Shouldering the Burden

[Schattenmann]

Much has been said about the declining rate of new nations, and/or the decling rate of retention of new nations. Blah blah, analysis, I don't know why it's happening.

One item from the discussion that sticks out in my mind is something ChairmanHal used to talk about when we were in Browncoats: Talk to real life friends and get them interested. It may come as a shock to many of you that while I think that's a good idea, this 3+ hours/day CN player doesn't really have that many RL people to talk to about CN in the first place, so there's that.

But, now even we seriously lame vicarious livers have been robbed of that excuse with the implementation of personalized recruitment links. You know, that message at the top of your nation that you scroll past without reading; yeah, right there above the team senate notification. So, now we can "talk" to all of our e-"friends" on social networking sites about CyberNations. I think it's really cool.

With Starcraftmaster (doubtful, btw) opening the discussion once again, I wonder how many of you out there in Digiterra are reaching out to touch someone?

I have spoken to a few people in real life, a 14-yr-old in the Scout troop I volunteer with had had a nation in 2006, joined "some really big alliance, it was all green" and deleted after 20 days (GGA ruining the game fo rnew players ); my cousin made a nation last week and I hope he sticks it out.

I posted my link to Facebook and got a comment that some idiot thought was witty (something like "can you win the healthcare debate in that?" hurrrr) but had no nations created. I plan to post the link every couple weeks, though.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Schattenmann

[Lord Brendan]

I have one real life friend I got to join who's been playing for about a year (currently in RIA). A few other people came with me from the same off-site forum, but I believe only Wappas, Bama and OblivionBoater remain.

Only one then for me, although with the new system I might try to recruit some HQers again.

[Alekhine]

I haven't posted any recruitment links anywhere, but I frequently talk to people I know in RL about CyberNations. Back when I joined the game in '07 (at the request of one of my RL friends), I managed to get several of my friends (somewhere around 8) to play. As far as I know, only 1 or 2 still play the game, but all of them kept their nations around for significant periods of time.

[Vilien]

I got eighteen sign ups from posting on a non-CN forum. Other than that I try to avoid letting anyone know that I play this terrible, terrible game.

[Chickenzilla]

I've recruited many of my rl friends to CN back in Spring 06. Most of them quit after the 2nd Patriotic war though. I can't get anyone else to get into CN anymore.

[Starfox101]

CN is my secret.

[Earogema]

I share some of my CN related stuff with my MMO playing friends. Tales of Vox and whatnot, as well as CBs because those are usually hilarious. They used to play, but they never joined an alliance and just inactived to death.

[Acca Dacca]

Selected Most because I could.

I suggested this game in March of 06. I had to fight off several dozen of my friends in a gladiator match to the death in order to play this game. Some are still out there...waiting...

On a lighter note, I won.

[Schattenmann]

Oh on the subject, I remember a RL recruitment drive megafail I stumbled on in the Moderation Forum one time. Apparently some history teacher somewhere out in the world had his students make nations for a project, but of course they were all multis and got banned.

[Sal Paradise]

I'm ashamed to tell my RL friends that I play this game.

[DavidRossJones]

I would, but in doing so, I may lose those friends.

[RobertFitzy]

I've mentioned it now and then but nobody really knows what I'm talking about in RL. I have actually posted about CN in other non game forums and found other player.

[flak attack]

I've recruited two RL friends, both before the nation link was created.

[Aurion]

I have...two RL friends who know I play this game.

One has a nation, actually.

I regret telling either of them tbh.

[TinyTinkka]

I have one real life friend

ADD stuck me right there.

But on a serious note, I'd say im decently popular in real life, have plans on the weekend all the time, go on dates, etc. But noone knows about my CNing.

Oh on the subject, I remember a RL recruitment drive megafail I stumbled on in the Moderation Forum one time. Apparently some history teacher somewhere out in the world had his students make nations for a project, but of course they were all multis and got banned.

I've heard of many universities doing something similar (GDA had a protectorate "Oaklahoma University") and they all got banned.

Edited January 17, 2010 by TinyTinkka

[Yankees Empire]

I've told a couple of friends. I just posted my refferal link on a Yankees forum, which I'd been meaning to do for a little while. I know there's lots of politics junkies on the site, so hopefully some will join

[Thistledown]

I have always hidden my shame.

[JD Storm]

i believe i've mentioned it to a few people, on non-CN forums. i think one signed up, a while ago. don't know if he still plays or not.

[Schattenmann]

I have always hidden my shame.

I really love like every post you make.

[ChairmanHal]

I talked to a co-worker about CN and he is still playing after several months...when I remind him to login and collect that is.

I also talked a couple of other people into joining through conversations about the game, though I'm not sure if they are still playing.

As for the declining rate of retention, more nations than not delete due to inactivity from my observations. There has been a decline in traffic to the site from its highs in late 2006-early 2007, and certainly there are fewer nations now, but back then you still had a significant number of people legally running multiple nations (two to be more exact) out of the same household, something that isn't allowed today on the same IP address. Changes in the forum rules made in mid-2007 also mean that nations can get permanently banned from the game for forum transgressions (technical violations of the rules, such as posting OOC too much, as well as more serious violations like posting offensive messages/images) also accounts for at least some percentage of decline in long time players, though a few have been allowed back (actually, I'd be interested to see the number of players banned for various reasons since the game started, if they are kept, and the actual number allowed to return).

Truth be told, the most common reason that most long timers leave/quit is that they have significant events in their lives (marriage, graduation, new job, joined the military, etc.) and they don't believe they can commit the hours necessary per week to be a contributing member to an alliance. People often cite boredom as a reason they think about quitting, but in reality usually something exciting happens along the way to make the game interesting again.

Edited January 17, 2010 by ChairmanHal

[Heft]

My brother played for all of like two weeks....three years ago.

[Schattenmann]

Truth be told, the most common reason that most long timers leave/quit is that they have significant events in their lives (marriage, graduation, new job, joined the military, etc.) and they don't believe they can commit the hours necessary per week to be a contributing member to an alliance. People often cite boredom as a reason they think about quitting, but in reality usually something exciting happens along the way to make the game interesting again.

Slayer99 Syndrome. Dude quit 2 or 3 times to spend more time with his son "travel basketball takes up a lot of time" but there was always some crisis or intrigue to bring him back. Oh, look, there he is again. Hell! I quit 2 weeks before the noCB War, and as soon as it hit I re-rolled and PMed like 5 mods from the last active users list to get my account unbanned.

I'm actually pretty grateful that a lot of old-timers keep up on the OWF and come back due to Slayer99 Syndrome. At the same time, SCM cited the return of old communities since Karma, but you've gotta be realistic: GOONS1 had 1000 nations when UjW broke out, and they were all PZIed. Now they can come back, but how many of those 1000 are really interested in going back to the playground where they got their lunch money stolen? Same for \m/ which was muuuuch smaller, anyway. Then factor in that 1000 nations here and there from "old communities" doesn't amoung to spit in the ocean. It's a null factor.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Schattenmann

[hammer]

Few old flatmates played after moving out of our old house at Uni (introduced them after the IP thing got tighter), was one really active but he got married recently, so now they're all gone. Got a co-worker involved, but not that active.

Not to be funny, but it's harder to get adults involved in something like CN than friends when you were school age, but those you do get tend to stick it out much better.

YMMV

[Sigrun Vapneir]

I recruited one real life friend who didnt lose interest and get deleted in the first month or so. He lasted somewhere over two months, joined my alliance (in those days when dinosaurs walked the earth and I was in the GPA) and really loved the game. He deleted as a result of the war on peace and will never return.

Editted to clarify. I recruited more people than just one, but he was the only one that actually liked the game enough to stick around and really play.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Sigrun Vapneir

[lebubu]

I recruited two RL friends who both have reasonably sized nations in MK now.