google says is:

Istaria MMORPG offers Free to Play F2P and is a Fantasy ..

Istaria is a Sandbox MMORPG with a small but strong and helpful community ...
underground labyrinth and then flying through at top speed with your dragon?


Now, tell me what a casual reader, who HAD to randomly find Istaria (it's THE dragons MMORPG yet it's not first search result for "dragons MMO" (it's fifth) despite the domain age giving a big boost):

- He immediately read F2P which is universally HATED. These days F2P means: "crap game, free because it's bad" and "pay to win cash grab", whereas Istaria does not even have that defect.

- Reads a cut and incomplete first line that mentions "small community". After so many utter MMO failures since 2008, gamers are SCARED to invest their time in an unsafe "surely going to die" title and the small community mention clicks their mind the wrong way.

- Reads a nonsensical second line: "underground labyrinth WHAT?". Where does that sentence comes from? You have all of TWO precious Google lines to sell the product and one of them has no understandable meaning.


Going technical, the Istaria.com home page has some issues that penalize the ranking. Here's a Pagespeed and YSlow report about it.

SEO report: I can't paste it here, but Amon or others can easily get it by going to this website and entering Istaria's home page URL.
You'll see from Javascript errors to wrong keywords density. Also, the tools does not say it, but there's keywords dilution due to large use of generalistic terms (adventuring and so on) whereas the selling, focused keywords are about half the amount that could be used.

Also: you can't do a campaign only focusing on "dragons MMO" and little else. Only a niche of players even searches for those terms (since they don't know a dragons MMO actually exists to begin with).

Also, did you know that Google gives huge importance to titles and bold text yet THE Istaria selling point (dragons) is only mentioned in small letters, no title saying "Dragons" (nor "playable dragons"), no bold nothing?

Look at the other Istaria strong feature: crafting.

Input "best crafting MMO" (Google itself suggests to use these terms) and Istaria is nowhere. At all.


Well, let's search for another very strong Istaria point: players housing.

Enter "player housing MMO" in Google and... Istaria is nowhere to be found. After all, Istaria's strong points (long tailed keywords) are not mentioned so how could Google (and thus potential players) know Istaria has all that goodness?

About AdWords: did you know "dragons MMO" is a low competition keyword costing about 1/6 of the average priced keyword?

Did you know that in a low competition market you can be top bidder with as low as few cents (despite Google showing higher price, you know, they love to make you overpay them).



Basically, there ARE totally cheap improvements that could be done to make Istaria more visible. More visible means, more players will find it, more will want to try it and a subset of them will become new Istaria citizens.


I hope Amon will take this as very constructive feedback, because it is.

So good to read you again Vah.

So good what you wrote.

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Originally Posted by LOVWYRM

So good to read you again Vah.

So good what you wrote.

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Thank you, sweet hun ;)!

I always loved the Rants forums. It's where you find the most sincere and often the best feedback possible.

well writen Vahrokh , but why waste your breath, Amon and the rest of the development team have already ignored most of the communities concerns with dealing with direction. They have their direction and that is IT ( new dragon schools or biped building classes). no matter what they ARE going to implement their visions even if it means driving ALL veteran players away. we have asked them many times to please fix what is broken first but then they nerf a class ( stealthly )or they will break something important ( cenotaphs ) and CAN"T FIX It .

Fantastic Post Vahrokh.

Big thumbs up now we just need the devs to take notice :D

Just feel the need to point out that Amon and I are content developers, not website developers. We have nothing to do with the Istaria.com website, forums, etc. other than being able to point this thread out to the person who is in charge of that.

So to those who say that we're focused on other things... Why yes, we are, actually. Because it is not in our skill set to be focused on website design, ads, etc. :)

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Originally Posted by Velea

Just feel the need to point out that Amon and I are content developers, not website developers. We have nothing to do with the Istaria.com website, forums, etc. other than being able to point this thread out to the person who is in charge of that.

So to those who say that we're focused on other things... Why yes, we are, actually. Because it is not in our skill set to be focused on website design, ads, etc. :)

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Good point, but you could pass that on to the people who ARE in charge of such things ;)

Lol Mach-
Thats what she said she`s gonna do *passes purple glasses over to Mach*

Somehow Vel- seems we think the two of you are responsible for all and everything.
Which is a compliment in my eyes:-)

Thy for answering and taking care about this.!


and here is an extra "PLEASE"- you may use it where you think it is missing;-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Velea

Just feel the need to point out that Amon and I are content developers, not website developers. We have nothing to do with the Istaria.com website, forums, etc. other than being able to point this thread out to the person who is in charge of that.

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Hello,

First of all I love to see Devs reply even to posts on the Rants forum. It means you really care.

Second, I am not well versed into the company positions, to me Amon is the handle for "the Powers That Be".

So, if you feel it could help, please feel free to forward this feedback of mine to whoever is in charge.

By the way, I have an update. We have a Facebook link at the top of the forum, right?

Now, have you noticed how basically almost nobody in here clicks it and replies to Facebook?

A SEO consultant would ask himself why, how to motivate people to increase interest in that so to try and cause their friends to come to know about Istaria (that's how Facebook works). Their friends are likely with similar taste and thus there's a potential group of subscribers who don't become subscribers because the Facebook page is not moving and they don't get notifications about news about Istaria. In fact it's not enough to post by the Istaria user, it's the Facebook page friends (it got 1700 or so!) who are not being compelled into spreading Istaria's word around.

Indeed, Facebook is a very powerful tool. I have to admit I hadn't thought of how powerful it is and haven't "Liked" it yet (so my friends can see). But I will do it tonight. Maybe if everyone Likes it, can drum up some business :) I rarely Like things, but this is worth it, to get some new players, possibly. It's easy:


http://istariareference.com/screenshots/facebook.png

Maybe even add that little "Like" icon somewhere on the page that automatically takes you to the Like feature (that so many sites have). So if everyone will join me, and take the effort to Like this page, who knows what can happen? Vahrokh says he/she has 1700 friends, I have about 250. So that's almost 2k people who will see this "Like". Possibly they will visit and see what the heck this is my friend is "liking"? Resulting into someone clicking the istaria.com link on the page. Can even go a step further and click on the "Invite friends to Like this page" link.

Maybe even add a post (What's on your mind) one time "Playing Istaria @ Istaria.com, fun!"

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Originally Posted by Cegaiel

Vahrokh says he/she has 1700 friends, I have about 250.

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Slightly off-topic, but wow! I have 70 friends on FB, I know a few people who have between 100 to 120 friends on there, but 250+?!! Your social life must be crazy hehe! How do you remember all of them, how do you manage to schedule time to catch up with them all, how do you get time to play MMOs with that many friends already filling up your social life? One of my mates is a DJ and he's got around a thousand friends on FB but he freely admits he only knows about 50 of them personally, the rest are just people who like his music - makes me wonder if Vahrokh and yourself are secret celebrities :p

Well go for it you folks, spread the word to 2000 people pronto!

I admit, I only know about 65 of them, the rest, is eh or people I met at the yearly family reunion BBQ. Funny how free BBQ and beer brings folks together :) Called networking, if even if you don't know them :rolleyes: Always network! Friends of friends, yeah, get em!

I'm just going to drop my 2 cents.

I'm new here and I can tell you, one of the biggest issues here is the graphics. I can be considered a "Graphics Freak". Because I am. I love Hyper-Realistic graphics. But I also like Gameplay.

If you asked me, what do I prefer? Graphics or Gameplay? I say both. An ugly game doesn't attract me. Doesn't matter how good those features or gameplay is. Still looks terrible. And I don't want to touch it, because it looks gross. But a game with bad gameplay and excellent graphics can atleast be an art gallery. Hey, the game is terrible, but it sure does look amazing. And I can stay to look at the amazing Landscapes and scenery, but after I've seen it all I'll probably just leave as well.

Istaria already needs improved Graphics, otherwise, no one will ever bother to try it. I for example am trying to play it again, because last time went pretty bad. Actually I would even say, it requires better combat, as last time I played it, I remember cringing my teeth saying: "Oooohhhh, this doesn't feel very good...."

I can't believe I actually took the time to read post #29. Very nice Vahrokh! You made a lot of good points. At first I was like woah....that's a lot of words. HAHA but as I read it, it was some good points. I like how you took the time to see what came up with different search entries, that's interesting to me. I don't know how that stuff works but, I'm guess you pay X amount for better hits? MAYTAGS? Something like that anyways, nice job!
-Kor

P.S. I don't mind the graphics I don't like all the wiz bang these young kids like these days. I used to play starcraft back in the day and loved it and when the new one came out i jumped on it, but all the colors and effects makes me sick to my stomach. same thing happens to me with The Rift. I just can't do it.

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Originally Posted by Korchak Strongbone

P.S. I don't mind the graphics I don't like all the wiz bang these young kids like these days. I used to play starcraft back in the day and loved it and when the new one came out i jumped on it, but all the colors and effects makes me sick to my stomach. same thing happens to me with The Rift. I just can't do it.

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I agree- and love our graphics- they are unique-
lots of games look all the same-or chars do--
Flame took time to make a new char in a new game once- and when he enterered the world first time:
Clones all around- though they offered lots of modern features.
Nahhh- do not like that either.

Recently the population raised a bit, maybe because of the vacations, new things or the double xp... Eh well, I might say stuff people already said but it does not hurt anyone to say them again from another perspective.

Graphics are not all that makes a great game but it does help attract some people. I still love Istaria's graphics. The trees look kinda wacky but hey, generally it looks good for an 'old' MMO when you put quality to the max. I wouldn't say no to refreshing updates to them though. I may be a big butt ancient and not see the terrain clutter much (grass and co) but seeing more added here and there would be great, it would help a lot I think. The ground would look less 'flat'.

I've had some friends try Istaria in the past and the main problems were mostly the combat style and the lack of directions/tutorials. As for the combat, I know these friends were searching for more up to date stuff so it was to be expected, sadly. As for the tutorials part, they have been updated since that time so I think this is partly solved. New players need directions when they start! I remember the time I started playing about 4 years ago there were not really any tutorials and I watched a youtube video to have a little walkthrough of Skalkaar. Though not everyone would actually take the time to go look for information. Gotta say I -really- wanted to play haha. That also means some people need a little push to actually get the taste.

The other problems were language and payment. Those are a whole other story. I don't think Istaria is -that- expensive, but, there is surely other ways. For example a way to allow players to play until x level for free, with guild restrictions, etc. WoW does it and it gives you time to see the world, the quest, the lore, etc. It might help, or not. This is already good to have a trial of 14 days already even if a bit short.

The big plus side we got here, is our wonderful community. :3 If the little lacks are made up for, I'm sure Istaria could get a lot more people to play!

(I did not expect myself to write so much hehe)

I talked to a friend of mine in other mmorpg about Istaria. He asked things, I answered. He told he'd check website, returned and told about bad graphic. Another user on other website told about Istaria "graphic made for Android". Yes, for me graphic is of lesser importance...but for some out of there it is important.

Advertising could help. If users who are satisfied could spread the word it would be the best ads. There are blogs, vlogs, social networks:these can be used to tell things about Istaria. We do not need propaganda, we just need to tell features you will meet in Istaria only.

Housing. Something has to be done there. As I travel through Istaria's server (Order) - mostly I see empty plots. Ghosst towns. Some plots were in superb positions - and they are no more. Maybe owner left,maybe became free player, maube something other. What I suggest is to discuss a way to increase number of player owned plots, like: make price lesser; make it available to any paying customer or even make it available for anyone who has been playing Istaria for certan time (at least 5 years, for example).

Player created content. Other games does not shine there ("devs knows better"), hence - our chance. Community may offer quality ideas.

Unfortunately nothing can be done about the graphics - mentioning them as bad is as good as beating a dead horse. Not only is the art team overloaded as is from what I hear, but also it's near impossible to update everything in Istaria. Amon said something along the lines of the graphics in the world being nearly impossible to update but I can't remember his exact words or why, so don't count me or him on that. (I searched back to November in the Skype chat where he mentioned it but I can't find the quote) The devs are doing what they can, and an example is the updated.. Demon Spike, I think? mentioned recently.

There is a 'Spread the Word' program for people with Gifted-level subs to get another free plot slot if they do X amount of things to spread the word of Istaria in Y amount of time. The document is here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...PVfkffT5Ts/pub So the developers definitely encourage spreading the word yourself, as do I

Recently, the plot pricing has been adjusted. Those in good spots and in towns are much higher priced than ones out in the middle of nowhere. My lair in the cliffs of Order's Harro was 700 silver when I bought it but now it's something like 5 or 7 gold because it's right near the landing pad. I mostly saw prices go up if anything so a price reduction is probably not likely.
Either way, the lack of plot holders on Order primarily is because there is a lack of players. Also, people like neighbors - there are communities that are full and some that are just deserted. You can't purchase and build up plots without players with the subs/will to do so, which we lack. I don't know if giving out free subs like that to any paying customer after 5 years is a wise idea to be honest - there are few enough new players in Istaria. The biggest supporters are the people who have played for those 5 years and pay for their plots - take that away and you take income away. So while it's a nice thought and idea, it's a bit detrimental business wise.

The devs do offer players to create content sort of with mods (which are implemented sometimes), and encouraged it lately - the post asking for player-submitted lore was pretty recent in the TTtT section.
http://community.istaria.com/forum/s...Player-Project

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Not only is the art team overloaded as is from what I hear, but also it's near impossible to update everything in Istaria.

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Overwhelmed, yes, because we're attempting to revamp a large area of the game (Tier3 Tazoon). Upgrades to weapon textures will be on Blight once Delta 263 is patched. We've been looking into upgrades to terrain clutter and trees. Unfortunately there is no "Easy Button" or click here to upgrade your graphics. Each and every object must be evaluated and addressed. As you can imagine in a game that is big and has been around a long time, there are a LOT of objects to look at.

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Recently, the plot pricing has been adjusted.

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Price is now based on the Tier of the region and the size of the plot. Larger plots in higher tier regions will cost more. Small plots in Tier 1 and 2 regions will cost a lot less.

Tazooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooon! The hype!