Because console players are fickle, they are accustomed to PvE games or games that have a short shelf life until the next version is released so they can start from scratch again. PC players have more patience and understand the development cycle of MMO's and how a game evolves over time.

Console Gamers = Want everything now so they can move onto the next thing.
PC Gamers = Want iterative releases to keep them loyal.

Screw that noise, I played Everquest for 6 years and EVE for 7, I'm at Olympic level re patience with MMO dev shenanigans. Dust isn't developing, its floundering

I think it has a lot to do with school being back. Everything is slowing down quite drastically.

LogicLoop and Team did a great job with the new maps and sockets.
Also, the Squad Sight changes have added a 'bit more depth to combat.

I'd say balance and core mechanics are of greater concern than new gadgets and guns.

See this is the problem. Get 20 people here on this board and say "What do you think the devs should focus on?"

You will get 21 different answers and every one of those answers is fairly legitimate (except the tard asking for jet fighters).

There are a dozen completely reasonable requests in each category of:
1) Weapon balance
2) Gunplay
3) Terrain bugs
4) Vehicle balance
5) Game modes
6) Comms
7) Tiercide
8) Art & assets
9) Map design
10) Matchmaking
11) NPE
12) Economics
13) Ties to EVE
etc etc etc etc ...

The list is just so goddamn gigantic that it would bring the biggest FPS studio to its knees. Then here we have a small offshoot studio with limited staff and budget sitting there thinking "Holy !@$#!@, how can we get this sorted within 6 months before we finally lose too many players."

There just isn't enough manpower/money/time to keep everyone happy, miles from it. They needed 2 years more alpha/beta and some devs with far more FPS experience where they could sort stuff in peace and quiet without having to worry about maintaining an in-play game.

So, because they just can't dev fast enough (and honestly I feel bad for the devs as human beings, its not entirely, or even partially their fault) then EVERYONE except the real diehards and CCP groupies is going to be displeased.

They are just stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they concentrate on my pet hates re terrain, map design and tiercide then they are ignoring some other guy's wants re Economics or Game modes. No win for the devs and also no customer satisfaction.

Look at the 3 month graph

It seems like the number of players online keeps getting lower and lower. What's going on? Are people giving up on Dust altogether.

This isn't a "Dust is dying" thread. I'm just expressing dismay that this game that I enjoy seems to be slowly bleeding players and am wondering how this game could attract players again.

Also I'll preempt the Grand Theft Auto argument by pointing out that numbers of active players has been decreasing for a while.

2 game modes after 2 years. No PvE. No progression during a game as you get in MAG or Battlefields Rush mode. 4000 maps? More like 10 if that, with some bit n bobs changed around a tiny bit.

It's boring. That's the killer. You spend MONTHS building a char, and then play the same 2 game modes over and over. Doesn't matter how deep the customisation is.

Defiance is doing pretty well, it's 99% PvE, there's PvP it is just voluntary. That's becomming more popular too. Specialisation comes from sticking with a weapon there, and the basic version of each gun is effective enough, unlike a militia suit/gun.

Edit: I do think Dusts maps swapping around plugins is very cool, but there need to be more maps for those plugins. Closely packed ones could really create an urban environment, but it needs doing.

If ccp dropped everything and worked on:
corperation district PvE matches
public contract PvE matches

With game modes including:
Survival(endless waves of drones every minute the drones becoming harder and harder and you can only take 1 squad into this game mode and once all your team mates die it's game over)

Drone clearing:(go in with full team or full squad take out 10 or 20 drone spawners in the designated time )

If they dropped everything for 2 months and everyone was focused on pve I'm sure they could get it done, you want more players? You want to know how? Release PvE then release a trailer for it. Unlike the deceptive 2012 trailer.

when i was on last night there were about 4400 people online.

i remember about 3 months ago we had around 3000, so im not saying Dust is growing but i dont think it is shrinking either.