Dear Lord, What Happened?!?!

[Robinette]

So i tell my friends... hey, check out this coolness, and yeah,,, they look at it and say WTF?... but i say, no no no,,, get in and drive it, you'll see,,,




So function comes first, without a doubt... but a nice new paint job, and a bit of polishing, well... those things certainly can't hurt...





so for those that can't follow the analogy...
That is the same car, same girl...
hopefully i don't really need to explain it further, other than to say fashion matters
and my favorite color, Purple, can even make a Pacer look good

[BigBallinStalin]

This is still going... Wow!

Ok so a few from the design industry have digressed. Anyone from Marketing care to throw a few punches?

It's an improvement for mobile devices to quickly show content within for new players. So for everyone who hates it (and you really must be apple fans with your unswerving devotion to minimalism) open the site without logging in on: a cell phone, then a 7" tablet, a 10 inch tablet, a 20-24" monitor at max resolution then a 50" or larger tv.

Then describe any view where the original home screen shows more depth to the site than the current one.

By far (about 70% if your really curious) the largest growth segment in internet browsing is mobile devices. So a smart business decision is to get content and color smashed across the opening page and run every tracking metric possible against unique views.

No one will quit playing here that is already active because they don't like the home page. But if there is an increase in pass throughs, pages visited, accounts created or time spent on site from new users (gee, how did Blake just happen to have that stat handy) and of course in the most popular metric right now: social media growth then it stays and it should stay.

And if you feel the need to bash the new look (which, btw, I really don't like) try adding the codicil "but I do like that there is an increase in new players happening". Feel free to explain it as something other than the home page. It could very well be.

After years of comments about "What is the owner/administration going to do to increase users" I love how negative the comments are when they try something. Reaffirms my faith in human nature!

For those of you following whether the site is growing, why not add some substance to the equation:

What is the day over day median user growth for page views, user accounts, traffic strength, site value, forum users, Facebook followers, click through revenue, etc. At the very least someone track an Alexa/Google rank for the site and run some simple trackers on seo changes and optimization efforts. If these are the items that are generating new users then at least you have some traction on efforts to get the home page changed.

Even if ya did all that:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc

If someone was real serious about it, they could average the past Winter Upswings, so we could control for the seasonal variable.

[Dukasaur]

Let me break it down for you. It is pretty simple. Having been on CC since 2007, I have seen the highs and the lows. Generally CC is at its lowest membership in the summer time and its highest in the winter. Simple answer. In the summer time people are traveling and such. In the winter it is cold and people need something to do inside. (This is based off the Northern Hemisphere where CC gets most all its users from) With that being said this recent small upswing is far less than previous years and I think the homepage is to blame for some of it. It is downright awful. Just admit it and move on. Fix it and be done with it. Since the new homepage came out the total population is up 400 people, which is nothing compared to years past where at this time of the year it would go up by as many as 2000 people in a weeks time. The closer the X mas it got the quicker it went up. This year has been the slowest crawl ever I have seen.

You're relying on subjective memories, and not actual numbers. I've gathered the numbers posted in the "Is CC Declining" thread. See: http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=152877&p=4369088#p4369088

Feel free to analyse them any way you want, those are the numbers posted by actual members in that thread.

If someone was real serious about it, they could average the past Winter Upswings, so we could control for the seasonal variable.

.

The "winter upswing" is a myth. See my post : http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=152877&p=4369088#p4369088

[Metsfanmax]

If someone was real serious about it, they could average the past Winter Upswings, so we could control for the seasonal variable.

.

The "winter upswing" is a myth. See my post : http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=152877&p=4369088#p4369088

Also, bigWham tells us that the uptick in signups began the day the new homepage was introduced, which would make it a serious coincidence if it was unrelated.

[Bruceswar]

Let me break it down for you. It is pretty simple. Having been on CC since 2007, I have seen the highs and the lows. Generally CC is at its lowest membership in the summer time and its highest in the winter. Simple answer. In the summer time people are traveling and such. In the winter it is cold and people need something to do inside. (This is based off the Northern Hemisphere where CC gets most all its users from) With that being said this recent small upswing is far less than previous years and I think the homepage is to blame for some of it. It is downright awful. Just admit it and move on. Fix it and be done with it. Since the new homepage came out the total population is up 400 people, which is nothing compared to years past where at this time of the year it would go up by as many as 2000 people in a weeks time. The closer the X mas it got the quicker it went up. This year has been the slowest crawl ever I have seen.

You're relying on subjective memories, and not actual numbers. I've gathered the numbers posted in the "Is CC Declining" thread. See: http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=152877&p=4369088#p4369088

Feel free to analyse them any way you want, those are the numbers posted by actual members in that thread.

If someone was real serious about it, they could average the past Winter Upswings, so we could control for the seasonal variable.

.

The "winter upswing" is a myth. See my post : http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=152877&p=4369088#p4369088

10/1/2012 14365
11/1/2012 14721 El Jefe reign begins
11/30/2012 14885
12/22/2012 15045
1/19/2013 15787
3/5/2013 14908
4/28/2013 13687


Lets just take the numbers from last year... Looks like a clear swing to me.. 14,365 in Oct to 15787 in Jan... I think that is a swing to me.. Note how CC drops off when it warms up again...

9/15/2013 11998
11/2/2013 11271 page 72, lowest number ever
11/13/2013 11463
11/21/2013 11538
11/23/2013 11515 controversial new homepage
12/2/2013 11771
12/14/2013 11986


This year the swing is warming up again but taking a bit longer to get going.

Just admit it... the page is terrible.

[BoganGod]

+1 for bruce's post above

Quick Work flow and page analysis instructional -

Dig your heads out of the sand folks, going bobbing in the kitty litter tray is neither hip nor hygienic.
Rinse your mouth out,
wash your face,
clear the sleep from your eyes,
remove rosy coloured contact lenses,
have an objective look at the retrospective abortion of a home page.
May I repeat, an objective look.


Have to admit is not the worst page in history, or the worst page I've seen. An Australian racist site has my vote for that. Their bad spelling was exceeded by poor grammar, and woeful graphical design and layout skills. Seriously if your subscribers place you narrowly above "we grew here, u flu here" you have problems.

[Optimus Prime]

New User signups are up 30% since the homepage changes. Coincidence? Maybe.

Absolutely a coincidence. There's no way it isn't a coincidence of astronomical proportions.

[Optimus Prime]

Well the people running this site could do nothing. They at least are spending their money ( time ) doing something. Good or bad we all have our opinions. I think more options more users, even though some I don't care for. But get your money CC that's what I do, so why hate?

New features are great, I have no problem with that. The new homepage? That isn't a new feature. What exactly is the benefit in spending time and/or funding to do something that is worse than what you had before? That's what I don't understand.

[Optimus Prime]

BUT....I wanted to thank Opto for dropping in and complaining, demanding attention he doesn't deserve and stirring up yet another shitstorm

Do I know you? I don't remember "demanding attention," but I do remember asking a question which I think was legitimate.

[Optimus Prime]

This is still going... Wow!

Ok so a few from the design industry have digressed. Anyone from Marketing care to throw a few punches?

It's an improvement for mobile devices to quickly show content within for new players. So for everyone who hates it (and you really must be apple fans with your unswerving devotion to minimalism) open the site without logging in on: a cell phone, then a 7" tablet, a 10 inch tablet, a 20-24" monitor at max resolution then a 50" or larger tv.

Then describe any view where the original home screen shows more depth to the site than the current one.

By far (about 70% if your really curious) the largest growth segment in internet browsing is mobile devices. So a smart business decision is to get content and color smashed across the opening page and run every tracking metric possible against unique views.

No one will quit playing here that is already active because they don't like the home page. But if there is an increase in pass throughs, pages visited, accounts created or time spent on site from new users (gee, how did Blake just happen to have that stat handy) and of course in the most popular metric right now: social media growth then it stays and it should stay.

And if you feel the need to bash the new look (which, btw, I really don't like) try adding the codicil "but I do like that there is an increase in new players happening". Feel free to explain it as something other than the home page. It could very well be.

After years of comments about "What is the owner/administration going to do to increase users" I love how negative the comments are when they try something. Reaffirms my faith in human nature!

For those of you following whether the site is growing, why not add some substance to the equation:

What is the day over day median user growth for page views, user accounts, traffic strength, site value, forum users, Facebook followers, click through revenue, etc. At the very least someone track an Alexa/Google rank for the site and run some simple trackers on seo changes and optimization efforts. If these are the items that are generating new users then at least you have some traction on efforts to get the home page changed.

There are nearly 10,000 less active users on this website than when I left originally. Also, as a point of interest, I've checked back every so often after I left because sometimes I just get curious and have noted that the active user base has continued to go downhill over the time I've been gone. I certainly don't think I have anything to do with it, just as I had nothing to do with how many people stayed or left when I was working for the website, but to make claims that the current administration are currently doing things that are leading to an increase in active users is sketchy at best.

[Metsfanmax]

but to make claims that the current administration are currently doing things that are leading to an increase in active users is sketchy at best.

Making claims based on actual data regarding how many users are signing up is sketchy? What would be better?

[Optimus Prime]

but to make claims that the current administration are currently doing things that are leading to an increase in active users is sketchy at best.

Making claims based on actual data regarding how many users are signing up is sketchy? What would be better?

My point is that whatever the new administration is doing clearly isn't driving the number of active users upwards. To be brutally honest, with an online game new sign-ups mean absolutely nothing if they don't stay active, and right now, the number of active users is still trending downward. New sign-ups may have increased by 30%, but if there is a net loss in active users, what have you accomplished? Nothing. In truth, you have gone backwards from the intended goal.

[Metsfanmax]

but to make claims that the current administration are currently doing things that are leading to an increase in active users is sketchy at best.

Making claims based on actual data regarding how many users are signing up is sketchy? What would be better?

My point is that whatever the new administration is doing clearly isn't driving the number of active users upwards. To be brutally honest, with an online game new sign-ups mean absolutely nothing if they don't stay active, and right now, the number of active users is still trending downward. New sign-ups may have increased by 30%, but if there is a net loss in active users, what have you accomplished? Nothing. In truth, you have gone backwards from the intended goal.

Yes, but you can't solve everything all in one go. New user signups increased but retention of new users stayed flat. So we also need to work on projects that keep new users, and a big one is in testing right now. None of these is the magic bullet, but each one alone is necessary towards the larger goal.

[Optimus Prime]

Yes, but you can't solve everything all in one go. New user signups increased but retention of new users stayed flat. So we also need to work on projects that keep new users, and a big one is in testing right now. None of these is the magic bullet, but each one alone is necessary towards the larger goal.

You're correct, you certainly can't solve everything all in one go. However, you also don't want to go shooting yourself in the foot while you are working on the big things you think will improve the retention of users. The reason the new homepage is so bad for the overall health of Conquer Club on the whole is that while it may be more "responsive" to devices beyond a traditional desktop or laptop computer, it fails categorically in all other aspects of design and marketing of a product.

Conquer Club is what, seven years old at this point, maybe eight, I don't remember the exact launch date off the top of my head. What I do know as someone who works in the field of website design and development is that a website simply cannot stay relevant for that long without making strides in how it presents itself to its current users as well as all of its potential new users. It's been over three years since I left my post as Operations Manager here, and before I left one of the topics I brought up constantly with lackattack in our meetings was the need for Conquer Club to get a major design overhaul. He knew I was right, even admitted to it multiple times, but he was pretty much a one man show at the time and he didn't have the time or the funding to make it happen. It still hasn't happened, and Conquer Club is worse for the wear because of it.

I firmly believe that all the new features added to the game lately are of a benefit. There is never anything wrong with more options, especially when it comes to this kind of game, but I also firmly believe that if the new ownership wants Conquer Club to first return to its glory days of 20-22k active users and then surpass that number in the future then new gameplay features need to be put on the back burner because there have already been many new ones added recently, and funding, time, effort, and work need to be focused on giving the website a design and usability overhaul from the ground up.

It's not a stretch to think that Conquer Club could easily reach 50k active users within the next three years if the development priorities were straightened out and the effort needed to turn this website into a modern, responsive, user-friendly website were to take place. Once that is taken care of, the rest of the ducks will fall right into line regarding what needs to happen next to grow the website into a true sight to behold.

[Metsfanmax]

I firmly believe that all the new features added to the game lately are of a benefit. There is never anything wrong with more options, especially when it comes to this kind of game, but I also firmly believe that if the new ownership wants Conquer Club to first return to its glory days of 20-22k active users and then surpass that number in the future then new gameplay features need to be put on the back burner because there have already been many new ones added recently, and funding, time, effort, and work need to be focused on giving the website a design and usability overhaul from the ground up.

It's not a stretch to think that Conquer Club could easily reach 50k active users within the next three years if the development priorities were straightened out and the effort needed to turn this website into a modern, responsive, user-friendly website were to take place. Once that is taken care of, the rest of the ducks will fall right into line regarding what needs to happen next to grow the website into a true sight to behold.

I suspect you will approve of the next major release. It is definitely along these lines of thinking.

[Optimus Prime]

I firmly believe that all the new features added to the game lately are of a benefit. There is never anything wrong with more options, especially when it comes to this kind of game, but I also firmly believe that if the new ownership wants Conquer Club to first return to its glory days of 20-22k active users and then surpass that number in the future then new gameplay features need to be put on the back burner because there have already been many new ones added recently, and funding, time, effort, and work need to be focused on giving the website a design and usability overhaul from the ground up.

It's not a stretch to think that Conquer Club could easily reach 50k active users within the next three years if the development priorities were straightened out and the effort needed to turn this website into a modern, responsive, user-friendly website were to take place. Once that is taken care of, the rest of the ducks will fall right into line regarding what needs to happen next to grow the website into a true sight to behold.

I suspect you will approve of the next major release. It is definitely along these lines of thinking.

If you're hinting at a complete design overhaul as being the next major release, so be it. However, I seriously hope someone ponied up the big money to have a professional do it instead of the person who did the last go around. I'll reserve judgement until I see it.

[nietzsche]

Lets break this down, and by "lets" I mean I'd take pointers.

Chronology of events:

1. Active users are down, new signups are down, premium renewals are down (?)

2. Number of users has coming down for some time now, and El_Jefe couldn't (didn't have enough time?) to turn it around.

3. bigWham arrives with a pound of cocaine and starts pushing the changes, of which 12-player games and Polymorphic(who chose the name?) are the best.

4. He sees no change in new member sign-ups so decides to revamp the homepage, knowing he needs to attract the kids on their phones now. He makes a design that is easier to look at on a phone and voila, new members sign up. Question is, are these kids gonna buy a membership after they see that they were fooled by the homepage into thinking CC had robots fighting every time they attacked?

The question is here, if you want to attract people on phones, shouldn't an app be developed? With an app the icon remains there to be seen all the time, and payment would be easier to make, and people would've more confident on making a payment.

Also, you could have people logging in from phones redirected to that home page and the rest to the previous homepage, not that it care much anymore because I don't look at is anymore, I just focus on the logging button and everything else is a blur, brains are amazing.

And finally here, Shannon said it and Robinette ilustrated it for you, ok, make it pop, make it stand, but it doesn't have to be ugly! It can be pretty and pop too.

And finally about the winter and summer waves of users, Bruce is absolutely right, I've seen it to! So let's break that theory too, so the mods can understand:

Cause: People being more time at home, relying on games.

This gives you more:
1. Returning users
2. New users sign up

One cause gives you both. One cause gives you both. One cause gives you both. One cause gives you both. One cause gives you both.



Also, on the statistics provided by Dukasaur in his link, he sees 2 declines and 2 increases, but I see 4 increases for some reason. That's intriguing because although the number I always payed attention was Online Users at a time, it does not correlate with such small increases.

All this numbers could get ordered and showed in a interesting manner (on many relational outputs) for the extraction of relevant information with moderately complex sql queries but more easily done with report software. Give me the structure of the database and I make the queries for you with the condition the output be public.

[nietzsche]

It was pointed out to me by a friendly 3rd party that with my last paragraph I might be suggesting bigWham/blake don't know their job. That's not what I mean.

The thing is i truly believe that analizing the behaviour of the new sign ups after the change in homepage and comparing them with other years in the same period, we'll find out that the rate of they buying premium is much lower, for I'm assuming they are phone users.

[DoomYoshi]

they were fooled by the homepage into thinking CC had robots fighting every time they attacked?

exactly, i want robot fights!

Click image to enlarge.

[McCavity]

I've been around CC for years, since the long-forgotten times of wicked and AK_iceman and Fireside Poet (remember them?). I don't play anymore, I've lost interest, but I log in occasionally to see whats new. I have no idea what that stats say, but CC certainly feels like it's peaked. I personally don't like the the new homepage design, but if that's the sort of thing people expect these days, and signups are up, then I don't have a problem with it. I hope, however, that the new management really understand what CC is about. It's really quite a basic game, no high definition graphics, no sound, no deep strategy to learn or understand. But it appeals for other reasons: it's simplicity, the community, and it's slightly amateur user-orientated approach. It's ambitious, but shit, but great fun for that very reason; and that's what the new management need to understand.

[grifftron]

Its all a conspiracy.

My guess is BW (aka mibi) bought the site and is looking for a WCW / WWF merge for cash.

[angola]

I've been around CC for years, since the long-forgotten times of wicked and AK_iceman and Fireside Poet (remember them?). I don't play anymore, I've lost interest, but I log in occasionally to see whats new. I have no idea what that stats say, but CC certainly feels like it's peaked. I personally don't like the the new homepage design, but if that's the sort of thing people expect these days, and signups are up, then I don't have a problem with it. I hope, however, that the new management really understand what CC is about. It's really quite a basic game, no high definition graphics, no sound, no deep strategy to learn or understand. But it appeals for other reasons: it's simplicity, the community, and it's slightly amateur user-orientated approach. It's ambitious, but shit, but great fun for that very reason; and that's what the new management need to understand.

You've been around since the days of wicked, yet you signed up in 2011? So, you just admitted you are a multi?

Edit: Or perhaps I'm misremembering how long ago wicked was. Anyway, when someone says they've been around CC for years, I expect them to have signed up earlier than 2011.

[MrBenn]

Its all a conspiracy.

My guess is BW (aka mibi) bought the site and is looking for a WCW / WWF merge for cash.

mibi wouldn't've let that happen to the home page...

[Optimus Prime]

Its all a conspiracy.

My guess is BW (aka mibi) bought the site and is looking for a WCW / WWF merge for cash.

mibi wouldn't've let that happen to the home page...

Damn straight he wouldn't have let that happen to the home page.