Help choosing shard

Hermione

i would like to play a shard that doesn’t get ruined with shard transfers. But I don’t want to play Siege because I don’t understand why anyone would want to play without insurance. What are my options? 

Arron

When you say ruined by shard transfers whet exactly do you mean? Also the shard you choose will depend on many things such as population,available house spots, and didtance frome the server which affects things  like conection quality and lag. In my opinion. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. I play on Great Lakes by the way and enjoy it. Some may recommend Atlantic because of the higher population. Keep in mind population affects other things such as market prices and availability of items. But you proberly already knw that since that seems to be your home shard. <span></span>

Hermione

I don’t mind about population or connection, I would just like to play a shard that does not accept shard transfers.

Rorschach

How do shard transfers affect your gameplay? There are no UO shards that meet your criteria.

Hermione

Darn.

There have been many threads in the past on uostratics on how shard shields ruined the game.  I don’t understand, there are so many shards, why they ruined them all and didn’t leave any unruined?

AtomicBetty

surprised this thread is still open.

Drakelord

AtomicBetty said:

surprised this thread is still open.

indeed

Bilbo

Hermione said:

Darn.

There have been many threads in the past on uostratics on how shard shields ruined the game.  I don’t understand, there are so many shards, why they ruined them all and didn’t leave any unruined?

Those threads were done by the few minority haters.  Did you bother to read the threads by players offering FREE transfers.  UOs population has declined over the years for various reasons and some people prefer to play on a very populated shard while others prefer to play on less populated shards that is up to the player and IMHO there is no right or wrong answer.  While shard shields have helped the Atl players to capture a solid economy for them it has also help the lower population shards by giving us a place to sell our goods and to buy need items for our home shards.
Use your own brain to decide if they are good or bad.  Connection should be your #1 priory as lagg does nothing but hinder your enjoyment while trying to play UO.  If you find yourself needing things on your shard then you can always ask on the forums or Gen Chat for help.

TimSt

I second what @Bilbo said. It is only a vocal minority who think shard transfer shields have ruined shards. Most of that minority appear to be Reds who are moaning about not getting to kill a local player and getting their goods instead of doing the champs themselves.

Besides taking items away from shards the shields also bring items back. I am one of those who provide free transfers between Pacific and Atlantic and back.  Most of what I transfer is coming from Atlantic to Pacific.  So I am doing my small part to improve my home shard of Pacific with my shield use.

Smoot

Hermione said:

Darn.

There have been many threads in the past on uostratics on how shard shields ruined the game.  I don’t understand, there are so many shards, why they ruined them all and didn’t leave any unruined?

If UO was a modern game, there would have been many server mergers.  would only be around 5 shards by now (to cover the time zones)

the devs solution to this is shard shields.  where most shards come together in the way of trade is atlantic.

so to answer your question, atlantic would be your best bet.  highest population and its where most people transfer their goods.  so it hasnt been "ruined" by the shard shields.  theres still a very active economy compared to low-pop shards.

Bilbo

@Hermione Did you know that there is a Rares Fest on Atl June 2-9 just think how many more people will come because of shard shields to see you they can spend their ill gotten gold on.

Pawain

I like living on a shard where I can do things without a crowd.  Then I like to shop at Atlantic and bring goodies back. 

Someone can take your soulstones to a different shard.  Make a new toon and eat new scrolls and be the same as you were.

Urge

Not sure what he means by ruined. Maybe where shard hoppers buy things for resell on Atl.

If you're self sufficient and play just to play, a low population server is ideal. I enjoy running vendors and having the ability to buy anything at a whim, so Atl is ideal for me.

King_Greg

Should just give every paying account 2 shard shields and be done with it. 

Sliss

Bilbo said:

Hermione said:

Darn.

There have been many threads in the past on uostratics on how shard shields ruined the game.  I don’t understand, there are so many shards, why they ruined them all and didn’t leave any unruined?

Those threads were done by the few minority haters.  

Hardly. Pretty much everyone who does not have shard shields and is not on Atlantic is suffering from this system. Shard transfers benefited Atlantic and gutted the rest of the shards. That was most likely the intent in the first place - to decrease the number of shards to the number appropriate to the population. Except, as usual, it did not quite work out that way.
Instead it drives the players away from lesser populated shards, and not necessarily towards Atlantic. Al the time making those who are already rich even richer. Shard shields basically take a typical imbalance in an old top heavy game between older and newer players and increase it by an order of magnitude.

Bilbo

Sliss said:

Bilbo said:

Hermione said:

Darn.

There have been many threads in the past on uostratics on how shard shields ruined the game.  I don’t understand, there are so many shards, why they ruined them all and didn’t leave any unruined?

Those threads were done by the few minority haters.  

Hardly. Pretty much everyone who does not have shard shields and is not on Atlantic is suffering from this system. Shard transfers benefited Atlantic and gutted the rest of the shards. That was most likely the intent in the first place - to decrease the number of shards to the number appropriate to the population. Except, as usual, it did not quite work out that way.
Instead it drives the players away from lesser populated shards, and not necessarily towards Atlantic. Al the time making those who are already rich even richer. Shard shields basically take a typical imbalance in an old top heavy game between older and newer players and increase it by an order of magnitude.

Here is a prime example of one of the haters.  I am sure there are plenty of people on your shard willing to help you get what you want alls you have to do is ask.  Sorry you have not paid as long as others but what is even funnier is Shard Xfer Tokens have been in the game for much longer but you don't hear all the haters on them do you?  

Pawain

I have no idea how we played for 14 years without shard Shields.

Musta been a helava time.

I love em.

Sliss

Bilbo said:

Sliss said:

Bilbo said:

Hermione said:

Darn.

There have been many threads in the past on uostratics on how shard shields ruined the game.  I don’t understand, there are so many shards, why they ruined them all and didn’t leave any unruined?

Those threads were done by the few minority haters.  

Hardly. Pretty much everyone who does not have shard shields and is not on Atlantic is suffering from this system. Shard transfers benefited Atlantic and gutted the rest of the shards. That was most likely the intent in the first place - to decrease the number of shards to the number appropriate to the population. Except, as usual, it did not quite work out that way.
Instead it drives the players away from lesser populated shards, and not necessarily towards Atlantic. Al the time making those who are already rich even richer. Shard shields basically take a typical imbalance in an old top heavy game between older and newer players and increase it by an order of magnitude.

Here is a prime example of one of the haters.  I am sure there are plenty of people on your shard willing to help you get what you want alls you have to do is ask.  Sorry you have not paid as long as others but what is even funnier is Shard Xfer Tokens have been in the game for much longer but you don't hear all the haters on them do you?  

Here's an example of someone who benefits from shard shields, and chooses to engage in a personal attack because they do not have real arguments.

Arron

I don't understand the thinking of some people. What is wrong with rewarding Loyalty? Am I suppose to feel guilty because I played and enjoyed a game for many years and got rewarded for my loyalty? I think not. Next they will say no one should have ethy mounts, or any rewards for that matter since it gives that person an advatage over someone else who only played for a year compaired to the 18-19 years I have played. it is part of the game get over it people. <span></span>

Bilbo

It is just the new socialist mentality of the have nots that think they deserve everything that everybody else has even though they did not earn it.  We have ruined UO by accepting a gift from EA/UO, but here we still standing playing UO and so are they.

JollyJade

Bilbo said:

It is just the new socialist mentality of the have nots that think they deserve everything that everybody else has even though they did not earn it.  We have ruined UO by accepting a gift from EA/UO, but here we still standing playing UO and so are they.

Nobody ruined UO by accepting a free gift. But it ruins UO that some can travel between servers for free while others should pay 2x $20 per travel. At least it forces everyone below 14 years to Atlantic, which is a plus. But u keep harping about "socialist mentality" lmao.

JollyJade

Sliss said:

Shard shields basically take a typical imbalance in an old top heavy game between older and newer players and increase it by an order of magnitude.

Exactly, but it's just wasted time to discuss this again. Lots of shard shield owners can't walk a single mile in the shoes of a new player, so let them be the special ones.

Like the OP says his opinion and shard shield owners all come in to say "no you're wrong" lol. The irony.

@Bilbo can you transfer my 7xGM character from Atlantic to GL for free pls? No???? Oh.. lmao

Arron

Well all I have to say is I did not and could not have the Transfer Shields for 14 years as my account was not old enough to have them, but guess what I did not let it define me or hold me back. I did not cry about it I played the game and use what I had available to me to get ahead and move forward, and I am still here. If you want a character on another shard and you dont have a transfer shield , then buy a token, if you cannot aford a token then just make a character on that shard. I had to.

JollyJade

King_Greg said:

Should just give every paying account 2 shard shields and be done with it. 

^ This

JollyJade

Urge said:

Not sure what he means by ruined. Maybe where shard hoppers buy things for resell on Atl.

If you're self sufficient and play just to play, a low population server is ideal. I enjoy running vendors and having the ability to buy anything at a whim, so Atl is ideal for me.

Some shards the markets are so dead that a *single* player (in numbers: 1) can buy up all items on vendor search... meanwhile what would have been on those dead vendors all ends up on Atlantic..

Gidge

Hermione said:

i would like to play a shard that doesn’t get ruined with shard transfers. But I don’t want to play Siege because I don’t understand why anyone would want to play without insurance. What are my options? 

What do "YOU" (not others) considered ruined? Did you notice it was ruined before others told you it was?

Do you enjoy your community?

If you enjoy playing the shard are you on then just enjoy it. You won't notice that you are not having a good time it unless you listen to the naysayers. *smiles*

If you really feel a change is needed, don't rely on the opinion of others 100% on where to go and what to do, go to other shards and reach out and get a feel for the people, look around and see what might be a good fit for you based on your playstyle and time of playing as well. It may take you a good month to check everything out, but then you know you have made the right decision for you based on your knowledge and feeling and experience.

Arron

I am sure about that. But we are all entitled to our opinion. 

MissE

I have had to play before my account was eligible for shard shields and after.  Yes there were always ppl willing to shift stuff, but I will say without a doubt that there is a huge difference having and not having 'at call' access to shard shields than not having them.  AND that difference is way in favor of those who 'have' as opposed to the 'have nots'.  Ie even though I always had player offering to move things, there was no way they could 'move' the quantity of stuff I required moving as a merchant  to remain competitive. I move over 200 items each time I go, there was no way you could 'ask' someone to do that for you each and every month. For the couple of years I waited for shields my business took a hammering so much so that I was gonna quit.  Luckily I went to siege for those couple of yrs and it was that market that stopped me from quitting.

Hence, I now have the experience of playing on siege that has no transfers so have seen the difference.

No matter how you look at it transfers (be it by store token or by shard shield tokens) have definitely ruined the economy and the economy for those on small shards to an even greater extent. It also vastly impacts those who want to run vendors if they do NOT have their own shard shields as commerce and being a merchant on the small shards is tough work without that 'leg up'.

 You always hear about those wanting pre aos shards etc etc ..........  bugger that ......... my DREAM SHARD would be a shard with NO TRANSFERS,  with a normal ruleset but a siege type economy where everything made or earned on the shard stays on the shard. Those who live on the shard stay on the shard.

- no more worrying about your shard being farmed by scripters to sell on Atlantic

- no more serious price inflation due to Atlantic mega billionaires prepared to pay anything

- no more being farmed for EM items by the same old multiboxers for shipping to Atlantic

- no more worrying about your store being stripped of all nice items to be shipped to Atlantic for resale at higher prices.

- no more having an economy so borked that new players have bugger all chance of ever catching up.

I don't believe shard shields were EVER a good thing to have and I am not a hater, I actually have them and still do not believe they should of been introduced.  No vet reward should actually create such an imbalance as these did.  This game was certainly much better before the introduction of shard shields, sure we had transfer tokens but that was something used rarely, due to cost, not this continuous flood of stuff to one shard month on month week on week.

I didn't even like the regular transfer tokens as they really applied a lot more to those who could afford to transfer, the original tokens should of only allowed 1-2 transfers a year for those moving 'location' in real life as was their initial intent, but that is a whole other topic and wasted now as the horse has got out the stable, bolted and is now somewhere over the rainbow.

and @Rorschach my comments above may answer your question to Hermione as to how shard transfer shields affect gameplay, it is silly to think they don't.  They effect everyone's gameplay.

-

Ivenor

King_Greg said:

Should just give every paying account 2 shard shields and be done with it. 

That is a good idea, IMO. Elaborating on this: officially declare ATL as the "Capitol Shard" and give to every paying account 1 ATL Shield and 1 Shield for one other Shard, at the Player's choice, as 1st Year VRs. Clearly these Shields should mature XFer Tokens ONLY during the time that an Account is actively paid for.

TimSt

Ivenor said:

King_Greg said:

Should just give every paying account 2 shard shields and be done with it. 

That is a good idea, IMO. Elaborating on this: officially declare ATL as the "Capitol Shard" and give to every paying account 1 ATL Shield and 1 Shield for one other Shard, at the Player's choice, as 1st Year VRs. Clearly these Shields should mature XFer Tokens ONLY during the time that an Account is actively paid for.

Unfortunately some consider even one year VRs as unfair.  They are unfair to the person who has only played for a week and wants to transfer to another shard already.  You can't expect them to wait a year or just create a new character there. Rewards for merit and loyalty are unfair to the new and not loyal. It is unfair that the employee who has been at the company for 15 years gets 4 weeks of vacation while the person who just started only gets 3 weeks of vacation. Everyone gets a trophy or ribbon. /sarcasm

Hermione

Why are you talking about giving everyone shard shields? I wanted to play a shard without transfer. It’s not because I can’t transfer. It’s because of what @MissE said but it’s so obvious the reasons that I can’t be bothered to write it. 
@Rorschach please close this thread as you have answered my question.