Is This Game Starting To Die?

[Hockster]

I don't know if others have noticed this, or if its exclusive to our server, but does it seem like this game is starting to lose players faster than its adding them?  Our Bolt RIfle server has had a good consistent following for months. But I've noticed in the past few weeks that traffic seems to be slowing down. When I look at other servers that typically have good consistent traffic, those player counts seem to be dropping as well.

I've also noticed on our COD4 ranked server an increase in the number of Level 1 players joining the server who have obviously played the game before and probably reinstalled it.

[JimmyCorps]

Ours took a large dip some time ago and lately has been empty a great deal of the time.

Big change from before.

Granted our members play less and less as they are fed up with all the waiting for the game to be fixed properly. I've not worked on it other than to start adding custom maps in preparation for x5v2.

Thus there's been no promoting of the server either. Once the x5v2 is released, all bets are off, we'll be hitting it hard to build it back up to where it was previously.

I suspect there will be an increase now with the new ACE, AWE release and soon the new version of eXtreme will be dominating the servers. Currently, there are a lot of servers running the "Un-named Mod" that in no way is a comparison for the above 3. As the top 3 move along they will again dominate the servers and the players will return thus burying the substandard "mods" ...if they can call it that which is out there right now.

Near as I can tell, it will be the mods that decide the fate of the game as it is very evident that the stock version of the game was never expected to succeed .....nor set up to in the first place by Treyarch.

When the Top 3 do what they are capable of and the added content they offer is successful, it should be the adrenalin shot for the coronary patient known as COD WaW.

However, that being said....I could just be talkin out my ass and nothing can save the game.

[DVTDS]

Been choppy for us also. One day we will be packed for hours and the next day its a desert waste land.

[Hockster]

A month ago or so ago our server would start developing traffic in the early afternoon, then it moved to the later afternoon, then early evening.  As of now, the entire afternoon crowd is gone and the server doesn't get going until around 8:00pm or so.  After that its rocking.  But we've lost about 6 hours or so of traffic in the past month.

[Lothegard]

Lots of people are going back to cod 4, the only reason I still play cod 5 is for playing match.

[69HADES]

Well, Ive been reading on some of the other websites and I have come to the conclusion that, the main problem is that the release of COD W@W was too quick.

The modders dont enough time to start with new projects. If one looks at the release of COD4, it was just at about the right time; however the SP version of the game was a bit short. That was in its self a disappointment. COD4 gave a new twist to the COD epic, which was traditionally based on the II World War. Many of the COD hard liners were not happy with the, move to the Modern theater. When it was made know, that the COD5 epic would be moving back to the II World theater, all the COD hard liners were happy.  What a disappointment Treyarch, messed up a perfectly good epic, they made big mistakes all in the name of money in order to get the game out for Xmas. What they are doing is killing the Golden Goose. I think it will take time for the COD5 server to get into full swing.
I hear they plan on bring out another COD gamed out before Xmas 2009, I hope its not so.

[Mooton]

Modern Warfare 2 is set for release 15/11/09.


Our server used to be full all the time until we stuck a mod and custom maps on, then it became less popular but has now started to pick up again. Saying that, somedays its busy other its dead.

[OLDPHARTSHaiPing]

We put the x5 mod on  our server and lots of new traffic came with it.  That has been slowly dying.  We run all the newest maps and dump the ones that people don't like.  Lots of people don't understand mods or how to use them.  The publisher and the developer of the game haven't helped matters with their high end requirements and lackluster support.  We recently reordered up a COD4 server and will be running it also.

Some things that I think make modded servers successful.
1. Pick a popular mod (X5 duh)
2. Set the mod to rank up fast but not too fast (this keeps players coming back to achieve rank,  we set kills at 100 and headshots at 150)
3. Have something unique about your server (ours has jump set to max and no fall damage.  This allows players to get to places on maps that are normally not accessible.)
4. Have a rule, not twenty rules.  Our rule is no bunnyhopping.
5. Enforce the rule but do it nice and don't be a nazi about it.
6. Good players appreciate well adminned servers so be friendly and available as an admin.
7. Mix up the map gameplay modes and use modes that fit the map.  For example 506th is the best ctf map I've seen!
8. Add new maps as soon as their available.  Dump the tired maps.