Declining activity on the site??

[gdeangel]

Well, we've passed the summer vacation doldrums. But where are the players? What happened to the action? Even when I carried only 4 games at a time, it was usually the case I had a few turns a day, generally 1 turn per day per game minimum even in larger games. Now it just drags on. I wait for the notifier to turn red. I have the unlimited card to play, but I search games and there is hardly anything out there to join that is close to filling up that isn't either a stacked team game. Games made in the callouts threads don't fill. Even in the tournaments I run, people aren't showing up to play.

This seems off from the site I joined. Has it finally gotten to the point where consistent failure to address the point spread and opponent selection issues is killing games by decent players unless they involve farm subsidies? Is it the case that the dice-luck heavy novel maps (don't get me wrong, I enjoy them, and at least they generally are not too drop biased, and you can really stage and upset well into the game) have pissed off enough "skill" players that they are walking out, turning to a niche, and or just playing with their insular groups? Have the "killer 1's" in the dice file (yeah, I've been averaging lately at least once in every game where I lose five or more guys to kill a single 1 - is this a new dice file, or am I just seeing the true "consistency" of it now that lots of people are not making intervening rolls when I am taking a turn??) resulted in massive burn out. Or is it just that people were really here for the Steak (Classic), and all those players just had to have some fries with their meal (non classic games), and now that we eat less steak, there is just less fries (think of me as a vegetarian)?

Am I the only person here who is noticing this?

[Fruitcake]

Is your question rhetorical?

[Natewolfman]

I dont go searching for games often... but i remember when i joined alittle over a year ago, I could search for team games and they were always lots open some close to fill some not, it seems alot less so now, i must agree..

[Hatchman]

I for one am definitely cutting down games for various reasons, one of them obvious I suppose.

[joecoolfrog]

I think the site has leaned too far in favour of 1v1 games, gimmick maps and speed games, the old style risk player has been squeezed out. This has been allied with an increasing number of multis,cheats and manipulators who do nothing to enhance the gaming experience.

[mpjh]

what is wrong with speed games?

I play both standard and speed.

[InkL0sed]

Speed games are actually more "old style" than Casual...

[mibi]

Site traffic is down for sure.



As to the reason, it's anyone's guess. Maybe Lack just isn't advertising, or maybe there is genuine shrinkage. Only Lack knows, hopefully.

More data is here.

[Incandenza]

I think the site has leaned too far in favour of 1v1 games, gimmick maps and speed games, the old style risk player has been squeezed out. This has been allied with an increasing number of multis,cheats and manipulators who do nothing to enhance the gaming experience.

"Squeezed out"? Certainly the percentage of "old-school risk games" has declined relative to the overall number of games, but there are still ample numbers of said games. When the day comes that a high-end private old-school game doesn't fill, then I'd worry.

[comic boy]

I think the site has leaned too far in favour of 1v1 games, gimmick maps and speed games, the old style risk player has been squeezed out. This has been allied with an increasing number of multis,cheats and manipulators who do nothing to enhance the gaming experience.

"Squeezed out"? Certainly the percentage of "old-school risk games" has declined relative to the overall number of games, but there are still ample numbers of said games. When the day comes that a high-end private old-school game doesn't fill, then I'd worry.

Its been happening for a while, I used to fill 6 games at a time within hours but that has turned into 3-4 days for even the popular maps. Many times in the last couple of months I have dropped games on less well known maps because they wouldn't fill, losing 2 major maps wont improve matters.

[cpurcell]

I've simply been cutting down on games because probably 85% of my games were classic, and now that it's been replaced by the 'connect the dots on the back of a cereal box' map, I really can't stand it. I've basically tried to replace my games on classic with siege!, but it's just not as good
---C

[hammocksleeper]

I search games and there is hardly anything out there to join that is close to filling up

If everyone thought about joining games the same as you do, no game would ever get filled. Get it?

[Bruceswar]

I think a series of events have led to the slow down of CC.

1. Wicked ordeal - Say what you want but many people do not want drama.
2. Farming - Say what you want again, but people like to win sometimes.. many get frustrated and leave.
3. Classic map 2 times over hauled - People do not like changes.
4. All the recent happenings, server outages etc. - People have left due to all the bickering.
5. Live chat - New person goes into live chat and it is a total wreck. Flames, etc etc
6. School starts back up - Many people are playing less games, due to work and school right now.

Add all those factors in plus the people up top retiring somewhat. It will be back up around X mas time when people who do not keep up much with the forums tell others about CC and a new crop is born.


That is just what I think...

[gdeangel]

I search games and there is hardly anything out there to join that is close to filling up

If everyone thought about joining games the same as you do, no game would ever get filled. Get it?

Hardly. Games used to fill a lot faster. If lots of people have started to think like me and not join 1/2 empty games where there is room for multis, farmers and coordinated reach-arounds, then that says a lot about the overall common theme that there is pervasive lack of trust in this site to fill a decent game with decent, fun competition.

I guess for a while I was keen on tournaments as the solution, because someone with "authority" can oversee things and fill games appropriately, but I'm not so sure about that now... as it seems there are issues even there...

[owenshooter]

same lull as last year... same prolonged wait for games to fill... and the classic doesn't affect me, because i hated that map... otherwise, it seems pretty much the same annual letdown that occurs this time of year...-0

[mibi]

well... if there is an increasing amount of maps, and a steady or decreasing amount of people, the it will be get harder and harder to fill games.

This is map inflation, and it will only get worse unless something is done about it.

[Ditocoaf]

Simple: summer is over in the northern hemisphere, masses of schoolchildren have homework to do. Not to say this stops everyone from playing, but people certainly have less time.

[Iron Butterfly]

I posted 25 games and had no trouble filling them...I am playing around 40 for the moment. Yes it took about two days for all to be filled...but so what.

I dont sit around staring at my monitor and my watch counting the seconds before my games start.

The fact is they have all been filled.

I am having fun.

[Hatchman]

Speed games are actually more "old style" than Casual...

I don't recall a timer anywhere near the board when we played as kids/teens...

(Hey Ink how's that map coming along )

[comic boy]

Speed games are actually more "old style" than Casual...

I don't recall a timer anywhere near the board when we played as kids/teens...

(Hey Ink how's that map coming along )

I assume he means rt games which should have been formularised but were not.

[gdeangel]

well... if there is an increasing amount of maps, and a steady or decreasing amount of people, the it will be get harder and harder to fill games.

This is map inflation, and it will only get worse unless something is done about it.

Interesting notion. But mostly I look for / start games on the new maps, so I'm not sure that's right... but I definitely see your point.

[RjBeals]

I started playing chess.

[owenshooter]

I started playing chess.

me too!!! even picked up a few chess books.-0

[pimpdave]

Speed games are actually more "old style" than Casual...

I don't recall a timer anywhere near the board when we played as kids/teens...

(Hey Ink how's that map coming along )

Yeah, seriously. I am dying to play Pirates vs. Ninjas vs. Zombies.

[cairnswk]

Whatever your perceptions that activity is declining, i think maybe misguided.
When i first joined in Feb 2006, there were 94000 (approx) members.
I checked this number a fortnight ago and it had grown to 265000 (approx)
Now it is 270540 members, which leads me to ask....where have all these members come from.

Another pointer is the number of members online at any one time.
When i check these, and i am on this site every day morning and evening, i see that the most users ever on line is 1481, yet constantly i see (when the northern hemisphere has greatest activity = my morning) that most times the average number of users on line in circa 1200+

I also regularly check the number of games generated, and for the last year or so, this has been over 15 page (1500 games); today it is at 2958 games for players.

From what i see, i don't think there is less activity on the site, but more people not willing to join games already awaiting players.

Also I have monitored maps generated for the last twelve months (every fortnight), and see that the general trend is for games with classic play still remain at the very top of maps generated for play. So i don't see that because there are "different" kinds of maps on the site has resulted in a drop of classic gameplay maps being played.

Just my opinion from my constant observations