The stupidest idea, ever PERIOD!

[The oOo]

It's late....just spit-balling here...

Form a Community Development Committee of shard veterans, representative of the various game aspects of UOSA [ie; PvP, PvM, NEW(guild), Events, Crafts, etc] to address ways to improve the player-base & in-game community, with emphasis towards new players.

Get a Community Development Forum going and keep it active with constructive updates on committee sessions and community feedback.

Create an in-game treasury for the committee and develop ways to fund it.

Develop committee-sponsored, simple, new-player "meet-n-greet" type events [town criers] for guild recruitment & vet player introductions. Develop ways to channel new players to them.

Establish some Community Laws. Create some Community Taxes. And ENFORCE them! Of course some people will break those laws or not pay their taxes. It happens in real life!

Hire a "police force" to enforce the laws and patrol the cities to show a "presence" and level of community security & interaction.

Establish an Honor Guard tasked with keeping the lesser dungeons safe for new players. Hold ceremonies & banquets when lives are saved. Reward them with special honors, gifts & deferential treatment for their service.

Hire a shard reporter who roams the lands, start a weekly or monthly "newspaper" to report on in-game happenings. No doubt someone will come up with a regular comic to go along with it.

The staff have stated they would be willing to assist the player-base, within reason, with community events and I would presume this offer would extend to any community development endeavors on our part.

This could be expanded into an internet-based player-driven marketing plan to introduce more people to the shard as well. It's not hard...it just takes a bit of work.

Yea, I know...stupidest idea ever...

[Lambo]

Those are actually all great ideas.
If some of this was to be formed I would be interested in helping one way or another.

There are a lot of UOSA supporters some may not play quite as much as they used to be still support.

IMO having two sides to would be ideal-
1) Marketing / Recruiting - work outside the game to bring people into the game. Basically spamming UOSA around the net.
2) Retention - a group working inside the game to make it fun and keep those players there.

Hardest problem would be finding those individuals wiling to partake. Some people really only get to play a few hours a night and do not want to waste their time dealing with helping newbs etc. Some people love that. I know Ashborn has done a great job of this in the past and really supports UO. We also had a guy few months back updating the facebook with screenshots etc and idk if we have a twitter or not ? Those are all huge avenues to boost marketing.

I believe the facebook updating was going on around the time we saw the jump to 800 clients or so. (Not that they went hand in hand but i'm sure it didn't hurt.)

Im sure everyone has their own ideas but will we ever follow through ? Idk

[Kye Smogg]

Instead of wasting energy to get people you may or may not get, enjoy the game with the population you do have and try to figure out how to slow/stop the bleeding that is currently going on.

What you are suggesting appears to me like a scenario where there is a patient in the ER bleeding badly but you're more focused on giving them an eye test for new glasses and worried about that sprained wrist.

What you don't really see anyone talking about is WHY the online counts are down, at least not in a way to really get to the root cause of the problem. And if you discover how it can it be corrected, one has to ask: can these players even be recovered? (And blaming the time of year isn't valid, this place was much more hopping before). I personally think this place simply has peaked, and many of the entitled "vets" and their attitudes have run off a lot of newer players (and there are some really great vets too, such as Ashborn, unfortunately, not many like him).

[The oOo]

Instead of wasting energy to get people you may or may not get, enjoy the game with the population you do have and try to figure out how to slow/stop the bleeding that is currently going on.

What you are suggesting appears to me like a scenario where there is a patient in the ER bleeding badly but you're more focused on giving them an eye test for new glasses and worried about that sprained wrist.

What you don't really see anyone talking about is WHY the online counts are down, at least not in a way to really get to the root cause of the problem. And if you discover how it can it be corrected, one has to ask: can these players even be recovered? (And blaming the time of year isn't valid, this place was much more hopping before). I personally think this place simply has peaked, and many of the entitled "vets" and their attitudes have run off a lot of newer players (and there are some really great vets too, such as Ashborn, unfortunately, not many like him).

Respectully, I disagree.

If one digs into the archives deep enough you can find the original designers stated intentions when they set out to create UO. In a nutshell, they wanted to create a world people could interact freely in with minimal staff influence and direction. They anticipated that people would band together and SELF-GOVERN that world exactly as I've outlined, though the details surely differ.

In the original conception, this did not happen and those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat it. THAT is what is happening here IMO. A lot of people clamoring for the staff to change mechanics to make the game more attractive,

The staff have done their part RE-creating T2a in all it's fallable accuracy, and they are now stepping back and saying;

"Ok, we've done the EASY part and are providing the people who disliked the advent of Trammel a second chance to right the wrongs, Free of charge and at no profit to ourselves, and now it is the player-bases turn to roll up their collective sleaves and get to work righting those wrongs"

Any staff member feel free to correct me here if I am wrong in ANY way on this point.

What I see is the player-base still has not grasped this basic premise of self-governance inherent to UO [pre-Trammel] after 5 years of steady increase and all of the mistakes that were made before.

History repeats.

"The longest journey begins with the first step"

To quote a recent comment from the staff:

...To quote a recent statement from Derrick to myself on the issue of population: If players want more players, they should go find em. So, in this sense, yes, promotion of a server where the world is yours to interact with others in necessarily requires the player action. If players stand around bemoaning the lack of other players, expecting us to do something about it, the trends will continue as they currently have.

It is what you make it.
At the character level
At the account level
At the community level
And
At the shard level
Game play exists.

Does anybody truly want the staff to do it for them? Again?

I'm going for coffee...

[Emberdawn]

Id like to say I AGREE!,
And while saying that id allso like to add id love to help out anyway i can.

I dont however get your ideas about a policeforce and community laws.
But hey. If theres going to be a forum about what we can do this would be an excellent subject.

[The oOo]

I dont however get your ideas about a policeforce and community laws.
But hey. If theres going to be a forum about what we can do this would be an excellent subject.

This is the seed of that particular idea, expanded upon by me somewhat. My suggestions are not original by any means, the idea of organizing them into a governing body, however, is...
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=37267

I haven't been here long enough to get to know the history of the shard but I have seen enough to know the pieces are here [*subtle ref to the Shards of Sosaria here...] scattered and disorganized, but they are here.

Waiting....

*dramatic pause*

[The oOo]

There are a lot of UOSA supporters some may not play quite as much as they used to be still support.

IMO having two sides to would be ideal-
1) Marketing / Recruiting - work outside the game to bring people into the game. Basically spamming UOSA around the net.
2) Retention - a group working inside the game to make it fun and keep those players there.

Hardest problem would be finding those individuals wiling to partake. Some people really only get to play a few hours a night and do not want to waste their time dealing with helping newbs etc. Some people love that. I know Ashborn has done a great job of this in the past and really supports UO. We also had a guy few months back updating the facebook with screenshots etc and idk if we have a twitter or not ? Those are all huge avenues to boost marketing.

I believe the facebook updating was going on around the time we saw the jump to 800 clients or so. (Not that they went hand in hand but i'm sure it didn't hurt.)

Im sure everyone has their own ideas but will we ever follow through ? Idk

Great ideas as well. I use a private Facebook Guild Group to share events and such that are posted to UOSA's page...this same concept could be expanded on for public functions.

It would only take a core group of people to start and would be more practically managed starting out if kept small. From that group, as direction is defined and tasks established additional people can be recruited to staff those positions, reporting back to the core council on progress.

Start small and build. This is an undertaking that would and should take a very long time to implement. As it grows, newer players can be brought in to replace retiring members and continue the work.

Vets?

[Lambo]

There are a lot of UOSA supporters some may not play quite as much as they used to be still support.

IMO having two sides to would be ideal-
1) Marketing / Recruiting - work outside the game to bring people into the game. Basically spamming UOSA around the net.
2) Retention - a group working inside the game to make it fun and keep those players there.

Hardest problem would be finding those individuals wiling to partake. Some people really only get to play a few hours a night and do not want to waste their time dealing with helping newbs etc. Some people love that. I know Ashborn has done a great job of this in the past and really supports UO. We also had a guy few months back updating the facebook with screenshots etc and idk if we have a twitter or not ? Those are all huge avenues to boost marketing.

I believe the facebook updating was going on around the time we saw the jump to 800 clients or so. (Not that they went hand in hand but i'm sure it didn't hurt.)

Im sure everyone has their own ideas but will we ever follow through ? Idk

Great ideas as well. I use a private Facebook Guild Group to share events and such that are posted to UOSA's page...this same concept could be expanded on for public functions.

It would only take a core group of people to start and would be more practically managed starting out if kept small. From that group, as direction is defined and tasks established additional people can be recruited to staff those positions, reporting back to the core council on progress.

Start small and build. This is an undertaking that would and should take a very long time to implement. As it grows, newer players can be brought in to replace retiring members and continue the work.

Vets?

You have a lot of good ideas, whether we fully agree with it or not staff has made it immediately clear that it is our job. You have a lot of a good ideas to solidify and retain players within game. I am also sure many people have ideas to bounce around as well. We have a great deal of people who work within our community to help it grow and unfortunately these individuals often go with no recognition.

I'm sure its been done before but a "event" to see whoever post the most UOSA ads throughout the internet within a week/month gets a certain pot of in game $$. I would be willing to donate to that and I'm sure a great deal of others would as well.

I also think adding in game duties and activities to recruit/retain new players would give some older players new "objectives" and a reason to become more active. I say all this not to under mind the responsibilities NEW and other groups take on. I know there are already many players who are active in this just many of us are late to the party.

We are the ONLY t2a server right now with any type of population and have a strong hold on that niche atm.

[The oOo]

I'm sure its been done before but a "event" to see whoever post the most UOSA ads throughout the internet within a week/month gets a certain pot of in game $$. I would be willing to donate to that and I'm sure a great deal of others would as well.

I also think adding in game duties and activities to recruit/retain new players would give some older players new "objectives" and a reason to become more active. I say all this not to under mind the responsibilities NEW and other groups take on. I know there are already many players who are active in this just many of us are late to the party.

We are the ONLY t2a server right now with any type of population and have a strong hold on that niche atm.

Do I hear a bid for Online Marketing Coordinator??

[Elph]

Post on reddit.

[The oOo]

Post on reddit.

A few months ago, I think it was Chumbucket was looking for a banner for the UOSA reddit account he was working on...I'd offered to make it but heard nothing back.

As far as I know the reddit account goes unused...

http://www.reddit.com/r/UOsecondage/

[Bixby Legbone]

Post on reddit.

A few months ago, I think it was Chumbucket was looking for a banner for the UOSA reddit account he was working on...I'd offered to make it but heard nothing back.

As far as I know the reddit account goes unused...

http://www.reddit.com/r/UOsecondage/

He never paid out on his reddit posting contest either. ;(

[qwebirc41039]

create a New World Order to save UOSA, its just so crazy I might help. but most of my guild has left to another shard. Ultimately though the housing situation will send the new guys packing, i myself own 15 properties Id like to drop some for new guys but i know the same hardcore land barons would scoop them up. what to do

[MatronDeWinter]

create a New World Order to save UOSA, its just so crazy I might help. but most of my guild has left to another shard. Ultimately though the housing situation will send the new guys packing, i myself own 15 properties Id like to drop some for new guys but i know the same hardcore land barons would scoop them up. what to do

Drop them. If every well-meaning person does this, eventually the property-dorks will run out of character slots for houses.

[The oOo]

create a New World Order to save UOSA, its just so crazy I might help. but most of my guild has left to another shard. Ultimately though the housing situation will send the new guys packing, i myself own 15 properties Id like to drop some for new guys but i know the same hardcore land barons would scoop them up. what to do

Well...IF there were a Community Development Council, your houses could be donated to, or purchased by the Council's Treasury.

These houses could be held in trust and sold to new players at a profit to the council's coffers. Put a cap on the house price above deed and you have just provided affordable entry-level housing for new players and also provide a source of revenue for the councils treasury.

There are already players providing house financing in a very similar manner...again, the pieces are here...this is nothing very original...just unorganized.

I would think many vets might decide to donate portions of their estates to a system such as this as a parting gesture when they decide to retire.

Just thinkin out loud here...