After having just returned after quite some time away I've noticed a lack of new players and obviously the hit from uoforever launching. The proposed relic/talisman changes are only going to create a larger gap between new/casual players and the large donators and long time veterans. On the topic of the proposed changes I would not have known about them if my guild mates had not started discussing them in open chat. Things get lost in discord all the time and aren't even pinned. I only rarely visit the forums and while that is on me, I feel like an in game notification on login with a link to the appropriate forum post would be a great way to notify people of upcoming changes. If notifications are provided for when a streamer goes live they should be provided for changes of this magnitude.
Just doing more to engage the population would go a long way to offering casual players something to look forward too and enticing new people to stick around.
Lord British and Lord Blackthorne are absent from this setting for obvious reasons. One of my fondest memories of classic UO was siding with one or the other and defending that choice based on my characters beliefs. I know staffing and costs are always an issue, maybe have a contest where players create a new antagonist and protagonist and write lore surrounding them or again find some volunteer writers. Expand this lore to cover the custom dungeons like asylum and the RDA'S.
Automated mini invasions are great and all, but what if we had more frequent GM run town invasions with the GM roleplaying the boss? I think that would be really engaging, you're fighting a boss that's responding to what's happening around it. Making comments and calling out players doing high damage. Summoning monsters in weak spots to cover it's flanks etc. and tie these bosses into the proposed lore item above to give the world life and a story. Get some volunteer staff to help I would love to run events like that and I'm sure quite a few others would as well.
How about siege events where you have to work together to break into a fortified castle and subdue a tyrant? (again tie this into the lore expansion) use the cannons from ships put them on wheels and you've got a bombard for breaking walls.
Adding more things that aren't as combat oriented to create variety and allow players who maybe are not as confident in their combat skills or prefer crafting/roleplaying over smacking things in the face with a sword yet again. Something like scavenger hunts and puzzles, maybe add some quest lines with cosmetic and/or house deco rewards that are based on exploration and gathering. Have those quests rotate out on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to keep things fresh.
Create a stronger community by engaging that community and you'll have something more resilient and something people are proud to bring their friends too.
Just doing more to engage the population would go a long way to offering casual players something to look forward too and enticing new people to stick around.
Lord British and Lord Blackthorne are absent from this setting for obvious reasons. One of my fondest memories of classic UO was siding with one or the other and defending that choice based on my characters beliefs. I know staffing and costs are always an issue, maybe have a contest where players create a new antagonist and protagonist and write lore surrounding them or again find some volunteer writers. Expand this lore to cover the custom dungeons like asylum and the RDA'S.
Automated mini invasions are great and all, but what if we had more frequent GM run town invasions with the GM roleplaying the boss? I think that would be really engaging, you're fighting a boss that's responding to what's happening around it. Making comments and calling out players doing high damage. Summoning monsters in weak spots to cover it's flanks etc. and tie these bosses into the proposed lore item above to give the world life and a story. Get some volunteer staff to help I would love to run events like that and I'm sure quite a few others would as well.
How about siege events where you have to work together to break into a fortified castle and subdue a tyrant? (again tie this into the lore expansion) use the cannons from ships put them on wheels and you've got a bombard for breaking walls.
Adding more things that aren't as combat oriented to create variety and allow players who maybe are not as confident in their combat skills or prefer crafting/roleplaying over smacking things in the face with a sword yet again. Something like scavenger hunts and puzzles, maybe add some quest lines with cosmetic and/or house deco rewards that are based on exploration and gathering. Have those quests rotate out on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to keep things fresh.
Create a stronger community by engaging that community and you'll have something more resilient and something people are proud to bring their friends too.