177 replies to this topic

[geminorum]

run bots on the other servers for xwis advertisement

[geminorum]

everything is possible, you just need to know how.

if the serials is the problem, then maybe tell them they can buy it cheaper via ebay or find as much as people possible and try to contact ea about it (maybe theyll do a serial give-away).

or you could find 10+ people and manually advertise for xwis on the servers.

there are alot of possibilities, if you dont try, youll never know. if you dont success, you know youve tried atleast. better than always wasting time with the same topics about the other servers

Edited by geminorum, 17 February 2012 - 12:26 AM.

[NeoGrant]

everything is possible, you just need to know how.

Serial giveaway, thats one idea. Next!

if the serials is the problem, then maybe tell them they can buy it cheaper via ebay or find as much as people possible and try to contact ea about it (maybe theyll do a serial give-away).

or you could find 10+ people and manually advertise for xwis on the servers.

there are alot of possibilities, if you dont try, youll never know. if you dont success, you know youve tried atleast. better than always wasting time with the same topics about the other servers

[AD4M]

what other servers are there??

I will happily rob them from their server and spam that xwis is the only 1 left.

k thanks

[Seke]

Well, in all honesty, a lot of these players don't have much interest in XWIS anyways, and asking them to download a patch, BUY a serial, go to control panel, make a strike-team account, make a nick, and then log onto xwis, only for them to find out that it lags 10 x worse than where they usually play, is too much to ask and won't happen.

I have brought several players to XWIS: ones that I have deemed fair, interested in a running ladder, and active. Around half of them get back to me a week later and tell me that it lags a lot more on XWIS for them than it does if they had played on QQ or GR. There are, however, the other half, in which play actively and with fair play.

I have also convinced a few players to BUY the serial via control panel and have explained what strike-team is, what the control panel is, what the auto ss is etc.

I have also educated many other players (mainly QQ players) simply what XWIS is, since there are a large deal of them that don't even know it exists, but the point remains that even though a ladder seems cool to some of them, having to pay for a serial, download a patch, go to a smaller community, have worse lag, and be in a community of people that don't speak their language, is a lot to ask and most won't consider it or dismiss it quickly.

I am not saying we shouldn't try, I am only saying that bringing people to XWIS is not easy, and although not impossible, it is IMPROBABLE.

what other servers are there??

I will happily rob them from their server and spam that xwis is the only 1 left.

k thanks

hamachi, tunngle, game ranger, QQ, xwis, and I actually believe theres a couple other similar programs to tunngle\hamachi that have players as well.

Also, to back up my claims as per what I said, fireworks donated several serials to the QQ players, players that played for a week or so and simply went back to QQ.

These serials were FREE and they didn't come.

To be able to successfully bring players onto XWIS you need to form a formal relationship with them so that you can easily communicate, help, and mediate the process. This is something that cannot be done with 25,000 players (and that is a big exaggeration imo).

[NeoGrant]

A breakdown of what should happen in my opinion. Its hard to put into words, so bare with me.

• S-T merges into XWIS - Includes common forum links, pages, redirecting permanently to xwis.net/forums.
  Why, it would remove one step of "registering a strike-team account", to then "logging into the XWIS CP" Plus I'm not sure ST has a purpose anymore, maybe a few years ago, XWIS is the core.
  
• A new XWIS that has a re-launch (website)
  I've said this next bit a lot over the last year, sorry. A new visual identity and design made by a hired designer. Staff will initially work together on a closed 'alpha' of the site to start with, adding easy, deemed fast, and intuitive content, links, organization etc. Information will be clear and to the point.
  
  The CP functionality is OK, but with an improved UI, information, with more friendly functions - e.g (not having to use a random password, instead they can set one but with set password requirements?) it will be immediatly10x better. Other little things that make up an error message in the CP can be a lot more helpful, for example: If it throws up an error message it will bring up a potential answer we answer everyday (as staff and members)and it will tell the user what is wrong there and then.
  
  We can then look at inviting select members that can iron out any bugs on the main content, layout, CP, and hear feedback.
  Closed Beta, again more invites to select few - probably to do with the ladder and how it can be improved visually.
  Open Beta - open to everyone on ST currently as an alternative e.g xwis.net/beta/ (not a launch yet) to see feedback as an alternative and again to adjust anything.
  
• Work out a strategy of advertising, be it paid advertising with search engines, social sites, to looking at contacting major gaming news sites - you know them.
  
• Set a re-launch week and invite as many on the particular start of the week - Newsletters, Invite livestreamers, casters, C&C3 casters will help us out if we give them a free account.
  
  Get as many news posts setup across the WWW as we can. Giveaway competitions by just signing your name in a topic - Lets say we give away 50 free accounts, and if thesurge is more, we give more.
  
• Mid-week make a prize invasion - Needs to be big $$$, prizes. Get it known across twitter, and other SC2 tournament sites to feature it.
  
• Repeat process two years after re-launch...

That though...is an expensive re-launch.

[FReQuEnZy]

We need a team of experienced players that are willing to spend time informing people and advertising XWIS.
Think of it like XWIS buddies, how they advertised XWIS on WOL back in the day. Make a group for these volunteers.

This is just the start though, you need to get your playcnc site up and running fully.
Showcase some cash tournaments and so on to get more interest from people.
Also explore different alternatives of selling serials and reduce the price for xwis accounts.


To get a start we should bundle all the available donated serials post them in a topic in a private forum only accessible to members of this 'xwis buddies' group.
So we can check off which ones have been given out and to whom (account/nick names) this would let us measure the success rate of the project.


You need people who are experienced with many of the different networks available.

10 players who are experienced and have contacts within QQ battlezone.
5 for gameranger network.
5 for hamachi.


Also people who are active in other ra2 community sites. I hear there are large French, German, Russian and Chinese communities out there.
We should also get news posters who are active in other communities to post Ra2/YR related news on ST so we can turn ST into a central hub for CnC classics.

[fir3w0rx]

Also, to back up my claims as per what I said, fireworks donated several serials to the QQ players, players that played for a week or so and simply went back to QQ.

Here's a list of some of the QQ players that I've given serials to:










There were actually nearly 2x this list, but Eric(the Chinese dude that was helping me) only gave me these SSs. I didn't wanna upload them to ST before coz they've obviously been sharing serials , but most of them are gone now anyway

Even if the WHOLE WORLD knew about ST/XWIS, I just don't think that there is enough to encourage them to make the effort to come here and play, let alone stay. I'm not saying it's a lost cause, but we need more reasons for people to come here, and just as importantly, more reasons for them to stay...

...whoa whoa wait a minute... how did this topic turn into another 'Activity Boost' topic?!

@Chrono69x
I don't know who or where I got this from, but I found this old RA2 vid with you playing against Twelve(Dan) during '06(no sound though ).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHpGeQTqn14&feature=plcp&context=C344d876UDOEgsToPDskLeAcpsWoBkAo_dLuopXuHA

I know it's not a SS like the topic title says, but this is all I could find.

Edited by Fireworks, 17 February 2012 - 09:52 AM.

[BlueBala]

A breakdown of what should happen in my opinion. Its hard to put into words, so bare with me.

• That though...is an expensive re-launch.

Ask for donations

Edited by Olaf, 17 February 2012 - 03:04 PM.
Pruned quote

[Defend]

Here's an idea.... Give it to video game addicts in Korea.... Then you got 24/7 players.

[NeoGrant]

Split it from the other topic.

Even if the WHOLE WORLD knew about ST/XWIS, I just don't think that there is enough to encourage them to make the effort to come here and play, let alone stay. I'm not saying it's a lost cause, but we need more reasons for people to come here, and just as importantly, more reasons for them to stay...

Nothing has been done to promote XWIS since Don left, apart from tournaments and word of mouth essentially. Nothing since the last prize invasion as far as I can remember (2009).

Its now 2012 and YR has seen its worst days. RA2 is following slowly compared to what it used to be.

Ask for donations

Thats a lot of donations from a small community... If I put a rough estimate on it, excluding advertising costs...$500 min

We need a team of experienced players that are willing to spend time informing people and advertising XWIS.
Think of it like XWIS buddies, how they advertised XWIS on WOL back in the day. Make a group for these volunteers.

You need people who are experienced with many of the different networks available.

10 players who are experienced and have contacts within QQ battlezone.
5 for gameranger network.
5 for hamachi.

Showcase some cash tournaments and so on to get more interest from people.
Also explore different alternatives of selling serials and reduce the price for xwis accounts.

Also people who are active in other ra2 community sites. I hear there are large French, German, Russian and Chinese communities out there.
We should also get news posters who are active in other communities to post Ra2/YR related news on ST so we can turn ST into a central hub for CnC classics.

All using network play probably?

XWIS isn't appealing if it isn't free, I think we've reached that day (personally) or we try and sell it through a re-launch

[ZiGZaG]

Then why dont we try and do a prize invasion again? im pretty sure theres quite a few people on here who would be willing to chip in beforehand to pay for prizes (myself included) name a target for funds and see what people can donate, and if we get enough try another prize invasion?

[Olaf]

Once on XWIS, it'd be nice if players also stayed. Did nobody consider that aspect?

[NeoGrant]

Then why dont we try and do a prize invasion again? im pretty sure theres quite a few people on here who would be willing to chip in beforehand to pay for prizes (myself included) name a target for funds and see what people can donate, and if we get enough try another prize invasion?

A prize invasion needs a new launch, motivation, staff with time, and right now there's none of it.

Once on XWIS, it'd be nice if players also stayed. Did nobody consider that aspect?

What made it fun to start with...Friends, clans...lots of time

[BornL33T]

I think someone has to fix Yuri bugs and equilibrate armies.
About the lag,there's a possibility that XWIS use the LAN mode ?

[geminorum]

lets face the facts instead of making it more complicated then it already is.

the 2 main problems that have to be solved for success:

- people dont want/cant waste money on a game like ra2 - solution: free serials or cheaper serials

- people dont know about xwis - solution: advertise on the servers they're playing on

EVERYTHING else like invasions, prize cashes, already have been done without real success, it might lasted 1 month yea but not longer

WHAT WE WANT is people playing actively and competitively and you wont get a success if you get donkeys like me back who will play only to take the current prize and say goodbye, you NEED to get the players that play atm actively on the other servers (which as said, dont even know about xwis or dont want to waste money)
focus on those 2 things and ONCE you achieved that, trust me, just like at redirection, the old players will pump up from alone and play longer than for 1 month


youre only wasting your time/energy/money by trying anything else

weve currently seen over 30+ people from QQ playing on xwis, why?
prize invasions? ladders? staff members? prize tournaments?

i can tell ya, they dont even know or dont care, only thing why they joined is because someone advertised for xwis or gave them a free serial


will they stay for a longer time?

yes - if more people join xwis - how? look up

no - they will just leave like in the past because there arent enough people, while on their servers they are at home with much more people

Edited by geminorum, 17 February 2012 - 03:26 PM.

[NeoGrant]

lets face the facts instead of making it more complicated then it already is.

the 2 main problems that have to be solved for success:

- people dont want/cant waste money on a game like ra2 - solution: free serials or cheaper serials

Lasts for a month like TS and cheating goes out of control. No bans? Or are we past caring about cheating now?

- people dont know about xwis - solution: advertise on the servers they're playing on

Do you mean other 'networks' and not servers? Like QQ, good example shown by fireworks with how they came took the free stuff and left.

Say RA2 became free...the next complaint would be lag. Back to gameranger they go then..

[geminorum]

oh god neo, youve always been a pessimist, read my whole past again, ive edited it since i know you would come up with that ****.

THEY LEAVE BECAUSE THEY DONT FEEL COMFORTABLE LIKE ON THEIR SERVERS WHICH HAS MUCH MORE PLAYERS.

but if you have 1000+ people online with alot of people like them (same language), they will forget about QQ since xwis has more to offer, MUCH more, but the main thing is GAMES, they want GAMES

you care about cheats now or about too less players?

maybe first get the players join before you sense already a problem which might wont even be a problem? ( lets go about 6-7 years back when redirection happend with much more players, was cheating a problem? yes - was it solved? YES) althought we wont catch now the same amount of people, which means youll have to handle alot less cheat reports then to that time (not guaranted, but statisticly)

and even then, is it hard to find staffs who will help around the cheat reports? i could name you now already 10+ people who would help intensively

your problem is you wont even try, you fail before you even try

Lasts for a month like TS and cheating goes out of control. No bans? Or are we past caring about cheating now?


Do you mean other 'networks' and not servers? Like QQ, good example shown by fireworks with how they came took the free stuff and left.

Say RA2 became free...the next complaint would be lag. Back to gameranger they go then..

yes i mean networks, not servers, thank you for your usefull posts and sorry i dont get paid for posting here thinking about 10hours for every post i do, i straight post what i think.

are you kidding me neo? you kinda missunderstand/missread my posts, ive never mentioned in my post ra2 should be for "free"

i said serials should be cheaper or be given away, which is a big difference, since it means you can still handle with cheats and get them off the server

oh and if these few girls complain about lag, then let them go back to their server and play there, we want warriors/destroyers on xwis and not girls

also i can guarantee you, if you have alot of people (GAMES TO PLAY), people will complain alot less, never forget, you join ra2 to have fun, competition, games and humiliation, everything else is just nice to have which makes people stay for longer (like xwis, ladder, support, etc)

Edited by geminorum, 17 February 2012 - 03:48 PM.

[FReQuEnZy]

Ask for donations

This! Compared to many other games that host their own servers most notably counterstrike-source has donations enabled for some servers to help maintain the servers upkeep.
A similar system would help us too, except like any donation system it depends on having more donators, which means we need more players again.

Thats a lot of donations from a small community... If I put a rough estimate on it, excluding advertising costs...$500 min

All using network play probably?

XWIS isn't appealing if it isn't free, I think we've reached that day (personally) or we try and sell it through a re-launch

Yes, all of them are using network play.

Why are there so many topics about this, but no one takes the initiative?
BTW what would that 500 include?

Once on XWIS, it'd be nice if players also stayed. Did nobody consider that aspect?

Umm, yeah, for the last 2 years we been making these topics...

[NeoGrant]

your problem is you wont even try, you fail before you even try

We do try, but taking TS from past experience is not a viable option right now, mainly we can't ban - what effects would that have with the ladder? Not sure. Cutting the price maybe...can't speak on behalf of Olaf though on that.

We had a prize invasion and it was quite a good success. Can you prove otherwise?

BTW what would that 500 include?

$160 per page design, 100 for sub pages.
$60 for a logo.
$200-250 coding the forum design from psd to ipb.

[geminorum]

We do try, but taking TS from past experience is not a viable option right now, mainly we can't ban - what effects would that have with the ladder? Not sure. Cutting the price maybe...can't speak on behalf of Olaf though on that.

We had a prize invasion and it was quite a good success. Can you prove otherwise?



$160 per page design, 100 for sub pages.
$60 for a logo.
$200-250 coding the forum design from psd to ipb.

who talks about ts? why cant you ban serials? olaf/xwis isnt able to ban serials from the server anymore? since when? maybe i have missed something there
can you stop being such a pessimist and put everything down?
if youre talking about "experience", ive given you a nice example, redirection, cheating was handled without problems.

invasions? we had that therm, didnt we? never said it wasnt a success, did i? it was a success for the time it lasted, we're talking about people to stay on xwis, invasions, as you said yourself, JOIN - TAKE - BYE. so unless you plan a 1-year invasion keep that argument for yourself.

you know neo, you can either put everything down, or take that finger outta your **** and try something really worthfully

if donations are given, then ONLY spend them to get as much as possible serials to give it away, or no, lets go do invasions and tournaments again so the people that are playing already can win something

you seem to forget we're trying to get people to join and stay on xwis, and not to do something for the people that play on xwis already

and now im done, costs too much time and nerves tbh, keep ignore and i can guarantee you, youll still be arguing and posting about the same thing in 2013,
OR try to get a serial-give away (donations from people or beg EA or lower the prizes, i dont know, be creative), or advertise xwis on these networks and hope the best

Edited by geminorum, 17 February 2012 - 04:59 PM.

[NeoGrant]

who talks about ts? why cant you ban serials? olaf/xwis isnt able to ban serials from the server anymore? since when? maybe i have missed something there
can you stop being such a pessimist and put everything down?
if youre talking about "experience", ive given you a nice example, redirection, cheating was handled without problems.

TS became freeware, had a short burst of publicity and was left alone with a pretty bad situation as serials are required to have an effective ban method.

Cheating can't be handled without serials.

To the rest of your quote, just voicing my opinion.

[FReQuEnZy]

I can't understand why do you need a designer ffs. I can pump out graphics, you can do the coding we both get 250 each?

Seriously you always go on about pro designers when what really needed is right here on ST.
There are other graphics designers around somewhere here too. I'm actually infuriated with that bs.

[Showtime]

make serials cheaper.for once i agree with tomi, i even will buy some f

Edited by Showtime, 17 February 2012 - 05:25 PM.

[ZiGZaG]

A prize invasion needs a new launch, motivation, staff with time, and right now there's none of it.


What made it fun to start with...Friends, clans...lots of time

True but those are things that could be remedied? Personally i think teh current situation shud be addressed and then look to expanding but thats just my opinion