We CAN do better.

Guest Wed Dec 25, 2013 11:03 pm

We had a 10/20 server pop a couple days ago. This was really good, however, we were doing much better in the relaunch. I've noticed a recurring pattern - Server starts up/switches map, and the population is EXCELLENT in the first week, then it slowly begins to drop, player by player until it's 0/20.

Now that I've taken notice of this, I've done my best to track the problem to it's root: people are getting bored. In the first week, everything seems new and fresh, but after that, there's no more. I feel like every day the experience is the same. There aren't enough willing players to come on and roleplay, and the best population I can muster is a mere 5/20.

Clockwork is actually far more vast than you'd think. When I first loaded it up on The Terminal (which has been giving me a ridiculous amount of trouble lately, I'm working on getting it back up!) I was shocked by all the customization that could be done. Honestly, it blew me away when I first played HL2RP. I saw scanners flying about and taking pictures, people getting arrested on the side of the road, citizens being lined up and shot - it was amazing.

There are so many features in Clockwork that TC is not taking advantage of. You can make multiple "map scenes" that replace the bland, grey background of the character selection screen. You can also modify the music that plays on the selection screen. If we want new players to stay, we need the experience to be unique. I see very few servers that actually have plaza life, even NPC-led plaza life, going on. These are just a few minor things that would greatly improve the ambient quality of TC.

Guys, we can do this. The Crew won't die on it's own, it will only die if we let it.

**DIABLO258** Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:31 pm

We have had the custom background shots before. It has no effect on population. The music is nice to tinker with, but it also has little to no effect. Sure I can take advantage of these if anyone has suggestions, but dont expect people to be Ooo'ing and Aww'ing at it.

**General Bravo** Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:48 pm

I think the idea is that a whole bunch of relatively insignificant things like that can add up to be significant, which is true for many things, whether you're looking at your grades, warfare, or just running a server. And unlike a map switch, stuff like that is relatively quick, simple, and has a near zero chance of adverse effects.

Silver Thu Dec 26, 2013 3:34 pm

Well, we're just one of the hundreds of HL2RP servers out there. Maybe something new could help. I've been saying this for a while, but for example, a pretty popular schema that's in development is a schema that is set after Freeman dies. It's a custom canon, custom setting, everything. Something like that, I mean, a new unique setting, could be nice.

Guest Thu Dec 26, 2013 3:46 pm

Precisely, General Bravo.

Cereal Thu Dec 26, 2013 4:00 pm

I think it's the matter of people have to leave, then no one has the courtesy to be the first person to join the server.
I normally join when the pop reaches 2-3-4/20.
But no one joins.

Chris10023 Thu Dec 26, 2013 4:46 pm

I have to agree with Silver, and Bravo, and if I go to play and see no one on I still go into the server even if it has no pop, that 1/20 can (even if insignificant) cause people to join

Commander America Thu Dec 26, 2013 9:25 pm

I agree with everyone. If we're going to only add a few small things, big deal, right? But if we add lot's of little new things, it will add up to cause great things. An example of what I've scene in the past for items and such for very popular servers would be things like weapon parts and springs, BB guns, Pac 3, and all these other little item things that add alot of fun.

After first reading this, I had a cool idea. I was playing Hl2 earlier and I remember seeing T.V's in the apartments, and in stores. Yes, they were all showing propaganda, but why not have maybe a News station, or "Entertainment". Even things from the hl2 beta, like the manhack arcade would be fun.

**General Bravo** Thu Dec 26, 2013 11:12 pm

That was something I was considering in the pre-close era. It involved putting stationary radios behind the counters of CWU stores(and, if possible, hidden away in various parts of the CAH), over which they would broadcast propaganda, recruit for Civil Protection, and mention things like city transfer passes and such. The only problem with that is, as we all know, if you can hear a stationary radio it'll broadcast everything you say. If we can get some form of fix for that in effect, I can start getting a propaganda engine going.

**DIABLO258** Fri Dec 27, 2013 10:46 am

No one ever said it would need to be a big deal to be done, so lets do it. Just name a spot where you want a camera placement, easy. Next, a song. Although, the sad suit song in HL2 is over used, so lets use something different than that one.

Guest Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:19 pm

I recommend Escape Array (hl1_song20), it suits the overall theme of HL2RP. Good camera positions would be: The ground floor of the CAH, above the plaza, at the trainstation entrance, or facing one of the checkpoints. As for the propaganda idea, that is best done over the /broadcast command that we never seem to use.

**General Bravo** Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:33 pm

We never use it because it's for City Administrators only. And we only have one of those, who isn't always on(I know he has a reason for not being around more recently, and my Breen character is event only). I feel we'd be better off with some sort of radio system where there are items similar to stationary radios but they're basically just speakers, and don't pick up what people near them say, with a single area from which actual broadcasts get made. We can have loyalists, CWU, and even Civil Protection on from time to time.

Guest Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:36 pm

You see, the problem with the whole radio idea is, even if we code it in so people cannot speak through it, then how will the broadcasters speak? Maybe they'll need to use handheld radios to communicate, which isn't exactly the most practical solution.

**General Bravo** Fri Dec 27, 2013 1:46 pm

It's better than going with the /broadcast idea that maybe 4 people have access to, out of which 2 have characters to use it, and 1 of which isn't around.

**Slashraider** Fri Dec 27, 2013 6:56 pm

Even with the radios it's not that much to add. I think we need a new gameplan. Change some stuff ICly. Not just events but things that are always accessible. Maybe some actual shops that are open or stuff that happens in the plaza. CCA marches, more patrols, checkpoints that are actually used and citizens will be stopped (not just D6 checkpoints but think of the one you have to pass through to get from the spawn to the plaza) stuff like that. We just need more things for our players to do instead of just standing around.

**General Bravo** Fri Dec 27, 2013 11:52 pm

I would say forced labor for citizens but forced labor=forced RP, and the last times we tried to force RP, people didn't go along with it(CCA training) and TC died(City Cool

.

CallChaos Sat Dec 28, 2013 12:23 am

I like the idea Bravo had about forced labor for the citizens . As for the fact that it forces RP might be bad but the labor RP would add a better meaning for citizens, having the forced labor actually effect something in the server IE. The amount of supplies within CWU stores, the Rations center, or even the CCA armory. It would also make sense for the citizens to actually do something instead of trying to lolrebel or simply talk to peeps.

**[Redacted]** Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:42 am

https://thecrew.forumotion.com/t1329-new-feature-we-could-possibly-add#10091 I actually developed a pretty solid idea we could use back when TC was near death, it does involve manual labour but not necessarily forced labour. It also revamps the loyalist system and how shops and CWU work. You should take a look, see what you guys think, we could tweak it for the better if you don't like how I set it up back then.

**Jaquecz** Sat Dec 28, 2013 3:56 pm

Zaughi wrote:We had a 10/20 server pop a couple days ago. This was really good, however, we were doing much better in the relaunch. I've noticed a recurring pattern - Server starts up/switches map, and the population is EXCELLENT in the first week, then it slowly begins to drop, player by player until it's 0/20.

Now that I've taken notice of this, I've done my best to track the problem to it's root: people are getting bored. In the first week, everything seems new and fresh, but after that, there's no more. I feel like every day the experience is the same. There aren't enough willing players to come on and roleplay, and the best population I can muster is a mere 5/20.

Clockwork is actually far more vast than you'd think. When I first loaded it up on The Terminal (which has been giving me a ridiculous amount of trouble lately, I'm working on getting it back up!) I was shocked by all the customization that could be done. Honestly, it blew me away when I first played HL2RP. I saw scanners flying about and taking pictures, people getting arrested on the side of the road, citizens being lined up and shot - it was amazing.

There are so many features in Clockwork that TC is not taking advantage of. You can make multiple "map scenes" that replace the bland, grey background of the character selection screen. You can also modify the music that plays on the selection screen. If we want new players to stay, we need the experience to be unique. I see very few servers that actually have plaza life, even NPC-led plaza life, going on. These are just a few minor things that would greatly improve the ambient quality of TC.

Guys, we can do this. The Crew won't die on it's own, it will only die if we let it.

I think we should either switch schema's or find ways to make citizen rp more interesting.
One way would be events, that don't result in
"Citizen get in your house for an hour while we shoot over 9000 zombies and antilions or take care of these webuls"
or
"Citizen come do this boring ass thing for the next hour"
Another way would probably be, well a certain idea that i suggested sometime before TC went and croaked.
But couldn't be done because CCA can't keep track of anything at all beyond adding and removing points and permits. And apparently admins couldn't be trusted to ensure shit went correctly because they really weren't being decent admins unless someone who was srs bizniz was being really srs bizniz, it's like when a subsitute teacher comes into a classroom, to the students the sub isn't srs bizniz so they just jack off but when the regular teacher comes back they go back to being srs bizniz.

**Jaquecz** Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:00 pm

Colonel HollerHavoc wrote:https://thecrew.forumotion.com/t1329-new-feature-we-could-possibly-add#10091 I actually developed a pretty solid idea we could use back when TC was near death, it does involve manual labour but not necessarily forced labour. It also revamps the loyalist system and how shops and CWU work. You should take a look, see what you guys think, we could tweak it for the better if you don't like how I set it up back then.

It's forced labour.
you Don't do it you risk CCA kicking you in the balls.
Or throwing you in a jail cell and forgetting, and then your staring at a wall for the next 60 minutes typing
//Hey guys i've been in here for an hour let me out plz.

Yes i've read it.

**General Bravo** Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:30 pm

Well, it's either that or citizen RP is still going to be standing around the map with their dicks in their hands. There really isn't much that, logically and ICly, citizens would be doing besides chilling in CAH, forced labor, or getting rations. That's just how it is.

Honestly, I'm beginning to think we might be better served by going outlands.

**[Redacted]** Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:53 pm

Jaquecz wrote:
Colonel HollerHavoc wrote:https://thecrew.forumotion.com/t1329-new-feature-we-could-possibly-add#10091 I actually developed a pretty solid idea we could use back when TC was near death, it does involve manual labour but not necessarily forced labour. It also revamps the loyalist system and how shops and CWU work. You should take a look, see what you guys think, we could tweak it for the better if you don't like how I set it up back then.

It's forced labour.
you Don't do it you risk CCA kicking you in the balls.
Or throwing you in a jail cell and forgetting, and then your staring at a wall for the next 60 minutes typing
//Hey guys i've been in here for an hour let me out plz.

Yes i've read it.

Meh I see what your saying, Keep in mind though Melee I said we could tweak it, but honestly ICLY it would be forced, you just don't have to do it. Citizens always complain they have little to do and they all rush for the slums because of it.

Cereal Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:18 pm

Alright. This is the game plan. We have to use the server for ourselves. WE ALL.
NEED TO USE THE SERVER. Atleast some time. No one's going to play on it because it is: empty.
Dead empty. We're going to get little to no regulars either, so we have to use the server for OURSELVES. Everyone's gridlocked into their own communities because people already developed characters there. No one is moving out, no one is moving in. It's the HL2RP community's cycle.
Take advantage of it guys, we're all friends. We all have this server's access. You guys need to face the fact that the reason we're rarely getting any regulars is because everyone has their own communities to play in. The server is diamond fine as it is on it's own. There's no way to attract regulars without connections with them. For now, we need to use the server for ourselves. Maybe then, we'll get regulars to join.
Now another problem is, is that no one really likes to RP. If you did? Then you'd get your stank buttox on the server and spam invites to your friends and the rest of the community.
Man, I used to do it all the time with my friends when I had staff on different servers before they died, we all get together and do some sort of event. Even exogen breaches dude, they're fun when you have friends with you.

**General Bravo** Sat Dec 28, 2013 11:24 pm

Quick group chat log from tonight:

Spoiler:

I should mention, I sent out numerous invites to join the server. No one came that I saw.

**Slashraider** Sun Dec 29, 2013 2:17 pm

Holler, Inept, Bazid, and I were on the server inviting people but no one got on because most people were playing other games or other server so we decided to just play starbound for the rest of the night and then u got on TC when we left.

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