I advertise everywhere but people never seem to join. It seems like no one wants to join a new board because there aren't any members yet but I really want to get this board up and running. What can I do to get a lot of members to join. Is there any certain place I can advertise ?

Same issue. I used to start off a rpg with like 5 friends. But that seems so long ago. Most of them left the rpg world or the country to fight in Iraq. ((Surprising how many soldiers rp))

Now I'm started all lonely like. Dunno how to get people.

Does it deter new members when you only have 3 registered memebers and they are all one person?

hhaha I KNOW??!?!? YOU SHOULD JOIN MY RP...HAHA. i have three members. me, and two other girls who have joined. here's the link to my site, you don't have to join if you aren't interested. *link deleted*

but if anyone knows a good way to get people to joiiin....

Advertise like MAD CRAZY. Everywhere advertising your board is allowed. Other rpgs, LJ (there are communities just for advertising rpgs), and places like RPGD. In fact, there are a few very good threads stickied around here somewhere about places to advertise. I would suggest at the very least plugging your game at 10 different places a day.

Then, roleplay like MAD CRAZY! Even if you are just playing with yourself, do it. Start a thread with each of your members, post up a couple open threads, and then run a few "monologue" threads with just yourself, or threads between your characters even (if you have more than one).

Start a bunch of fun topics and games in your OOC section. Be busy and happy and inviting, and get the word out there about your game. Put a link to it in each signature section you are allowed to on all boards you are on. Or put a link to it in the website section of all your profiles. Invite rp buddies and advertise, advertise, advertise.

I can't speak for everyone else, but as far as I'm concerned; No, it doesn't deter me, if I like the plot enough that is. I'll even join up at a board before it's completed and opened sometimes (I find a link in someone's sig, follow it, and if I find myself impressed I'll send them a PM telling them so, and if they don't mind, I'll join, or wait around until I get the go ahead to join (unless the admin thinks I'm a freak and don't want me to xD) ^^).

But the best way to get members? Advertise, make certain to have a link in your sig (these days I mostly follow the links people have in their sigs rather than running around searching wildly) and in addition to advertising make frequent posts (though keep them on-topic and informative) on places like RPG-D, I know I'll click the link in a sig of someone I've seen posting around a bit. (Again, don't spam, most people tend to avoid spammers)

Start up some topics, roleplay with yourself; say hi to guests in the c-box if you have one etc. etc. And be patient, most sites don't take off the first day or even week, the ones who've been around longest are sometimes the ones who were quite slow in the beginning. (Of course, that does differ =) ) Get affiliates, advertise more...

Yeah as I'm finding out right now, trying to advertise for your rpg is almost a full time job. Then you have to worry about all the competition you have out there. What personally attracts me to an rpg is a hook, either an innovative stat system or a storyline that really grabs you.

First, make a good board.

Then make a lot of friends on other boards and get them to join yours, too.

Or you could just pay people.

I think Path summed it up pretty good. You really have to show how interested you are in your own board. If that means you create a some characters and RP them together, you do it. We started our first board and only had like four members for awhile, but shoot, we all posted like nuts. It seemed like we had twenty members.

I think you have to truly be in love with your story and the world you created. Write! Write! Write! Yup, even if it's with yourself. You'll be surprised how much you learn about your own world (or what you don't know) by doing this. It also just takes time. There are soooo many boards out there that the distribution of members makes for a pretty shallow pool of players to snag up. Make sure your plot has a way for a new member to get into the RP right away.

Introduce a character that creates tension on the board and also be willing to share the limelight with other players. A bad character can be a magnet if he or she is done right. People will be curious to RP with him/her. Allow new members to take on important roles and not feel like an extra in the plot.

Don't take your admin status way too seriously. Sure, you want to keep things on track, but make sure you don't come across like a pushy, know-it- all jerk. Ask a neutral person to read through your rules and board info and ask for their honest opinion. Is it clear? Is it friendly? Did you try to be funny but it really comes across snotty? Is your info easy to navigate through? Do you have information overload to the point of scarying new players off?

Players look at everything now. Board skins, organization,writing quality/expectations, PB availability, friendliness, organization, plots, how often people are on, how many members. There is a lot of competition and new members have loads of choices.

Affiliate. That has brought traffic to our board.

Stay active on boards like this one. I have gotten a lot of members from people on this board.

Good luck. Don't give up.

I always have trouble with this. Especially when there are no canons left, and people are left to play only original characters. I don't want them to feel left out!

The way around that is to not stick to a strict canon plot only. If you have a canon board, make off-shoot plots that are very important to the board and which original characters would be able to get involved. Every canon story has parts that are left unsaid. Those are the gaps where you can step in and let your own imagination lead the way.

These have to be serious sideplots, not little thrown-together subplots to placate non-canon members. They will be able to sniff that ruse out a hundred miles away. Be really willing to come up with ideas that allow those non-canons to shine and feel powerful in the story.

I'm going to have to disagree. It could be that I'm jaded but I refuse to join boards with less that 20-30 members/characters, mostly because I'm so used to joining them and then having them close down on me. :angry:

Curious! I'm on a game with only about 8 people playing. It's been going for about 9 years, probably 10 but I lost track of when it opened. Yet I see games with bigger member counts and way more characters shut down within a month because of 'lack of activity'. Yeah, it's a special case, but every rule has an exception and member count won't guarantee you a board that won't die. I'm not even sure it'll give it a sporting chance, to be honest. It's a pain in the ass trying to find a game that will last longer, and it doesn't help when people are getting pickier by the day. You can has my sympathies.

I agree wholeheartedly that you have to be enthusiastic about your game. Talk about it a LOT. I talk about my games wherever possible because I'm involved and because I love them and because I want more people to be aware of how awesome I think they are. It's a cheap pimp, but a pimp all the same.

You need to keep your chin up. Every player that joins is a super-awesome gift and you need to get down and dirty with them immediately. Be approachable, be friendly, plot with them, thread with them, make yourself indisposable to them because then, in turn your game will too.

Don't obsess over numbers. I think I have aboooout 14 players that are regular, active posters, and the rest who dip in an out. Activity comes in waves and so long as you know people are still interested in the game, then you're good. Focus on your existing members, not the potential ones. If you demonstrate you give a crap about the people who are already involved, then potential members will come.

Beg... barter... crawl... I've heard promising your first born is a good plan...

Advertise like mad, RP with yourself and be as inviting as possible ;) that's what usually works

I've had a lot of trouble getting people to join my new warriors rpg. IT has been open for 2 days, today being its third and I only have 3 members that aren't some of my real life friends who decided to join. Only one of my real life friends are active soo I have been advertising on every site I come across which is literally about thirty or so in the last few days. I kno I can't expect new players immediately but this is the second time I have opened the site. I did the same the first time but I only got like 2 members. am I doing something wrong with my site?

Taysha-- that's pretty amazing, really. Just jump in, play and have a great time. If you advertise like wild and people see that your site is fun and active, they will join. Also, make it a point that people feel welcome. There's nothing I hate more than joining a new site and feeling like no one's willing to help me with getting involved.

Overall the thing that will get you the most members is believing in the board and putting your heart into it. If you believe, so will everyone else. They will see that you love it and that you're not going to get bored and wander off. Commitment is key.

Whore yourself out. lol

Well SmathNa lured me to her site by just adding me on AIM and then we started chatting away. Even though I was determined NOT to join anymore rpgs. :p

Thank god she wasn't after my gullyhole.

Well, it is hard for people to join less active threads, myself personally sometimes, because of the big boards I first got used to. My first ever board I joined had a steady number of around fifty people that got on at least once every few days that kept the board steady. I just got so used to that, then when I was co-admin with my best friend, I thought we had no hope.

I advertised hopelessly and for freaking ever when we 'opened' but we just didn't take off in the right direction. We got a few members, but they left because no one else joined. I try to get my friends from other boards to join, but they have just joined way too many for them to take on another one. Which eventually lead to us just leaving the site.

Now here we are again, giving it another shot, hoping and praying that it will take off because we want it to be a fun experience for others.

Some of things said is helpful :] I will defo use some of it.

I can't count the number of RPGs that I've 'x'ed out of because I see a column full of 0's on the right hand side of the page. Of course I'm referring to the number of topics in each forum. I have to admit I am just a little bit depressed that my new RPG looks just like that. But in the past, I have found being part of a blogging circle to be pretty effective. If you have blogging friends or friends you have met on a general interests forum, in most cases they would be willing to join. And if they don't join, they will at least plug you in one of their blog entries. Knowing the right people can really make a difference.