Would be great to know but I don't really expect an answer.

I wouldn't think to ask a company to publically divulge their specific user metrics so early on in the goings.  In a few other threads, there have been vague hints about it.

If you were inclined to doing a little research and math, you could calculate an approximation to get a very coarse estimate based on the PCU is stEVE at a point when there was a know number of subscribers.  Given those two numbers, you could estimate a ratio of PCU/subscriptions and then apply it to the known PCU of Perp from the server activity chart that AC publishes.  This would give you a rough idea without very much leg-work.

Would it be dependable?  Maybe not, but Perp probably attracts somewhat similar player personalities when compared to stEVE.  One could assume that the population here would have similar gaming habits and comparable usage models.  I'd caution you not to put too much faith in the calculations.

Then again, a Dev could just post the numbers and the speculation would be unnecessary.  Then all the stEVE developer spies that are here looking for their lost community would have another piece of information that they want.  <Tinfoil hat brigade to the rescue!>

I hope some aspects of history repeat themselves.  Let's omit the leaked internal documents and company e-mail and some of the drama.  Additionally, I'd like to avoid the possibility of corporate suicide by leaping into the pit of knives that is the development of two other MMOs at once.

That's just online users. It doesn't count people who aren't, uh, online.

I'm off on a business trip but my two accounts are still paid up til the end of time or something.

As to online people, that always goes down during the summer and bumps way up in the winter. It's a good time of year for trips and late night activities, so people have other stuff to do.

The important question is do the devs consider the game viable to continue with? So far the answer appears to be yes. As long as they keep developing it and keeping getting it out it'll grow. Unlike the theme park style thing, it ends up being self sustaining.

I do hope they add in plex trading soonish. Great way to help a game as it lets those that want to spend money trade with those who want to farm without circumventing the game economy.

Between 2500 to 5000 active subscriptions.

Perp is global, so the 'summer' reduction issue should be offset a little by the southern hemi-sphere. We just need to get a good Aussie showing in here! New Zealand of course is also highly desirable... heck, all of those southern countries can come play!

I'm just a little bummed that the PST timezone is completely devoid of land mass in the south, but the western south america can bolster up the EST!

Viva-la-Perptuum!

My guesstimate is between 11000 - 13000 accounts. About 3000-5000 active over a week period.

This game runs across 24 time zones. At its highest on weekends there is an average of 900 logged in accounts across about 12 of the zones. Add to that, on average only 10% of accounts of accounts are active at any given period. Consider player trends such as some people play once a week etc. Add it all together into simple maths approximately 500 accounts per timezone (500 x 24 = 12000).

You're suggestion 500 unique visitors every hour?
More like 100 to 200. (That's a lot closer to the right answer)

Total number of posters: 19,490
Total number of posts: 42,013
Total number of posts by Arga: 1,754 (1755)

That's 4.1% of the posts. How long are you all going to make me carry you! Get to posting now!

If we consult http://www.mmodata.net/ ; before the EVE debacle there was just under 2.5k subs. So the "between 2.5k and 5k" guess is probably the best thing we have atm.

The actual number of accounts doesn't matter from a game play standpoint, it's the subjective feel of the world.

Is it crowded or sparse?

And our own corps drive our perceptions, if the corp chat is totally empty everytime you log in, then the world is going to feel like it's less active.

Or in johnny's case, when everyone logs off right after he shows up.

The lack of a thriving market also makes if feel less active. There are still many items out there that are big 0's on the board.

Last but not least is if your spending most of your time in any particular area, be it alpha or beta, that has a low population the world will just feel sparser.

Time/location/desired activities all shade the perception of how active the game is.