What happened to the playerbase?

[Lange]

Hey all,

I recently came back to the mod after a few years, built a new gaming rig and was really excited to get back into PR. I'm happy to be in it again and some cool new content, however I have noticed the playerbase seems to have dropped down? It seems that there is generally only one close to full server most nights (HOG) and very few to no one in other servers. So based off that a little below 100 to 150 on at once. Even tonight on a Friday night sadly about the same except one other server had like less than 50.

This is a sad deal, because while we all know PR was never massively popular it had a decent playerbase for what it was. Used to be like average of 300-400 on at a given time.

Maybe I'm missing something here but I sure hope that its not that scarce nowdays. Especially that this mod has come so far and looks to still have active development that even the best is yet to come.

Any thoughts or anyone maybe fill me in some more on whats going on? Thanks much

[Mineral]

Hey all,

I recently came back to the mod after a few years, ....

perhaps time?

[Pronck]

Besides the game getting older and the playerbase some communities also imploded resulting in people leaving the PR community as a whole.

[PatrickLA_CA]

I think it's amazing that there is a steady playerbase nowadays. I mean, it's not much but there is always a server (EU or NA) to play on with an almost full cap and the game is really old, so yeah, expecting more would be unrealistic.

[Veterans-Gaming]

I was gonna say "time" but someone beat me to it.

The fact that there is more than one full server in a day for PR is a testament to the thought and gameplay design that went into PR over 15 years ago, and continued improving since then.

That's saying a lot, the competition is very shiny and new, and given the popularity of other free shooting games like Fortnite, it's actually more amazing that PR has managed to keep the player base that it has, and new players are still coming with many hanging around for the party.

Not bad, Project Reality. Not bad indeed.

[Rhino]

Cheers guys!

It should also be noted that many old players will most likely come back with big future releases such as vWW2 and vFrigate etc, as well as some new ones

[Wicca]

Cheers guys!

It should also be noted that many old players will most likely come back with big future releases such as vWW2 and vFrigate etc, as well as some new ones

Rhino, you are killing the player-base for not releasing the Frigate

Either way, new people join everyday, be nice to eachother and play with teamwork in mind always and we can keep those new people.

[Rabbit]

Rhino, you are killing the player-base for not releasing the Frigate

Either way, new people join everyday, be nice to eachother and play with teamwork in mind always and we can keep those new people.

The frigate is a lie.

[Rico]

For a game/mod this old its amazing how far it's gone. New games are always going to pull the player base in other directions as time passes.

It's amazing to look back when this all began back around the mid 2000's though. In fact, I just came across an interview I did with Requiem (the founder) back in 2004 about the vision for PR: https://web.archive.org/web/20041015080 ... ent&id=516

My brother (Hicks) still plays PR most days and its about time I installed it again. Squad and Post Scriptum has been getting most of my attention

[Filamu]

Cheers guys!

It should also be noted that many old players will most likely come back with big future releases such as vWW2 and vFrigate etc, as well as some new ones

400p right now, on a 14 year old mod, for a game that has had several new releases since. It is pretty amazing. There is a reason for it. Fantastic work on all parts of the mod, lots of good decisions, and much love put into it. Thats why some of us are still around.

[BidetOfTheDead]

I saw it mentioned a bit in some comments but I think the main reason people have moved off in the last few years (depending on exactly how long you mean by that) is the rise of other games that are "spiritual successors" to PR, whether they state it or not.

Squad (for all of its shortcomings) gave PR fans something else to do, Insurgency/Sandstorm/Day of Infamy, Post Scriptum, RO2 Vietnam, Hell Let Loose, etc....

I have not tried all of them, but I have tried a few, and none of them really scratch that itch the way PR does. But that doesn't mean other people weren't looking for different things.

[transpilot123]

You guys remember the last months of 0.98 ?
There weren’t much more players than now so let’s hope for 1.6 to get new and old players

[matty1053]

You guys remember the last months of 0.98 ?
There weren’t much more players than now so let’s hope for 1.6 to get new and old players

I remember that. It was like "dead", and then 1.0 came and the population was high.

Honestly, I think the population is decent now, considering the game is what... 14 years old? And most of the players (if not all) are experienced with hundreds of hours of play time.

I had this little discussion with my squad last night, about the population. I said it would be great if we had more server choices instead of the same one... but in return of the higher population, you would get 'less quality' gameplay. But this game is still my go to. Even if the population is ~50 players, it still is fun, and the gameplay is some of the best, if not the best. Nothing beats the gameplay.

[Rhino]

Hey Rico, long time no see!

It's amazing to look back when this all began back around the mid 2000's though. In fact, I just came across an interview I did with Requiem (the founder) back in 2004 about the vision for PR: https://web.archive.org/web/20041015080 ... ent&id=516

Not seen that one! Interesting to also see how far-sighted Req was with PR, other than mistaking that "PR wasn't for the masses" as it eventually turned out to be haha.

Shame that basically hardly any of the work those guys did before BF2's release wasn't useable. Think the only things we used was the Brit player modellers (which we eventually replaced with vBF2 ones) and the L86 (which we also replaced with a newer model later on) as it would have put PR far head of the game if they were!

[qs-racer]

Reason 1 :


Or

Reason 2 :


Or

Reason 3 :

[mries]

TBH, a playerbase of +/- 400 is absolutely nothing, a hooker on a Monday evening gets more customers.
Don't get me wrong, PR is absolute the best but in my opinion we shouldn't think that only +/- 1000 people in the world like realistic gaming and that we are some special breed.
Promotion is key, and maybe put more attention on that installation is easier than any mod (ISO) no BF2 required.
Stepping in is relatively easy.

But yeah on the other side, looking at myself I haven't played PR for a couple of months purely because of available time and the gaming time I do have I spend on easy going games like fifa & bf1 on a ps4.

So im quite the hypocrite myself... Maybe I even roam the streets on a monday night too, who knows..

[sweedensniiperr]

a hooker on a Monday evening gets more customers.

So NOW I know why we're losing players..

[selman]

i think this game need a gameplay from a big and known youtuber but the risk is that our beloved game will be full of trollers or 9 year olds.

[PatrickLA_CA]

And attention from EA with copyright slaps

[Veterans-Gaming]

Honestly, I think the population is decent now, considering the game is what... 14 years old? And most of the players (if not all) are experienced with hundreds of hours of play time.

...or several thousand hours of play time.

Some put in 4-8 hours a week (at least), most every week, for the past 8-10 years or so. You spend 3,000 hours in a game, you know it must be a very good game.