Ya see well I have this rpg that I really put time into and sadly it got inactive and died. I'm really missing the plot and stuff but I really don't know how to bring it back. So do I get a new skin? Graphics? Or should I just forget about it. I know that it's pretty hard to do something like that to a rpg that could be active again.

What are some ways you bring back rpg's?

I think it all depends on the RPG you're reviving.

What made it die in the first place? Just inactivity?

yeah plus one of the admins sorta gradually left the site even though she made like half of the site. Also there was this one admin who for the annoucment box thingie wouldn't let anyone else touch it or edit it. I didn't bann here or even say anything to her because she well knew coding very well and it would be a loss for me since I had no idea of how to code and stuff. The skin may have also taken away from the boiard. It was a simple black skin but I thought it was really nice and stuff.

I tried to revive an RP once. It didn't work out but this is what I did. First I got back a few older members and then advertised a whole bunch. Also I'd just start off on a clean slate. Just remove all of the topics.

I'd just like to point out that the skin shouldn't play an important role in the RPG's activity or whatever. It's just a plus, something that isn't necessary. I ran a RPG for a year and a half with the same ol' default Invisionfree Skin.

Coding isn't necessary... all you need is a plot and a community that is worth staying for. When creating the board, think about it from the other person's view. "If I were to stumble on this site, what about it would make me join? What about it would scare me away?" Those answers alone should give you a direction.

But of course, I'm always a fan of leaving dead sites... dead.

Yeah but I always thought that dark skins made people want to leave easily because well it's dark and stuf. And if you want to see the board click the link in my siggie.

I like the setting of your site; an unique place for such a common type of RPG is a very good plus. Personally, I don't mind the skin at all; it actually looks pretty neat.

Reading over your plot, I see that it's a bit limited. I like the idea very much. However, the whole plot revolves around two students: Catalina and Antonio. I have two suggestions: 1) make sure that those two characters are active and include every person on the board so that no one feels left out and leaves, or 2) expand the plot itself so that it does not revolve around two canon characters. Also, I have often seen RPGs whose plots sound really good so I join only to find that nothing ever really happens. The admin has good intentions, that I do not doubt. But he or she gets so wrapped up in running the RPG--accepting apps and the like--that he or she forgets to move the plot along. And such a plot as you have really needs admin involvement.

About your other two admin, I would try to talk to them. If the first one still doesn't have time, make her a new member category or admin category called "Founder" or something. And if the second--the one on the power trip--won't reason, ban her. It's pretty easy to learn simple coding such as working affiliate boxes. If you need help, make a new forum just to mess around with the coding and stuff.

So those are my suggestions to help revive your RPG. I hope they helped.

Well, personally, the skin does matter when I look at boards. I have also spent multiple hours and days woprking on custom skins for my own two boards (and a third in the process). Skinning is always important, cause it help draws in people to look around. No offense, but I wouldn't join a board with the default skin....maybe I'm a too visual person, though.

I think you should probably Advterise up a storm, get some new Affiliates to help get your board out there. Get rid of the older topics and older member accounts, bring in an exciting new sub plot and some fun new places to RP in.

I've done this loads of times. What I've done was change the skin. Because using the same skin is nothing. Upgrade the board a bit. I've even tried changing the name and everything. And begin advertising your board. Add a lot of information about it. Every little detail is needed for your board.

Boards generally seem to dwindle down to nothing in a reactive manner: one person leaves, another drifts away, and soon nobody's online to RP with even during the old hours when the board was insanely active. Try doing the things you brought up earlier (the skin is really important because people see it immediately and constantly). Encourage member interaction with plenty of forums for arranging RPing, and get a chatbox if you like. Advertise like crazy, try and get a solid member base, and build up from there. The two most important things structurally are to make sure that your board is uniquely interesting, holding attractions that similar boards do not, and listening to your member's suggestions.

Advertising.

That's all there really is too it. And hope the guest has a taste for whatever you're trying to offer on your board. If they don't have a taste for your board, it's either A, not your fault, or B, they've seen similar boards. The latter isn't necessarily your fault, but it can be preventable. Try exceptionally hard to provide something on your board that you can't recall seeing on any others. And as far as advertising goes, always go for the invisionfree top sites from the directory. Even if it isn't your genre, join it, gain advertising priviledges, and let the site's amazing daily hit count do the rest of the work.

i've tried reviving sites twice, one time it worked and the other time it didn't. i would say get new graphics, a new skin, etc. and the go advertise CRAZY just advertise everywhere you can and hope it works. make it look like a brand-new board. (smile)

What I found best was just deleting the old board and starting one with a new name, but the same plot. Invite all your old members to it then advertise. It works better in getting new faces ;).

Well, I revived mine. And I got back an old member and have two other active members. I'll tell you right off the bat that it is hard to revive an RPG. Really hard. What you want to make sure, is that the people you know who you recruited yourself and talk to all the time, make sure they are really active. Just by posting at least once a week they might end up helping you with getting more members. Also, if you see that a new member posts a topic or doesn't have a topic, RP with them. That will keep them active and interested.

It would be good to lower any rule about making a second character too. The more characters you have, or other members have adds to your member count at the bottom.