Save [Insert Continent]

[pcw27]

Many of you are already aware that the dev team is discussing deleting a continent in order to increase player density in the other continents. I for one don't want it to come to that. I certainly wouldn't want my favorite continent sunk and I know every continent is bound to be someone's favorite.

I believe a concentrated effort to recruit new players and keep them here will prevent the need for such drastic measures. Everyone who feels the same feel free to shout out ideas.

For starters, I think everyone should make an effort to convince just one friend to join the game. Imagine if the whole player base doubled over the course of this year.

On top of that we can all make an effort to share more on social media. Battlemaster's Facebook page is actually rather new. There's also a BM sub-redit. In addition there's twitter, tumblr and whatever else we can come up with.

I think if we really pitch in on this we can eliminate the need for the deletion of an island.

[Foxglove]

Going old school on this, make a small poster about BM in your word processor and print out or photocopy a few copies. If you're at school/college/university, ask to display them on as many student notice boards as you can. Ask your local internet cafe to display a poster (stressing that BM is a 100% free, not for profit game). Try the public access computers section of your local public library. Distribute posters to your local geek havens - Games Workshop stores, comic book stores, Tabletop wargaming and roleplaying hobby stores, Indie games retailers, and so forth, asking them to display a poster in their window.

If every person reading this gets 10-20 posters displayed, I'll bet it'll bring in a reasonable number of new casual players.

[Revan]

Made a thread yesterday linking to other BM communities on the web with this sort of thing in mind. I've asked one of the moderators to move it to BM General discussion and sticky it.

[pcw27]

Good thinking. Hobby/gaming shops are an especially good idea.

[pcw27]

Made a thread yesterday linking to other BM communities on the web with this sort of thing in mind. I've asked one of the moderators to move it to BM General discussion and sticky it.

ooo the steam group sounds promising.

[Alpha]

I've recruited 5 or 6 of my friends to play the game, at various time. They all quit within a month or so.

I don't know how to increase new player retention, but I think it's, at least, equally important to the recruitment of new players.

Joining a realm in the do-nothing doldrums is probably the most major issue behind new players quitting. It isn't the norm, but I've been in realms with 40-50 people, without receiving much more than one or two messages, from another player, per day for weeks at a time. This is one of the reasons I like the return of war islands so much. Even if nothing else is happening in the regular game, a new player will at least get a taste of battle there.

[pcw27]

I've suggested in the past that it would help if new players could pick realms based on them being at war and having open lordships.

Also in peace time people should take the opportunity to start some blood feuds. Everyone needs to stop being so darn nice.

Maybe in addition to inviting new players we should each make an effort to find a newbie in our realm and interact with them.

[Penchant]

I've recruited 5 or 6 of my friends to play the game, at various time. They all quit within a month or so.

I don't know how to increase new player retention, but I think it's, at least, equally important to the recruitment of new players.

Joining a realm in the do-nothing doldrums is probably the most major issue behind new players quitting. It isn't the norm, but I've been in realms with 40-50 people, without receiving much more than one or two messages, from another player, per day for weeks at a time. This is one of the reasons I like the return of war islands so much. Even if nothing else is happening in the regular game, a new player will at least get a taste of battle there.

It would be good if you could find out ask them why they decided to quit although that works best right after they quit not months or years later.

I've suggested in the past that it would help if new players could pick realms based on them being at war and having open lordships.

Its already being worked on and hopefully won't be much longer until its done. The new interface for creating nobles is much better than the old one.

[Wolfang]

I recruited around 10 people already. Some have already stopped but most are still going.
Will recruit more when I unpause.

[pcw27]

Well done. I've gotten at least one person interested.

[Indirik]

What might help is listing specific things that people can do to help out. For example, don't just say "Go find us more players", but maybe something like "Please go contribute to this thread on the Bay12 forums: (insert URL here)" or "Vote for BattleMaster on this poll: (insert URL)". That way people can maybe click a link and contribute to the effort.

Not sure how applicable this is, but maybe if it can be done, then it would make it easier for people to contribute.

[Wolfang]

All you have to do is write up a small review of the game,  on any forum you play on, make it interesting (leave out needless terms that might make people not want to play such as 'text based game' or whatever). If you're known on the forums, this is way easier, bump the thread, write interesting things, write interesting things in the bumps.

Personally I don't really share the belief that fb is the way to go, rather gamer-gamer word of mouth works waaaaay faster and better. Look at Barca's first rise in active nobles if you doubt what I am saying (guilty).

Pretty much any gaming community could work, but things that are more similar, like Paradox games (post on all those forums), Total War games etc...

Don't post like you're begging.

[Tom]

And don't spam. Please don't sign up to any forums just to post about BM. If you are active on some other forum and want to post about BM there, I'll be happy. But I and everyone else here hates spammers.

[trying]

Maybe someone could design a special forum signature that promotes BM. I remember one forum I used to go to had a bunch of people with forums signatures saying "click my egg so my pet will grow"

[Lefanis]

"click my egg so my pet will grow"

… This made my day