Yes, that is true. They can do server merges, but it will be difficult with the Loot Generated items. If I played still, I would not be happy to loose everything that took me years to build and make. It will also cause problems with the housing. Turbine would be a non-existing company without Asheron's Call. AC was their big hit game. Without Asheron's Call, Turbine may have not created LOTR or D&D. Asheron's Call was their main source of money(Still is)...


Going back to 'Loot Generated System'.. Yes they can do server merges, but that would ruin the Loot Generated System, even tho they cant bypass the already existing items. It would just destroy the items, (besides quest related items) and I don't think people would be happy loosing everything. Also with merging the servers, would create another obstacle for the team, housing. It would over populate 'Dereth' with housing, portals to the settlements. Main dereth holds housing, non on the 'new' content land. (besides the lone villa island? I think)

 

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Not true, Turbine is a small company compared to Blizzard, NCSoft, Cryptic Studios, Microsoft.

For a game to be a success (under a small database) is to have a minimum Sub base of 1000+ before the game gets its plug pulled. Even tho, you don't see many people online is probably because different hours, or limited time to play. On that small database, they are making enough profit to keep the game going. They wont use profit from their other games, its kinda retarded to use profit from one game to keep another one up... They could use that profit to expand that game to keep the players. As someone mention, they don't care about AC. If they didn't, they would've pulled the plug long time ago. The game is holding its own weight on its own money.

 

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The base number of subscribers would depend on the company overhead, so 1000 base is just a number you are throwing out. You have no idea what the company overhead for AC is. Even with that number you are saying that a company can survive on an income of 120k a year which would only pay 3-4 staff salaries. Obviously, AC has more staff than than because I know of at least 7 off the top of my head. On top of that you have to include support staff, NOC charges, operations, etc... On Wintersebb the average user count is about 100 users online. On DT the number sits around 300. I don't need to do the math from here because the subscription fees still do not add up to what it would cost to run AC. Of course not all are online at the same time, but even if its only 20% online that still wouldn't add up to the amount needed to keep AC running.

 

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I would guess that there are a lot of people that really don't play much anymore but still pay the sub fee. I know a few people that do that, why? Not really sure they just do.

I know that AC would not be running still if they weren't making money, I know they aren't making money like Aion, WoW, or Everquest II is. But they have to still be making money, if they weren't they would of pulled the plug by now.

If it wasn't for the other games supporting AC I don't see how they could be making money. Like I said, I think its all just so they can say they still have the longest running paid mmo.

 

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Maybe. The funny thing AC in it's day wasn't successful because of Turbine, but because of Microsoft. Turbine never ran it as good as Microsoft did.

If they are keeping it around just because of that we'll they have to out live DAOC and EQ1 which just put out another expansion.

Oh yeah... look on the bright side this board hasn't been this active for months.

I play AC, as do 5 of my kids. 4 play mainly on this server.

I've tried the rest, and have come back to the best.

 

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There is a strong possibility that I will be returning to WE this week with the April update.

There is a strong possibility that I will download the free trial just to aggravate Xen until it expires.

 

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There is a strong possibility that if you were to actually do that, I would be so happy that no amount of effort would enable you to annoy me.