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The State of the Game
The State of the Game
The State of the Game
I'm not in chat at all these days, and I tend to play in big batches once every few weeks rather than being around for an hour or two each day.  So I'm not very tuned in to how the Larkinor community is doing.  Having said that, it does look as though the community has dwindled down to almost nothing.  I get the impression there are maybe two dozen regular players these days.  Is there any truth to that?

I'd like to hear from the people who ENJOY the game and are STILL PLAYING.  The opinions of those who dislike the game or have already left don't really interest me on this topic.

Sandy

Two accounts - regular playing. Personally although chat is a bit quieter than normal, this may have been merely to avoid a player who FoD are unable to get rid of.

The toplists are ever shrinking though.
Two subscribed accounts. Playing every day, if time allows me. My impression is that there is definitelly less players in chat, maybe slightly less players in game compared to last year.
Two subbed accounts, and playing every day.  No intention of being run out, either.  But yes, chat is quieter these days.....
Well, I still have my 1 subbed account and try to keep my 3 chars clicks whittled down. I still enjoy the game and try to play a little bit each day. 

As far as ppl leaving, seems as though real life has intruded a bit, at least for some of the regulars in chat. Also, my feeling is that a large number of casual players have left out of boredom. (Larki isn't as 'exciting' as other MMORPG's) As far as serious players leaving and shrinking the top lists, I think it all comes back to the lack of updates/new content from FOD. When TA opened up, seemed like an improvement, but then it just turned into a major grind, especially since the reinforcements started moving around. I know other RPG's I have played have holiday events, contests, and other special things from time to time to keep things fresh and reward their continuing players. Anything we have like that in Larki seem to be initiated and run by the players themselves. Nothing wrong with players helping move the game along, but it would be nice if the owners that we pay to run the game would show a bit more involvement than they currently are.

Just my 2.5 cents worth!

dhargaman
I have three accounts and play whenever I can. Still enjoying the game, if I may say that - been playing 'seriously' for a bit more than a year and a half now.

In that period I've never seen more than 38 players logged in at the same time, even during the rejuvenation when clans were introduced. So things have been like this for some time.

Larkinor is essentially a MUD, can hardly be called a MMORPG. Veterans notwithstanding, what it needs is a reasonably constant influx of new players, and for those it may be appealing - with all the missions available to beginners, the total game universe is sizeable. Why is it not happening - I think it is because nobody knows about it. I have yet to see a link to it on other than native site and there are hardly any reviews on gaming portals.

Maybe robbers could testify whether the things are really slowing down.
I certainly don't play as much as I would like anymore, but that has to do with the real world, shift in lifestyle and priorities over the past year.  That said, I still enjoy the game, as evidenced by several thousand clicks and several billion exp on my main char this week.  The lack of updates is what still gets me after I can't even remember how many years now.

~Boo
I played Larki for a year and a half about five years ago.  I quit then because it just got monotonous.  I restarted around Christmas and got a subscription this time.  But I'm starting to grow a little bored again.  I still log on once or twice a week but there has been a little less motivation of late.
I think Dhargaman makes an excellent point about shaking things up a little.  My first time in Larki they had recently done whatever it was that awarded the diamond shovel.  Something like that occasionally would be nice.  And a little more advertizing effort from FOD wouldn't hurt to bring new people in.
Once you get through most or all of the missions the game just runs out of things to play for.  And for those who go to TA the size of the task is so vast I think some people find it overwhelming.
I still go to TA, but more out of a sense of duty to my clan than from any real interest in it.
As far as chat, I rarely ever went in it, but the last few times I didi I was either the only one in there, or there was 1 other person and any attempts to start a conversation were ignored.  
I'm still really enjoying the game, although the splatting does get rather lonely and tedious sometimes. 

I've also only been playing seriously for about 2 years, so I don't really have the fatigue yet. Clans have been great, and the reinforcements do make things interesting, but I can also see how those who've been playing for 5+ years could get a little bored. 

I am making more of an effort to get into chat though, but often there aren't any people in, although it's probably a combination of fewer players, and my time zone.
I play the game whenever I'm not working on something of more importance or on vacation. I started the game about 3 years ago, but have only played seriously and got into the game about a year ago. I haven't subbed because i don't even have enough time to get through all the clicks of four of my characters. 

The top list has gone down to a bare minimum. My goal was always to get on the top 100 conquest which took about 12000. Now it's only 3000 which is SAD! Having said that, my motivation is slowly wearing down, but I still want to be here when the TA is cleared and that is my new goal!

-PMF 
Make it top 10 and your motivatio will be back. :-)
>As far as serious players leaving and shrinking the top lists, I think it all comes back to the lack of updates/new content from FOD. When TA opened up, seemed like an improvement, but then it just turned into a major grind, especially since the reinforcements started moving around. I know other RPG's I have played have holiday events, contests, and other special things from time to time to keep things fresh and reward their continuing players.


Bingo.
I am also a serious player but newer then most in here. No matter how long i am on i always go into chat. Chat has not moved much since ive got here but as i here from most it is much lower. And from the people that are on are the same. I play as often as i can.
I went to chat last night and there were more people in chat than I could say "hi" to name by name. Maybe it's coming back?
Mmmm... I now only stop in to play once in a great while-- to echo the others, without new features, the game has gotten downright boring. The only fun parts for me are to try to get to the top of various odd toplists such as clone's won battles (-invincible-) or famepoints (Ma1ikar). Does anyone have any idea on the actual numbers that play daily today vs. a couple years ago?
I can guarantee you the amount of people that played daily circa 2006 was far larger than the handful that play regularly today.
Of course FOD would never listen to me, but I think they should combine larki membership with membership to their other games. That would keep more veteran players around after they don't want to play larkinor all the time anymore.
well after a very long absence I have returned. I resubbed again a little older calmer and not quite who i was before I play off and on A few thousand clicks at a time then pause but it is nice to be back
An interesting, and IMHO very useful topic on scanning the community. Nice move, Sandy! And, before I say even a word more, I would like to say a huge thank you in the name of any and all larkinorean players for maintaining your position as the backbone and fundamental element of this fragile community. If it weren't for your organising and dedication (larkiguide may be the most visible aspect, but by far not the only one), there would be even less players left.

I have only very recently returned, after a year and a half of total abscentness. Appearantly, my arrival was just in the nick of time, in terms of character survival. Despite losing, among others, all 100 of my market chars on 25 accounts, and a couple of other secondary-purpose-accs...the core of my fleet: two accounts giving home to my flagship characters and diggers are still intact.

It took a couple of days before I even dared to post on the forum, and a bit longer still to be certain of my intentions as a returning player. Now, realising that this is not a nostalgic occurance, but rather a serious and motivated choice, I dare say: I'm back. 

There were two reasons for my "vanishing act overnight", a year and a half ago. One of these is a specific matter of discontent that I would not like to discuss in public (but nonetheless and naturally bound closely to the game). The other reason however was being recruited to another game by a former larkinorean citizen. In a not-too-long period, I left that game (which turned out to be nothing more than a money-hungry-crazy of the creator company), only to move on to WOW. Now, I know it is against FOD regulations to advertize other online games, but I dared to state the name because of the very reason that I do _NOT_ intend to advertize it. Shortly, after nearly a year of constant gameplay, I simply got bored of it, and kept realizing ever-more that despite so many good features of it, it was missing a few things. Characters there are all results of mindless droid-levelling, and even if you hit the highest level, you can keep doing most of your routine actions while nearly(or actually) sleeping. It just got boring.

Here, there's a huge difference. To make a truely good character you need (probably) years of experience, exploration, research and constant focus. Even in the most routine actions such as splatting: if you daze off for a moment: you die. Miscalculate the damage of your opponent's second-to-last hit: you die. Accidentally not clicking on a regenerating option and entering battle: you die. I really missed the sensation of actually using your brain(remnants) while playing, and the whole atmosphere of the game. 

All in all, I know ther are only few that return after such long leaves, but I am certainly one of them. And as far as I could see just in the past few days of my reactivated clicking, quite a few Veterans have raked up their weapons...shields...crowbars(wb C:D)...etc for some rekindled action on the field.;) It is good to be back.
Welcome back!  It is so very good to have you return!
Characters there are all results of mindless droid-levelling.


Ummm, you said you had diggers, didn't you?  :)

Welcome back!

-B
Welcome back!

If you feel like splatting (a little less mindless than digging :) ) you're welcome to join the latest splatting competition, we need all the help we can get!
Thank you all for the welcoming!:D It really feels good!:D

Beavis: ummm, errr..actually...the way it waaaaaas...uhh...x"DDD Okay, I confess x"DDD

Mombassa: sounds great!:) I just got my other mage out today to revize the slow-hitter tactics a bit.:) She still has quite some clicks on her, and as for me, I've got a lot of time up my sleeve:D I'll need a few hours of sleep first, and a bit of research on what exactly this new splatting game is, but as soon as I have adequate information, I'll kick on those dusty afterburners:D


nick really good to see you again
been so long
miss you all :)
Heyas Jess!:D Long time!:D I haven't seen you around until this post-I was worried you were gone...:(

And I'm serious...

There were quite a few Vets I expected to see in chat, but I realized that things changed for others too, not just me in their lives...Chat's as empty as a Zeus-temple nowadays lol...:( How are you?:)
I ve been good,very busy studying as my exams are soon:s
And i know how you feel:( I havent played much as theres no one to chat with and its what made the game for me mostly!
But you comming back is a good start of the larki revival:D
Good to see you :)

Hi guys :)

I've played this game in stages over the years, breaks here and there when it became to monotonous and repetitive.

I came back for a few months in the past year and found that even the introduction of clans didn't boost player numbers to the levels of several years ago, maybe due to the lack of regular updates and interest FOD have in the game?

If I could, I would play regularly, but uni means that I don't have the time, it is however the holidays now! So you may see me around :)
Good to hear all's going well, Jess - and I wish you the best of luck with the exams!:) This winter, in my case, is the first occasion in the past 5 years that I'm free of studies - Uni was completed during summer - finally, lol.:) Now I moved to the capital and life's going well for us, lol:) Hope to see you around soon!:D Indeed, I too am looking forward to many players, old and new, to start or recommence action:D

Will, good to see you back too!:D I personally think it was a major incentive of FOD what happened here.:) The only problem was the echo - too few players were around at the time being to spread the word and summon the vets back to arms or use the arisen opportunities to recruit a few potential big guns:S But only time can tell...
As for game advancement measures, I plan on contacting FOD soon with a proposal, but I still consider my return far to fresh to make any viable suggestion. I'll do my best, though.;) Get a few-10k clicks more into the database, be around for another few weeks on a stable basis, and the time will come.:) Until then, let's dust off those old chars and check if their afterburners can roar up again!:D
I'm not sure what it was. I mean, I played this game like an addict for the longest. After a while though, it just seemed like it was the same thing, day in, day out. Get online, kill a couple hundred monsters on TA, sign out. That got old fairly fast. I do still pop in every once in a while, though this being my first forum post in close to two years doesn't seem to support that. Something about this game though, the appeal is incredible at first and lasts a long time. When it fades though, it fades fast, as you can tell.

Or that could just be me. Things have a habit of being related only to me.