New Play-Test Server Survey Results

[lordkator]

The team decided to run an in-game survey about launching a new fresh server in response to community discussions.

The survey ran from 12/04 to 12/11, the answers randomized in position, and we tested many macros to ensure they couldn't "accidentally" vote.

In-game, the survey looked like this:



The raw results of the survey are:

Votes	%	Answer
382	36%	I'd play on Basilisk and the new server.
261	25%	I'd play only on the new server.
193	18%	Not sure what I'd do.
159	15%	I'd only play on Basilisk.
48	4%	Don't care.
1043	100%	TOTAL

But of course, everyone like's to see more data:

+-------+-----------+---------+
| Voted | Abstained | % Voted |
+-------+-----------+---------+
|  1043 |        16 |      98 |
+-------+-----------+---------+

And here's a breakdown by days played on Basilisk this year:

+------------------+------+-----------------+----------+---------------+-----------+----------+----------------+
| days_played_2021 | both | only_new_server | not_sure | only_basilisk | dont_care | avg_days | avg_hrs_played |
+------------------+------+-----------------+----------+---------------+-----------+----------+----------------+
| 0-29             |   18 |              22 |       12 |             5 |         7 |        5 |             30 |
| 30-59            |   23 |               9 |       11 |             5 |         0 |       26 |            190 |
| 60-89            |   14 |               7 |       11 |            12 |         2 |       61 |            723 |
| 90-119           |   12 |               9 |        5 |             2 |         3 |       89 |            844 |
| 120-149          |    9 |               7 |        6 |             5 |         0 |      120 |           1058 |
| 150-179          |   11 |               2 |        5 |             8 |         1 |      149 |           2269 |
| 180-209          |   12 |               7 |        6 |             3 |         0 |      181 |           1409 |
| 210-239          |    7 |               9 |        5 |             3 |         0 |      213 |           1481 |
| 240-269          |   11 |              13 |       11 |             6 |         0 |      239 |           1974 |
| 270-299          |   18 |              15 |        3 |             5 |         2 |      269 |           1826 |
| 300-329          |   28 |              20 |        8 |             8 |         3 |      301 |           1216 |
| 330-359          |  198 |              92 |      100 |            93 |        22 |      339 |           3918 |
+------------------+------+-----------------+----------+---------------+-----------+----------+----------------+
| TOTAL            |  382 |             261 |      193 |           159 |        48 |      228 |           2354 |
+------------------+------+-----------------+----------+---------------+-----------+----------+----------------+
NOTE 1: avg_days is calendar time, avg_hrs_played is based on login-logout times (session time)
NOTE 2: Columns don't add perfectly due to how they were bucketed, the actual total is used here for comparison.

I already hear the visual learners saying, "But I want pretty charts!"

Here's what voting looked like over time:



Here are the votes per day:



An area chart:



And for the holidays, everyone loves pie!



Given the above, we've decided to move forward with a new empty server; check out the detailed Q&A here: Q & A for Survey/New Server

We're very excited to engage the community in this way. We've always planned to be more interactive with the community as we near the 1.0 milestone.

This is the first in many steps we see to keep the dialog going while we also pound away at the code and testing needed to move us ever forward!

PS: Before you ask, we validated the data, only one vote per account even if you saw the dialog box multiple times, and we checked for things like ballot stuffing from the same range of IPs. And as you can see above, we also looked at how many people "just dropped by to vote" vs. the "active" player base on Basilisk!

[WohenForgotHisPassword]

I really appreciated seeing the totals, especially broken down by "days_played_2021". Thank you.

[Draelock]

Thank you!

[Praxi34]

thank you LK for the breakdown....really interesting especially around the days played!

[Tyrenio]

Anyone else not have permissions to the Q&A link?

Very exciting stuff!

edit: found the link

[neutrineaux]

Very nice!

While I voted to play on both, since I had no idea what the starting constraints on the new server might entail, with this setup I will mostly play on Finalizer. My wishy-washiness may not be typical, and I am not sure another poll would be needed. The use stats after launch will tell the tale.

[RecksRacer]

You should have given the additional server details that you listed on the main page BEFORE the survey. it wouldve changed the results im sure.

[jmx]

You should have given the additional server details that you listed on the main page BEFORE the survey. it wouldve changed the results im sure.

people can vote with thier play time and not log into the new server then. SWGEMU has given you the choice. people can remain on basilisk if they wish

[Katsa]

people can vote with thier play time and not log into the new server then. SWGEMU has given you the choice. people can remain on basilisk if they wish

I think the point is that people may prefer certain changes not be made, whilst still getting a fresh server.

Or at the very least, a vote for what changes be implemented rather than bending to a small vocal groups desires.

Regardless of what changes happen, you'll never please everyone so I guess it's just a rock and a hard place scenario.

[neutrineaux]

I was figuring more people might have voted for 100% Finalizer.

[jmx]

I think the point is that people may prefer certain changes not be made, whilst still getting a fresh server.

Or at the very least, a vote for what changes be implemented rather than bending to a small vocal groups desires.

Regardless of what changes happen, you'll never please everyone so I guess it's just a rock and a hard place scenario.

the new server is a reversion back to the pure times of pre cu. None of this adk nonsense that was added just ebfore the CU. there is nothing controversial .

[Pyjri]

I was figuring more people might have voted for 100% Finalizer.

Same. I've been a lurker for a long time and not a dedicated player, so I also knew I would be in the minority slightly. I think in theory I would've said a new server wouldn't make much of a difference to me, but seeing it come up on an in-game survey made me care a bit more about the outcome than I had originally anticipated.

[Farelli]

We didn't bend to the will of any group, whether they be vocal, non-vocal, majority, or minority.

We look at all suggestions, consider the impact of the changes on things from a comprehensive level, and then make decisions as a team.

We will please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.

[TWGeiger]

Wow that was extensive, thanks homies!!

[Katsa]

We didn't bend to the will of any group, whether they be vocal, non-vocal, majority, or minority.

We look at all suggestions, consider the impact of the changes on things from a comprehensive level, and then make decisions as a team.

We will please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.

8% of the registered accounts visit the forums. Isn't that the statistic that the decision to do an in game vote was based off? Am I missing where the rest of the suggestions came from?

Perhaps and in game vote on the new server (when launched) to get a more accurate representation for the desired/required changes would offer a more balanced result?

Personally, I can live without and ADK, and certainly without multiples, but I can also see the case for allowing at least one locked per account, preferably able to be equipped by either character. Admittedly facilitating this could be tricky.

I can't remember when these were implemented into Live, however I assume it was pre 14.1 otherwise they never would have been introduced on Basilisk, so removing them entirely (or at least potentially at this stage) seems a strange way to go.