With GW2 news picking up recently, and the game being released any year now, the interest in this game is only going to increase. To ensure that this site maintains its elite status, one needs to ensure that the community here remains well and alive. A look over into the GW2 forums suggests that the Incgamers community could do a better job.
For instance, if you consider the number of people posting with join dates in 2010-2011 versus 2006 and earlier, there is quite a discrepancy between that and similar threads over on sites like Guildwars2 Guru.
Example:
http://guildwars.incgamers.com/forum...d.php?t=497755
http://www.guildwars2guru.com/forum/...icles-f32.html
Do you notice the difference in activity? Did you see the difference in distribution of old vs new posters? This is just one in many threads where I observe this trend. The trends suggest that newer players interested in GW2 predominantly join Guru2 whereas this site consists mostly of people who joined during the Gwonline days.
I want to note that I do not want to start a rivalry rage between two communities that work towards the same goal. I actually frequent both sites though I am more active here since this is where I started.
I want to point out that the viability of a site in part relies on a "healthy" distribution of old versus new community members similar to how populations with low-offspring rates begin to age and shrink. I am fully aware that this community still has a large lurker base, but I do want to argue that a lurker does not an active community make. I also anticipate that with increased interest in GW2, this site will benefit to some degree. The question is how much this site will grow as a result of GW2 interest increase and how big the growth will be when compared to the overall growth.
In this light, I thought I would start some community soul-searching with open-ended discussion on how to improve the site if any change is needed.
To start the discussion, consider these questions:
1.) Imagine there is a new player who just became interested in GW2 and wants to participate in a fan community. What reasons would he/she have to join this site as opposed to any number of other sites?
2.) What is a weakness of the Incgamers community and more importantly...
3.) What would you suggest the Incgamers community do to capture a larger fraction of new people interested in Guild Wars 1/2?
4.) What would you yourself be willing to contribute?
P.S.: For full disclosure, this thought has been on my mind a while now. I made a similar thread last year (http://guildwars.incgamers.com/forum...d.php?t=495260). However, I think the thoughts are more clearly stated here. So I want to revisit this topic and see what the community thinks given that a year has passed.|||1) A new player would join this site because the game itself is important and enjoyable enough to them to make them wish to search for quality content. When they reach here; they'll find it. This place isn't awash with trolling and combustible threads which only serve to cause controversy and bickering.
2) Incgamers weakness? I'd say it's strength is exactly what we have here - wait until there is new content and then compare here with Guru and see the quality to content ratio in posts/threads.
3) Incgamers can probably adjust how they act once they see what GW2 has to offer. Ingame auctions and the Wiki remove much of the need for these communities to supply that info. Discussion, guilds, competition and enjoyment for the sake of the forum itself is what I consider to be the current appeal of here. That will change over time but I think without knowing how it works yet we can't really figure out how to balance it yet.
4) I'll contribute myself, my hopes, knowledge and friendship and if I can do more in the future then I will but again, until we know the future of the game and what more we can do here, as a community, to be stronger then it's a bit of a moot point in my opinion.
-Art|||It isn't full of whinney kids askig for nerfs or buffs either like that other one.It may occasionally though.|||Quote:
1.) Imagine there is a new player who just became interested in GW2 and wants to participate in a fan community. What reasons would he/she have to join this site as opposed to any number of other sites?
2.) What is a weakness of the Incgamers community and more importantly...
3.) What would you suggest the Incgamers community do to capture a larger fraction of new people interested in Guild Wars 1/2?
4.) What would you yourself be willing to contribute?
1) The strength of this site, compared to Guru, is that the understanding of GW1 is much greater. Another strong point is that people here are actually interested in educated discussion as opposed to just spamming one/two-liners and/or replying to the opening post without reading any of the thread. Also, there's less rampant fanboyism here, though it exists of course. Oh and the mods are much better.
2) Its size. Only that.
3) Change the name back to GWOnline, or maybe GW2Online. "Incgamers" is too obscure and doesn't mean much.
4) As Art said, myself, opinions, support, hopes, and maybe friendship
when I'm not yelling at people|||1. Having never joined guru or any of the other communities, I don't have much to add to this point other than the fact that the conversations/threads here are (for the most part) respectful, interesting and intelligent. The only times I've seen problems in the forums, they have been addressed within the day. 2. Like Rasp said... the size. I think these forums would be so much better if there was more folks around to add to the discussion.
3. I also agree with rasp on point 3. I also feel like the sub forums could be organized better, specially with GW2 stuff.
4. And also as rasp (and by extension Art) said opinion, support, etc. I'm not planning to stop donating to these forums any time soon :)|||It's never been the same since the xp bars were removed.|||1.) Normal discussions, not much trolling, relatively objective mods compared to most forums, humour, information. Very much knowledge regarding PvE and lore.
2.) Indeed the small size, the fact that we have very few good PvP'ers amongst our midst, next to Kedde and a select few everyone else and their mums focusses mainly on PvE. Another weak (maybe strong) point is the active visitor base, you mention all the oldies that joined back in 2005-2006 who are still the most active posters. It's a weakness if they fall away, it's a strength if they all stay, because it offers a stable foundation.
3.) End up high in google search queries for GW2 and Guild Wars 2
4.) A couple of posts a week, like I already do
|||Quote:To start the discussion, consider these questions:
1.) Imagine there is a new player who just became interested in GW2 and wants to participate in a fan community. What reasons would he/she have to join this site as opposed to any number of other sites?
2.) What is a weakness of the Incgamers community and more importantly...
3.) What would you suggest the Incgamers community do to capture a larger fraction of new people interested in Guild Wars 1/2?
4.) What would you yourself be willing to contribute?
1. The OTF.
2. It has to do with GW.
3. Leave it to the people who earn their living with this site.
4. My continued presence.|||1. There are less idiot by behaviour.
2. It can be either a weakness or a strength to some, but the population just is not very high. This means there are not a lot of discussion about the game itself and not too many people able to give meaningful advice on every subject out there.
3. Apart from what others mentioned, when gw2 is released get some events going that bear the name of the site in some way. Have a guild that is actually directly related to the site and its name perhaps.
4. Voicing the superior minority as always ;)|||1) Our community is more approachable for new players. You don`t get drown out, and most posters here are quite accepting and welcoming of newcomers.
2) Lower activity might be construed as a weakness, but frankly I like that if I don`t login for 24 hours, I can catch (usually).
3) Organize activities. Events help, but I`m more talking about regular play sessions. Gamers look for a community that is active both in forums and in-game. That, and provide game coverage.
4) As I am almost done with my goals, I`ll be looking to start regular scheduled play sessions. Also, I contribute in blogs and forum activity.
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