Why are the public servers all empty?

[DeLuka 0]

I am in Virginia and downloaded the Cz version and patched to English. I also use the TrackIR4 Pro and have really geared myself up for this...

I go online and pull up the multiplayer server list and thery're all empty. Dozens of servers but no one in them. Is everyone playing in private passworded servers?

[quiet_man 8]

I am in Virginia and downloaded the Cz version and patched to English.  I also use the TrackIR4 Pro and have really geared myself up for this...

I go online and pull up the multiplayer server list and thery're all empty.  Dozens of servers but no one in them.  Is everyone playing in private passworded servers?

hmm, most current servers are in Europe, so it might be the different time zone. Have you tried playing in the morning?

Even Arma players need sleep

QuietMan

[DeLuka 0]

Good point, although I did try around 5pm which is still 11pm to early morning EU time. Also I assume that I am not the only US player... heh.

[TeRp 1]

well, I played a hold map just about one hour before and there were like 20 to 30 servers which were not completely full, but around ~5 players each. But that's typical for this time the of day.

[JFK 0]

Hi,

here you can see some graphs about ArmA usage. Note that its GMT on the daily graph.

And here you can calculate your favorite time to play ArmA.

Cya on the field!

[DeLuka 0]

Excellent info, thanks. I guess it's the Overall ArmA Server Population density pie gragh illustrates my point though. That's what I see on the server list.

Don't get me wrong, I purchased the TrackIR4 Pro and eVGA 8800 GTX vid card for this game and want to get the most out of it.

[-ASW-AllShotUp 0]

Hi,

here you can see some graphs about ArmA usage. Note that its GMT on the daily graph.

Cya on the field!

Are those just EU servers or Worldwide?

Here in the US I am running 2 to 3 servers at a time.

A Soldiers War Arma DEMO Dedicated Servers for those that are interested.  Click here to visit our site A Soldiers War

If those are the number of people playing on-line - it seems the game needs some more PR work to get it out to the General Public...BF2142, BF2 run around 20000 a day, HL2, CS run about 40000+ and even BF42 and Team Fortress classic are still over a 1000 a day...

But these are worldwide stats through Gamespy...so "your mileage may vary" so to speak...

s/ ASU

[JFK 0]

Quote[/b] ]DeLuka: Don't get me wrong, I purchased the TrackIR4 Pro and eVGA 8800 GTX vid card for this game and want to get the most out of it.

I see your concerns, but it think it just takes a bit more time for ArmA to become more popular.

The 505 Release is scheduled to 16th Feb., so there will be some more players around the world.

Also the new patch will be released about the same date, or even a bit earlier.

So lets hope there will be a major increase in ArmA players as well as most annoying bugs being eliminated...

well at least the hope dies last!

Quote[/b] ]Are those just EU servers or Worldwide?

Sorry, i dont know that. I didnt make the graphs, just found it somewhere here in the forums.

But i assume its worldwide.

One reason why there are so few populated servers compared to i.e. BF2 is because BIS doesnt host any servers. All servers you can see are either private servers, or hosted by a clan. Furthermore there is no Linux server yet. So you have to have a powerfull windows machine with a strong internet connection to host a large player server. But most root-servers are linux.

[Dudester 0]

Lets just hope, as the game gets released around europe more people will be seen online.

So far i have only seen about 2 servers with about 30 people on them, and when you consider alot of people will of downloaded this game, 2 servers is not alot.

Also, i think alot of people (including me) will give playing online another try after the new patch has been released.

[BHack 0]

Hey DeLuka, feel free to play with us at Tacticalgamer.com. The ArmA dedicated server is Virginia based and a few us play daily usually between the times of 7pm - 10pm EST.

Also, we have a larger group of players on Sunday afternoons.

We have a CTI and a coop server. The coop server (which is what we usually play) IS passworded. The password and server information (including teamspeak server IP and password) is freely available to anyone who is registered on the website. You are required to at least be able to hear Team Speak communication (preferably have a mic as well), to play on our server - hence the password - which ensures you have at least visited Tacticalgamer.com.

Thanks and see you on the server.

[-duke- 0]

We have a server in NA that sits idle much of the time but once I join in, others seem to connect. I've noticed this is a pattern throughout the day (or so it seems) so I believe that if you do sit in an empty server for a few minutes, others will eventually connect.

Our server has gone from 0 players to 10 or 15 in under 10 minutes quite often. I'm starting to think that since the ping/signal bars at the right of the MP Menu make no sense, people search for servers by # of players ingame instead of response times/latency.

[KaRRiLLioN 0]

Most US servers sit empty during the day because there's no US release. Hopefully the 505 release will bring more players, but unless BIS gets a nice US release, things might be thin.

My server is idle until around 9pm Eastern. We normally get a crowd of upwards 10-20 people with a high of 30+ on a few weekends. Depends on the mission being played as well, I guess.

[-ASW-AllShotUp 0]

Most US servers sit empty during the day because there's no US release.  Hopefully the 505 release will bring more players, but unless BIS gets a nice US release, things might be thin.

My server is idle until around 9pm Eastern.  We normally get a crowd of upwards 10-20 people with a high of 30+ on a few weekends.  Depends on the mission being played as well, I guess.

In the past 24 hour period we have had 80+ people on Server #1 - "A Soldiers War Gaming ARMA Server" which runs all 3 maps in rotation

Server #2  " A Soldiers War CTI only Arma Server" had 60+ players in 24 hours..  

Now this is the DEMO only and not the full game.

Our servers are located out of Virginia USA since we have a lot of UK/EURO traffic playing our other games, ie: BF2142, IL2 Forgotten Battles, and an MS FLT SIM X, 2004 and 2002.

All these are dedicated servers along with our Teamspeak servers.

So I guess 140 people total in 24 hours is not too good but not really that bad considering it is only the DEMO and has received very little press here in the US compared to the other Game Titles coming out now.

Now as far as time period - traffic is heavy around 10am US EST to the Afternoon, then it picks up again around 6PM US EST and it shows traffic on both through the overnight hours.

So I do not know what to tell you except after years of doing this the trueism as one person wrote - 'No One Likes to Join Empty Servers"  and the other thing is "Very few have the patience to see if people join while messing around waiting on an empty server"

It is like we all have ADHD

So feel free to hop on anytime and see if that brings in some people.  You can always join the CTI and get use to the map and stuff.

I got to do that more, but between running these sites and another internet service, I havn't had the time to like I wanted...

Anyway feel free to join ours anytime with or without people if you have the demo.  

s/ AllShotUp

[DeLuka 0]

Thank you for the helpful responses. I have registered at tacticalgamer.com as DeLuka and will try to get onboard this evening. I like the tactical guides on the site and will take them to heart if I all goes well.

[mcpxxl 2]

Because the "GREAT Politics" from BIS ?

[icebreakr 3115]

Please post ArmA nights if you're looking for players. Time is in ZULU (GMT+0 aka UK). Yesterday we had a blast, played custom coop 5 hour campaign, AAR with screenshots will follow...

http://www.arma.si/modules/events/events_add.php

[CAGE RATTLER 0]

I know what you mean about not being that many servers to play on and use the following link to keep an eye on whats going on.

It seems to getting more & more online as each day passes but not as many as i figured there would be.

This has been the reason ive been waiting patiently for a US release too ........... not so many full servers going and the fact that i have to upgrade my PC 1st ..... lol.

Server list

[icebreakr 3115]

One more thing: we had 11 online events so far, practically every week, but 10/11 were under password ArmA just isn't the game in where you can trust your life & lives of your squad to a complete anonymous noob :]

[DeLuka 0]

Well I set myself up for the Tacticalgamer coop server last night (logged into the Teamspeak server and everything) and not a single soul showed up between 6pm EST and around 8:30pm EST.  Perhaps just the wrong night.

Had to play on the Bootcamp server with lots of folks but the experience was ruined by various infants blowing up our helicopters and tking.  It is a crying shame that it is not possible to turn off friendly fire against players and vehicles.  I do not understand why this is not an option.

I miss the days when OFPE was on the old Xbox.  All players had voice communication by default and used it.  All sorts of different missions were played (not just CAV over and over) and players were mature and any repeat tkers were booted immediately.  Folks would log into your game and the first words out of their mouth would be, "Hello. What's the plan? Where do you need me?" *sigh* The good ol days.

[The-Architect 0]

Why they empty?

Perhaps it's because the big gamer countries don't have the game yet.

[BHack 0]

Well I set myself up for the Tacticalgamer coop server last night (logged into the Teamspeak server and everything) and not a single soul showed up between 6pm EST and around 8:30pm EST.  Perhaps just the wrong night.

Had to play on the Bootcamp server with lots of folks but the experience was ruined by various infants blowing up our helicopters and tking.  It is a crying shame that it is not possible to turn off friendly fire against players and vehicles.  I do not understand why this is not an option.

I miss the days when OFPE was on the old Xbox.  All players had voice communication by default and used it.  All sorts of different missions were played (not just CAV over and over) and players were mature and any repeat tkers were booted immediately.  Folks would log into your game and the first words out of their mouth would be, "Hello.  What's the plan?  Where do you need me?"  *sigh* The good ol days.

DeLuka, unfortunately you just picked a bad night. Just like every other gaming community in the U.S., there aren't many members yet of Tacticalgamer.com who have the game. Many don't want the hassle of downloading a foreign version and going through the patching process.

I usually just go on the server, vote myself admin, and play around with the many different maps the server has in rotation. Often times someone will jump into TS and join me in-game while I'm doing this, sometimes not.

Sunday afternoons are our weekly coop events and there should be a decent turn out. Until then just poke your head in TS every now and then and wait for others to join.

[DeLuka 0]

Well I set myself up for the Tacticalgamer coop server last night (logged into the Teamspeak server and everything) and not a single soul showed up between 6pm EST and around 8:30pm EST.  Perhaps just the wrong night.

Had to play on the Bootcamp server with lots of folks but the experience was ruined by various infants blowing up our helicopters and tking.  It is a crying shame that it is not possible to turn off friendly fire against players and vehicles.  I do not understand why this is not an option.

I miss the days when OFPE was on the old Xbox.  All players had voice communication by default and used it.  All sorts of different missions were played (not just CAV over and over) and players were mature and any repeat tkers were booted immediately.  Folks would log into your game and the first words out of their mouth would be, "Hello.  What's the plan?  Where do you need me?"  *sigh* The good ol days.

DeLuka, unfortunately you just picked a bad night. Just like every other gaming community in the U.S., there aren't many members yet of Tacticalgamer.com who have the game. Many don't want the hassle of downloading a foreign version and going through the patching process.

I usually just go on the server, vote myself admin, and play around with the many different maps the server has in rotation. Often times someone will jump into TS and join me in-game while I'm doing this, sometimes not.

Sunday afternoons are our weekly coop events and there should be a decent turn out. Until then just poke your head in TS every now and then and wait for others to join.

Sounds like a plan.

[max power 21]

I find that with the demo it's just a matter of getting a couple of people in a server and then they fill up like crazy. You'll be looking a great list of 1 man servers, you join one of them, and all of a sudden it's a 16 man game. People just lurk and don't want to play by themselves, I guess.

[Amalka 0]

I am in Virginia and downloaded the Cz version and patched to English.  I also use the TrackIR4 Pro and have really geared myself up for this...

I go online and pull up the multiplayer server list and thery're all empty.  Dozens of servers but no one in them.  Is everyone playing in private passworded servers?

Lol, the servers are empty because all the players turned back to OFP already. You know, to wait 4 months for a patch 1.05 which MIGHT turn this joke into an enjoyable game (was actually promissed to be done already in each patch before) is simply too much even for Czechs and Germans...

I loved BI for OFP/RES, now I hate them for ArmA co'z I feel cheated.

[max power 21]

I enjoy the game...