Wow, so little activity

[ReluctantSamurai]

Its how these newer priorities were formed, the supposed grounds for it, the reasons for it - and the often strange and backwards logic behind it. Its the too many bad choices made, the too many poor practices used, the too many stupid doctrines and policies stubbornly enforced, the too many bad actions and destructive changes allowed.

Referring to Backroom antics, or something else? I would venture a guess that a large portion of the daily Org traffic is there

[Axalon]

Axalon, you sound like a player on sports team saying that his managers and coaches aren't doing what it takes to win while at the same time failing to note a single specific complaint or solution. We need ideas. Believe me when I say that the staff has exhaustively flogged this horse to death and beyond.

Alright, lets use the sports-analogy then… (Sorry for being lengthy, its a lot of details... )

True, I don’t think that management is doing what it takes to ”win”. Or even that it is (currently) willing too. Or have a clue about what it takes to “win”, or even how it is done. The most obvious signs that suggest this are the way how management just carries on as if it was raining, focusing on seemingly unimportant things, and insisting upon the same old, and failed game-plan, that we already know won’t work, and that will just damage the team/(site) even more. This for several consecutive years now… In fact, management offers us little or no alternative, support, facilities and dedicated areas for us to build and work on. Nah, all that goes (yet again) for the latest game only. Management cant afford us that, “too big index, totally can’t have that. That is way more important then provide grounds and reasons for people to come and visit this place” or to support the people that already do - something along those lines. Its utterly screwed up… And I already pointed that out several years ago, multiple times, to little effect…

I also think that management persists in thinking in terms of “Org-community” as one supposed homogenous “team”/group - its not. Or even views the TW-community as a homogenous group of people - its not. These notions are just inadequate, obsolete and lazy oversimplifications that we could do without. As it is, both are highly heterogeneous, and get increasingly so, for each and every new game-release and year. The very idea of a TW-community might have functioned - well enough - back in 2000-2005, but it does not in 2016. Same thing applies to the “Org-community”…

There are so many and different TW-games these days that they no longer can seriously serve as a common enough ground to build a sense of actual community around, its merely a poor and lazy catch-phrase to cover it all. That role has been effectively transferred to each individual game or activity (of choice). The games are different, and so are the people that play them. Some folks prefer TW-X while others are totally into TW-Y yet both are dubbed TW-games. Management has completely failed to consider, let alone act on this. And TW-X will always serve as a much stronger force of generating a sense community because it provides much more common ground between its players then the umbrella-concept of TW ever will.

The reality here is that we have micro-communities, clustered around a single game or activity (of choice) - and that we will continue get more and more of these, as more games are released. Its also possible that individual might select to be active in more then one micro-community at a time, but we can not, and should not force it. Regardless, management has failed to grasp any of this, and as result done nothing as to adjust this site to this reality. And I can guarantee that recognizing and adapting fully to the concept of micro-communities will somehow be required element in order to secure that “win” for this place. Most visitors come here for the games, specific games and/or activities. If this place can not attractively enough cater too and offer sexy enough stomping grounds for that, it will lose that visitor. ...As is exactly what has happened here. Over, and over, and over again… For years, this has been allowed to go on… Anyhow, enough of sports-mode…

We need ideas. Believe me when I say that the staff has exhaustively flogged this horse to death and beyond.

I do believe that you believe so… All the same, had that actually been true and you really had exhaustively worked each serious/viable idea and angle - we would not be here in the first place. We are here because staff/administration have NOT exhausted every possibility and idea, but persisted in using the same old losing formula and game-plan for several years. I am sorry to say it, but there it is…

Add to that, staff have had stubborn and stupid old practice of primarily relying on internal staff discussion for various important stuff in general for the site - hidden away - from the site-members which it typically concerns and who will be clearly and directly influenced by the results and actions of those closed discussions. It’s a bad habit and it has probably been allowed to happen far more then is good for this site. I am NOT saying that no attempts for public discussions and consultations has been attempted, but I am saying that it is clear that they have not be done to a sufficient degree, or honestly enough, or often enough, or given the the weight neccesary, as to achieve better results for this site in general. Its simple really… If you lack, ideas or perspectives you go external (to the members) and hear them out. Some damn ideas are sure to turn up. Some ideas are better then no ideas. The only problem here is that staff did not like the ideas that did came up, and so management ignored them (like the site index and so on)… And here we are…

- A

[Axalon]

Referring to Backroom antics, or something else? I would venture a guess that a large portion of the daily Org traffic is there

Something else… Like…

In reality we have 2 out of 7 sections on the index that between themselves somehow deals in some 10-11 TW-games (and some of that TW-marketing-ploy-stuff too. Hi Arena!), and 1 section that deals in hosted major mods/alterations, for ALL TW-games, and 1 section that deals in ALL abandoned previously hosted mods, this for ALL TW-games. At the same time, we have three full sections dedicated for stuff that is not TW-related, to deal with god knows what. 3 full sections on the index… All TW-games got 2… All TW-Mods/alterations this including all the abandoned ones, got 2… ALL side-stuff, off-topic, community-blabla, all non-TW things get 3! That is the reality here...

I have zero problems with all that off-topic, non-TW, community-stuff as such - we can totally keep that around (for all those who wants that). What I do have problems with, is how all that is being elevated to the supposed primary focus, purpose and attraction of this site. This while TW in general, and it the individual TW-games in particular, are being clearly demoted to a near side-show status. It is utterly screwed up, especially for a site that is supposed to be dealing in TW-games, and who built its name and brand by dealing in TW-games - not the latest TW-game, not some off-topic fleeting blabla. It WAS a fan-site for TW-enthusiasts in general and its micro-communities around each game in particular. That is what this place used to be about. That is what this site should still be about, and this site should provide the infrastructure and areas for it. Yet it don’t. As it used to do, in the past, on the index, and beyond. Screw that there are more TW-games released now, its no real excuse. The size of the index should not get to dictate who is to feel welcome here, or be an excuse as to dismantle the rational and natural coverage of TW-games - as has been essentially the case. Or dictate what we all are supposed to be interested in - let us decide that for ourselves. Let us tailor the index how we like and see fit, individually, do not try to force us to use it in your certain preferred damned way...

I was rather thinking about such stuff... And other things...

- A

[ReluctantSamurai]

I also think that management persists in thinking in terms of “Org-community” as one supposed homogenous “team”/group - its not. Or even views the TW-community as a homogenous group of people - its not.

As it is, both are highly heterogeneous, and get increasingly so, for each and every new game-release and year. The very idea of a TW-community might have functioned - well enough - back in 2000-2005, but it does not in 2016. Same thing applies to the “Org-community”

This. Got me to thinking that back in the "day", there were only two games for folks to discuss/play/rant about/mod etc. With each release of a game, more players split off into their favorites. Many newcomers have never even played the original STW/MTW but with the newer updates from Steam etc., that could change if promoted. I don't care for 19th century warfare (except for the ACW), and so I never bothered to purchase ETW/NTW. I'm sure this liking/disliking a particular era of warfare is true for a number, if not most, of the players who visit here.

The reality here is that we have micro-communities, clustered around a single game or activity (of choice) - and that we will continue get more and more of these, as more games are released.

And I can guarantee that recognizing and adapting fully to the concept of micro-communities will somehow be required element in order to secure that “win” for this place. Most visitors come here for the games, specific games and/or activities. If this place can not attractively enough cater too and offer sexy enough stomping grounds for that, it will lose that visitor.

Over the last 6-8 months I've been watching the ebb and flow of active members and the number of new members joining. We seem to have around 2-4 new members join each week (someone with a better handle on this number can correct me if I'm wrong). Where are they? Do they just post a few times, and disappear? I can remember a time when a new member stuck around (primarily in the RTW Forum) to contribute campaign AAR's, additions to the Guides, or some other consistent posting subject.

What I do have problems with, is how all that is being elevated to the supposed primary focus, purpose and attraction of this site. This while TW in general, and it the individual TW-games in particular, are being clearly demoted to a near side-show status. It is utterly screwed up, especially for a site that is supposed to be dealing in TW-games, and who built its name and brand by dealing in TW-games - not the latest TW-game, not some off-topic fleeting blabla. It WAS a fan-site for TW-enthusiasts in general and its micro-communities around each game in particular. That is what this place used to be about. That is what this site should still be about, and this site should provide the infrastructure and areas for it. Yet it don’t. As it used to do, in the past, on the index, and beyond.

Amen.

[Frazzle-G]

I'm new, I joined around July last year and have participated in most if not all threads concerning to warhammer, I even started my own thread which was a rather comprehensive strategy guide.

[edyzmedieval]

Bit of cross-promotion, but it would be useful to drop in some ideas here - https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...-Org-Promotion

In short, TWC and the official fora has taken most of the traffic, because they appeal to the casual gamers as outlined. The Org has been more for the veteran TW players, but even during RTW and M2TW days, the place was very very active. The difference started with ETW, which was panned by players and it recovered slightly with Shogun 2 TW (a lot of old players returned) but then it went downhill again with player disappointment over R2TW. (I liked R2TW...)

Perhaps bringing back older players and attracting the new ones will help revive this place.

[hoom]

For me lack of activity here is mainly that Warhammer & Attilla setting/periods don't do anything for me.

.org kinda died back in Rome1 time period, most of the modding activity happened over at twcenter & has remained there.
I never joined there but I certainly lurk.

I think a lot of new players don't know of the .org & stick to official .com.

I also disagree that Rome2 was really that bad.
Launched state yes but patched it mostly works pretty well.
Fundamentally they have a comprehensive list of factions with good unit rosters well modelled & a bunch of functional fixes to issues from the 3D map.