It's not fun to be VS on Waterson.

[Baneblade]

VS pop dropped almost almost 25% on average since the 'Mag nerf'. Before that it was constantly 35% or close to it.

[Falcon_br]

Yeah, last night I run with my outfit a 7 hours campaing on amerish to conquer it, from the warp gate alone to total conquest, since we already have esamir and people where throwing a party on eisa tech plant to hold the NC.
The VS was with 26% of the population, and I checked it because if this thread.
They got most of Indar with 34% of the pop, TR was near the gate.
They got half of Esamir also with 35% of the pop.
They abandon Amerish with only 4% of the pop.
So, you had the most pop in 2 of the 3 continents, you just had to abandon one of them!

Also, the 4% pop of Amerish where a squad of 8 scythes, shooting down every liberator we took out of the warpgate, and they where also defending/ressuply in the ascend.
I ask myself, the VS where attacking TR warpgate with NO TERRITORY on amerish.
Those where big lame bad manner pilot squad I even saw, they fly for frags only.

Also I found the biggest Liberator Gunner I ever met, he is:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/c...8040755185.php

[Badjuju]

Yea VS typically has 26%-28% world pop at any given time on Waterson, and are hurting on most other servers as well.

Here is the problem with getting new players to Join VS.

- Many players typically naturally go for either the good guys or bad guys. TR come off as the bad guys, the NC come off as the good guys, the VS are... i dont know, they are just purple and like science. (I would call them the true good guys personally.)

-If no predisposition there, they may go off of looks. Blue, yellow, eagles, and stars! I can dig it, looks like freedom. Red and black, yea ill look like a bad ass. Or, wow that is allot of purple and space Jesus is on a funny shaped cross.

-Many members of the FPS crowd like more modern warfare styles and military associations. TR are the most militaristic faction. The NC look the most like our modern military once camoed up, and they have an M1 Abram tank. The VS fight in yoga pants.

-Shooting ordnance vs pew pew lasers. So again, modern vs sci-fi. Ill admit shooting the prowler feels awesome while the mag just dosn't feel powerful. Thank god the Lancer got some gruff in its voice!

-Overall the NC and TR just look more bad ass than the VS right now from my perspective. Better armor designs and no fins on their helmets. Particularly if you look at the sci-fi helmets coming out. The VS helmet looks great and all, brings back some PS1 nostalgia, but it isn't going to win over any new comers when held next to the other two. Many don't like open faced helms either.

VS had the same population issues in PS1, which is why I joined the VS then. Many people however chose the faction which they think looks the most attractive, feels the most powerful, or wins the most (has the biggest pop already). I would say the VS is loosing in all these departments. Some of it is unavoidable such as the modern vs sci fie crowds but they could still get some help.

Server mergers probably wont help as very few servers have a VS pop larger than TR and NC. Incentives such as 1500 free certs or 50% xp/cert gain for a month when joining a faction which has had prolonged pop problems on a given server may help.

I personally think they could use some help in the aesthetics department. Use more silver like in Alpha pictures. Create more edgier, darker, alien, designs like the max concept. More armor less spandex. Less visors and more full helmets. They just need much more "baddasification" as aesthetics go a surprisingly long way when people choose a faction in an MMO. You simply don't feel like a bad ass when your fellow soldiers show up to fight in PJ's, Yoga Pants, and bike helmets.

Multiple characters on one server and the 4th faction dosn't help but they pretty much had no choice due to server transfers.

[shamE]

I'm not a fan of watersons current state either. You have the NC zerg consisting of DVS's awful players and their handful of hackers then VS who, on a good day have barely enough people to cap a tech lab, and TR who's numbers a decent enough but the majority of them are so stupid that I would be surprised if any of them could tie their own shoes much less play this game with any level of competence.

[Assist]

Originally Posted by Falcon_br

The VS was with 26% of the population, and I checked it because if this thread.
They got most of Indar with 34% of the pop, TR was near the gate.
They got half of Esamir also with 35% of the pop.
They abandon Amerish with only 4% of the pop.
So, you had the most pop in 2 of the 3 continents, you just had to abandon one of them!

Also, the 4% pop of Amerish where a squad of 8 scythes, shooting down every liberator we took out of the warpgate, and they where also defending/ressuply in the ascend.
I ask myself, the VS where attacking TR warpgate with NO TERRITORY on amerish.
Those where big lame bad manner pilot squad I even saw, they fly for frags only.

I think you're starting to see the problem. I doubt we had most pop on two continents as well, but as you said we would have to abandon one in order to capture one. Getting the VS off Indar isn't possible since the Jaeger merge. So the only continent to capture, since we only have the numbers for one, is Indar because so many outfits from Jaeger simply refuse to leave Indar.


As for the outfit on Amerish, every faction on Waterson seems to have a group that camps warpgates, it's what they enjoy for whatever reason. At least they were holding a territory at the Ascent, usually the TR/NC squads that camp our warpgate are just sitting in the middle of no where with 30 guys and no territory.

[Whiteagle]

Originally Posted by Badjuju

I personally think they could use some help in the aesthetics department. Use more silver like in Alpha pictures. Create more edgier, darker, alien, designs like the max concept. More armor less spandex. Less visors and more full helmets. They just need much more "baddasification" as aesthetics go a surprisingly long way when people choose a faction in an MMO. You simply don't feel like a bad ass when your fellow soldiers show up to fight in PJ's, Yoga Pants, and bike helmets.

This is probably the biggest issue, along with the Vanu's rather depressing representation personality wise...
The Empire Showdown certainly didn't help things despite your impressive showing in the actual in-game competition, being shafted with a completely uninitiated popular video game reviewer at the begining who not only had an outright comedic lack of experience but also made your faction look mentally disturbed in the promos...

Then you were probably hurt even MORE by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned's ousting in the middle of the Event, as his fanatic fanboys probably up and dropped the game then bad-mouthed Sony all over the Web.

...And no offence, but to be honest the guy you replaced him with was a little too dry...
Nice guy, but he made Seananners look a LOT more passionate in comparison.

I mean no disrespect to the Church of Luperza, but I think you guys might need a Cult Face with a more magnetic personality...

This, along with a more badass redesign, could be exactly what makes your faction the most popular...

...Especially if you pitch this overhaul as a "Purge" of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned's regime, then have you know who come back to help fuel the Schism with his fanboys.
Hell, you Barnies were fanatic enough to petition him out, imagine the bile he'll raise when he "tries" to "force" his way "back in"...

Originally Posted by shamE

I'm not a fan of watersons current state either. You have the NC zerg consisting of DVS's awful players and their handful of hackers then VS who, on a good day have barely enough people to cap a tech lab, and TR who's numbers a decent enough but the majority of them are so stupid that I would be surprised if any of them could tie their own shoes much less play this game with any level of competence.

Either stupid, or outright Trolling...

Seriously, you guys in the other factions, how many Spam Orders to Take the Crown on your side?
I ended up leaving my old Outfit because the fuckhead in charge prioritised it over holding an enemy's Amp Station.

Originally Posted by Assist

I think you're starting to see the problem. I doubt we had most pop on two continents as well, but as you said we would have to abandon one in order to capture one. Getting the VS off Indar isn't possible since the Jaeger merge. So the only continent to capture, since we only have the numbers for one, is Indar because so many outfits from Jaeger simply refuse to leave Indar.

If there is anything we can probably take away from this, it's that Indar probably IS the most balanced map for three-way fighting right now.

Now we just need enough two-way and wedge-gate Continents to get a proper Warpgate Network layed out, and plunk Indar right in the center.
...What's the Gate Layout for Hossin looking like?

[shamE]

Originally Posted by Whiteagle

Either stupid, or outright Trolling...

Seriously, you guys in the other factions, how many Spam Orders to Take the Crown on your side?
I ended up leaving my old Outfit because the fuckhead in charge prioritised it over holding an enemy's Amp Station.

Firstly, I am not trolling that is my observation of the current player base on waterson. I play TR and aside from NC we have the worst pubs on the server. VS is good I'll admit but they simply don't have the numbers and no large outfits that can herd the pubs.

[Palerion]

Yeah, Vanu pop is really low on Waterson for some reason. I hardly even notice the vanu, it seems like just NC vs TR.

[Whiteagle]

Originally Posted by shamE

Firstly, I am not trolling that is my observation of the current player base on waterson. I play TR and aside from NC we have the worst pubs on the server. VS is good I'll admit but they simply don't have the numbers and no large outfits that can herd the pubs.

No, I mean we have idiots trolling our Zerg and everyone else by giving order to retake the fucking Crown...

[Assist]

I don't think there's an outfit on VS that is the size of any of the large NC/TR outfits. VDRS possibly, but I doubt they're even the size of the 2nd largest on TR/NC.
After that though, there's probably no one even close to that size for VS. Where as the NC have DREV or PHX, and the TR have.. a lot. IDDI, TRAF, EGO, ODAM, V1C1, and now this new LG13..

I don't even know who would be considered next largest for VS? Maybe VHOT? LPRO? But they're probably not even the size of the next 10 in line for the TR/NC..

It really looks bad when you start thinking about outfit sizes lol

[Palerion]

Man all I can say is you guys need more people. Can't really think of something that would fix the problem though.

I doubt it's just that the vanu are simply "unattractive" as a faction. I actually strongly considered being one strictly for their low recoil, but had already made purchases and put in lots of time as a TR soldier.

[Rbstr]

Before, even though outnumbered, the VA managed to hold things together and be successful. The pop disparity has gotten a bit beyond that point now.

The real success of good coordination comes when you've got the randos backing you up. They can hold the line while the outfits sort of manage the battle in a smarter way. But once you get too outnumbered that falls apart.

If the zerg would be more willing to leave Indar things would go much better.
And You really can't cap Indar when it's even/max pop with three factions.

[Ghoest9]

Originally Posted by Palerion

I doubt it's just that the vanu are simply "unattractive" as a faction. I actually strongly considered being one strictly for their low recoil, but had already made purchases and put in lots of time as a TR soldier.

But your anecdote actually supports my position that they are superficially unattractive in general and only had higher pops because they were perceived(rightly or wrongly) as offering an advanatge to players.

Early on many people were playing Vanu because they did better or at least felt better with their weapons and many people did worse or at least felt worse with NC weapons - yet even then they only had balanced pops..

When the game is perceived as balanced they are a less popular faction.

NOTE: Its only takes like 15 or 20 percent or so of the total players to feel this way to shift the balance.

[Whiteagle]

Originally Posted by Assist

I don't think there's an outfit on VS that is the size of any of the large NC/TR outfits. VDRS possibly, but I doubt they're even the size of the 2nd largest on TR/NC.
After that though, there's probably no one even close to that size for VS. Where as the NC have DREV or PHX, and the TR have.. a lot. IDDI, TRAF, EGO, ODAM, V1C1, and now this new LG13..

I don't even know who would be considered next largest for VS? Maybe VHOT? LPRO? But they're probably not even the size of the next 10 in line for the TR/NC..

It really looks bad when you start thinking about outfit sizes lol

Well...
Purple Fluffy Attack Squad Of Doom [2EZ]-695
PURPLESAURUS REX [PREX]-580
Legions of Prometheus [LPRO]-521

...Legion XIII is actually the only one you named that ISN'T on this list...
They haven't broken 200 according to the stat page...

...But we still have TR Shock Infantry [MSWR]-446 and Feet FIrst Into Hell [BRUV]-480, plus the ones you did list all hover at around 800...

DigiRev [DREV] is actually beaten by a Phoenix Battalion [PHX], who have 1445 to DREV's 781.
Then you have EZ Company [EZC]-684 and NC United [NCUN]-471...

Top 5 Largest Outfits are:
1. DVS Gaming [DVS]-2127
2. Phoenix Battalion [PHX]-1445
3. Vanu Drop Squad [VDRS]-1097
4. The Crimson Dawn [V1C1]-1041
5. The Devil Dogs [IDDI]-960

Originally Posted by Palerion

Man all I can say is you guys need more people. Can't really think of something that would fix the problem though.

I'm telling you, SOE needs to fuel an artificial Scisim between the Tobuscites and the NuVanu!

[Palerion]

Originally Posted by Ghoest9

But your anecdote actually supports my position that they are superficially unattractive in general and only had higher pops because they were perceived(rightly or wrongly) as offering an advanatge to players.

Early on many people were playing Vanu because they did better or at least felt better with their weapons and many people did worse or at least felt worse with NC weapons - yet even then they only had balanced pops..

When the game is perceived as balanced they are a less popular faction.

NOTE: Its only takes like 15 or 20 percent or so of the total players to feel this way to shift the balance.

Well, I partially agree.

The real reason I would never consider joining them aside from their awesome weapons is they look retarded in purple tights.