The solo/small man scene is virtually non existent on Uthgard. It's already turned into an 8v8 playground. Running in a FG is fun, but can I realistically play the game with less than 8? No, the game is literally not worth playing unless you have a full group to run with, because you will repeatedly get zerged down.

Right after slow xp rates, i believe this to be the main reason behind the population decrease.

People log on, look for a group and try to form for 30-60 minutes, and if they can't get 8 of the right classes what do they do? They don't go to the frontier zone. They either play an alt or they log off. This happens all the time during NA time zone where a group just falls apart while trying to form because of not enough lvl 50s.

The amount of time it takes to get a proper 8man together and actually RvR is just too long. On Uthgard it's either 8man or nothing. And more and more people are choosing nothing. Solo/small manning isn't even an option on this server.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was some incentive to go out with less than 8 people? Or a designated zone where people could solo/small man and 8mans respected it? A place where you could just log on, throw together a small man in 5 minutes, and just play the game? We need something that incentivizes solo'ing and small manning.

Ideas:
1) Increase solo/small man RP gain calculation
2) Daily/Weekly solo kill tasks for small amount of RPs
3) Daily/Weekly supply run tasks evenly split between size of group

This is not a server/devs issue, it's a players issue - not enough ppl playing support classes for most dps to get a competent grp, be it 8man or small man. You can go out with 4-5 dps on caster speed, but realistically, how well is that going to go?

Frankly, it's been that way since day 1.

Evinac wrote:This is not a server/devs issue, it's a players issue - not enough ppl playing support classes for most dps to get a competent grp, be it 8man or small man. You can go out with 4-5 dps on caster speed, but realistically, how well is that going to go?

Frankly, it's been that way since day 1.

Do you not go out with 4-5 because you don't have the best speed class? Or do you not go out with 4-5 because you will rarely ever see anything less than 8? The answer is obvious, especially when you play NA time zone.

I did mention caster speed... but it's more about not having any heals or CC.

Evinac wrote:I did mention caster speed... but it's more about not having any heals or CC.

Ok so you already refuse to solo. You have to have support, cc, and heals, then your 4-5 dps...well there's your 8 man right there. Less than 8 isn't even an option for you. See what i'm saying? Or are you really trying to tell me you can't find 1 bard, 1 druid, and 1 dps and that's why there is no small man action on the server? If that's your excuse then how are there 8mans. Com'on now...let's get some real discussion here instead of this drivel.

You want solo/smallman? Just go out solo/smallman, other solo/smallman will have something to fight and stay solo/smallman so more people can find fights solo/smallman and so on. It is not a server or dev issue, if the playerbase want solo/smallman, they would find a way.

Grouping up just give you better odds to have the numbers advantage next inc (easy rp) and thats why most people dont run with small numbers or even go into zones with low pop with a full group. Hell, i even got rolled by 8mans in the early morning hours with 400 people online and i'm sure they dont expect to run into another fullgroup.

What i meant is if neither of the 4-5 ppl in the smallman can heal or cc and it's just 5dps (one of em likely a chanter for caster speed), that smallman is not gonna go very far beyond ganking greys/xp'ers/solos.

Ardri wrote: Or are you really trying to tell me you can't find 1 bard, 1 druid, and 1 dps and that's why there is no small man action on the server? If that's your excuse then how are there 8mans. Com'on now...let's get some real discussion here instead of this drivel.

That's exactly what I'm saying, or at least that's been my experience with pugs in hib. Majority of bards and druids would rather run fg+ than smallman and thus they get picked up by zerg or the said 8mans right away. Some grps in zergs have a hard time running 2 druids+bard, let alone a random smallman trying to form in dl.

Any players already playing support classes that are remotely interested in smallman already have ppl they would rather run with in such setting and rarely pug.

And that concludes the 2 cents worth of drivel from this individual in this thread, GL with your real discussion.

Evinac wrote:

Ardri wrote: Or are you really trying to tell me you can't find 1 bard, 1 druid, and 1 dps and that's why there is no small man action on the server? If that's your excuse then how are there 8mans. Com'on now...let's get some real discussion here instead of this drivel.

That's exactly what I'm saying, or at least that's been my experience with pugs in hib. Majority of bards and druids would rather run fg+ than smallman...

That's the point of the whole topic. You just agreed with me. People prefer to 8man rather than solo/small because there's no incentive to go out with less...not sure what all you're going on about.

in terms of it being "worth it": rp-wise, definitely not. Aside from simply being outnumbered very often (therefore more likely to die and not getting any rp at all) just look at the rp calculation:

If you win a 1vs1 (equal fight numbers wise), it nets you about 900 rp. Now compare that to winning an 8vs8 (equal fight too), which nets about 1,7k (+ rezz rp etc.). Small man is similar (not as bad as straight up soloing though)..


So, if the target is getting the most rp possiblec, it is quite obvious why less and less players choose to solo/small-men.


On the other hand, if you just wanna have a good time, run with 2 of your mates,enjoy yourself chances are ppl will do that no matter what. I've found Upp/Sauvage/Dodens etc. quite nice in this regard.

There's no incentive to go out as 8 either, its just more people that prefer 8v8 over solo/smallman.

Even as nospeed class i enjoy a casual solo run to amg in emain when there is no prime time, 2 of 3 times I get zerged down, but one third of these runs is really fun ,
Also, solo rvr in df can be a lot of fun, all you have to be, is being veeeery patient and also dont ragequit when you get zerged down.
...but it has always been like that(in classic that is).If at all different, solo action is even better here because of the high population, since you always meet SOMEBODY

There is solo/smallman action already, but not in primetime

Add port stones to Dun Crauchon, Bledmeer, Benowyc and the solo/small man game would really pick up

ZaiQQ wrote:There's no incentive to go out as 8 either, its just more people that prefer 8v8 over solo/smallman.

just see my argument above


more rp per equal kill, lesser chance to be outnumbered

burglekutt wrote:Add port stones to Dun Crauchon, Bledmeer, Benowyc and the solo/small man game would really pick up

sure lets bypass 75% of the RvR zones we have, that'll realy help

Turano wrote:

burglekutt wrote:Add port stones to Dun Crauchon, Bledmeer, Benowyc and the solo/small man game would really pick up

sure lets bypass 75% of the RvR zones we have, that'll realy help

rofl glad you agree with me, it would really help

75% of rvr zones are meant for people with red speed not a guy with hastener speed, a lot of solo people aren't even going to rvr because the run for hibs is totally bs compared to your realm that can afk into the main action zone after a few minutes, what a joke.

Btw Turano you afraid to fight my void eldy Ratboy 1 v 1? You totally chickened out on trying to kill me after your first failed gank so you attacked me when I was busy fighting a sorc and armsman 10 minutes later after I was just standing there waiting to fight you. Are you sure you are cut out to be an assassin?