Numbers are down, what can we do about it?

[Bebop]

Just logged on close to peak hours on a Saturday 28 people.  Wow.

Comments like this are not all that useful.  For one, one moment in one day does not a trend make. For another, purely snarky, negative comments tend to poison people's opinions.   If you want do do something about it, stay in the game and create some activity.

This entire thread is about the low count of players, and I don't see why my observation (which is a simple statement of the truth it wasn't snarky) is being targeted out of the entire thread.  And obviously it is a trend or this whole thread wouldn't exist.  And I don't think that just logging on to log on is any kind of solution to things.  Maybe my post wasn't a solution but it was just an observation.

[Djarjak]

If this thread turns the irrevocable corner to a back and forth bicker fest, I will lock it.

[Shoka Windrunner]

Honestly, and I'm speaking from the heart here.  If you don't want to actually interact with people...don't freaking log in.  There is nothing more annoying or wasteful of my limited time, than to go somewhere, meet someone and sit there for 5 minutes between replies.  

I don't care if you play right now, because if you aren't into it, then you shouldn't be in it.  It's annoying to have someone play who doesn't care if they are there or not.

Disclaimer:  We all have lives, and if you occasionally are in a situation like the one above where you can't answer right away I understand and don't blame you.  I have two kids myself.

But I guess all I really want to say is, if you don't want to be here right now.  That's fine, I just hope that when Arm 2.0 opens you will come back to try it out.  That' the important thing.  I'll be there and waiting to see you.

[Gimfalisette]

As I said previously, I've been tracking the week-to-week account logins and new character applications, and there has undeniably been an approximate 30% drop in unique logins per week and 50% drop in applications.

This thread is, however, not for pointing fingers at any one player or the imms or anyone else.

What it IS for is positive, active brainstorming about what -we- (the players) can do to encourage people to stay in the game or come back to the game. It is also for any suggestions we might make to the imms about how they can help us in that goal at this time.

Along with my numbers, I have been tracking the RPTs run by players and how those affect logins. I believe there is a strong correlation between RPTs and higher login numbers, with logins jumping from about 230 in weeks with no RPTs to in the 250 range in weeks with RPTs.

So, to the players who are able to do this, I would strongly suggest: Throw RPTs.

To other players, I would suggest things like: Attend RPTs. Tell your friends about RPTs. Instead of mutually bemoaning lower numbers or the end of 1.ARM, ask your friends who aren't playing right now to get back in the game. Devote a portion of your time to tavern-sitting. Meet characters you haven't met before and make their time fun. Go out of your way to help noobs if it is at all conceivably IC for your character to do so.

That is all for now...time for me to run off and plan some RPTs

[a strange shadow]

When I first started playing, seeing 30 players on the who c was a cool thing.

We got spoiled on 60-70 peaks, though of course the more the merrier.

My point?  Plenty of fun things can still happen with only 30 players online.

Have fun, be active, involve other people, and the numbers will take care of themselves.

[LiquidShell]

If this thread turns the irrevocable corner to a back and forth bicker fest, I will lock it.

I don't see what the problem with a thread like this is honestly, it's a place for people to drop steam, get off their gripes, and be consoled by the imms, you lock it, then it will carry somewhere else.  What are you going to do? Continue the beatings until the moral improves? KMFDM *snickers*

[spawnloser]

What are you going to do? Continue the beatings until the moral improves? KMFDM *snickers*

FREE YOUR HATE!

-ahem-

Seriously, though, Djarjak has a point.  Having extablished players going around bitching about how noone's logging in (which is indeed what some people are doing), does NOT help.  Come up with ideas to help get people coming back.  Bitching about how noone's around is unlikely to accomplish this goal, and may actually prevent it, if you think about it.

[Malken]

On a lighter and more positive note, the less players logged in, the less for the admins to do and the more time it gives them to code us up a brand new Arm2.0 faster for all of us to get back in.  :lol:

[Ghardoan]

I fully plan on having a blast during the "final days" Armageddon MUD before the second incarnation rises from its ashes.  Nonetheless, I find it hard to log in for more than an hour or two on my work days.  Keep in mind that other people may be facing their own real-life commitments as winter begins to loosen its hold in some regions of the world.  Oh yeah, there's Valentine's Day too.

I've been brainstorming on ideas to get people back in on the action until The Big Day, but honestly, I've come up with little; if people want to play, they will. If they don't, they won't. In the end, it's just a game, albeit a damned good one, and there's no point in people playing if they aren't having fun.

Just keep in mind that big things will happen, and you'll want to be there for it. Also, this is an excellent time to try some of those dangerous or otherwise crazy character concepts you never dared to before.

- Ghardoan

[manonfire]

Code Select Expand

Immortals
---------

There are 0 visible Immortals currently in the world.

There are 59 players currently in the world, other than yourself.


Tonight, around 10 CST.

I don't think we have any problems.

[Tarx]

Yep, I was there for that...

[a strange shadow]

At 1 am EST on a monday morning:

Code Select Expand

There are 0 visible Immortals currently in the world.

There are 40 players currently in the world, other than yourself.

We're doing just fine.

[Tarx]

Granted, this -was- the advertised Tuluki kank hopping event in which several prominent nobles got down and dirty with the...oh.  Wait, too IC!

(I keed.)

[ashyom]

Few things you can do to help the numbers:

-Post flyers at the local game stores, schools, special-interests sci-fi/fantasy clubs, library, etc.
-Post reviews on various mud lists
-Recruit your friends

[Marauder Moe]

I was in a slump for a while.  A bad one.  I think I logged in for maybe an hour during January.  A lot of it was my personal circumstances (the holidays were busy, as was my job after the new year), but I should probably admit the coming game change deadline was a little demotivating as well.  I'm used to playing very long-lived characters and a few months seems like an alarmingly short amount of time.

I decided I don't want to end my time playing Arm 1 with a quiet sigh, though.  I've set a new goal: to make the next 3 months or so the best I've ever had in this game and to put enough energy into my character so as to be memorable without having to be long-lived.

I'm back, baby!  CRACKAGEDDON CRACKAGEDDON CRACKAGEDDON!!!

[Hymwen]

Tonight, around 10 CST.

I don't think we have any problems.

In all fairness, that was a Sunday night. Sunday nights have always had more players than any other time of the week. It doesn't reflect the average peak numbers.

To say that we haven't lost a sizeable chunk of players is a lie. I'm seeing around 40 at peak most days, with the occasional 50ish and the occasional 30ish. It's not the end of the world (pun intended) but I find it very noticeable and something we should try to combat. It would suck if 2/3rd of our playerbase is gone by the last month before Big Bang.

One thing I personally would suggest is temporary closing of clans that are never really populated and aren't involved in any plots. There are some clans that I've never seen more than 2-3 players in, and usually 0, and we still get people who end up joining those clans just because they haven't been in it before and want to try it out. I think it would be better to simply make them virtual and keep people gathered instead of spread out. I would much prefer 10 clans with 5 players in each to 20 clans where 10 of them have one lonely PC.

I'm normally not a fan of telling people how or what to play, but I also think we should discourage too much of the "solitary explorer" syndrome. I have heard a lot of people saying 'well, since the current game is gonna end anyway, I'm apping a rogue whiran so I can explore the world' and similar things. This type of solo character adds next to nothing to the game and I think it should be kept to a minimum now that we're seeing continually decreasing numbers.

We should do what we can to keep the remaining players as gathered as possible without making things too restricted.

[Gimfalisette]

Hymwen is correct, a single night of higher numbers at peak time does not mean numbers are not down overall. Our current four-week average number of unique logins is still just 251, down from 324 prior to the announcement of the game.

Now, this past week, we did have 264 unique logins and 75 character applications, which is a marked increase over the two weeks prior. And I will point out that this past week we did really well in the voting on TMS--we were in the top 10. So it's possible that those things are related, in which case I say, VOTE. (Can't hurt, anyways.)

[Tarx]

Higher character apps may just mean more dead people.

[WarriorPoet]

Regular voting aside, I don't think it's fair to embark on a campaign to bring in alot of new players at this late stage of the game. Armageddon isn't your average DnD campaign. It takes alot of time, effort, and commitment to properly enjoy it.

I would, personally, feel dishonest about bringing people into that kind of commitment with such little time left and being unsure about the future quality of the game. Once the new game is up and kicking ass I'll be the first one to write a review, tell my friends, and wear a kank-suit on the street corner. For now, though, a decrease in playerbase can only be expected.

-WP

[Apocalyptic_Cow]

I couldn't resist.

[WarriorPoet]

Holy god... I need that.

Soooooo fucking sexy....

-WP

[Maybe42or54]

I have figured it out. Arm style.

More to come, -if- I get to leave work.

[Bebop]

Once the new game is up and kicking ass I'll be the first one to write a review, tell my friends, and wear a kank-suit on the street corner. For now, though, a decrease in playerbase can only be expected.

-WP

I say we hold WP to this.  He's over 18.  Looks like someone just got themselves into a verbal...err written contract.  First thing I'm going to do is threaten to wear a kank suit, looks like in order to comply with this accord to be first WP is going to have to get crackin'.

[Folker]

I agree. Bepop, start threatening. Just make sure to state what you're going to do in as much detail as possible. Go ahead.

[Bebop]

I agree. Bepop, start threatening. Just make sure to state what you're going to do in as much detail as possible. Go ahead.

Shh, 2.Arm isn't up yet.