One simple psychology trick to increase concurrent active player count

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A long time ago, when purge timers wouldn’t decrease and kept racking up over time, I was quite active on CE, not necessarily because I wanted to, but because I had to. I cared for my stuff that much.

Played daily between 6-11 PM (purge window), and so did everyone else. Global chat was alive. People would go “OMG I got an impending purge!” (if it’s a beast purge) and people would either flock to the rescue, or someone would keep silent so they got dibs on purge crafters (if it were a human purge). The game was so alive.

Even though I did not enjoy this forced chore, I did find myself actually enjoying PvE more, because it gave PvE a sense of impending danger, for which you need to build defenses for, if by any chance you can’t be there one day between 6-11.

It also gave you a grim satisfaction watching other people’s bases get trashed. “If your not dedicated enough, then get wrecked. This is about survival.” comes into mind… except this phrase also applies to the current state of things in the vein of “If you don’t log on once every 7 days and do a timer-refresh you lose your shyte” but… that isn’t fun, or conducive to any meaningful gameplay in the long run.

Whereas having the danger of purges regardless of activity gives official PvE a certain purpose. A certain gameplay beyond capturing rare thralls and having territory bytch fests with immature megalomaniacs.

It stands to argue that decreasing purge timers based on (the lack of) activity is more respectful to players time… which actually translates to respecting players decision to play other games while holding territory on official PvE servers. It stands to reason that people with jobs have no business playing (or won’t be enjoying) a cold competitive time consuming multiplayer environment, where time itself is a strategic resource. Some may argue that some people play CE PvE to chillax… but the reality is there is always a local idiot who raises everyone’s blood pressure, no matter how chill one wants the official PvE server to be. Might as well have purges be a release for the high blood pressure.

I believe time-based accumulative purge timers would make the game more frustratingly interesting, than frustratingly boring.

It might not be a popular move, but I know I had alot more fun when i had to defend my things, as opposed to now, where I need only log on once a week, and i’m off the hook.

I keep CE on my HD and maintain my PvE base not because it’s fun, but because i’m a habitual preservationist. To me an official PvE server is a garden of memories.

I’d like to have some fun preserving things, not just out of habit.

In the end it’s really not up to me, but you know it’s true. Fun works that way.
Stress & Release, vs. Distress.

Purges are the perfect stress & release because it comes in waves.

The uncertainty of purges as akin to the uncertainly in PvP, where you feel vulnerable at all times.

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I am in the same boat… i usaly only log on to reset my stuff because i have no real need or drive anymore to get stuff as nothing will happen. Then again was about the same time they got rid of topless crafters also so could just be a coincidence

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I have only ever lost a single brazier to a purge so i can’t complain about getting them…

i’m not a terribly active player myself… what with real life and all… but I hate the purge timer decay as I usually cannot get it above a quarter before I have to log off for the night… a night that resets it completely… please remove the Purge decay Funcom lol… 2 purges in 300+ hours of gameplay is just… why?..

if it just circled the purge spawning areas and showed the pathing the purge will (most likely) take… that would be awesome… and removed the purge decay…

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Usaly what i have found is that the purge will try to head straight to where you placed your 1st bed at that base. I could be wrong but that’s what i have found my purges always trying to do

I avoid purges and will swap from PC to PS4 when the meter starts creeping up there. I can’t be online to cover my bases when the purge is active, and I don’t want to spam thralls to protect all 5 of my bases in case I’m not. If the Purge were triggerable after you reach the threshold, I would use the mechanic rather than avoid it.

I think the Purge as implemented leads to unfortunate side effects, including massive thrall and pet spam. I think they should focus on the Purge for the sake of the Purge, and address building spam through other means.

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I feel like that’s the fairest solution of them all.

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Totally agree.
I’m only logging on ATM to refresh as I can slay the map 10 times and build a replica of sepers and it’s still not enough to get a purge.
Then if I miss a day, the half bar disappears.

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I agree. Even on PVP, some of the most fun we have had as a clan is devieating mid war to clear a purge from the base that marked.

I would love it to be resource driven for amount of waves, not necessarily op difference, but more of hey, they have a lot of stuff and are the biggest clan on server.

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Just butting in to say that the title of this post reads like one of those Facebook ads where it goes “and Doctors hate it” at the end (without explaining why on Earth doctors would hate it). So in that vein, I propose that this post has a sub-title of “and developers hate it”.

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