Out of Game War Time Recruiting

[supercoolyellow]

Last war, GOONS were able to use the war to recruit a great deal of new members from their Something Awful fourms. I believe this war provides a similar opportunity for many alliances, and CN as an entire community. In fact, last war, CN's population improved by something like 500-1000 member iirc. This war provides many of us the opportunity to post in many forums and online communities: "We're at war, and we could use your help." Now I know, new nations don't really impact a war, unless your lennox. However, it could be an opportunity for some of us to add 20 new nations in a way that takes less work than the corresponding amount of recruiting messages would take.

Here some alliances that I think have the ability to do off world recruiting and should take advantage of it, to grow our community.

TOP- Your paradoxia forums that you originated from.
United Equestria- Pony Chan
Goons- SA, but I know you'll already do this. Kudos.
NSO- Perhaps you guys could draw from 1914?
RnR- Could you guys draw from America's Army?
Umbrella- Your former MFO members could recruit from MFO.
Edit: Fark, you could go for a greenlight.

Also, I believe a whole host of you could recruit from PT.

Also there are a probably a bunch of you that could recruit from many other communities that I can't think of.

Lastly, does anyone here have any tips on how offsite recruiting during a war could best be done?

Edited December 1, 2011 by supercoolyellow

[Ardus]

All of those alliances (save maybe NSO) exist because they already recruited off of those forums. I don't think they'd get a whole lot more.

Also, we'd need the war to expand first.

[Joe Kremlin]

I think those sources have been pretty much tapped dry.

[supercoolyellow]

[quote name='Joe Kremlin' timestamp='1322708650' post='2857518']
I think those sources have been pretty much tapped dry.
[/quote]

The thing is you'll have further motivation to recruit from those sources, b/c of this war.

Also, Ardus is right, this war needs to blow up before this kind of recruiting can start.

[Kronos]

This is a cool idea. I am a recruiter for my alliance so if you can use my assistance anywhere I'd be more than happy to help.

[Believland]

No. Noobs suck, and they would ruin our avg. ns.

[Avakael]

For reference, PT has been down for some weeks and some alliances (like SK) are emigrating away. Victory to CN etc etc

[Seerow]

What good does recruiting new nations in the middle of war do? It might spark interest as they think there's actually stuff happening, but they don't contribute anything at all to the war effort, and the nations will quickly delete as they realize that they can't contribute, and it will be years before they can.

Out of curiosity, you mention a 500-1000 nation spike from the last war. How many nations who joined during that timeframe are still with us?

[supercoolyellow]

[quote name='Seerow' timestamp='1322710803' post='2857559']
What good does recruiting new nations in the middle of war do? It might spark interest as they think there's actually stuff happening, but they don't contribute anything at all to the war effort, and the nations will quickly delete as they realize that they can't contribute, and it will be years before they can.[/quote]

see what I wrote earlier

[quote name='supercoolyellow' timestamp='1322707788' post='2857502']
Now I know, new nations don't really impact a war, unless your lennox. However, it could be an opportunity for some of us to add 20 new nations in a way that takes less work than the corresponding amount of recruiting messages would take.
[/quote]

[quote]Out of curiosity, you mention a 500-1000 nation spike from the last war. How many nations who joined during that timeframe are still with us?
[/quote]

Probably the same ratio that stay for any other batch of new nations. Are you proposing that we shouldn't bother attracting new nations at all?

[Seerow]

[quote]Probably the same ratio that stay for any other batch of new nations. Are you proposing that we shouldn't bother attracting new nations at all?
[/quote]

Until game mechanics change so that new players can be relevant I fail to see the point. I'm not going to try to get my friends to join a game where I have to explain to them they have to play for 2-3 years before having good enough stats to contribute, and stuff actually happens once a year. Why would I want to subject a friend to something like that?

[flak attack]

[quote name='supercoolyellow' timestamp='1322707788' post='2857502']
United Equestria- Pony Chan
[/quote]
Please no.

[the rebel]

[quote name='supercoolyellow' timestamp='1322710983' post='2857561']
Are you proposing that we shouldn't bother attracting new nations at all?[/quote]

Doing that would leave us with the hardcore 1000s which would slowly dwindle... Could look towards places where like minded people go....

[HeroofTime55]

[quote name='Seerow' timestamp='1322711309' post='2857568']
Until game mechanics change so that new players can be relevant I fail to see the point. I'm not going to try to get my friends to join a game where I have to explain to them they have to play for 2-3 years before having good enough stats to contribute, and stuff actually happens once a year. Why would I want to subject a friend to something like that?
[/quote]
It's not the game, it's on the heads of alliances for not making their new members feel relevant.

The key part of this game lies in community. Not how big the numbers are in your small segment of the spreadsheet.

Also helps if you don't regularly !@#$%* about how the game is dying in front of your new membership.

Edited December 1, 2011 by HeroofTime55

[rsoxbronco1]

[quote name='Seerow' timestamp='1322711309' post='2857568']
Until game mechanics change so that new players can be relevant I fail to see the point. I'm not going to try to get my friends to join a game where I have to explain to them they have to play for 2-3 years before having good enough stats to contribute, and stuff actually happens once a year. Why would I want to subject a friend to something like that?
[/quote]
I had a friend who told me 1-2 months ago that he joined CN (without telling me) sometime last year. He told me that he got bored and quit playing almost instantly. Smart kid and, had he actually been given the opportunity to grow, he would have been the kind of guy who would absolutely kill at high level gov and been a fun character. Unfortunately, who the hell wants to wait YEARS to be worth joining something approaching the upper echelons.

September was only worth it for me because I've been along so long that my personal knowledge, experience, and large number of friends (i hate you all) exceeded any sort of nation building. I think I'm ~5k NS right now and I honestly don't give two craps about it. I send tech to fellow MK nations, but it's useless to try to build my nation.

Basically, new people have no reason to join the game because they can never been enough of a threat to be worth paying attention to.

Edited December 1, 2011 by rsoxbronco1

[King Xander the Only]

[quote name='supercoolyellow' timestamp='1322708840' post='2857523']
The thing is you'll have further motivation to recruit from those sources, b/c of this war.

Also, Ardus is right, this war needs to blow up before this kind of recruiting can start.
[/quote]
What war?

[Ardus]

[quote name='King Xander the Only' timestamp='1322712282' post='2857591']
What war?
[/quote]
What pumpkin?

[Seerow]

[quote name='HeroofTime55' timestamp='1322711849' post='2857579']
It's not the game, it's on the heads of alliances for not making their new members feel relevant.

The key part of this game lies in community. Not how big the numbers are in your small segment of the spreadsheet.

Also helps if you don't regularly !@#$%* about how the game is dying in front of your new membership.
[/quote]

Here's the thing: There's plenty of communities out there. Yes, we have a relatively unique community here, but you can't forget that the community revolves around the game. If admin pulled the plug tomorrow, the vast majority would no longer be in touch with each other or care about each other.

People get drawn in by the game, then stay for the community they find themselves a part of. However after the game has aged for so many years, new members can't get drawn in by the game. There is nothing to try, no game to play. They come in, join an alliance, get told what to do to get their nation up to par, and wait. This isn't something that entices new players to try to get involved with the community. They say "why bother" and go off and do something else because they never actually hit that hook that pulled them into the community in the first place.

[HeroofTime55]

[quote name='Seerow' timestamp='1322712627' post='2857594']
Here's the thing: There's plenty of communities out there. Yes, we have a relatively unique community here, but you can't forget that the community revolves around the game. If admin pulled the plug tomorrow, the vast majority would no longer be in touch with each other or care about each other.

People get drawn in by the game, then stay for the community they find themselves a part of. However after the game has aged for so many years, new members can't get drawn in by the game. There is nothing to try, no game to play. They come in, join an alliance, get told what to do to get their nation up to par, and wait. This isn't something that entices new players to try to get involved with the community. They say "why bother" and go off and do something else because they never actually hit that hook that pulled them into the community in the first place.
[/quote]
I have about 50 newbies under my wing who would beg to differ. You're not doing it right.

[Ardus]

[quote name='HeroofTime55' timestamp='1322712805' post='2857602']
I have about 50 newbies under my wing who would beg to differ. You're not doing it right.
[/quote]
EDIT: Mistook this for an IC forum. Turning off the jerk switch.

Not everybody has a specific theme attached to an off-site forum that allows for easy transition and retention.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Ardus

[Banksy]

Okay, making a topic on LL now. Hopefully Yaridovich will flock to our banner.

[shahman]

Recruit from 4chan, how's that sound?

[OrangeBeard]

It might have been mentioned already, but PT has been down about a month and was full of CN members anyhow.

Off-site recruiting is fine, and I've gotten a few members in NATO that way, but ultimately its a hassle during wartime. Having to focus on that rather than the war, coupled with the fact that most of them will just quit when its over, adding more work, makes it rather worthless. It's a nice thought though.

[Banksy]

Oh hey GOD could help out too with their non-CN parent community.

[HeroofTime55]

[quote name='Ardus' timestamp='1322713701' post='2857618']
EDIT: Mistook this for an IC forum. Turning off the jerk switch.

Not everybody has a specific theme attached to an off-site forum that allows for easy transition and retention.
[/quote]
It's not the theme. True, we have it much easier, but it's not because I picked a good theme. It's because we have a good community.

You have to make your new members feel welcomed, like part of a family. I'd venture to guess that running new guys through a strict academy for a month can be a real turn off. Each member has to be loved, cared for, attended to, and most importantly, given opportunities to contribute. You don't need a giant personal NS value to contribute to internal events or games or parties. When members contribute something real, they feel important. Arguably, because they are. It makes them important. And that ultimately leads to retention.

When we launched, our number one goal wasn't recruitment or nation building or diplomacy or war. Our singular goal was to lay the foundation of a solid and welcoming, loving community. Everything else is built off of that.

[Professor Chaos]

I'll bet dollars to donuts that the 500-1000 member population swell you saw during the last war was comprised mostly of returning people who got word from old friends that something interesting finally happened. When the war ended, and everything stagnated again, you saw the global population trend right itself and return to "plunging" status. It's nice to think that maybe there's an untapped internet community, but the reality is this: every forum that already spawned its own alliance has probably already sent us most of the people it's going to send.

I'd be interested in seeing an average age of all player accounts. Obviously there's been an extended and continuing exodus of players, and frankly it's hard to blame people sometimes. According to the all nations display, 103 new nations were created on November 30. How does that number compare to the past? Has anyone checked that kind of statistic before? I'm wondering if the same number of people are registering, but the population keeps shrinking just due to older players leaving. Or, in addition to the diaspora of older players, is recruitment also down?

Edited December 1, 2011 by Professor Chaos