Promotion - rethink targeting

[gorboth]

We have had some waves of returning players, the opening of AA and the opening of the Genesis FB group. I would like to know why those players did not stick around. I think that is much more important then knowing why they left in the first place. They came and they saw the "new" and changed Genesis, why didn't they stay?

This question has the potential to derail this thread, so I will ask anyone who wants to keep talking about it to create a new thread for that purpose. I'll delete (hint - fair warning!) any posts that try to use this thread to respond to what I'm about to say about the AA. But, to quickly answer this question (and then end the subject in THIS thread) the majority of the AA players left when, about a month after the guild had been re-opened, the bonk special was deemed incorrectly implemented by AoB. The special was changed to not always target the head, which many players felt was a horrible nerf, and due to Admin bias against the guild and it's players. Some wizards also felt this was due to bias, and helped stir up disgust in the player community, which lead to a mass exodus. That's the official story, and you can create a new thread if you want to discuss it further (which I do not recommend, since it is old sour grapes, and really only likely to stir up drama.)

As for why the FB players didn't stick around, my guess is that there were two problems. One is that many of the FB people didn't return to play, but instead returned to sniff around, and see what the old place looked like. Once they had done that, they really didn't have time/interest in the sort of game Genesis offers anymore. The other reason, I believe, is that the FB chat featured many of the worst types of nonsense that Genesis has to offer. As so often happens online, the mouthy negative players tend to rule the roost, and even if they don't rule, they make so much noise that they turn people off to all the good that is actually the reality of the game.

I was rather thinking along those lines:

a. I stopped, cause I needed more time in RL
BUT did you know that now it's really not a problem to get geared up in Genesis? you can even join guilds, that are totally undependant from the eq-run hassle, hence you can always spend just as much time on Genesis as you have

b. I stopped, cause of stupid buttheads giving me a hard time
BUT did you know most of them stopped playing / were deleted?

c. I stopped, cause I found application/joining procedures to be fucked up long
BUT did you know, that this issue has been dealt with either by code or by mortals themselves in the game already?

d. I stopped after my chars were deleted
BUT did you hear about the restoration of old chars run by Gorboth a while ago?

etc. etc.

If you don't ask questions, you will hardly get answers to work on the issues (if they weren't already dealt with).

You can run information campaigns on FB too, just like you did on this forum. This month we advertise, that there is free restoration for old chars. Next month we advertise, that X number of new guild members (aside from free-join guilds) have appeared over the last Y months, with an average of Z hours of play-time apprenticehood.

I don't know - that's shooting at issues that were not researched, so in other words shooting blind.

Laurel - these are AWESOME IDEAS. I love them! Great great stuff.

G.

[Hektor]

I think we should try compile a LONG list like Laurels.

X: I had this issue/complaint with the game.
Y: True. It has been addressed/solved by admin and/or players doing this/that.

Find out what all the old complaints used to be and how they have been solved over the years. As a spin-off, it MAY:

A:Help us to see how the game has evolved (on all scales, player maturity, game content, communication, etc - and that it is not just "the good old days" that were great, but things are changing for the better, if slowly but steadily).

B:Improve the appreciativeness of the above.

Whenever I hosted gen-parties, card-nights where I promoted Genesis etc. I often spent time with "X: but this sucked" "Me:Yeah but see .. this has been done".. but I came up short with arguments to all issues (either because I was not prepared or the issue not fixed). Such a list could be a great help to efforts in bringing back old players I think.....Or am I derailed?

[Kitriana]

If we compiled a list of these -- we could start posting one a day on the FB group. Or perhaps every other day. People have some kind of a notification system set up for the facebook -- so I think it would be best to show increased activity over a long period of time vs one quick blast. That would give those on fb who are currently playing to tag on any comments about how that fix has been great or improved gameplay for them and lead to general positive conversations.

Maybe this is obvious to everyone else -- but I would also recommend that as we compile - if you come up with a past problem to add to the list you also provide how its been improved. So this doesn't become a "sour grapes" list of complaints.

[gorboth]

Wonderful idea! Please someone do this.

G.

[Tive]

I think what makes people keep coming back to Genesis (or at least checking it out) is sentiment....

Maybe try posting 'A Log/Story of the Week (in Retrospect)' on Facebook? You could use some logs from the other thread on the forum?

You never know, it may make some people to log back again.

[gorboth]

I think what makes people keep coming back to Genesis (or at least checking it out) is sentiment....

Maybe try posting 'A Log/Story of the Week (in Retrospect)' on Facebook? You could use some logs from the other thread on the forum?

You never know, it may make some people to log back again.

Another great idea. Someone please do this.

Thanks, Tive!
G.