"New Blood" is basically how things don't stagnant in general, in video games or in real life. Countries grow and change based on the younger generation becoming the older generation and lots of countries are worried over their low birth rates that will eventually lead to a stagnation and a dead end stop on growth unless they do something.
Same is true for MMO servers really. It's not bad now, we're only seeing a little bit of stopping due to the server being shut down for six months, but Balmung is 100% relying on people to never quit the game, never stop doing content on the server and never stop RPing. For arguments sake, a lot of RPers could just, I dunno, get bored of RPing one day and there would be no "New Blood" to come in from behind with their eagerness for RP to fill in the hole left by ex-RPers. As people quit (And people will quit, the game is on it's 4th year) there's no new people to take their place, to keep the communities alive and vibrant. Right now, we're all comfortable. One wouldn't notice a change at all if they aren't looking or, more likely, their circle hasn't really gotten any smaller.
But 100% relying on the old guard to stick around because the new guard aren't allowed to play has already had an impact on the server. Not a terrible one, mind. It's small things. FC recruitment has slowed, people have to make more of an effort to combine already established circles (Which could be a good thing in the end), there's this weird ouroboros of rumors of the same people because no one new is coming in to make people stop caring about them.
Not that I disagree with the idea of locking the server. I thought, and still think, it was necessary. However, I do think at this point, 6 months in, that SE needs to be looking at other options. Everyone who wanted to leave has left, and the server is still locked. It's time to split the server imo.
For me personally, it's actually frustrated people from outside the server can't come to play yet. My guild had to roll an alt guild on a different server for people who want to play with us but can't. Luckily people had no problem rolling an alt to hang with those people but it's still annoying.
Same is true for MMO servers really. It's not bad now, we're only seeing a little bit of stopping due to the server being shut down for six months, but Balmung is 100% relying on people to never quit the game, never stop doing content on the server and never stop RPing. For arguments sake, a lot of RPers could just, I dunno, get bored of RPing one day and there would be no "New Blood" to come in from behind with their eagerness for RP to fill in the hole left by ex-RPers. As people quit (And people will quit, the game is on it's 4th year) there's no new people to take their place, to keep the communities alive and vibrant. Right now, we're all comfortable. One wouldn't notice a change at all if they aren't looking or, more likely, their circle hasn't really gotten any smaller.
But 100% relying on the old guard to stick around because the new guard aren't allowed to play has already had an impact on the server. Not a terrible one, mind. It's small things. FC recruitment has slowed, people have to make more of an effort to combine already established circles (Which could be a good thing in the end), there's this weird ouroboros of rumors of the same people because no one new is coming in to make people stop caring about them.
Not that I disagree with the idea of locking the server. I thought, and still think, it was necessary. However, I do think at this point, 6 months in, that SE needs to be looking at other options. Everyone who wanted to leave has left, and the server is still locked. It's time to split the server imo.
For me personally, it's actually frustrated people from outside the server can't come to play yet. My guild had to roll an alt guild on a different server for people who want to play with us but can't. Luckily people had no problem rolling an alt to hang with those people but it's still annoying.