Sharing is Caring

[»jabjabjab]

The only reasons that I am posting in this forum is due to one of the solutions I thought up on the poll.

 

The reason why I am posting this is because no one is talking about fixing it. The only project I can think of that deserves credit at this point for population saving attempts is 'algol'.

 

I see people playing these huge zones that only have limited things in them. They play because people are there playing it. Yes that's how a population cycle goes, but eventually as time goes by, people see the game as stale, unchangable, and uninteresting. There is a reason why people are! People look at the big zones (from what i see) and see that as (as much as continuum can give us) so they leave without even exploring what we truely have amongst our Continuum world.

 

I see this as more of a oppertunity for the big zones to help than the SSC council, but at the same time, Advertisments like I mentioned in the first Poll answer could rly help. I mean hell i remember that cash event for chaos league zones adv ertised on that once and as mych as 150-200 people were there in an instant ( i mean minus the cash prize) there could have been 75 people comming there just to see and play something new.

 

I know that when you bounce someone to another zone, that files in the folders get mixed. As long as the person can get to the zone, i see absolutly no problem with this. I mean hell im sure half of the freaking population doesnt go through their files and notice things out of place and start complaining like it was a toxic spill in a coral reef. lol bad analogies.

 

Either way, I want to hear how others are thinking about this whole thing. I see this more as a responsibility of the larger zones, to keep the interests of our community afloat.

 

 

 

Basically, Im saying that We should give more of a convenience to the small zones with alot of potential. I mean Desert Storm is small by pop but very nice. That's one example.

Edited June 26, 2009 by jabjabjab

[»Lynx]

hahahahaha

[»Maverick]

From what I understand of your post is that you want zones to "share population" by giving newbies the choice of entering other, lesser populated, zones.

I don't think having SSC-wide zone messages or bouncerbots will accomplish that.

 

What I do think would (maybe) work is making a few HTML pages (anyone can do that) that contain reviews and screenshots about each and every zone in the game (not a single exception).

If you can only publish these pages to the most used websites used by this community (GetContinuum.com, SSCentral.com, Trenchwars.org, DSB.com, extreme-games.net, etc etc) then those zones will become more known by the general public and will gain population in time. A clever way must be thought out of having these pages published but with the ability to modify them at one place so someone can keep working on updating them.

 

However, some zones just won't accept publishing these pages at their website as they still believe about banning you if you mention a different zone then their own. Convincing them with the fact that their zone will also be advertised at other websites might change their mind though.

 

This is just one idea but anything you come up with that tries to tackle this problem won't be easy to implement. Some ideas will just simply be impossible by the way people think about other zones. Changing people's minds about this will be the most daunting task.

[»jabjabjab]

I don't see this as "Changing Minds" but moreso "Gaining knowladge of" or "To know about, and have more convenience to get to it" kindof thing. I think the page idea is a great idea.

 

Zones need to get over this whole "I want all continuum's population" and get over the fact that these things are needed to keep us running smoothly over the years.

[Confess]

Jabjabjab's post has some relevance, in that what benefits you will benefit me - It's all in economics. If you can sucessfully manage to keep the players on SS instead of allowing them to leave due to 'loss of interest', then they will attract other players. As it stands, most players do not truly check out other zones then 'major zones', some dont even know how. How often have you tried to get someone to go to your zone, only to find out they don't even know how to go to other zones then ones on their list? This is one problem for new zones - people like their zone they've played in since they've started.

 

If you can 'spread' the population out while keeping the population happy, and letting them have a choice - it will in turn help increase your own population. Of course, the reverse effect can happen too..you can do it so much, that everyone leaves your zone. It requires multiple simultaneous efforts -

 

First off, you must increase the popularity of other zones.

Second off, you must advertise and increase Continuum's popularity through:

Word of mouth, advertisements, reviews...etc.

 

Example:

You're selling candy bars. You need buyers...so, you go out around the neighborhood and sell candy bars. People buy the candy bars because they like chocolate...You go on, to be a very successfuly candy bar seller because people bought your candy...Later on, someone comes knocking on your door - only they are selling magazines...you can either: Buy the magazine, increase their revenue - which will then give them money to buy your candy bars, or not buy the magazine - therefore not allowing their company to grow, and therefore not allowing any money for them to buy your candy bar.

[»Lynx]

First the smaller zones need to seriously step their game up before considering anything like this. Sorry, but a zone like mine simply isn't on par with DSB, TW etc in the sense it simply would crumble when a lot of population started playing due to bugs etc that haven't been found due to low population. I'm just quite skeptical about persuading a large mass of population to make a quick switch over. I think something like a shared zone that gradually builds population and has a shared development base (i.e. algol project) would do the trick a little better, but just my two cents.

 

As to paid advertising? What?

 

-L

[»jabjabjab]

Well I mean if the Major zones decide to go selfish, a SSC wide zoner about the zone or activities of the zone will also aid just as well. More of a plan-b IMO. Confess basically explained what I am truely aiming for, not about non-ssc zones rly, but then again seeing people's reaction to a non-ssc zone will give more of a true opinion wether or not this zone is "SSC-Worthy".

 

Basically, the sad truth about the game right now is that the major zones can either make or break our game. They hold most population. They can either help out their game, and stay a rly good zone for a really long time, or cause our game's epic (or close) demise.

 

Another thing is, I don't understand this selfish idea that "We need everyone in the entire game playing ONLY our zone." We can't think like this anymore. We are having our own economic crises and the "oil" is running dry. We're going to need to find alternatives than just "burning" the "oil" so much about how great our own zone is, and instead "share" the "oil" to make things last and to keep the game alive honestly. The only difference between players and "oil" is that our oil can talk. Just sucks that alot do not know where to go.

 

 

(Maybe we could add a youtube video tutorial on zone adding / playing on www.getcontinuum.com)

Edited June 27, 2009 by jabjabjab

[Dr Brain]

So you want to take players from a zone they like playing, and put them into a zone they've never played to INCREASE population? Sounds like a great way to kill the game.

 

Seriously, there are enough players that check out the small zones to work with. If they like the gameplay, they stick around. If enough stick around, then you move up to being a medium zone. Then you get slightly more people checking it out, and, if it's a good zone, more people sticking around. That's how you become a big zone.

 

Artificially increasing a zone's population is a good way to kill a zone, as lynx alluded to in his post.

[»jabjabjab]

Why would this kill the game? The message Im trying to get across in my previous post is the fact that when someone checks out something they really like, they aren't going to stay silent. Its a matter of telling friends, and maybe even sometimes people who don't even play the game. It's a nice way to advertise and at the same time keep interest of the players. Dr. Brain, How exactly did you obtain players in your zone? It's the same kindof thing, just speeding it up alittle. There is no harm in this kindof plan. Its not like the big league zones are going to become a frag gernade on every zone in the community. Im sure not even 5% will come and go to zones, but people will check out the ones who rly deserve players, and really have a chance to keep interest in our community, and change things to keep things running smoothly and efficiently (as far as population trends go.) Edited June 27, 2009 by jabjabjab

[Confess]

Jab, they are right that artificially (at this moment) would kill the game; You cant force anyone to check out another zone. However, you can encourage...But as lynx said, the current zones need to step up their skillz. However, it would be stupid for TW to advertise for a TW clone...etc. But if TW advertised for..lets say, Halo - then it would help Halo.

[»jabjabjab]

Why do people keep thinking im trying to force them lol. I'm just trying to get people aware of other places out there and encourage them to explore. Keep them interested in the game with new things. Not trying to Force LOL

[Chambahs]

I skimmed through, and ill agree with confess. The biggest problem, is that TW/EG/DSB newbs dont know anything outside of those zones. They dont care either. IE: You are on your Xbox live, playing...i dunno, rock band. You've got all your friends/people you know on xbox live. Then someone tells you to go play rock band on PS3 Online. What are you gonna say? Why would you do that?

 

You either dont have a ps3 (newbs that dont know how to download zones)

Or you see no sense to since you are more comfortable with xbox live because you get to play with all your friends/people you know.

 

Now, if xbox live goes down, you either stop playing (newbs that dont know how to download other zones), or go play PS3 online (what happens when TW or EG goes down).

 

 

As far as advertising goes, if you want pop from other zones to go into a smaller one, the key is to get key players to go. This is what I did when I had UT up. I would go to MG or RS or HS and grab key people. By grabbing these certain people, alot of other people would talk to them through PM or chat or ?find player, and see they are in a new zone. Then it starts to become a chain. Key person attracts 3 people, those 3 people attract 2 more each, then all of the sudden you got half the community in the smaller zone. This is what happened with Redstar/Fusion.

 

EDIT: I just realized I got totally off topic and started talking about stealing pop, but I just got into one of those zones, lmao sorry.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Chambahs

[»Purge]

Instead of calling it "stealing pop", maybe the SSC can make advertisement in all SSC zones legal? And what do you mean by key players?

[Samapico]

Advertisement would need to be regulated somehow. You don't want random newbs spamming your zone with OMG COME TO SSSSSS MYZONEISAWESOME, IT HAZ GR8 SHIPZ AND EH FUN

 

It's pretty easy to set up a periodic message to pop up an advertisement of a zone once in a while, and the periodic can be rotated through a list of messages for any zone who wants to be on it

 

Edit: Though it would be best to advertise when there are people in the zone, or if an event is happening. Some zones can't keep a constant player flow, but often have peaks with lots of ship debris flying everywhere

[Chambahs]

Key people:

 

By grabbing these certain people, alot of other people would talk to them through PM or chat or ?find player, and see they are in a new zone. Then it starts to become a chain. Key person attracts 3 people, those 3 people attract 2 more each, then all of the sudden you got half the community in the smaller zone. This is what happened with Redstar/Fusion.

 

For instance, popular people in the zone. Squad owners, vets, people that everyone wants to play on their team, you know...popular people.

[»jabjabjab]

I agree with SSC needing to allow alittle more advertising between the zones.

[rootbear75]

I skimmed through, and ill agree with confess. The biggest problem, is that TW/EG/DSB newbs dont know anything outside of those zones. They dont care either. IE: You are on your Xbox live, playing...i dunno, rock band. You've got all your friends/people you know on xbox live. Then someone tells you to go play rock band on PS3 Online. What are you gonna say? Why would you do that?

 

You either dont have a ps3 (newbs that dont know how to download zones)

Or you see no sense to since you are more comfortable with xbox live because you get to play with all your friends/people you know.

 

Now, if xbox live goes down, you either stop playing (newbs that dont know how to download other zones), or go play PS3 online (what happens when TW or EG goes down).

 

ok.. that is a horrible analogy... its the type of fanboyism you accuse other people of when they say PS3 sucks.

you cant even compare console online services to Continuum... there are SO many other factors than that.

 

I started thinking towards IE and FF, but it would have ended up being the same as your analogy... same with Facebook and Myspace.

 

/offtopic sorta

 

Advertisement would need to be regulated somehow. You don't want random newbs spamming your zone with OMG COME TO SSSSSS MYZONEISAWESOME, IT HAZ GR8 SHIPZ AND EH FUN

 

It's pretty easy to set up a periodic message to pop up an advertisement of a zone once in a while, and the periodic can be rotated through a list of messages for any zone who wants to be on it

 

Edit: Though it would be best to advertise when there are people in the zone, or if an event is happening. Some zones can't keep a constant player flow, but often have peaks with lots of ship debris flying everywhere

I think the SSC should allow SSC zones to advertise in each other... as in SSC Halo allowed to advertise in SSC Hyperspace. Not like LOSS (Lil old subspace server) MyZone is allowed to advertise in SSC EG

[Kilo]

Umm... sounds like you're talking about things that fall under zone rules moreso than SSC rules?

[»Lynx]

I'd rather not let SSC tell me how to run my zone thnx.

 

-L

[Samapico]

That is, unless advertising are made network-wide

[Kilo]

My server might accidentally drop those packets.

[»jabjabjab]

hahahaha lol kilo xD

[jacob hunter!]

In response to this topic... Adam and I are currently working on programmin an xbox live style achievments awarded through out the zone of tw for accomplishing various goals. Examples: getting 30 kills in a weasel called "assasin achievment" getting 50 kills with a lev called "bomber" and other varies shit. me and Adam have been coding the bot for the past week now and so far it's been going good. Hopefully soon we will have this shit up and running and alot of people will then likely play more pub/events ect...

[rootbear75]

In response to this topic... Adam and I are currently working on programmin an xbox live style achievments awarded through out the zone of tw for accomplishing various goals. Examples: getting 30 kills in a weasel called "assasin achievment" getting 50 kills with a lev called "bomber" and other varies shit. me and Adam have been coding the bot for the past week now and so far it's been going good. Hopefully soon we will have this shit up and running and alot of people will then likely play more pub/events ect...

there's your problem...

what you just stated is the complete opposite of the point of the topic.

[»jabjabjab]

heh population just for TW xD.. "Sharing is Caring"