Population Discrepancies in Cyrodiil- possibly the last nail in the coffin?

usmguy1234 · November 2018

Just to preference in the last year, I have seen a huge population drop in Cyrodiil on Xbox NA. Before, on most evenings throughout the week, most campaigns were pop-locked but now even on the weekends the campaigns are practically empty. (No salt just facts) Ep is almost always population locked in both shor and vivec and just decimate everything. Most defenses/ offenses are 50+ ep vs maybe 12-24 of the other alliance.

I'm just wondering if that's the case on other platforms?

If someone from Zos happens to read this just know that this situation is very disheartening. I absolutely love the open world PvP in eso. It's probably the most unique pvp I've seen in any game I've played. It's just sad to see something so great die a slow death by attrition.

Sincerely,

A concerned pvper

NordSwordnBoard · November 2018

PS4 NA

I have to say the events have made it harder to fit PvP into my schedule for the night. Dremora motif farming caused me to substitute PvP time for normal trials, Maelstrom and such.

I feel like lots of people just sign on and do whatever their friends/guild are doing and go with the flow. Without events, PvP casuals will get back to their routine.

I agree, the lack of a weekend prime time que was surprising. However, I don't think it's permanent or on a steep downward trajectory.

Sandman929 · November 2018

Maybe it's been a little slower lately, but I'm expecting it to pick up with Murkmire. However, it is a little strange to be able to get into Vivec during NA primetime with no queue...on DC anyway.

pzschrek · November 2018

Most campaigns lose at least a bar the first couple weeks after the patch.

This is usual.

What isn't entirely usual is the rate at which my old reliables have stopped pvping over the last month or two, which has also seen a dramatic acceleration since nerfmire.

killahsin · November 2018

sadly this is cyclic in nature and has been since beta. Especially with regards to the way in which ZoS balances by nerfing anything considered 'fun'. And since those nerfs happen in a cycle the population will increase and decrease within that cycle. There is also time away from a game playing the next best thing that is also evaluated in the cycle. This why by far their 3 month cycle is almost the best in any mmo for retention and re-evaluation perhaps even matching or coming close to matching blizzard. Had the original mis-steps in the questing system, the bot detection lighting patch and the poorly thought out release of the champion system the retention rate would be much much higher.

Drdeath20 · November 2018

I find it increasingly hard to get any enjoyment from cyrodil. Focuses on taking keeps/resources at times has its moments but the tedium of collecting AP has got me at wits end

thankyourat · November 2018

Really only DC is under represented in Vivec right now. AD and EP are about even in population with AD having more players in the afternoon and EP having more players at night. Prime time all the factions are pop locked meaning the number of players are even between all factions. AD also has the biggest Zerg but they just run in a straight line most of the day and are very uncoordinated. It's not uncommon to see 50+ AD at arrius while DC takes all their home keeps.

Overall the population seems fine though with Vivec being pop locked for at least 5 to 6 hours a day. And shor will have 2 to 3 bars on the weekend.

usmguy1234 · November 2018

thankyourat wrote: »

Really only DC is under represented in Vivec right now. AD and EP are about even in population with AD having more players in the afternoon and EP having more players at night. Prime time all the factions are pop locked meaning the number of players are even between all factions. AD also has the biggest Zerg but they just run in a straight line most of the day and are very uncoordinated. It's not uncommon to see 50+ AD at arrius while DC takes all their home keeps.

Overall the population seems fine though with Vivec being pop locked for at least 5 to 6 hours a day. And shor will have 2 to 3 bars on the weekend.

Yeah ad does get a decent zerg at times but seems to get thwarted back by ep especially when they make up their mind to go after y'alls home keeps. That being said, the last time I remember a queue time was during the pvp events.

Sandman929 · November 2018

usmguy1234 wrote: »

thankyourat wrote: »

Really only DC is under represented in Vivec right now. AD and EP are about even in population with AD having more players in the afternoon and EP having more players at night. Prime time all the factions are pop locked meaning the number of players are even between all factions. AD also has the biggest Zerg but they just run in a straight line most of the day and are very uncoordinated. It's not uncommon to see 50+ AD at arrius while DC takes all their home keeps.

Overall the population seems fine though with Vivec being pop locked for at least 5 to 6 hours a day. And shor will have 2 to 3 bars on the weekend.

Yeah ad does get a decent zerg at times but seems to get thwarted back by ep especially when they make up their mind to go after y'alls home keeps. That being said, the last time I remember a queue time was during the pvp events.

DC may have 3 bars, but it has been a long time since I saw a queue for Vivec on any night. I don't know about the other factions.

usmguy1234 · November 2018

Sandman929 wrote: »

usmguy1234 wrote: »

thankyourat wrote: »

Really only DC is under represented in Vivec right now. AD and EP are about even in population with AD having more players in the afternoon and EP having more players at night. Prime time all the factions are pop locked meaning the number of players are even between all factions. AD also has the biggest Zerg but they just run in a straight line most of the day and are very uncoordinated. It's not uncommon to see 50+ AD at arrius while DC takes all their home keeps.

Overall the population seems fine though with Vivec being pop locked for at least 5 to 6 hours a day. And shor will have 2 to 3 bars on the weekend.

Yeah ad does get a decent zerg at times but seems to get thwarted back by ep especially when they make up their mind to go after y'alls home keeps. That being said, the last time I remember a queue time was during the pvp events.

DC may have 3 bars, but it has been a long time since I saw a queue for Vivec on any night. I don't know about the other factions.

The most I've seen on week days are 2 bars. The difference between 2 and 3 feels like Sparta vs the Persians. It may be due to coordination and people putting down camps that make their numbers seem endless. I think a lot of people on the other side of the coin get bored or frustrated pushing back another alliance half a dozen times at a single keep.

Tzayad · November 2018

Doomsayers gonna doomsay.

The population is fine, a new patch just came out, and there is an event going on. So either you're new to this, or just haven't noticed that this happens everytime a new patch comes out (more pronounced with an event going on at the same time).

It will pick back up like it always does in a week or two.

What's the fetish with coffin building and doomsayers? Can we at least get an original metaphor next time? At least then I'm not reading the same dumb *** every time this gets posted.

usmguy1234 · November 2018

Tzayad wrote: »

Doomsayers gonna doomsay.

The population is fine, a new patch just came out, and there is an event going on. So either you're new to this, or just haven't noticed that this happens everytime a new patch comes out (more pronounced with an event going on at the same time).

It will pick back up like it always does in a week or two.

What's the fetish with coffin building and doomsayers? Can we at least get an original metaphor next time? At least then I'm not reading the same dumb *** every time this gets posted.

I guess reading comprehension is not your strong suit as I preferenced in the first sentence "over the past year." Also, I've been playing this game for damn near 5 years and I know what it's like to have a couple hundred people on both sides of a keep fight and now I know what it's like to have 50 people attacking and a dozen defending. Are you being disingenuous or are you the new one?

Sandman929 · November 2018

Also stated in the original post, this is about console, so we don't have the new patch yet.

Greysson · November 2018

PvP is dying? Fine for me ...

jaws343 · November 2018

Xbox Na Vivec is almost always pop-locked in primetime on all factions every day. Sure the queue to get in may be lower than normal, but the population is still locked.

usmguy1234 · November 2018

jaws343 wrote: »

Xbox Na Vivec is almost always pop-locked in primetime on all factions every day. Sure the queue to get in may be lower than normal, but the population is still locked.

It is if you play for ep.

Sharee · November 2018

Its human nature to take the path of least resistance. And the least resistance to win a campaing is for all available players to pile on the same side.

High time ZOS pulled their collective head from wherever it is and enforced equal populations, before all campaigns are 4-1-1 at all times, each in a different color.

Koolio · November 2018

Tzayad wrote: »

Doomsayers gonna doomsay.

The population is fine, a new patch just came out, and there is an event going on. So either you're new to this, or just haven't noticed that this happens everytime a new patch comes out (more pronounced with an event going on at the same time).

It will pick back up like it always does in a week or two.

What's the fetish with coffin building and doomsayers? Can we at least get an original metaphor next time? At least then I'm not reading the same dumb *** every time this gets posted.

Population is fine you say?

We went from 5 fully locked campaigns 24 hrs a day to maybe a bar each during the day on Ps4 NA. We might get full bars on all factions once a week on Friday or Saturday. Maybe.

usmguy1234 · November 2018

Koolio wrote: »

Tzayad wrote: »

Doomsayers gonna doomsay.

The population is fine, a new patch just came out, and there is an event going on. So either you're new to this, or just haven't noticed that this happens everytime a new patch comes out (more pronounced with an event going on at the same time).

It will pick back up like it always does in a week or two.

What's the fetish with coffin building and doomsayers? Can we at least get an original metaphor next time? At least then I'm not reading the same dumb *** every time this gets posted.

Population is fine you say?

We went from 5 fully locked campaigns 24 hrs a day to maybe a bar each during the day on Ps4 NA. We might get full bars on all factions once a week on Friday or Saturday. Maybe.

This exactly. Usually popped locked at end of campaign and maybe a little after.

usmguy1234 · November 2018

Sharee wrote: »

Its human nature to take the path of least resistance. And the least resistance to win a campaing is for all available players to pile on the same side.

High time ZOS pulled their collective head from wherever it is and enforced equal populations, before all campaigns are 4-1-1 at all times, each in a different color.

Agreed this seems very reasonable. Would force campaign stackers to log on to their alts.

UPrime · November 2018

People have been saying various aspects of ESO are doomed and dying since the game has been released in PC. Yet it has not happened and everything is going strong. There are always natural ups and downs and not all of it has to do with PvP for instance

Bergzorn · November 2018

UPrime wrote: »

everything is going strong

The PvP population has decreased trememdously over the last years and population imbalances during a large part of the day seem to be an issue in many campaigns. It defitinitely is on the two 'main' campaigns PC / EU for about two years now.

Just that ZOS is doing basically nothing about it doesn't mean it's fine.

usmguy1234 · November 2018

UPrime wrote: »

People have been saying various aspects of ESO are doomed and dying since the game has been released in PC. Yet it has not happened and everything is going strong. There are always natural ups and downs and not all of it has to do with PvP for instance

I've seen the natural ebb and flow of this game over my tenure on this game and this is not it... at least not on Xbox. PvP may never truly be 100% dead as long as this game exists but it's just a shadow of its former glory.

thankyourat · November 2018

usmguy1234 wrote: »

jaws343 wrote: »

Xbox Na Vivec is almost always pop-locked in primetime on all factions every day. Sure the queue to get in may be lower than normal, but the population is still locked.

It is if you play for ep.

But I don't think that's the case like right now AD has emp and the biggest Zerg in the campaign at the moment over a 24 hour period AD and EP will pretty much be even in numbers with both having a short period where they outnumber the other.

I do agree the PvP population has been dying but I don't think it's cause of population discrepancies. Populations are pretty balanced for the most part. Like right now it's about 45 AD vs 15 EP at BRK so AD has the numbers I actually think they have more players in Vivec than EP. I think PvP is dying for different reasons

usmguy1234 · November 2018

thankyourat wrote: »

usmguy1234 wrote: »

jaws343 wrote: »

Xbox Na Vivec is almost always pop-locked in primetime on all factions every day. Sure the queue to get in may be lower than normal, but the population is still locked.

It is if you play for ep.

But I don't think that's the case like right now AD has emp and the biggest Zerg in the campaign at the moment over a 24 hour period AD and EP will pretty much be even in numbers with both having a short period where they outnumber the other.

I do agree the PvP population has been dying but I don't think it's cause of population discrepancies. Populations are pretty balanced for the most part. Like right now it's about 45 AD vs 15 EP at BRK so AD has the numbers I actually think they have more players in Vivec than EP. I think PvP is dying for different reasons

Agreed. I may have needed to word my statements a little better. The population discrepancies are both a symptom and a cause of the population decrease in Cyrodiil. I look at it this way.... I've played this game on 6mb dsl for years... through the lighting bug debacle... through the loading screen farce. I never once turned away from this games issues because I always thought the fights were fairly even in the grand scheme of things. Now, I'm going days at a time without playing because I cannot stand being dog-piled by another alliance just because they can. There's no skill or strategy in the fights anymore... It's just who can put up numbers and who can't.

Lucky28 · November 2018

UPrime wrote: »

People have been saying various aspects of ESO are doomed and dying since the game has been released in PC. Yet it has not happened and everything is going strong. There are always natural ups and downs and not all of it has to do with PvP for instance

Everything is not going strong. the population has decreased dramatically from the time i started playing the game to Murkmire. there is nothing about the current state of the game that would suggest "ESO is going strong".

Sharee · November 2018

UPrime wrote: »

People have been saying various aspects of ESO are doomed and dying since the game has been released in PC. Yet it has not happened and everything is going strong. There are always natural ups and downs and not all of it has to do with PvP for instance

This thread is specifically about PvP.

Let me put it this way. The game has about 2 to 3 millions people actively playing it - yet i know most of those i see in cyrodiil by name. What does that tell you about the general popularity of PvP?

usmguy1234 · November 2018

Sharee wrote: »

UPrime wrote: »

People have been saying various aspects of ESO are doomed and dying since the game has been released in PC. Yet it has not happened and everything is going strong. There are always natural ups and downs and not all of it has to do with PvP for instance

This thread is specifically about PvP.

Let me put it this way. The game has about 2 to 3 millions people actively playing it - yet i know most of those i see in cyrodiil by name. What does that tell you about the general popularity of PvP?

Exactly. Just a year or two back I'd be lucky to see the same person twice... even in my own alliance. Now it's exactly as you describe.

Flame_of_Hades · November 2018

PC NA Sotha Sil has become less about the fighting and more about building a community with the people you see every day in the campaign... because they are the only people you get to fight....

That being said, AD still has alot of people I dont know, simply because its either 2 people on AD, or pop lock, so you don't see alot of names more than once while being run over.

montiferus · November 2018

Xbox NA

Population is by far the lowest I've seen. We have to work really hard to get fights now.

AD is running some crazy numbers lately. Got hit by a small group today at Alessia...

https://xboxdvr.com/gamer/montiferus/video/62951740

https://xboxdvr.com/gamer/montiferus/video/62951618

usmguy1234 · November 2018

montiferus wrote: »

Xbox NA

Population is by far the lowest I've seen. We have to work really hard to get fights now.

AD is running some crazy numbers lately. Got hit by a small group today at Alessia...

https://xboxdvr.com/gamer/montiferus/video/62951740

https://xboxdvr.com/gamer/montiferus/video/62951618

Thank you. I've noticed this as well. It's almost like a big guild is like just randomly swapping alliances and everything else is a pug. One day you'll have someone running groups and the next, chat will be spammed with lfgs.