What can we do better?

[Mr President]

We have almost 400 states (not all active)

we have 550 accounts on the forums

and we have about 200 per day visit them(mostly the same ppl).. That is alot of people who don't come on here. I know some are not forum chatters as some just want to play and leave it up to the leaders to come on here and handle things. But do you all think maybe some don't know about these forums? Yes they have to sign up for the game through here, but maybe they don't realize these are even here...

What can we do about getting more people on here. Should we be encouraging leaders to spread the word? Should we make better forum advertisement ingame? I would like to hear some suggestions..

One other possible temp thing we can do is, when ppl log in they are first brought to the advertising page. All i have on there now is google ads cause we don't have anybody advertising with us at the moment.. So what i was thinking was maybe making a feed from the top 2 or 3 active threads from the forums and have the highlights posted on that page instead of the ads..

Then if it is interesting they could click it and be linked to in here.

I'm thinking the wars and relations threads and also maybe the introduce yourself thread.. Maybe that will make them feel more like interacting with us on here.

Then down the road if we get people who want to advertise on that page then i'll take it off.. But right now it's kinda stupid to have that whole page for google ads only.. Although when we do have someone who wants to advertise on here, that is a gold mine of a spot.. They can have the whole page or half.. So that will help cover expenses..

But anyway, list some ideas if you would please and i'll see what i can do..

what do you think about feeding some thread titles on that advertising page? Everyone sees it each time they log in.. So that might help..

Just let me know..

[Crimson Shadow]

Personally I think people might be just to lazy to come here and post. Thats how I was in WoW...played for over 3 years and never posted. Although I did come to the forums daily I just never posted.


The only problem I see with the active thread links is that it could get cluttered with games such as hurt and heal, etc. Then people might not even bother to look at introduce yourself or W&R threads.

[Mr President]

it wouldn't be all the links.. only a couple of the hot topic ones. Like when a war breaks out and someone makes a thread in W&R section .. that one would show up.

I wouldn't link any of the spam threads to it..

[Cape]

Maybe some sections on the forum need a jump start, not like the general forum is now, maybe moderators can select news items or topics from a wide area and from different parts of the world and ask for comments. Make it clear that it's not a spam thread. Have people create threads on current topics. i.e., a moderator or someone designated starts a thread in gaming about GTA IV, or start a general discussion thread about the Beijing Olympics, the point is to not wait for random topics but start regular threads about current events.

[DBozMen]

Maybe some sections on the forum need a jump start, not like the general forum is now, maybe moderators can select news items or topics from a wide area and from different parts of the world and ask for comments. Make it clear that it's not a spam thread. Have people create threads on current topics. i.e., a moderator or someone designated starts a thread in gaming about GTA IV, or start a general discussion thread about the Beijing Olympics, the point is to not wait for random topics but start regular threads about current events.

I like this, maybe something about the coming European championship as well :)

[MAGGIO]

as much as we would like more people to post, some just are not going too. matter fact it allways seemed like most dont want too. They just want to play the game and taht is all. Course when they cant get a nation going or get killed all the time and dont realize that its a social game they may leave.

[Crimson Shadow]

as much as we would like more people to post, some just are not going too. matter fact it allways seemed like most dont want too. They just want to play the game and taht is all. Course when they cant get a nation going or get killed all the time and dont realize that its a social game they may leave.

my thoughts exactly. we need to focus on the newer people who feel that if their nation can't get members and get to the top of the scores list then they leave because they can't win.

I think we need to change the message sent from the game admin at the beginning of the set. Listing the entire manual is boring and noone (especially new people) will want to read a book on something they don't understand. I think the guide mode doesn't help much either. It only helps those that truly want to dedicate themselves to learning the game. Anyways, the message should say something like this...

"Welcome to Nation-Wars, we strongly encourage you to join an existing nation to help you learn to play the game. From there you can continue to play in the nation, create your own nation, or join a different nation." Or something to that effect with a little more detail.

Perhaps we could set up some training nations and the message could list the training nations that people could join to learn the game instead of feeling like an outsider in a large nation.

[The Legend]

Perhaps we could set up some training nations and the message could list the training nations that people could join to learn the game instead of feeling like an outsider in a large nation.
Perhaps a nation for new players to teach them the basics of the game.
Average tax of all other nations over 3 members +3-5%.
Average tech (in each area) of all nations supporting that tech.
All states get full NA support.
Members of this nation cannot make war attacks/spyops, nor have them made against them.
Leaving the nation costs you 15-20% of your units/money/food/bank/goods on market.

This gives new players the chance to learn how to build a state for netting, a skill they need be it for a netting set or a war set. The full NA support would simulate a medium-to-large nation, while the 3-5% extra tax would limit the ability of seasoned players abusing the nation for a pure netting set.
The cost of leaving the nation is also key to stop players from abusing it, then joining their real nation either mid-set or at the end of a set.

There are also problems with the current tutor system:
As far as I know, someone needs to come to the forums, and find that post with a list of tutors. If they had the option of joining this safe nation when they create their state, and it was explained that willing people would help them in-game, at least some would take that opportunity.
As was stated earlier, that manual is huge. I think people would get more out of the Wiki, where they can learn about something as needed. Along the same lines, Wiki links should not be the same colour as normal text in a "beginners" skin (this should only require a style sheet change).
On each page, again, in a beginners skin, maybe a link to a Wiki page about that page. "Wiki: Bank" could detail that it protects your money from SAs, and such. With Wiki articles that apply to the whole game, not just the beginner nation, they could relate the larger world to their isolated one.

But the problems with tutor system are not just on the learner's end. Some people, for whatever reason, choose to hide each set. Some like to have exclusive memberships within their nation for reasons such as spies, or knowing their members wont cause issues with other nations (3 failed SAs on a top 10 state, etc.), and so simply do not want "new" players (you never really know).
Willing to help new players? Sure. Willing to risk their nation on a stranger? Not so much.

A solution to this is giving your tutors the ability to see overviews of the states in the training nation, and send in-game messages to them using their forum name (hides state identity, but lets you differentiate between tutors).

I know it's complicated, but giving people access to what they need in-game is much better than making them come to the forums. You can, and should, inform them about the forums, but give them what they need to learn in the game.
When they want to leave for a real nation, a tutor can point them to Nation Recruitment, or just adopt them into their nation if they so choose.

[Crimson Shadow]

Perhaps a nation for new players to teach them the basics of the game.
Average tax of all other nations over 3 members +3-5%.
Average tech (in each area) of all nations supporting that tech.
All states get full NA support.
Members of this nation cannot make war attacks/spyops, nor have them made against them.
Leaving the nation costs you 15-20% of your units/money/food/bank/goods on market.

This gives new players the chance to learn how to build a state for netting, a skill they need be it for a netting set or a war set. The full NA support would simulate a medium-to-large nation, while the 3-5% extra tax would limit the ability of seasoned players abusing the nation for a pure netting set.
The cost of leaving the nation is also key to stop players from abusing it, then joining their real nation either mid-set or at the end of a set.

Good idea and concept...but we need experienced players in the nation as well to explain how to play. And giving experienced members those kind of benefits would be an almost guaranteed top 10. Free from suiciders, low tax, full NA support. And who is to say that experienced people wouldn't act like a new player just to receive these benefits.



As was stated earlier, that manual is huge. I think people would get more out of the Wiki, where they can learn about something as needed. Along the same lines, Wiki links should not be the same colour as normal text in a "beginners" skin (this should only require a style sheet change).
On each page, again, in a beginners skin, maybe a link to a Wiki page about that page. "Wiki: Bank" could detail that it protects your money from SAs, and such. With Wiki articles that apply to the whole game, not just the beginner nation, they could relate the larger world to their isolated one.

There is already something like this with the guide mode hints. It gives a brief overview of the page. As far as the manual, I'm currently rewriting it in my free time.

[Minimus]

I really don't mean this to be insulting, but why not try being interesting? Scrolling down the list of topics, there is not a single thing that gets my attention. I even yawned twice. Half the forum talk is suggestions, or what to improve, and the other half is people who already know each other talking about things that are only relevant to them. Occassionaly someone makes a joke thread, but who is going to scroll down through 30 topics about soccer, or hurt and heal 70's disco bands to find it? As much as I hate the guy, when you saw "Spetznaz" as the last person who posted, you would at least open it to see what he was going to say. LP kind of has the same effect in a much calmer, nicer, less offensive way. But seriously, want to improve the forums, make interesting topics! Or when a topic is interesting, post in it.

[Norrisville]

well we do have a soap opera in the form of "wanted vs tng"
daytime emmy, ftw?

[The Legend]

low tax
Average of nation taxes +3-5% was the suggestion. The point was to discourage that by this extra tax, and the high cost of leaving the beginner's guild.

[Minimus]

well we do have a soap opera in the form of "wanted vs tng"
daytime emmy, ftw?

And only by reading this would I know that thread was even worth glancing at.

[MAGGIO]

I would love to have my nation's forum on this forum with a password protected section or a member group priv restriction or something. The ingame forums just suck ballocks

[Crimson Shadow]

That would be a pain to upkeep with members constantly switching nations. So Mr P (or whomever would be put in charge of that) would have to change members from nation forum to nation forum and would then have to set certain restrictions such as limiting who can see what parts as sets progress.


Perhaps you could use an invisionfree forum or something like that for your nation...similar to what USA has for example.

[Mr President]

I would love to have my nation's forum on this forum with a password protected section or a member group priv restriction or something. The ingame forums just suck ballocks

Back in WoW i pushed for this same thing. I thought it would be nice to have nation forums inside this forum... But that was back when i didn't know anything lol..

Now i understand why svenne always either shot it down or ignored it. The time it would take to set it up and maintain it would be huge, and the biggest reason we can't is costs.. The more we add to this forum the more space we need which creates higher costs each month.

So unfortunately this is not an option.. :(

[MAGGIO]

not dissagreing, but think about this.

1. you are not eligible for a forum for your nation unless your nation is established (3sets).
2. then you set the leader of the nation with the permission to be a group leader. As a group leader he can accept or decline any requests to be a part of that group.
3. The leader must lead the same nation for 3 sets or more, and must apply for a forum, as well as be a prem member?

This may lead to more consistant nation set after set, which i dont know for sure is a good or bad thing. Just an idea.

[evilnoob]

If peopel dont want to post in the forums it means that they dont have anything to post. And if they post anyway, it would just be spam. And do we want people to spam all time?

I dont like spam. If people have something to say, then its fine. But if they dont have anything to say they should just stfu as they are doing now. So things is just fine :)

[Crimson Shadow]

not dissagreing, but think about this.

1. you are not eligible for a forum for your nation unless your nation is established (3sets).
2. then you set the leader of the nation with the permission to be a group leader. As a group leader he can accept or decline any requests to be a part of that group.
3. The leader must lead the same nation for 3 sets or more, and must apply for a forum, as well as be a prem member?

This may lead to more consistant nation set after set, which i dont know for sure is a good or bad thing. Just an idea.

As I said earlier...this can already be done without adding extra cost to Mr P's bills or to make this more time consuming.

Just get an invisionfree forum for your nation (or another free forum) and use that. It would be much easier for Mr P that way..and then you can customize it to your own tastes.