How Much Does Population Size Matter in MMOs? | OGR

mmorpg.com:

MMORPGs have long been subject to discussions about character population limits and what size actually determines whether a game is truly “massive”, with critics and players alike questioning whether population size still holds the same importance it once did. MMORPGs have changed a lot over the years, and these days, many developers are creating MMOs that have fallen short of what we once considered massive, in lieu of delving into the impact of their population size on the gaming experience. Is server cap size still relevant or is it no longer a main concern for players?

This week’s One Good Roll hit me when I was logged into Albion Online’s mobile version. If you’ve ever played Albion either on PC or mobile, you probably will understand the importance of the drawbacks of focusing solely on character limits of an MMO. The starting towns especially are bustling areas often housing dozens, if not hundreds, of players, where navigation becomes cumbersome and aggravating. While the large population in such a small space doesn’t necessarily prohibit you from doing very much, it’s quite daunting for new players, as they try and find their way.

This gets compounded as you venture outside of the starter towns, and attempt to gather resources, often getting beat to the punch by other players in that regard too. Persistence pays off, but I recall my first couple weeks in Albion being a little too overpopulated for my liking. In this case, the game may appear lively, but the sheer volume of players does little to improve the gaming experience, especially when the early levels don’t benefit much by grouping, and most players starting out, refuse to want to group at all.

On the other hand, we have Guild Wars 2, which employs a system