How many idle accounts and characters?

[Rathulfr]

[NOTE: Because a previous topic related to this question was locked, I'd like to re-post my question separately.]

 

May I ask the HC team to publish a simple summary report of how many "idle" accounts there are, and the number of characters associated with them?  I'm defining "idle" as any account where the last logon date is over 1 year ago.  I'm not asking for any details about the accounts or the names of the associated characters -- just a simple summary count is what I'd like to see.  Something like this :

 

• Number of idle accounts (last logon date > 365 days) = XX,XXX
• Number of characters (all levels) on these accounts = XXX,XXX
• Number of characters at level 50 on these accounts = X,XXX

 

Having this data might help me understand why I'm not getting responses (/tell, /gfriend, or in-game e-mail) to character name inquiries over the past year (and longer).  I'd like to determine if they're just ignoring me (perfectly legitimate) or if they might be gone altogether (quite frustrating).  Other active players might find this information useful, too.

 

Of course, the HC team might have legitimate reasons for not publishing even this kind of summary information, so I'd completely understand if they said, "No, we won't do that."  But it never hurts to ask. 

 

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration!

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Rathulfr

[Dark Dove]

12 minutes ago, Rathulfr said:

Having this data might help me understand why I'm not getting responses (/tell, /gfriend, or in-game e-mail) to character name inquiries over the past year (and longer).  I'd like to determine if they're just ignoring me (perfectly legitimate) or if they might be gone altogether (quite frustrating).  Other active players might find this information useful, too.

If you're given the numbers you seek, what equation will you use to determine if you are being ignored or if the users are gone altogether to satisfy the purpose of your request?

 

Say you've emailed three people in game about names, and they tell you 3,000 , 10,000 , 5,000 , with those numbers how many of the people you've requested names from are legitimately ignoring your requests and how many are just gone altogether?

[Rathulfr]

8 minutes ago, Dark Dove said:

If you're given the numbers you seek, what equation will you use to determine if you are being ignored or if the users are gone altogether to satisfy the purpose of your request?

 

Say you've emailed three people in game about names, and they tell you 3,000 , 10,000 , 5,000 , with those numbers how many of the people you've requested names from are legitimately ignoring your requests and how many are just gone altogether?

 

I don't have any set equation: I'm just trying to make somewhat educated guesses.  If the numbers are low, then I guess that I'm just being ignored.  If the numbers are high, then I guess that the players I'm trying to contact are gone.

 

(edit) If the count is low, then I'll keep trying to contact them.  If the count is high, then I won't bother any more.

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Rathulfr

[Dark Dove]

2 minutes ago, Rathulfr said:

 

I don't have any set equation: I'm just trying to make somewhat educated guesses.  If the numbers are low, then I guess that I'm just being ignored.  If the numbers are high, then I guess that the players I'm trying to contact are gone.

 

(edit) If the count is low, then I'll keep trying to contact them.  If the count is high, then I won't bother any more.

 

What would your educated guess be if you were given the numbers 3,000 , 10,000 , 5,000 ?

 

I've been approached so many times for names that I have that I ignore any request now and just delete emails from people, but I don't see how these numbers can be used to determine if I'm an active player or someone who might be gone altogether, for those who contact me.

[Moka]

Are we doing this again?

[Apparition]

2 minutes ago, Moka said:

Are we doing this again?

It is Friday.  Of course we are doing it again.

[Alchemystic]

 

 

[Rathulfr]

17 minutes ago, Dark Dove said:

What would your educated guess be if you were given the numbers 3,000 , 10,000 , 5,000 ?

 

I've been approached so many times for names that I have that I ignore any request now and just delete emails from people, but I don't see how these numbers can be used to determine if I'm an active player or someone who might be gone altogether, for those who contact me.

 

The numbers you provided seem "low" to me.  I remember reading that HC had over 100,000 accounts back in the summer of 2019*.  I suspect that number is significantly higher by now.  I remember that last year, there used to be 10K concurrent users on all shards at any given time, as well (there used to be logon queues back then).  Now there are only 2K concurrent users on average.

 

This leads me to the following suppositions: 

• 10K concurrent users with 100K accounts is a 1:10 ratio.
• Using the same ratio, 2K concurrent users means 20K active accounts.
• 100K - 20K = 80K potentially idle accounts.

 

Obviously, these are just rough back-of-napkin calculations.  So I'd be significantly surprised if there were only 3K idle accounts by now.  If that was indeed the case, then I'd assume I'm being ignored.  But if there are 80K idle accounts, then I'd assume I'm getting no reply at all due to the account holders being absent.

 

[* Source: https://massivelyop.com/2019/06/03/city-of-heroes-homecoming-100k-plus-donation-drive/]

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Rathulfr

[Rathulfr]

7 minutes ago, Moka said:

Are we doing this again?

 

4 minutes ago, Apparition said:

It is Friday.  Of course we are doing it again.

 

I'm only doing this because my question from the other post never got answered and the post got locked.  I'd like someone from HC to respond, either "Yes, here are the numbers" or "No, we won't answer that."

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Rathulfr

[Grouchybeast]

18 minutes ago, Rathulfr said:

 

(edit) If the count is low, then I'll keep trying to contact them.  If the count is high, then I won't bother any more.

 

If people are ignoring you, then you should probably stop bothering them anyway.

[Rathulfr]

Just now, Grouchybeast said:

If people are ignoring you, then you should probably stop bothering them anyway.

 

That's what I'm trying to determine with the OP.  If they're ignoring me, then I'll stop bothering them.

 

[Dark Dove]

5 minutes ago, Rathulfr said:

 

The numbers you provided seem "low" to me.  I remember reading that HC had over 100,000 accounts back in the summer of 2019.  I suspect that number is significantly higher by now.  I remember that last year, there used to be 10K concurrent users on all shards at any given time, as well (there used to be logon queues back then).  Now there are only 2K concurrent users on average.

 

This leads me to the following suppositions: 

• 10K concurrent users with 100K accounts is a 1:10 ratio.
• Using the same ratio, 2K concurrent users means 20K active accounts.
• 100K - 20K = 80K potentially idle accounts.

Obviously, these are just rough back-of-napkin calculations.  So I'd be significantly surprised if there were only 3K idle accounts by now.  If that was indeed the case, then I'd assume I'm being ignored.  But if there are 80K idle accounts, then I'd assume I'm getting no reply at all due to the account holders being absent.

 

Fair enough.

 

3 minutes ago, Rathulfr said:

 

 

I'm only doing this because my question from the other post never got answered and the post got locked.  I'd like someone from HC to respond, either "Yes, here are the numbers" or "No, we won't answer that."

 

 

Maybe they're like me with my characters names, and just ignore repeated requests.  Or has everyone from HC gone inactive, since they aren't responding to your questions?

 

I think we need some numbers about how many of the HC team are active or inactive anymore so we can make an educated guess on whether they're ignoring you or have just gone away altogether.

 

I'm joking, and I don't mean anything by it, but do you see what I mean?

 

 

[Grouchybeast]

Just now, Rathulfr said:

 

That's what I'm trying to determine with the OP.  If they're ignoring me, then I'll stop bothering them.

 

Are they not replying to your emails?  Then you already know that they're ignoring you, and you should stop bothering them.

[Rathulfr]

1 minute ago, Dark Dove said:

Fair enough.

 

 

Maybe they're like me with my characters names, and just ignore repeated requests.  Or has everyone from HC gone inactive, since they aren't responding to your questions?

 

I think we need some numbers about how many of the HC team are active or inactive anymore so we can make an educated guess on whether they're ignoring you or have just gone away altogether.

 

I'm joking, and I don't mean anything by it, but do you see what I mean?

 

 

 

No.

 

[Rathulfr]

16 minutes ago, Grouchybeast said:

Are they not replying to your emails?  Then you already know that they're ignoring you, and you should stop bothering them.

 

The question is why they are not replying?  Are they active players actively ignoring me, or are they idle players who don't ever logon to see my emails in the first place?

 

I have received no replies at all (none, nada, zero) to about a half-dozen globals over the past year, every 3-4 months or so.  You'd think that at least one of them would reply at least once with something.  I'd be happy if they just replied with a string of expletives, because at least that would be a reply.

 

If you got a polite email from another player, would you simply ignore it without a single reply (like, "No, and don't ask again")?  Or do you get so many that you automatically ignore them, like @Dark Dove?

 

41 minutes ago, Dark Dove said:

I've been approached so many times for names that I have that I ignore any request now and just delete emails from people,

 

This makes me wonder just what/how many names @Dark Dove  has that are in such high demand.  Are you a name camper, Dove?  Even if you were, it wouldn't matter to me, because at least you're an active player (if you're on the forums, you're probably more active than most players). 

 

My beef isn't about active players camping names.  My beef is about names reserved by idle accounts.

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Rathulfr

[Rathulfr]

4 minutes ago, Krimson said:

Have you considered that locking the thread WAS the response?

 

No, the thread was locked because some participants were getting hostile with each other.

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Rathulfr

[Coyotedancer]

Wow.

That's a lot of push-back and snark for what seems like a pretty basic request for more information...

[Dark Dove]

14 minutes ago, Rathulfr said:

 

No.

 

Okay.

 

Knowing these numbers doesn't benefit the HC team or the playerbase in any significant way and not knowing the numbers doesn't damage anyone or anything.  This seems more like a request than a suggestion or feedback.

 

1 minute ago, Rathulfr said:

This makes me wonder just what/how many names @Dark Dove  has that are in such high demand.  Are you a name camper, Dove?  Even if you were, it wouldn't matter to me, because at least you're an active player (if you're on the forums, you're probably more active than most players).

I have some particularly good names, high value names.  I don't have a high volume of names but I do have a high quality of names that would be in demand regardless of the playerbase.  This feels like a personal attack though, so I'll leave your thread to the HC team as you want, good luck to you.

[Rathulfr]

4 minutes ago, Dark Dove said:

Okay.

 

Knowing these numbers doesn't benefit the HC team or the playerbase in any significant way and not knowing the numbers doesn't damage anyone or anything.  This seems more like a request than a suggestion or feedback.

 

I have some particularly good names, high value names.  I don't have a high volume of names but I do have a high quality of names that would be in demand regardless of the playerbase.  This feels like a personal attack though, so I'll leave your thread to the HC team as you want, good luck to you.

 

Where else does one submit requests to the HC team other than Suggestions & Feedback?  If I'm posting in the wrong forum, point me to the right one and then I'll gladly delete and start over there.  

 

My apologies if you perceived my response as a personal attack, as that was not my intention.

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Rathulfr

[Grouchybeast]

Just now, Rathulfr said:

The question is why they are not replying?  Are they active players actively ignoring me, or are they idle players who don't ever logon to see my emails in the first place?

 

I have received no replies at all (none, nada, zero) to about a half-dozen globals over the past year, every 3-4 months or so.  You'd think that at least one of them would reply at least once with something.  I'd be happy if they just replied with a string of expletives, because at least that would be a reply.

 

If you got a polite email from another player, would you simply it without a single reply (like, "No, and don't ask again")?  Or do you get so many that you automatically ignore them, like @Dark Dove?

I think asking for other people's character names is rude to start with, so I'd delete them without reply.  If I got a second one, I'd one-star the player and block them.

 

If they're ignoring you, then you should stop bothering them.  If they've left the game, you're wasting your time anyway.  It doesn't matter why they aren't replying, because either way the sensible response is to stop emailing them.  I think the odds that anyone out there has a silent policy of awarding a name to anyone who sends them ten mails is very slim.

[GM Impervium]

So, I know this is a bad look, and I apologize. But, our answer was not to answer. Basically, we have nothing to hide, but we also don't want to foster an expectation that we'll provide any and all data at any given time. I hope that answer isn't too off-putting.

 

However, I'll throw those who are curious a bone, provided they're willing to dig for it. Cipher made a post last... May or March? Detailing HC's population, its growth and losses, etc. You can find that post, extrapolate the data trend and probably come up with a fair estimate as to where we're at now.

 

That said, it's already getting heated in here, so I'm going to remind everyone about our golden rule: Be excellent to each other! 

[Rathulfr]

18 minutes ago, Grouchybeast said:

I think asking for other people's character names is rude to start with, so I'd delete them without reply.  If I got a second one, I'd one-star the player and block them.

 

If they're ignoring you, then you should stop bothering them.  If they've left the game, you're wasting your time anyway.  It doesn't matter why they aren't replying, because either way the sensible response is to stop emailing them.  I think the odds that anyone out there has a silent policy of awarding a name to anyone who sends them ten mails is very slim.

 

So we have different opinions on player etiquette.  I do not consider polite name inquires to be rude.  And I would never send a second inquiry to someone who replied negatively.  I wouldn't ever ask more than once, if I got a reply in the first place.  That's the problem: without any replies, I don't know if I'm being purposely ignored.  So my only recourse is to ask again.  I hate to do so, which is why I generally wait 3-4 months between inquiries.

 

If I knew for sure they're actively ignoring me, then I would stop bothering them.  But there's no way to gauge that without any replies.  That's what I'm trying to ascertain in the first place.  If a statistically significant number of accounts are idle, then I can assume I'm not getting replies because the recipients are gone.  But if a statistically significant number of accounts are active but not responding, then I can assume I'm being ignored.  That's another reason for me to space my inquiries over longer periods of time.

 

Of course, none of this would be necessary if the HC team were actively enforcing their announced name policy (or a variation of a name policy, for that matter).  If they're not enforcing their announced name policy, then the de facto name policy is: "character names are reserved as long as the accounts that created them exist." 

 

Consequently, I have no recourse other than to periodically inquire other players about names they've reserved.  Rude or not, it's the only choice offered to active players that seek to create characters with reserved names.  I don't make the rules: I'm simply following them.

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Rathulfr

[Rathulfr]

10 minutes ago, GM Impervium said:

So, I know this is a bad look, and I apologize. But, our answer was not to answer. Basically, we have nothing to hide, but we also don't want to foster an expectation that we'll provide any and all data at any given time. I hope that answer isn't too off-putting.

 

However, I'll throw those who are curious a bone, provided they're willing to dig for it. Cipher made a post last... May or March? Detailing HC's population, its growth and losses, etc. You can find that post, extrapolate the data trend and probably come up with a fair estimate as to where we're at now.

 

That said, it's already getting heated in here, so I'm going to remind everyone about our golden rule: Be excellent to each other! 

 

Thank you, I appreciate the response.  You may lock the thread, if you think that's best, as my question is answered.

 

[Infinitum]

1 hour ago, Rathulfr said:

 

That's what I'm trying to determine with the OP.  If they're ignoring me, then I'll stop bothering them.

 

How would you ever know if they were inactive vs ignoring you - that wouldn't fall into any realm of data HC could give you based on privacy rules I would imagine.

 

So what purpose would it even be to have blanket number of x accounts inactive vs y accounts active - its not going to tell you anything that you really want to know and no formula can figure it out for you.

 

i dont see HC posting that on an account by account basis.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Infinitum

[Rathulfr]

5 minutes ago, Infinitum said:

How would you ever know if they were inactive vs ignoring you - that wouldn't fall into any realm of data HC could give you based on privacy rules I would imagine.

 

So what purpose would it even be to have blanket number of x accounts inactive vs y accounts active - its not going to tell you anything that you really want to know and no formula can figure it out for you.

 

i dont see HC posting that on an account by account basis.

 

Based on my experiences thus far, my operating assumption is that I'm not getting replies because I'm sending to idle accounts, not because I'm being ignored by active players.  From the reception I've received on this thread, I suspect that I'd definitely get some responses from active players if I they were getting my emails.