Unregistered wrote:A few things to keep in mind when you say there are few people online playing Ryzom:
First, Ryzom has newbie lands and a mainland. Most of the original influx of players has reached the mainland by now. Also there are 4 races each using a different island, basically. In addition there are 4-5 towns for each newbie "island".
Second, today is EQ2's launch. It's been in beta for a while. A lot of people are focusing on that game right now.
Third, World of Warcraft is currently in beta/stress tests. Lots of MMORPG players are playing that right now.
Both of the above games have a lot of interest, marketing power behind them, and most MMORPGers are not new players. That is they have played previous MMORPGs.
Fourthly, Ryzom is under-marketed, relatively new game. It has had some problems with log-ins and sign-ups. The free trial just started this Monday, it also has had some reported problems with sign-ups and installs.
Fifthly, Ryzom only takes basically VISA and Mastercard in the USA. That limits a lot its momentum over here. If they also took Discover, it would help. There have been some reports of problems with some debit cards, but it is inconsistent.
Sixthly, Ryzom slightly screwed up at launch, not in game play or servers but in so much as a lot of the original NorthAmerican players ran into a foreign language for mouseovers, manuals etc. Whether it was a bug or an oversight, it tuned out some players.
I think you mostly have to realize that on every MMORPG board right now everyone is talking and has been talking about EQ2 and World of Warcraft. Once people learn how much those two games are same old, same ole, you'll see the usual search for the plan B game, the one that might just be the one and is different. That usually ends up being games like Anarchy Online or Saga of Ryzom.
Ryzom has some work to do. They've got to get the sign-up process perfect. They should extend the methods of payment to include paybycash or some other payment by check and/or prepaid card. They have to improve the manual and extend the encyclopedia so that it is accessible to all. They've made progress in those areas, but unless they can improve the cd-key log-in process, it looks like that word of mouth is hurting them big-time.
I think by two months after the launch of EQ2 and WoW, they'll have another big chance to pick up players. If they are ready then, they'll be a winner. If not, those who can play now will enjoy a very good game that is different. But if they aren't fully polished and easy to access by then for all types of players, they will probably miss their main chance to pick up the second wave.
i THINK YOU SAID IT WELL....