Current p-sro scene situation

[Katara*]

1

[Radoslavski]

My History in Server Industry
I created a lot of servers since 2011
2011 - IceWorld Online - 600 Average Players - Continued 6 Months
2011 - ExtremeSRO - 900 Average Players - Continued 12 Months
2012 - Lumiel Online - 300 Average Players - Continued 13 Months
2013 - BlackRogue - 1500 Average Players - Continued 8 Months
2014 - Excalibur Online - 2500 Average Players - Continued 24 Months
2016 - Silkroad Journey - 1500 Average Players - Continued 6 Months
2016 - II CIVILIZATIONS - 1000 Average Players - Continued 8 Months

II CIVILIZATIONS was the last server I created and left the sro PVP scene.

First 3 servers were based on VSRO files and highly edited. The last 4 servers after BlackRogue were based on BR Files with almost zero edits.

Unedited old school servers are performing much better with no doubt.

Servers as business
Creating a server must be a business, there is no other way, you work like 10~15 hours a day if you're alone plus you have to pay up to $500 for all the server bills, ddos protection, advertisement, tax to country, accaountants and others. You can't make a server without creating a real business which costs a lot and it costs you a lot each month. Also you're unable to work on another job since you're working full time on your server so there is no way anyone to do it for no money. It's an expensive operation. You can't sleep at nights thinking if someone will find an exploit, you keep track all the new attack methods and patch newly found exploits as soon as possible. You can't leave home without a laptop with you and a mobile internet to react as fast as possible in case of a crash, attack or other exploits. SMC is always open, some times in 4AM morning SMC is starting to alarm you there is problem and your sleep is gone, now you have to work to fix it in middle of the night and yet you sleeped only 2~3 hours.


Long Term Servers
It's too hard to keep the server for a long term if there are no enough paying players to cover the bills which can go up to $500/month. The usual life of a server is around 6~8 Months.

Keeping Players in the Server
The SRO Players are very problematic, they don't like anything whatever you do. They request something if you don't do that, they're screaming, you're not fulfilling our request. If you do than others are screaming before was better why did you changed it. Whatever you do, no matter how hard you try they're always crying about something and not happy.

Conspiracy Theories
The players are thinking the administration is corrupt all the time, someone drops a sun from a monster and the players like GM sold you this weapon etc. They're sending such globals making believe others to it and many players are leaving the games for such reasons. They don't listen what the managment team is saying, they're seeing you as enemy all the time, which reduces your motivation to improve the server. You don't even want to login to the game cuz you know everyone is complaining about something and there is no real solution to their complain. As an administrator you start hating your life. No matter what you do they find a reason to quit the game after about 6~8 months and you have to advertise on facebook and other sites with at least $50/day budged to bring new players to replace the ones quiting.


Closing Highly Populated Servers
I have never closed highly populated server but sold two of my servers. If you run a game for too long one plus year, they already have everything they need and even if there are 1000+ online you can't monetize these players anymore. Adding new avatars and other things helps a little, but not much, and you can't add something which will make the game P2W. Your incomes are dropping below what are you spending to keep the server alive. Most administrators are closing the game once it starts to lose money, I usually sell the games which isn't making money anymore but still there are a lot of active players.

HIGHLY PAYING PLAYERS
Usually 5 to 10 players are paying 80% of what you earn, and all your operation depends on these players. You know if you lose these 5 to 10 most paying players you will have to close the servers cuz the 20% of the donations aren't enough to keep the server alive.
With this reason you're forcefully doing some things. For example if a friend of this top paying player scams someone you're not banning him cuz you know banning him will cost you $1000+ month and this money is needed to keep the operation. Of course other players are noticing it and start saying you're doing whatever X guild requests. Personally I never sold weapons etc. but Yes if they want an update like increasing the trade rates you're doing it, you got no other chance, if they leave you won't be able to pay the bills for the next month. But this time others are starting to leave the game you see this but you can't do anything, you're trying to keep alive your server 1~2 more months in pain of some players are controlling you.

SOLUTION
If all the players pay only $2 in month, servers won't depend on few players and stay online 10+ years even more. But 99.9% of the actively playing, players don't pay a single penny and you depend only on 00.1%

Regards
SGA

[Katara*]

@
Hey, thank you for ur reply..
But, let me just answer you a few of those you replied.
Servers as business
- Don't you think It's an kinda easy job? (+ you're at home always, and you really don't work everyday It's just sometimes if someone gets a way to harm you and the server) that's actully my look on those people that are opening servers, and mostly likely 90% of the developers at sro-scene are coming from "EGYPT" nothing against them, but uhm kinda says alot about them I guess?.

Long Term Servers
- There are alot of ways to "cover the bills", but mostly of those servers went straight copying other servers with the same things as "donate for silks". Imagine if you or anyone else went with a kinda different way, you'd get way more donators (not supporting selling gears/equpiment/weapons, but for sure there are so many other ways to keep the players donating).

Keeping Players in the Server
- But guess why? You guys write a pretty awesome thread, with awesome features and you just offer them all at once? uhm, don't you think adding them weekly, and keeping players interesed in the server and to try out new things, like that I suppose the server would last way way more, and keep players interesed in the servers. I mean there are always over 400-500 players that would play a stable & longterm server where admins are doing weekly updates and giving them something new to try out, to not keep all the same all the time. I mean you could've aswell, limit the plus limits and increase them weekly, same as adding end-gear parts, then depends on ur features, and so on. I mean there are alot of ways, but I guess the IQ of those developers ain't that high to think out what's the best way to do it like...

Conspiracy Theories
- Mate, those players are just braindead and you shouldn't really take care of them, just permaban them. I mean they're killing the community, they don't belong here. Aswell, not really that everyone would think that, but watch If you done ur features in a certain way and a time to get the end-gears It won't lead to this, aswell there are so many "corrupted" servers that were giving items for free, and still are going. That's mostly likely why people think that you/someone else giving free stuff, because that 30% p-sro servers were corrupted and will be forever xD. And I really, disagree that you're giving up after some trashtalk, I mean you never should depend on 1-10 players, they're never the whole server population, It's 300-500 mostly. Just think carefully about that mate.

Closing Highly Populated Servers
- Feature, by feature and players will be never bored.

HIGHLY PAYING PLAYERS
- Because you're all doing It wrong way, that's why you care just for few players.
I really like the idea of adding silk scrolls to the sro scene, to help nondonators and to provide better gameplay. But imagine this:
- Paying 1-3 $ (for ur account, If you want to play the server. Aswell, giving them atleast 10 options to donate for It, because not everyone owns paypal etc)
- Adding few items account bound and that are not begin bought by silks, but you have to donate to get them, with not that high prices and with alot of ways to donate for them. (Premium 2-4 $, devil spirit ress, same as clock the pet ress and keeping them all [account bound]). So, you want to get those, you have to pay for them, or adding an currency called Account bound, and donate for them same as silks etc xD. And monthly paying like let's say 5$ (depends on the servers population, and money needed for the bills and for ya to earn). I mean, there's always so many ways to go for the servers, but uhm none of you ever tried them and went straight with all the ways that are used for previous servers, which is kinda lame.

SOLUTION
- There are always many solutions, but people don't think and ain't trying them out.

I really appricate you answered me, all best mate!

[[T]akla]

I agree with every single word you have said, I'm planning to open a network with different systems. Our first server is almost done, so you can talk to me and we can manage something together (I only need your ideas) and hope I can make something that will make you enjoy sro like before because I have the same problem with all the reborn servers.
here is my facebook account (business account):