We lost 70% of our player base half a year in

[DixieBellOCE]

Funny, when did Endwalker release..hmmm December 2021..I'm sure that's purely coincidental, right?

Nice try OP at fanning the flames of hysteria.

If anything it does prove that player retention over time is very low.

They could combat this by adding more endgame content, but any mention of this and the community goes into full white knight mode saying the game is perfect.. but the stats dont lie, if it was perfect players wouldnt leave after a raid tier finishes.

[Striker44]

If anything it does prove that player retention over time is very low.

They could combat this by adding more endgame content, but any mention of this and the community goes into full white knight mode saying the game is perfect.. but the stats dont lie, if it was perfect players wouldnt leave after a raid tier finishes.

No, the only thing it proves is that retention among Steam players (which is a very small portion of the playerbase and likely to have other interests and profiles than those who play on console or use the SE launcher) follows typical MMO patterns. And even there, the majority of the "drops" have been under 10%. Go in-game and you see a thriving population and realize Steam clashes with reality.

Also, I can't think of a single person who has ever said the game is perfect. Way to set up a straw man when you know you have no actual argument.

[Stormpeaks]

No, the only thing it proves is that retention among Steam players (which is a very small portion of the playerbase and likely to have other interests and profiles than those who play on console or use the SE launcher) follows typical MMO patterns. And even there, the majority of the "drops" have been under 10%. Go in-game and you see a thriving population and realize Steam clashes with reality.

Also, I can't think of a single person who has ever said the game is perfect. Way to set up a straw man when you know you have no actual argument.

How is coping going for you ? The game isnt "thriving", and no matter how much you and the other few keep trying to deny it, steam charts are a very good sample, the only way it wouldnt be a good sample is if you can provide evidence that people playing on standalone and consoles have entirely different activities in the game, which they dont, everyone does a bit of everything in this game. The fact you cant prove that makes the sample from steamcharts valid.

[DixieBellOCE]

How is coping going for you ? The game isnt "thriving", and no matter how much you and the other few keep trying to deny it, steam charts are a very good sample, the only way it wouldnt be a good sample is if you can provide evidence that people playing on standalone and consoles have entirely different activities in the game, which they dont, everyone does a bit of everything in this game. The fact you cant prove that makes the sample from steamcharts valid.

Just link this person the luckybancho census data, that's enough proof of total population drop caused by lack of player retention between patches.
All data is derived straight from the Lodestone, so its as accurate as anyone can get.

[DPZ2]

Just link this person the luckybancho census data, that's enough proof of total population drop caused by lack of player retention between patches.
All data is derived straight from the Lodestone, so its as accurate as anyone can get.

Census data from Lodestone is not "proof of total population drop caused by ..." anything. They have no means to determine the reason the numbers are what they are. They're just data.

You are free to decide in your own mind the "why" for the data points, but never mistake your own beliefs for actual fact here.

[DixieBellOCE]

Census data from Lodestone is not "proof of total population drop caused by ..." anything. They have no means to determine the reason the numbers are what they are. They're just data.

You are free to decide in your own mind the "why" for the data points, but never mistake your own beliefs for actual fact here.

Yet the data shows spikes that coincide with patch releases, then drastic declines for the following months leading upto the next patch release.

It doesn't take many braincells to work out that the game hemorrhages players after every single patch release, people return, smash out the 2 days of content that is supposed to last 4-6 months, then unsub.

[DPZ2]

Yet the data shows spikes that coincide with patch releases, then drastic declines for the following months leading upto the next patch release.
.

Yes. It certainly does coincide with patch releases. I even wrote that very same point in a prior post.

Your opinion, is that "the game hemorrhages players after every single patch release". That opinion is not based on any data, because the data provided does not speak of motivation, or the current status of any given players subscription.

My point is that your opinion is not fact.