Advertising Needed!

We need some more traffic here, guys. I got a warning about little usage of the forums, and a threat that they will remove the forum if we do not get enough people visiting. Let's deliberate and think of ways to get more people in on this thread, so that we can keep spam to a minimum.

Post anything you think we could do to help with forum traffic and advertising.

http://yogiverse.com/

The Yogscast website. I'm a member of the forums, I could post a thread there?

On a sub-note of increasing the size of the forums, I would like to bring up an issue that I've found with with the current GM application process.

It doesn't scale.

Sure 5 members is a bunch right now, but as we approach potentially 50-60 active members, people can just ask their friends to support the game. In addition, I find that just a game description isn't really enough to make up your mind about a game.

My suggestions are as follows:

1:Increase the number of normal members required to approve an application to 6 or higher if the community grows far beyond it's current numbers, but possibly lower the number of GM votes needed.

Or: Instead of immediately granting a player with an approved application access to make a game, have them make a 2-4 roll "test" game (perhaps in a separate forum section?). The new GM would then give us an action-packed few rolls, after which another vote would take place, deciding on their status as a GM.

Just my 2 cents, as I'm not perfect. I'm sure someone else can improve on those suggestions

OT: Yogscast forums might not be our target demographic, but we've got enough mods to deal with the trolls. Maybe if someone *cough* else was made into a mod?

I tried to spread this forum quite a lot a time ago, but i did probably not succeed :/ Dragon, could you copy the message you got into here so we know more details?

Which message? I get a lot of messages.

And Saima, if we do get more people in, I will be changing the GM application requirement. But because most games requires 5 members to play, I was thinking 5 people who want to play to become a GM is a good number. And, if a GM griefs the forums, we can always perma-ban him.

Anyone using Frogger's banner as their signature on other forums? If we add a link to that, it could draw people in.

We could also post a thread on that R2D forum that SeanMirrsen(is that his forum name?) came from.

@Dragon the warning message you got from the forumcreators or something like that

Well, there are a couple of problems with expanding.

For one, lack of GMs and games. A lot of this has been solved with the Applications subforum, but if we expand too rapidly there will be more problems.

I need to make another game and will try to as soon as I get back from a crazy couple of weeks of camp.

Most importantly, the same (most active) people are members in all of the games. They're taking up all the slots so that new players can not jump in. I am in 4 myself, so I admit to my guilt here. We need to impose a limit on how many games a player can be active in to let newer people participate.

I could start using the banner in the Orcworm SMP forums. I'm an administrator on that forum; it has a (semi-active) RP/Story-writing section, as well as nearly 100 active members we might be able to get a few hits from that.

Also, if GMs are up for it, perhaps they could run more than one game? Either different games or more than one instance of the same? The number of players vs number of available games ensures those that aren't actively in a game have long time to wait before joining. But some games take so long to roll that players feel the need to be in multiple games to avoid a sense of stagnation.

Why don't we say this: If you know a good forum with decent users, advertise there?

I agree with what Bigkahuna said. And I think that new users should get into the game at a higher preference than old user that are already in one.

Right now, anyone who comes along and registers will see that there are no games available to join and will not stay. If we had a game with no theoretical limit on numbers (and restricted it to newer members) then people would always have somewhere to play. A dungeon crawl with lots of wacky events which is persistent, or has some kind of win-condition which anyone can achieve even if they have been playing for a short time, then the game resets. Simply, a game where people can jump in, get the "Springy boots of jumping high" and have some fun.

I'd offer to make it, but, my time is already limited for my own game - perhaps a collaboration between GM's?

As for the application process, if a GM can get enough support for their game to begin (either full player list, or, enough players to begin) then they should be allowed to start - with perhaps one GM giving general approval. If its rubbish then it dies, if not, then good.
We could impose a general restriction that they need to have participated in one other game first for X amount of time.

Advertising: Firstly, avoid treading on other people's toes, don't go advertising our R2D forum in someone elses R2D game on R2D forum, or on a forum that already hosts R2D games - its a bit rude (A forum with one or two R2D's is ok, just not one where there is already a largish R2D community there). You want to tackle RP communities, writers and possibly fan website (anyone want to make a Harry potter R2D?).

http://www.roleplaygateway.com/directory/ - A website of links to other RP forums, someone could take a look at them all and get ideas or see places to advertise
http://roleplayerguild.com/ - a seemingly well established RP forum
http://roleplaying.top-site-list.com/ - A list of RP forums, we can advertise there
http://www.big-boards.com/kw/roleplaying/ - Again here
http://www.writingforums.com/ - Possibly make a post here

We should discusss various websites and strategies, don't just go off making posts, as you might give us a bad reputation on that forum.

There are a lot of well-established forums out there, I don't know how many have R2D's. But it will be hard to attract a large amount of people away from them.

If you want to move into proper marketing then: Facebook - I don't know what we'd do exactly, but... Facebook.
Any programmers want to make an epic R2D free app?
etc...

I support Daravel's "Springy boots of jumping" game plan. Perhaps it could be an endless onslaught of enemies, increasing in difficulty and item drops? Maybe it can reset every 10 turns, and then swap GMs? Just some thoughts.

I'd like to remind everyone that I still have 2 slots open in my dungeon crawl at the moment (even though that doesn't negate the overall lack of games with open slots). *publicity*

Well, the problem is that we are too few people at the moment. Our games are full, and then noone new can join. And my game allowed at the beginning everyone to join, so I had around 11 players after some time. So I grew bored of rolling cuz I had to roll many ours for only one roll. What we need are some easy-to-roll-and-not-too-advanced-games that only new players are allowed to roll. Not too hard to make, and that will be reseted every 10 turns. I would like to make that, but I have neither time nor will to make one :/

But my concept is like this:

Each player create their character.
Rolls are with D6.
Easy battle rolls (Dx+/-Buffs and equipment)
No XP, just lvl up when they have practiced some time and got good rolls.
No limits, they choose what to learn.
Uncomplicated story (They are sailors, a storm came, they woke up on a random island with rogues, they fight is an example)

Something like this, and then the new players might after some time make their own game. Just my ideas though.

I'll make a thread in the GM applications section and post my idea for this "new player friendly" game. We can then discuss it and work out the best way to implement it.

Edit: https://roll2dodge.forumotion.com/t252-new-player-friendly-r2d
The thread. Get some ideas in there, critique others and build up one good R2D idea

8680 had a general idea for an R2D that at first I blew off as another hodge-podge boring R2D.

8680 wrote:players are people shipwrecked on an unknown landmass of unknown size and full of unknown dangers and other unknown-ness. They explore the island, fighting monsters, gaining experience and equipment, maybe finding or building a base of some sort, etc.

Then I realized that it sounded a LOT like Minecraft. In practice, we can't make an R2D like Minecraft, because the whole point of Minecraft is an open world to survive and build creations in (no flaming from Minecraft fans please, just a general observation).

However, what if we made an R2D like Terraria? The focus on combat, dungeoneering (?), boss battles, strange monsters, collecting armour sets, chests, crazy items and powerups, potions, etc. has endless possibilities.

Basically, a bunch of "players are people shipwrecked on an unknown landmass of unknown size and full of unknown dangers and other unknown-ness. They explore the island, fighting monsters, gaining experience and equipment, maybe finding or building a base of some sort, etc."

Collecting resources and building a base would only be one facet of this potential monster R2D. Any thoughts on this?

bigkahuna wrote:8680 had a general idea for an R2D that at first I blew off as another hodge-podge boring R2D.

8680 wrote:players are people shipwrecked on an unknown landmass of unknown size and full of unknown dangers and other unknown-ness. They explore the island, fighting monsters, gaining experience and equipment, maybe finding or building a base of some sort, etc.

Then I realized that it sounded a LOT like Minecraft. In practice, we can't make an R2D like Minecraft, because the whole point of Minecraft is an open world to survive and build creations in (no flaming from Minecraft fans please, just a general observation).

However, what if we made an R2D like Terraria? The focus on combat, dungeoneering (?), boss battles, strange monsters, collecting armour sets, chests, crazy items and powerups, potions, etc. has endless possibilities.

Basically, a bunch of "players are people shipwrecked on an unknown landmass of unknown size and full of unknown dangers and other unknown-ness. They explore the island, fighting monsters, gaining experience and equipment, maybe finding or building a base of some sort, etc."

Collecting resources and building a base would only be one facet of this potential monster R2D. Any thoughts on this?

I'm all for it!

Well, I volunteer for making that, but how will the roll system work? I am thinking we will need to us a d20 instead of a d6.

And on the night the base's defences will be tested! The stronger and more it has been upgraded, the more buffs it gives the players in it! It sounds like a great idea!

I like the idea of both the Terraria-based game, and Daravel's GM-swapping game.

+1 like count.

+1 more like count. Shall we move this to the thread that Daravel made?

FoolishBalloon wrote:And on the night the base's defences will be tested! The stronger and more it has been upgraded, the more buffs it gives the players in it!

...That is a great idea. It can have a RTS (Real-Time Strategy) aspect in that you have to maintain your base, possibly make traps and defenses (or defend it yourself), and gather resources to supplement it.

I can see a bunch of people playing this at once, with separate groups exploring, looting dungeons, and building/maintaining bases.

Dragonchampion wrote:Well, I volunteer for making that[...]

I was thinking more of a collaborative effort. More explained below.

Dragonchampion wrote:[...]how will the roll system work? I am thinking we will need to us a d20 instead of a d6.

Here's some ideas. Combat will be standard D&D (I think this is standard...):

Combat:

For normal actions (loot this, jump over this, climb this, chop down this tree, etc.) you would give a minor action and roll a d20 to determine it's outcome. Standard major/minor.

About collaborative GMing.

I thought it would be awesome if this new R2D would be a persistent 'world'. Make a new subforum if you have to. Each GM that wanted to participate would have their own team of up to ten (10) people that they would roll for. Of course, we would all need a standardized rolling system and such.

The various teams could go along their own path, create their own 'team base', basically do whatever they want until they meet each other.

This could create some interesting gameplay. They could fight each other, try and steal their resources, raid their base, trade with each other, work together, etc. If one team became too overpowered, the others might gang up on them. The possibilities with this line of gameplay are endless.

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Lots of stuff to go through, but I had an idea spree and would like your thoughts.

EDIT: Will be leaving tomorrow. May be coming back on Sunday for a day, maybe not. If not I won't be back until July 15th or so. Alas, I will not grace you with my presence.

bigkahuna wrote:It can have a RTS (Real-Time Strategy) aspect ...

Emulating an RTS in an inherently turn-based system sounds unnecessarily difficult.

I said an RTS aspect. Not theme. The aspect of RTSness is that you will be managing and implementing resources to build and maintain structures against possible invaders.

Before we can have the game, we need to have the players. Has anyone started to try and get attention on other forums?
Dragon, you could add the banner to your sig on the Minecraft forums. I tried, but the Curse forums gave me trouble when I tried to sign up...

Are all our Wesnoth forum users advertising in their sigs?