Where Players Found Us: July 2014

[Nyr]

Raw data for July

Total new accounts created:  302
Duplicates (created multiple accounts out of confusion/staff accounts/etc):  8
New accounts minus the above: 294



Where people came from
(noteworthy results mentioned, some might be concurrent)

Topmudsites:  14
Themudconnector: 131
Google: 30 (note that these can probably be attributed to either TMS or TMC or may be otherwise concurrent with the above)
Search/web: 7 (these also can probably be attributed to either TMS or TMC)
Friends/other players/family/co-workers/homies:  25
Reddit:  11
Random forums:  12
TV Tropes:  1

A smattering of some miscellaneous answers:
this is rahnevyn testing how weekly update works
i heard about it from a twitch streamer   
in space station 13 OOC   


Login data

Actual logins (created a character that was approved and they logged in):  52
1 hour or less in playtime: 21
1-2 hours of playtime:  3
2-6 hours of playtime:  13
6-20 hours of playtime:  9 (5 logged in as recently as 7/27)
20+ hours of playtime:  6 (6 logged in as recently as 7/30)

Tons more activity from TMC, which does seem to matter this month at least.
July:  4 of top 6 (20+ hours of playtime) referenced TMC (with a friend mentioned as well), one referenced TMS.

We've created a survey that goes out to the top retained players + the top unretained players.  However, this depends on having someone to actually send it out, and unfortunately, that has kinda fallen by the wayside.  This will probably resume after rotations and things settle down.

If you're one of those people above?  Feel free to chime in here!  Getting your perspective on things will hopefully help out future players.

[jpdx]

I just created my account and started playing in July. I easily have over 20 hours, so I assume I'm one of those 6. But I didn't participate in any survey? That I remember at least. Anyway, I heard about Arm from Reddit, so you can bump that number up to 12. Happy to be here and I'm definitely "retained." 

[Nyr]

I just created my account and started playing in July. I easily have over 20 hours, so I assume I'm one of those 6. But I didn't participate in any survey? That I remember at least. Anyway, I heard about Arm from Reddit, so you can bump that number up to 12. Happy to be here and I'm definitely "retained." 

When you first create your account, there's a thingy that asks where you heard about us.  It looks like you put TMC.  No worries, either way, now that you're here. 

[Barsook]

I just created my account and started playing in July. I easily have over 20 hours, so I assume I'm one of those 6. But I didn't participate in any survey? That I remember at least. Anyway, I heard about Arm from Reddit, so you can bump that number up to 12. Happy to be here and I'm definitely "retained." 

Do you have any comments on why you stayed with us?  I'm just wondering what you are thinking about ArmMUD.

[jpdx]

I just created my account and started playing in July. I easily have over 20 hours, so I assume I'm one of those 6. But I didn't participate in any survey? That I remember at least. Anyway, I heard about Arm from Reddit, so you can bump that number up to 12. Happy to be here and I'm definitely "retained." 

When you first create your account, there's a thingy that asks where you heard about us.  It looks like you put TMC.  No worries, either way, now that you're here. 

Now that I think about it, I remember that. Heard Arm casually mentioned on Reddit and looked it up on TMC.

[jpdx]

I just created my account and started playing in July. I easily have over 20 hours, so I assume I'm one of those 6. But I didn't participate in any survey? That I remember at least. Anyway, I heard about Arm from Reddit, so you can bump that number up to 12. Happy to be here and I'm definitely "retained." 

Do you have any comments on why you stayed with us?  I'm just wondering what you are thinking about ArmMUD.

There's three things I've always looked for in a game set in an awesome fantasy setting:
1. Permadeath. It's not fun unless there's that risk of losing everything.
2. The ability to be a "nobody." I enjoyed Skyrim, but ended up playing most of my characters without ever spawning the dragons in the main quest line and just hunted in the wild.
3. Options. This is the reason roguelikes have never done it for me. You die, lose everything, and do the same thing over again. Sure, there's some random elements in most RLs, but it's still the same quest. Every time I log into Arm, the game is different, even if my PC is the same.

Arm is basically my perfect game.

[Reiloth]

Welcome to the fold.

[Barsook]

No, the collective.

[Bushranger]

No, the boot pile.

[jpdx]

No, the boot pile.

I've certainly made some boot donations.

[FantasyWriter]

There's three things I've always looked for in a game set in an awesome fantasy setting:
1. Permadeath. It's not fun unless there's that risk of losing everything.
2. The ability to be a "nobody." I enjoyed Skyrim, but ended up playing most of my characters without ever spawning the dragons in the main quest line and just hunted in the wild.
3. Options. This is the reason roguelikes have never done it for me. You die, lose everything, and do the same thing over again. Sure, there's some random elements in most RLs, but it's still the same quest. Every time I log into Arm, the game is different, even if my PC is the same.

Arm is basically my perfect game.

I love this guy/gal already.

[cnemus]

Hellooo Armageddon!

It would seem to me that I have fallen into the 20+ category... I joined in July and appear to have logged 150+ hours... I'm a little obsessive about my mudding if those hours don't lie 

What I look for:
1. Other players/characters that I enjoy interacting with. Fun to watch, fun to talk to, fun to come up with stuff together.
2. A greater story arc and setting that I feel affects my character and I not only /should/ but /must/ be cognizant of or face consequences.
3. Freedom! Freedom to play my character and succeed or fail based on my actions and choices, not skill points.

Positive Feedback:
The players: interactions, emotes, and maturity I encountered on Armageddon blew me away.
The setting: is vibrant and masterfully detailed with room/item/player descriptions, NPC/vNPC emotes/actions, time/weather, realistic immersion and awareness of your character as a living being required
The imms: while not having had any direct interaction (that I know of) their awareness and attention is apparent in the gameworld and community conduct.

Areas of personal concern:
Documentation: I am personally challenged and rewarded by seeking out knowledge and answers, but I have had a hard time finding answers or understanding the answers once found. I am of two minds on this topic. I think the current paradigm and arrangement of information (between helpfiles, website, and GDB) that requires time and focus to obtain what is sought is likely a deterrent to some, however this may also encourage new player to get accustomed to searching and working harder. It seems to me this may be one of the very reasons the Arm community is as rewarding as it is: a playerbase that is willing to work hard for difficult to achieve rewards and self-motivated.
Occulted knowledge: There are apparently things that players are not supposed to talk about IC/OOC, but I can't tell what these nebulous topics are. The separation of IC/OOC I think I understand but have been told a few times when I ask a question both IC and OOC: You should know that and I can't tell you. *boggles* It makes me reluctant to ask questions or bring up personal issues for fear of breaching the sanctum, not even knowing where it is.
GDB links: Links on the GDB, like "Valuable threads to read!: ...list/link/etc." Seem to rarely work referencing old/deleted threads.

Overall: I was overwhelmed at first and didn't know where to find answers. People in Arm were helpful and encouraged me in directions that fostered productive assimilation. Despite the difficulties, perhaps because of them, Arm was a challenging and rewarding new experience that I continue to look forward to exploring. The positives far outweigh the negatives. Both IC and OOC I have generally found that eventually the way things work make sense and for now I just try to observe and interact, slowly picking things up as I go.

[jpdx]

There's three things I've always looked for in a game set in an awesome fantasy setting:
1. Permadeath. It's not fun unless there's that risk of losing everything.
2. The ability to be a "nobody." I enjoyed Skyrim, but ended up playing most of my characters without ever spawning the dragons in the main quest line and just hunted in the wild.
3. Options. This is the reason roguelikes have never done it for me. You die, lose everything, and do the same thing over again. Sure, there's some random elements in most RLs, but it's still the same quest. Every time I log into Arm, the game is different, even if my PC is the same.

Arm is basically my perfect game.

I love this guy/gal already.

Guy. And thanks.

[Rahnevyn]

Welcome, cnemus! Good to have you here! Let me address your areas of concern briefly...

Areas of personal concern:
Documentation: I am personally challenged and rewarded by seeking out knowledge and answers, but I have had a hard time finding answers or understanding the answers once found. I am of two minds on this topic. I think the current paradigm and arrangement of information (between helpfiles, website, and GDB) that requires time and focus to obtain what is sought is likely a deterrent to some, however this may also encourage new player to get accustomed to searching and working harder. It seems to me this may be one of the very reasons the Arm community is as rewarding as it is: a playerbase that is willing to work hard for difficult to achieve rewards and self-motivated.

We definitely understand how the documentation can be overwhelming. The good news is that most of the documentation on the website comes straight from the in-game helpfiles, so in general there aren't two separate sources there, just two ways to access the same info. There is additional documentation and info on the GDB you should be aware of, but typically only in clan subforums and the Staff Announcements forum. As you get more accustomed to the game, it becomes easier to know where to look for info. We put a lot of effort into having comprehensive documentation, because that's what sets Zalanthas apart from other settings.

Occulted knowledge: There are apparently things that players are not supposed to talk about IC/OOC, but I can't tell what these nebulous topics are. The separation of IC/OOC I think I understand but have been told a few times when I ask a question both IC and OOC: You should know that and I can't tell you. *boggles* It makes me reluctant to ask questions or bring up personal issues for fear of breaching the sanctum, not even knowing where it is.
GDB links: Links on the GDB, like "Valuable threads to read!: ...list/link/etc." Seem to rarely work referencing old/deleted threads.

Topics that are left vague or ambiguous in documentation are usually done so on purpose, to preserve mystery around aspects of the game that not everyone would know. If you're asking ICly (as in in-game), characters can have whatever reason they like for sharing or refusing to share information. OOCly, if a player says they can't share an answer on a topic it may mean they aren't at liberty to say. There are two safe avenues you can post questions to, though. The first recommended avenue is our Helper Chat, which you can find a link to on the main page. If no Helpers are available or it's a question they can't answer, you can also submit a question directly to staff using the request tool. In both cases you shouldn't be afraid to ask a question, and you'll get an answer if we can give it, or an explanation of why we can't answer if not.

Lastly, regarding GDB links, if you find a broken link you could reply to the thread or report it to moderators, and hopefully someone will be able to find the linked thread and update the post, or remove it if it's no longer applicable.

Once again, welcome, and hang on to your boots!

[whitt]

Lastly, regarding GDB links, if you find a broken link you could reply to the thread or report it to moderators, and hopefully someone will be able to find the linked thread and update the post, or remove it if it's no longer applicable.

Most of the broken links I've found are because they reference the old forum.  For example:

http://www.zalanthas.org/gdb/index.php/topic,33081.0.html

should be modified to remove the www.zalanthas.org/gdb and replace it with gdb.armageddon.org

to link to:

http://gdb.armageddon.org/index.php/topic,33081.0.html

and be perfectly acceptable and working link.

[mansa]

Welcome friends.