i think it's time to try player caps.

[JOELED]

a lot of #4 players cant handle anything over #4 pop too, so trouble there too if we force the server to be larger (though ik we can just... make goon 5)

In response to this in particular, as someone who spent <~1k hours on goon4 last year, hasn't played much this year due to the pop dropping off to 1-20 instead of 20-40 like it was last year, but still hops on now and then:  I've heard easily a dozen active people on there complaining that the pop is way too low now for every single complaint I heard to the alternative back when it was getting 30-40 on weekends.  I'm not saying that the people on 4 who would prefer it to stay in the 1-20 range don't exist, but I believe there's easily a lot more people who would prefer it to be a decent amount more active without hitting the 70+ ranges that 3 frequently does.  Regardless, I don't think these design choices should really be weighed in the interests of a couple people who want to play entirely by themselves like that.  A lot of the reason that 4s population IS so low is that it's so low that people are driven away from it in a way that perpetuates the problem; I think a player cap for 3 would genuinely be healthier for 4 than it would be detrimental to whoever is playing on there now that would dislike more people playing on it.  Alternatives for solo or small group uninterrupted RP exist in the form of the afterlife bar or just taking it to discord like I know a solid chunk of people on 4 already do.