Lack of new people is killing the backroom and the entire forum

[edyzmedieval]

April 10th 1999, there was a 10 year celebration in April 2009 with a special forum and a big samurai themed mafia game.

April 10th 2011, 12th anniversary of Total War Org.

This is our chance to realise a new samurai themed mafia game (S2TW), lax the barriers of entry to the forum and promote different competitions and special events to bring in people. Perhaps a committee to draw up plans formed of mods and members could be organised?

This is a very good chance of bringing people back in.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

April 10th 2011, 12th anniversary of Total War Org.

This is our chance to realise a new samurai themed mafia game (S2TW), lax the barriers of entry to the forum and promote different competitions and special events to bring in people. Perhaps a committee to draw up plans formed of mods and members could be organised?

This is a very good chance of bringing people back in.

I'll second that idea. But here comes the difficult part - who should be there from the members side? How can we pick the people who have time and are willing to commit themselves into such thing?

[Cecil XIX]

I think that if we want to regain our popularity in comparison to the Center, it is better to concentrate on improving ourselves in areas where they are weak rather than areas where they are strong. Therefore, I think it's instructive to compare the main pages and forum indeces, starting with the latter.

Examining the number and compisition of each site's categories and forums is very illuminating, albiet subjective. By my count, the Guild is divided into eleven categories, of which I count eight being directly related to discussion of Total War. These include six categories for the PC games, one category for the console games, and one category for the series as a whole. By contrast, the Center has three more categories in total but two less for Total War, owing to it not having a category for console games and the fact that it merges the first three PC games into one, while we merge Empire and Napoleon together.

The difference is even more stark comparing forums. The Guild's main page shows 41 forums, 34 of which directly relate to Total War. These are the forums for guides in the 'New Members' section, as well as the forums for the games and the series. The Center has as whopping 59 forums but only 26 are directly related to Total War! They have twenty for the games (including a special forum for NTW tournaments, which is a nice touch), three for the series and a forum each for artists, writers and Community RPGs. These last three are debateable however, as unlike their Orgah equivalents they are not placed within the "Totalwar Series" category but rather in categories for the TWCenter community. They seem less focused on Total War in particular.

Just to summarize, here are the numbers showing what fractions of each sites categories and forums are devoted to the Total War series. Keep in mind some cases are subjective.

Org Categories: 8/11 (approx. 75%)
Org Forums: 34/41 (80%+)

Center Categories: 6/14 (>50%)
Center Forums: 26/59 (>50%)

This comparison shows where we can focus on our strengths without trying to compete with the Center's strengths. The talk about getting rid of the JM/SM distinctions seems sound, and we should go one further and reorganize the Guild. I would eliminate the "New Members" and "HoF 2010" categories, placing the "Guides" forums into the same category as their respective games while the rest of the forums go into the "Miscellaneous" category. Let's make it so that all the categories either have "Total War"/"TW" in the name if they're not the "Miscellaneous" category, and make so that the first category listed is the one hosting discussion of the latest game. IMHO, new members don't want to stick around in the new members section because that's never where the real conversations are. If the first thing they see are the forums for Shogun 2, that'll give them a better impression. And if they see that almost all of the forums at the Org are for the Total War series while most of the forums at the Center aren't, it'll look like the Org is the place for talking about Total War. That's the kind of distinction that will attract high-quality members.

[PershsNhpios]

The Org! Now with 25% more irrelevant content!

I don't think we would have much of a problem at all if you folks weren't so bored with the games. You want to have a grown up forum and pretend that this is based on more than playing Hitler in a computer representation of Europe. If that's what you want, then you are contributing to the loss of the forum. This forum would be bursting with activity if you were all avidly playing TW games, because then you would be too busy discussing your favourite little habits and enjoying the debate of the common thread between us all.

I have disappeared without thinking of returning thrice from this forum, and the only reason I have ever come back is because I have been playing MTW again and have thought of discussing the fun with like-minded people.

Not because I want to see ignorant political rants spouted all over the place and what you all had for breakfast.

[pevergreen]

It was suggested in the last discussion, by a number of people I believe, that a Paradox expansion is the best way to go forward.

Its close-ish to the TW games, and quite a few people play it already.

I SUGGEST A NEW PARADOX GAMES SUBFORUM (Eu3, Vicky2, HoI 3, CK2 etc etc etc)

Hi Caravel. Good to have a camel lover back.

[Beefy187]

I've been away from this thread, and I finally caught up.
I'll keep it short by saying, if we get couple of projects across this forum going, we will feel more united.
I'm liking Edyz idea very much. More of this should be able to turn the tides.

I've been very inactive in forums other then the gameroom. For now I'll try to contribute in other part of the forum as well.

[Husar]

I don't think we would have much of a problem at all if you folks weren't so bored with the games.

Perhaps, so where can we get brainwashed to become interested again?

Not because I want to see ignorant political rants spouted all over the place and what you all had for breakfast.

And Pevergreen, I wouldn't mind a Paradox strategy subforum if there were already several, lasting and huge threads about these games in the Arena, but there aren't, I'm not sure that subforum would be very active.

[gollum]

I'd love some brainwashing, but i fear for some of us no less than lobotomy is needed to be interested.

In any case, Glenn has an absolute point, In 2009 spring, just during the release of ETW there was a thread in the tavern polling "your favorite TW game". The results speak for themselves: STW, MTW and RTW top of the list with about 30 votes each and M2TW came far behind.

TW fora dedicated to new TW games need leaders/moderators/regulars that first and foremost play and enjoy the games themselves, in order for conversations to happen and heat/attract people. The last generation of regular orgahs from TW fora are probably that of ATPG, that came in through the Citadel.

[Fragony]

If you aren't interested in politics or what we had for dinner than simply ignore the tavern, nobody will care. To each their own, backroom especially benefits from a lack of people imho

[caravel]

I'd love some brainwashing, but i fear for some of us no less than lobotomy is needed to be interested.

Very true, but also part of the perceived attitude here no? A comment like that implies that TW these days is targeted at the drooling fanboy hordes and that some of us are now simply too "elite" for it. True in my opinion and doubtless quite a few of the staff agree with me as well, but to continue to be a TW fansite that's surely not the type of attitude that's needed here? Regardless of the criticism though, what's needed first and foremost is the end to the junior member system. I can see it doing no harm to remove this first and take it from there. Senior Members should go as well - no need for it. I am happy to add my name to a list of those willing to step down from senior membership.