Just little over a month ago I started an RPG. Quite an interesting and original setting. But it seems everyone has abandoned it. I started with two characters myself, got into threads with others, but after my character posted... nothing happened anymore. Even after a few friendly pokes I didn't get a reply anymore. Now it seems that the three staff members are never coming online anymore either, didn't post away messages, and I can't seem to catch them on msn. The members we had, obviously kinda got lost in the inactivity as well. I'm just stuck and I don't know what to do. The start was great, all staff were very dedicated and excited to get the RPG started and opened. We had some awesome dedicated members from the start. But it all kinda fell apart the last two weeks. RP threads were barely started, and when started, didn't really continue into anything. Due to this, I kinda lost faith and don't know where to go. I don't just want to give up on it, but now that everyone is inactive, and I can't do it all by myself, I'm almost contemplating just closing it. And maybe trying it at a later point again. It's a shame, but if everyone else just doesn't come online anymore, doesn't post, how am I supposed to run an rpg? I don't quit easily, and I know making an RPG forum active and succesful takes time and effort. But I can't be the only one putting all the effort in the RPG right?
First of all, I need to ask why at this point did you need staff? Does your forum have many members or do you lack specific skills (like making graphics)? Did you need the bounce from chatting with a team to be creative? I think you should consider going at it alone. It saves you waiting on others and the frustration that comes with that. You can always reconsider the idea of staff once you expand. Secondly, let's consider timing. You started the game a little under a month. That is just 4 weeks. It is the middle of summer. Before you loose heart... remind yourself that any game with a memberbase in the western hemisphere right now has problems keeping active. That doesn't mean activity will not return. All is not lost! I'm not advising you do nothing, just that you shouldn't quit. Be tenacious. Here are some things that can spruce up the activity and deals with some specific problems, but please, give it two more months before you even reconsider quitting: Talk to your Staff about this issue. Send each staffmember an email asking where they are and tell them if you don't hear from them in X days you will remove them from the staff usergroup. Be courteous, thank them for their time and they can always be re-added when they have time enough again to be active, but be firm. You have an expectation of x posts and x tasks each week unless they posted an away message, and currently they are not able to fulfil the requirements for staff. It is fair to point out that you feel alone in what was to be a shared effort. Don't guilt them in returning though as that is no basis for the future. Talk to your members. Explain you are currently the only Staffmember online without downtalking the other staffmembers (don't ever do that, it isn't just unethical but it will scare members away) but merely as an explanation of why things have been slow. Then discuss solutions. What would they suggest to create more activity. What would help them. How can they help as a member. Ask them to write with your characters because it would help you enjoy the game. Your point about not being able to do it alone as a RPG is a cooperative effort is a good one to make in such a public talk. Explain to your members that it is vital for them to use an Away thread to let their fellow members know if they are around or not as a measure of courtesy. Lead by example on this by telling them if you are going away even for a day. Nothing spells expectation of posting rate like that. Post up a storm. Post to every character. Create an event. Throw in a NPC or two in threads that seem to lose their inspiration. Activity begets activity, plus you'll probably enjoy it hugely. Advertise like mad. Join toplists, directories etc. Use social media (facebook, tumbler, twitter) and ask that your members get the word out to their friends. Answer RPG requests here at the D. Your goals it to gain new blood for your game, new inspiration. Perhaps one day they will be your future staffers when you need them. A month is a bit soon to get another skin & graphics, but start preparing now and do that in September. As for a board analysis here at the D. There are many useful tips that usually come from that.
As to the point of doing it alone. Currently I'm off work, vacation, but when works start again, I do between 30/40 hours a week, plus I need the staff for the creative side of things. I'm also not native English, so I sometimes have troubles wording things right. Obviously that could be geared towards the memberbase as well, giving them more input, coming up with new ideas that could be implemented into future plots. We made the RPG so that we have one plot/general story, and we progress through it with 'chapters'. Revealing more and more about the setting and factions, to keep it exciting, and opening up new plotting oppertunities for members. But I think your points really help, I know they're all true. I just had no clue how to implement/do these things. I'm also afraid that I'll be loosing more then I already lost with this inactive period I suppose.... One of my staffers I worked with before, and she's great, we almost mindread across the internet. But you are right, if they're not there, they're not helping at all, why keep them on staff? It's just, I really don't think I can do it all by myself between with my busy rl schedule. But thank you, I will definitely work on it, and it would be shame to let this RPG go, because it's one of the most original things I've ever created.
Also, minor tip: put the site in your signature on the D. It goes towards links for your Google page ranking but it is also a great way for people to find your game. I've had several people mention the D in their app by now. Keep heart, that is all I'm saying, and don't worry about the work. It is less than you might dread, even when RL is busy, because it will be your hobby, your relaxation. I work 24 hours a week, have a household with 3 children, keep a game afloat and still have time to chatter at the D Definitely pull in the members to do small tasks if they offer. They are an oft forgotten resource, yet they often like to do stuff without committing themselves long term.
Yes also very good point. I will whip some new graphics up in Photoshop, and start putting them in my signature! Well I already messaged my staff members, and put up an announcement to the members. Asking for their help and input, and explaining the inactivity period. Once these two things are sorted out, I'll go back to advertising and replying to rp requests and things like that ^^. Thanks for giving me a kick in the butt, and giving me faith back in my board <3
First, everything @Fluff says is on the nose. Very much so. She (I think she's a she; I'm not good at this sort of thing) has it very much right. From my perspective, you're jumping the gun a little. You're barely a month old, which puts you practically in the womb as far as forums go. Give yourself some time to get settled before you start worrying about stuff. Seriously. As for activity, you can always try posterbation. It's sometimes frowned upon, but if you're making threads and posting with yourself, that's at least some activity moving. What I'd rather see done is that you recruit some friends or friendly people to start doing. Two people being active together is sometimes enough to get things going and get a site off the ground, especially if you're both running multiple characters and working things together. To add a little specificity to post up a storm: post at least once a day. Every. Single. Day. It can be just with one character, but you should be able to get at least one IC post up. That lets people know that you're active and things are moving. I know some sites take a much slower pace with these things, but you're starting off: the more active you look, the better. There's some docs you can look at too. I know there's some good ones (I wrote one myself that I'm rather proud of). Basically: don't give up! The site won't die as long as someone's still interested in doing it and dragging ti further.
You could also have a schedule, sometimes I need one because I can be either super organised or things are everywhere. Here is a bit of an example and allocate time for it. Any time where you don't have anything to do e.g. apps, you could post or advertise. 1. PMs/Apps 2. Any updates 3. Posts 4. Posting wanted things on the 'D and other communities 4. Advertising Plus what everyone else has said too! :D
Juggling a full time job, creativity and a board is hard work! Hats off to you for being another one of us busy-busy admin bees! The others have pretty much hit it on the head - go out of your way to advertise your site (have affiliates? See who they are listed with for listings, then expand), swap banners here, post daily even if others aren't - all very sound advice! Here are some bits that might also help you: 19 Ways to Advertise Your site! Guest Advertising -- Like a BOSS How to Use RPG-D To Create & Run Your Forum From Start to Finish Eight Ways to Make Your Site Look More Active
Okay so a month, and even two weeks, isn't really long enough to think things are failing. But in the past in slow moments some reallllly weird things have worked for me. Like one day in the cbox I just went "hey, who can beat the number of posts I do today?" - made it into a posting blitz contest where the person with the most posts per day was featured, and basically ... we had a LOT of activity those ten days. And its weird because who thought something so silly and spur-of-the-moment could make someone want to post? Contests work. -nods wisely-
Thanks so much all for your advice and kind words! Luckily one of my staff has already replied, so that's great ^^. So we're going to pick up on advertising again, I'll be finishing up my 3rd character tomorrow. So hers and mine can start a thread together. I know a month is nothing, I just had no clue where to go from here to be honest. Sometimes it's hard when it seems you're the only one coming online.
I hear you! You know what I did to cheer myself up? I added a tiny mod to PHPBB3 called "who was here?" which shows the activity in a set timeperiod (currently have it at 24 hours). It is so great to see who else was looking for posts and is active. Especially since we are such an international game that our memberbase is literally spread all over the world in different timezones so we are hardly ever online at the same time.
Yeh @Fluff, that's standard for Jcink as well. Usually what I do is just log in every day with all my accounts, even if I don't post with those characters that day. But its definitely nice to see who's been online and checking in as well.
I see an open topic talking to the members about the site, but no replies yet, ouch. I very much like how you didn't accuse or threaten anyone. I've seen sites that say "You'd better start posting or else we'll just close!" as a threat and it's the opposite of helpful (and then they do close). I think that you could use a new event, and once that starts stirring up some new posts, follow it up with a new feature as a c-c-c-ombo! Some features you can do are points, achievements, store, etc, etc. The key to a good feature are rewards that players like/want. At this point, sorry to say, but you're going to have to do the work you have alone. You can always try our employment section to see if you can find some new staff, but the best place to look is usually your own community, which is... off picking their noses.
I'd be weary picking new people at this point, at least, for staff. I've seen some sites bring in a "new staffer" solely for "activity boosting" and it's rarely a good idea. Stick with what you've got already; try to make that work and build off it. If things get bigger or it's simply too much for you, then consider bringing someone else in.
