Promoting Community

From Tazlure Gaming System Wiki

A game is more than just a couple of players posting storylines. It is a place where people come together and interact. While the game's setting might draw them in, it is the community that will make them stay.

[edit] Setting Standards

See Also Spirit of Tazlure and Administrative Ethics

A game community should be warm, welcoming and safe for newbies, in order to allow the greatest number of people to enter the game, and for people to feel comfortable enough to stay. Certain prevalent behaviour online, especially but not exclusively among the young in the west, which includes crude language, dishing other people and deliberate rants, you might want to curb. In an international setting this monkey behaviour can only be misinterpreted and lead to misunderstandings. Instead we recommend a mature and professional approach, in which the administration can be firm and clear, but always polite.

What you promote you get back. By encouraging mature behaviour, the audience you attract and keep will likely be more mature. If administration is open to questions from newbies and answers promptly, players too will be so.

[edit] OOC Occupations

Waiting for another post is one of the things that is most frustrating in PBP. Sometimes during hyperposting or other such activities the game is flying ahead, but by necessity sometimes posting slows to a crawl. In such a period you could lose the interest of your community and people come back less and less often to check the boards. By allowing users to have something to occupy their time, you tie them to the community.

• Small Games - guessing games, word games etc. It gives a little laugh and creates a sense of traffic even when there is very little.
• A free form area - Give room to people who are willing to explore alternative stories. Perhaps by creating something in another setting entirely, or dream like sessions. By not having them limited to linear time etc. you will free up creativity, while they wait on the main story to continue.
• Polls - people love polls. They always draw attention, that then tapers after the first excitement is gone. A regular set of new polls is a good way to generate traffic. You could also allow users to create their own polls.
• Debates - Allows users to share opinions on world issues that occupy their mind. Remember the rules of tolerance that are in the Terms of Service.
• Photo`s - a controversial issue online. However is my experience that by allowing people to share photo's of themselves, the community, and thus the feelings shared, will become more real, removing anonymity. It promotes mature behaviour.

[edit] Checking Up on Absentees

How do you keep players from fading away? By making sure they do not feel like a number. The compendium is an excellent tool for plotting and simple questions, but do not underestimate the power of a well timed PM or even email to a player who seems to post less and less, or has even been absent for a while. Just an open question ("Is there something I can help with?") will often start a conversation so that you may help remove any obstacles that are unnecessary.

Have clear expectations for players: not only on behaviour but also on posting rate. Do not let it slide when people deviate from these standards but start an open conversation that you have noticed this and ask them to change it. Remember: real life is the most important quoted excuse online for not staying in touch and it is difficult to argue with. Real Life must always come first and we recommend you encourage people to make a choice to go on hiatus if real life demands this and let them back in when all is back to normal.

However remember that real life is no excuse for not keeping in touch or giving notice of absence. In this day and age anybody can arrange for word to reach the right authorities and not doing so is inattentive. Offering a thread where people can note reasons for a short upcoming absence such as a business trip, or other real life incidents, will create understanding and promote at the same time that users feel responsible enough to at least let somebody know what to expect from them. There is nothing so frustrating as a player who fades in and out with long periods of absences without as much as a single word of apology for leaving other people hanging.

Another good tool to bring your game to the attention of people who have been busy with other things is a regular newsletter, highlighting things that are happening in the community. It is very irresistible to click a lick and re-acquaint oneself with whatever is going on.