A Week In The Life Of The Ns Forums
Maveric
Join Date: 2002-08-07 Member: 1101Members
Join Date: 2002-08-07 Member: 1101Members
<div class="IPBDescription">1 Week stats, some of it interesting</div> From July 29 to seven days previous i've collected these stats on the forums:
(Sampling error +/- 10)
O 195 People joined the forums in one week's time.
- Of those 195, 100 of them have never posted.
-- Of that 100, 31 are awaiting authorization.
O The average amount of people who join the forums a day is about 27 people, with some expected minor/major deviations.
- Of those 27 people, 12 of them have never posted.
O 3 members have been banned from the forums, making the actual number 192.
So, that's about 15 new people, who post, every day. 105 new people, who post, a week.
15 new people a day is nice...
But it just seems a bit, well, low... Doesn't it? For a game that completely pushes Half Life to the edge of it's limits... You'd think it'd be higher.
I hate to bring this up, but communities that dont get enough newbies into their game and forums die out. And fast. Like it was said somewhere else (i remember it from the Knight Online forums) "A game that has no newbies entering into it is dead, and may never fully recover."
<!--QuoteBegin-edited+Jul 30 2004, 01:05 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (edited @ Jul 30 2004, 01:05 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-edited+Jul 29 2004, 09:06 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (edited @ Jul 29 2004, 09:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> And why am I back in here [in I&S]? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I would assume you're here to see ideas and to kill some time, not because you think anything will come of these ideas.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is a bad, bad sign. Not really a <i>warning</i> sign, but more like a "ahh, what's the point even if i do?" cry for attention from forum members [and the higher-ups]. Indeed, i have pondered this exact thought many times before im about to suggest something in I&S... now i avoid it as best i can, unless i get a urge to say something suggestive. Simply because the majority of the forum members dont know how to reply to a idea correctly. What I and certainly others would like to see is something along the lines of "Intro/Positive side/Negative side/Conclusion" in 4 descisive paragraphs or sentances; instead of the four words most posts can be summed up in: "Not-ever-going-in". Simply because it's easy to tell when someone's going off topic or if they're blamming the idea or supporting it, or helping to build it up.
This would help more people come into NS, more newbies, thus a healthier NS because they see NS as a helpful and communicating community... instead of the usual garbage dump most forums are. So, we're left with 15 new people a day to the forums. Given the fact that you dont need to sign-up for the game, i'd estimate it'd be three... maybe four times bigger then the amount of people who join the forums. Jeez, we need to get more people!
[- BTH, i had the "ahh, what's the point even if i do?" feeling while i was writing this, and again just before i posted. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo--> ]
(Sampling error +/- 10)
O 195 People joined the forums in one week's time.
- Of those 195, 100 of them have never posted.
-- Of that 100, 31 are awaiting authorization.
O The average amount of people who join the forums a day is about 27 people, with some expected minor/major deviations.
- Of those 27 people, 12 of them have never posted.
O 3 members have been banned from the forums, making the actual number 192.
So, that's about 15 new people, who post, every day. 105 new people, who post, a week.
15 new people a day is nice...
But it just seems a bit, well, low... Doesn't it? For a game that completely pushes Half Life to the edge of it's limits... You'd think it'd be higher.
I hate to bring this up, but communities that dont get enough newbies into their game and forums die out. And fast. Like it was said somewhere else (i remember it from the Knight Online forums) "A game that has no newbies entering into it is dead, and may never fully recover."
<!--QuoteBegin-edited+Jul 30 2004, 01:05 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (edited @ Jul 30 2004, 01:05 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-edited+Jul 29 2004, 09:06 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (edited @ Jul 29 2004, 09:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> And why am I back in here [in I&S]? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I would assume you're here to see ideas and to kill some time, not because you think anything will come of these ideas.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is a bad, bad sign. Not really a <i>warning</i> sign, but more like a "ahh, what's the point even if i do?" cry for attention from forum members [and the higher-ups]. Indeed, i have pondered this exact thought many times before im about to suggest something in I&S... now i avoid it as best i can, unless i get a urge to say something suggestive. Simply because the majority of the forum members dont know how to reply to a idea correctly. What I and certainly others would like to see is something along the lines of "Intro/Positive side/Negative side/Conclusion" in 4 descisive paragraphs or sentances; instead of the four words most posts can be summed up in: "Not-ever-going-in". Simply because it's easy to tell when someone's going off topic or if they're blamming the idea or supporting it, or helping to build it up.
This would help more people come into NS, more newbies, thus a healthier NS because they see NS as a helpful and communicating community... instead of the usual garbage dump most forums are. So, we're left with 15 new people a day to the forums. Given the fact that you dont need to sign-up for the game, i'd estimate it'd be three... maybe four times bigger then the amount of people who join the forums. Jeez, we need to get more people!
[- BTH, i had the "ahh, what's the point even if i do?" feeling while i was writing this, and again just before i posted. <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo--> ]
Comments
Anyway NS has one of the most hardcore communities in any mod for HL or any game for that matter.
By the way i dont think its fair to take the stats over the last week or so because the PSHB bug has recived over 40000 views so I would think a few people signed up to post there views and either never done so or made one point then left.
Ah, well; it's not so important anymore to really improve the game (I don't even play it anymore), as much as it is to discuss "what could had been done better" or "where they could had improved." You know: in a sad, sad, memorial way. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Plus not everyone who plays will join the forums.
In fact there are so many random things too take into account that its pretty much impossible to use only one weeks figures to work out anything, the only thing you can conclude is that one week has passed... not the most useful of things.
also Aust Community and others...
Calculate the size of the community by the number of members of this forum, is not a good idea.
\o/ I am finally quoted to the masses!
Actually, yeah, I do spend time in there, but it's not like many ideas are THAT good. I just post in the ones that are slightly above decent XD
Besides, I'm having a few problems with my alter ego. Don't worry, we'll sort it out ourselves soon.
toss in the fact that a good number of the people that join make 1-2 posts in tech help and then never show their faces again (not even for a Thank You, bast'ges)
As for the actual comunity.
If you want to see how it is doing, watch the stats here:
<a href='http://www.steampowered.com/status/game_stats.html' target='_blank'>http://www.steampowered.com/status/game_stats.html</a>
There are 3 games beating it out atm, CS, CS:CZ, and DoD. All 3 being retail games.
NS Aint dieing <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
And wait till the next patch comes out then watch those stats <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
oh, and here yah go Rave
*passes him a scalpel*
Home Labotomy for the win <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Just because people post valid points about why the suggestion shouldnt go in on every one of your posts doesn't mean you should assume it's something wrong with the community.
If you can't take critics of your own idea, then don't post...
<a href='http://www.steampowered.com/status/game_stats.html' target='_blank'>http://www.steampowered.com/status/game_stats.html</a>
There are 3 games beating it out atm, CS, CS:CZ, and DoD. All 3 being retail games.
NS Aint dieing <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
...<i>and</i> the next highest game has little more than HALF the players NS does. Go dev team!
That's an interesting thing to hear from anyone with over 1000 posts.
That's an interesting thing to hear from anyone with over 1000 posts. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
you have 1906
Now, let's put this into perspective: We're at the homestretch of a <i>long</i> period of little activity, dev-wise, as I have been reminded, vocally, more times than you would care to hear about.
We are less than one week away from a major, and I mean <i>major</i> new game release.
<span style='color:white'>I was talking about DOOM3 and how people's attention centers around that release, folks. My mind does not <i>orbit</i> around Beta 5, you know? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--></span>
Yet, we still welcome up to 39 new members a day (that day being last wednesday), had an average of 1100 to 1200 new posts and 70 to 80 new topics a day for the last two months, have usually more than a hundred users on the boards at any time, and still see an average of 125 populated servers, with averagely 460 being online. I don't consider these figures, which are comparable to those we had when NS' death was heralded a few months after 2.0's release (and by far better than those of 1.04's late days, as i might add), worrying. NS and its community are not dead, nor will they be abandoned any time soon.
We are less than one week away from a major, and I mean <i>major</i> new game release. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
yay <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Oh, sure; now it isn't anymore "just" a bug-fix-pack, but Jesus reborn. <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif' /><!--endemo-->
"Ah, well..."
We are less than one week away from a major, and I mean <i>major</i> new game release. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ha!
Now i can use that statement against you! <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
But seriously, i do realise that NS is about to get a update, and with a update new people and i DO realise that NS won't go out any time soon (hell, it's just too good to go out like ' "poof" and it's gone', too much work spent and invested time in it!)
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Yet, we still welcome up to 39 new members a day (that day being last wednesday), had an average of 1100 to 1200 new posts and 70 to 80 new topics a day for the last two months, have usually more than a hundred users on the boards at any time, and still see an average of 125 populated servers, with averagely 460 being online. I don't consider these figures, which are comparable to those we had when NS' death was heralded a few months after 2.0's release (and by far better than those of 1.04's late days, as i might add), worrying. NS and its community are not dead, nor will they be abandoned any time soon.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Now all we need to do is to figure out what times people play NS and we can make a graph... "on sundays you will always find servers which are totally loaded to capacity" or "on mondays at noon only 82 servers are half full." or something like that. It's always interesting figuring out or looking at stats; it usually gives a good perspective on how the game plays, is played, and when it's played and such... various developement areas could be improved, too, if stats were taken from a large enough group. (average game would be "x" players and currently in testing games with "x" players results in % win/% lose for marines/aliens; which could then be used to implement a new resource system or some-such thing.)
Or i simply have too much time on my hands...
Yeah, probably the latter.
I was talking about DOOM3 and how people's attention centers around that release, folks. My mind does not <i>orbit</i> around Beta 5, you know? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Maveric, that figure of 125 populated servers seems comparably independent from time. Sure, there's a few more on Sunday and a few less during the usual workhours, but whenever I connect to Steam (often enough, as I might assure you, at quite queer times), I get such numbers.
LOL at the typo.
Curse indeed...
<span style='color:white'>* Nemesis Zero hangs his head in shame, subsequently beating himself repeatedly with a hard-cover copy of Webster's.</span>
LOL at the typo.
Curse indeed...
<span style='color:white'>* Nemesis Zero hangs his head in shame, subsequently beating himself repeatedly with a hard-cover copy of Webster's.</span> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Woah! Sig material!
*puts in sig*
Anyway, I don't really see NS dying. It's doing rather well according to stats in Steam o_O
Better than what we believe if those stats didn't exist <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
TREAT NEWBIES WITH RESPECT. BE NICE AND POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
and then NS will most likely prosper
(But true -it's always a bit difficult to get a hang of it when everyone else knows it from head to toe, and expects the same from you.)
It's gonna take more then that to kill us.