CC is declining again!

[DoomYoshi]

----- OH! MY! GOD!!!.. You were here when things started going down...Waauw....Owen was saying..C.C..lost 10,000 members in a blink of an eye...We did...Yes,it has been a steady decline other wise...As we have struggled to stay above .12k,10k..etc...After the 10,000 gone in a flash.. Yes, people switch today's games every other week...Because today's games are not Classic..Games like Chess,Risk,etc..are Classic strategy games...There have been many new fads...But take Chess,it has lasted 1,000's and 1,000's of years. It and other Classic games will continue to last for 1,000's and 1,000's more...While Sorry ass games like..Mindless Candy Crush games will come and go!!!!!!! ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion).....

Tile matching games have been a multi-billion dollar industry since the 80s, and Tetris is still played on any system with a graphic UI. Candy Crush may be new, but its basically the same game as Bejeweled, and Yoshi's Cookie etc.

[ConfederateSS]

-----No,they are teaching tools,nothing more..They have been around a lot longer...They are basically Concentration ..in digital form..You might as well get a deck of cards and play memory,like a bunch of 5 year olds....But once you win over and over ,it gets tiresome ... The same as tic...tac...toe...gets tiresome with ties...Like Falken points out in War Games...Why,don't you play anymore??? Leave it to The High Command to give us Tic..Tac..Toe...Instead of restoring, mistakes they have made in the past...That drove 1,000's of people away.... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...
-----You can't compare Classic games,that have different outcomes every time you play..To games that have set patterns. Don't involve the actions of another unpredictable human. To resolve their outcome... Or games like Atari,Sega..That have come and gone...Remember PONG..OH!YEAH!!!The bell tolls for thee..X-Box and you to Play Station..

[ConfederateSS]

------I see the Flaming Wars thread...But I'm going to use this thread for what it was intended for...Before the count downs(7908 btw)... Let us see...10,000 gone in a flash... Don't restore Freestyle to it's former glory ,or bring back Flame Wars..... The High Command gives us TIC--TAC--TOE... Doomy has a thought..give us the billion dollar Memory fad...or A computerized version of PITCHING PENNIES.. HELLO?? High Command ..HELLO???? Or we can believe fake mouth pieces that it is only natural for the DECLINE...
------There are no ideas put forth by the community.(I guess the High Command doesn't visit the forums)... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... Where do we ride today???...Custer,"TO HELL OR TO GLORY..depending on one's point of view."...Even Custer knows which way C.C. is choosing... ...OH! BTW...Hasbro,Parker Bros..,Milton Bradley ...Can all KISS CC's ASS and ride with us...Even though Conquer Club is not associated with RISK in any way...

[xroads]

So answer me this.

When does the decline become terminal?

There are fewer and fewer waiting games, and when you start one, takes forever to get them filled. Tourneys take forever to fill as well.

At what point do we go past the point of no return?

[owenshooter]

So answer me this.

When does the decline become terminal?

There are fewer and fewer waiting games, and when you start one, takes forever to get them filled. Tourneys take forever to fill as well.

At what point do we go past the point of no return?

the game type i played became a constant battle with the same teams... pretty much a draw... we knew their tricks, they knew ours... my partner walked away from the site... i started playing poly... now that is becoming the same faces over and over... after i dropped rank, i suddenly had new faces to play, like ranked players... anyway, it has been a struggle for me to stay on the site and engaged... i even have to make myself come to the forums, because it is a ghost town in here... i love cc and just refuse to believe it can't be turned around... but that is a great question...-Jésus noir

[ConfederateSS]

------WELL X-Roads...Maybe,when The HIGH COMMAND and it's mouth pieces..Take off the blind folds and get the plugs out of their ears... I said ,I like using this thread....Because,take this thread's shadow..What can be done to reverse the Decline....OH! I don't know? Listen to all IDEAS.....
------What do I get when I bring up a point over there."_________"DEAD AIR... I pointed out that, When i joined...There was a MESSAGE on the HOME/Sign in page.......That TOLD of ..You get 24 HOURS to take a turn...Take 5 mins. between classes or your morning coffee to take your turns...Or something to that effect... I can't remember if IT WAS MADE CLEAR THAT NEW MEMBERS(FREE),only could play 4 games at a time...IF YOU PURCHASED PREMIUM(with the price showing),you could play all the games you want....I GUESS by the person's(catnip) confusion..CC doesn't anymore...I can't imagine why?
------PUT YOU HAVE 24 HOURS to take a turn..back UP on THE MAIN VIEWING PAGE...So NEW PEOPLE CAN SEE...WHAT FREE players can do(4 games max.)...WHAT PREMIUM can do(all the games you want)...and the price... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)....OH! YEAH!!!....HAVE THE HIGH COMMAND..instruct ,if it's pawns are going to speak on their behalf...THEY BETTER TAKE EVERY CC MEMBER SERIOUS..AND STOP THEIR LITTLE PRIMA DONNA ..TUDES....UNLESS THE HIGH COMMAND IS RUN BY A GROUP OF TEENAGE GIRLS...IF SO...CARRY ON!!!!!!!!!!

[xroads]

I really think that CC has to be loosing a ton of money at this point, and owners just dont care. Not sure how many premiums there are left, but it cant be enough to pay the bills.

Things can continue for just so long.

[WILLIAMS5232]

it is a bummer. probably just riding on the income of folks who sign up and never check their cc statement. been paying 5 bucks a month for years and hadn't logged on. it's basically free money. YAY online subscriptions!

probalby would help to put a brief and encouraging but detailed description on the homepage of what new players should expect. and how fun it can be if they stick around for a bit. somehow promote more game chat, which makes the game a bit more engaging.

if you're going to have these useless stars, make them worth something tangible. like a speed game or two for a newb. or a poly game or something.
i don't know. got to do something. it's obvious guide games aren't enough.

there are a bunch of players that are pretty fixed on the fact that they don't want to be without their oddball map that not many folks play. but i still can't help but think the high number of maps are killing the site.

[stringybeany]

7925

[DoomYoshi]

I really think that CC has to be loosing a ton of money at this point, and owners just dont care. Not sure how many premiums there are left, but it cant be enough to pay the bills.

Things can continue for just so long.

The site has really low overhead.

[WILLIAMS5232]

7933 ACB
7175 BCB

[ConfederateSS]

---------SPEAKING OF WONDERFUL "PR" MOVES...I remember growing up...Companies would always have..their brand next to the leading brand... Wouldn't you say..OUR BRAND next the the 2nd best brand... C.C. reminds me of Long John Silvers a few years ago...They had fish snacker sandwiches for 99cents..I loved them ..But they only had them for a few months..Like most companies,when they have something that sells...they get rid of it......
---------Freestyle,Flames Wars,Not putting 24 hours to take a turn/ premium prices right in people's faces...etc..etc... WAY TO JOIN THE LONG LIST OF AWESOME "PR" MOVES IN HISTORY!! ......"ACB" NICE I LOVE IT WHILLIE ...When we get to 5,000 ACB...Everyone leave..4,999 ACB alone for WHILLIE,he has put a lot of work in over the years...ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)....

[ConfederateSS]

-------As far as the St.Upidest "PR" MOVES GO...COKE learned their lesson,if it ain't broke don't fix it...(NEW COKE) CLASSIC COKE...I'll give COKE credit,they knew they blew it...and fixed it....HINT....HINT...HIGH COMMAND.... WILL C.C. learn,or have the balls to admit they screwed up?....They can put things back the way they were(Freestyle,Flame Wars, etc.)...and call it CLASSIC C.C. ...ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)......
-------I here people complaining about the connection time outs happening...I blame Central Command,change that back to the classic layout... The High Command said they needed a face lift....This is 2015...BLAH!BLAH!BLAH!!!!!!!..Like I said...people play chess/THE GAME of CHESS, it has looked the same for centuries..People play poker/POKER ITSELF/THE GAME OF POKER...HAS 52 CARDS...Another game that hasn't changed in appearance in years...But keep making excuses for you're mistakes instead of fixing them... ...ACB....BCB...WHEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!Let go of the bar..PUT YOUR HANDS UP!!!!!!!!!!

[clangfield]

-------As far as the St.Upidest "PR" MOVES GO...COKE learned their lesson,if it ain't broke don't fix it...(NEW COKE) CLASSIC COKE...I'll give COKE credit,they knew they blew it...and fixed it....HINT....HINT...HIGH COMMAND.... WILL C.C. learn,or have the balls to admit they screwed up?....They can put things back the way they were(Freestyle,Flame Wars, etc.)...and call it CLASSIC C.C. ...ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)......
-------I here people complaining about the connection time outs happening...I blame Central Command,change that back to the classic layout... The High Command said they needed a face lift....This is 2015...BLAH!BLAH!BLAH!!!!!!!..Like I said...people play chess, it has looked the same for centuries..People play poker online...Another game that hasn't changed in appearance in years...But keep making excuses for you mistakes instead of fixing them... ...ACB....BCB...WHEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!Let go of the bar..PUT YOUR HANDS UP!!!!!!!!!!

Online poker interfaces have changed considerably in recent years...they didn't even have 'no limit' games when I first started playing, 10 years ago or so. Texas hold 'em barely existed before the 60's, but is now the most popular pro version of the game.

Intrigued by your previous statement of "I remember growing up"...not seen much evidence of that event...

[iAmCaffeine]

Intrigued by your previous statement of "I remember growing up"...not seen much evidence of that event...

I finally get to agree on something with clangfield, quality.

[Ronaldinho]

---------SPEAKING OF WONDERFUL "PR" MOVES...I remember growing up...Companies would always have..their brand next to the leading brand... Wouldn't you say..OUR BRAND next the the 2nd best brand... C.C. reminds me of Long John Silvers a few years ago...They had fish snacker sandwiches for 99cents..I loved them ..But they only had them for a few months..Like most companies,when they have something that sells...they get rid of it......
---------Freestyle,Flames Wars,Not putting 24 hours to take a turn/ premium prices right in people's faces...etc..etc... WAY TO JOIN THE LONG LIST OF AWESOME "PR" MOVES IN HISTORY!! ......"ACB" NICE I LOVE IT WHILLIE ...When we get to 5,000 ACB...Everyone leave..4,999 ACB alone for WHILLIE,he has put a lot of work in over the years...ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)....

Fucking hell. I kinda agree with some points but my brain just melts trying to decipher your dribble-like punctuation. More fucking dots than pacman.

[ConfederateSS]

--------CLANG -------THE GAME OF POKER.......THE GAME OF POKER-------Hasn't changed....But for you I'll take the word online out................I guess you would have to be an American to get the joke of THE LEADING BRAND...Back in the day..That was the only PR MOVE ON TV..etc.....Coke and Pepsi couldn't even mention each other..But now they can..The Times..The Times...Have changed.....
--------Rondo-------THINK HOW DOTS DRIVE THE HIGH COMMAND CRAZY. ........................................ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)....
--------LIKE MOST Companies that have something that sells. THEY GET RID OF IT. CONQUER CLUB IS NO DIFFERENT...........NICE JOB C.C. NICE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Butters1919]

--------CLANG -------THE GAME OF POKER.......THE GAME OF POKER-------Hasn't changed....But for you I'll take the word online out................I guess you would have to be an American to get the joke of THE LEADING BRAND...Back in the day..That was the only PR MOVE ON TV..etc.....Coke and Pepsi couldn't even mention each other..But now they can..The Times..The Times...Have changed.....
--------Rondo-------THINK HOW DOTS DRIVE THE HIGH COMMAND CRAZY. ........................................ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)....
--------LIKE MOST Companies that have something that sells. THEY GET RID OF IT. CONQUER CLUB IS NO DIFFERENT...........NICE JOB C.C. NICE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/communicating-with-clarity.html

[ConfederateSS]

-----I know, so sad. ..I don't know why they got ride of Classic Art and Classic Shapes...They should bring them back..to go along with CLASSIC... We have 3 Age of Realms that are just about the same. 9 USA maps...WWII Eastern Front..WWII Western Front...WWII Europe...2 Slovakia maps again...2 Europe maps....A bunch of others that are just about the same....Who knows why Art and Shapes were AXED..Maybe to keep things under 100 maps...Before the MAP explosion..Where maps were coming out . All over the place...Some people just want to roll the dice and get to fighting. Not try and read a novel of directions. (If the MOON is in alignment with Jupiter and a dog is peeing east on a Mexican beach..you get +5 armies. But if a zebra is swimming across the English Channel with a monkey on it's back..you get -3 armies)..I'm mean COME ON PEOPLE...STOP ALREADY. AH! THE GOOD OLD DAYS!! "WHEEEEEEE!!!".ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

-----I just seen in the foundry that no basic maps are ever going to be allowed. On a site founded on The Concept of THE BASIC GAME OF RISK... A map has to have something added... That makes me think of the worst car built. Every year the Great Minds at GM would add something to the Cadillac. I know GM workers who put PARK AVE motors in their Cadillacs. Because GM messed the Cadillac engines up so bad just to charge more money every year... I had an Idea to separate maps along side peoples ranks...You get and lose access to a map . As you lose or advance in Rank...Someone else brought up ,rotate them...Put some unused maps in a vault for a spell. Then maybe rotate them say ,every 9 months... I don't know If you could out right delete them. People might be on them for some time. As for NEW MAPS...What ever,basic or not... Only allow 1 or 2 a year. Let the C.C.Members vote on the maps in question...ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...
-----I looked at some I would like to see vaulted or whatever...I came up with 75...But that even leaves a great many maps...177...I just don't know. Might need to vault some settings as well.
1) 8-Thoughts
2)Das Schlous
3)Poison Rome
4)Vancouver
5)Route 66
6)Bamboo Jack
7)WWII Poland
Berlin 1961
9)Jamaica
10)Rail Africa
11)Chicago
12)Hive
13)Atlantis
14)Monsters
15)Dawn of Ages
16)City Mogul
17)Woodboro
18)Draknor level 1
19)Stalingrad
20)Duck and Cover
21)Dust Bowl
22)Lunar War
23)Extreme Global Warming
24)King's Court
25)Transsib 1914
26)Baseball
27)Antarctica
28)2011 World Cup
29)California
30)Quad Cities
31)Trafalgar
32)Madness
33)Conquer Rome
34)Portland
35)Montreal
36)All your bases belong to US
37)NYC
38)Cuban Missile Crisis
39)Operation Drug War
40)Africa II
41)Salem's Switch
42)Rail Asia
43)Prohibition Chicago
44)King's Court II
45)Eurasia Mini
46)Rail Europe
47)Rail USA
48)Dark Continent
49)San Francisco
50)New Jersey
51)Prison Riot
52)Sydney Metro
53)Philadelphia
54)Treasures of Galapagos
55)Labyrinth
56)Conquer 500
57)USA 2.1
58)USA Great Lakes
59)USA New England
60)USA Rockies
61)USA Southeast
62)USA Southwest
63)USA West
64)U.S.Senate
65)Vertex
66)Austrum
67)4 Star Meats
68)Spanish Armada
69)Promontory Summit
70)France 2.1
71)The Temple of Jinn
72)Rail South America
73)World War II Europe
74)Age of Merchants
75)Pirates and Merchants
-------Now lets hear, the NO!NO!..not my map.. Like Willie said............Or not my setting.

[mookiemcgee]

It seems much of CC's business actions are public knowledge. The people who have been here many years seem to know where all the bodies are buried. I just have a few questions I've always been curious about, maybe someone here already know the answers?

Does CC have any kind of marketing/advertising budget?
If so, through what channels is it spent?
Did CC have an advertising/marketing budget in the first 2 years?
What length of premium membership are people buying most frequently?
How long are people staying premium members once they've bought in?
What is the current conversion/retention rate for premium subscriptions?
How does it shape up against the same numbers from different 'Eras' of CC?

These are the questions that could better diagnose what is causing the decline, and if it is salvageable as a business for bigWham. I dont think it has anythign to do with too many maps, or game setting. I've only been here for about 2 years, which i gather is after BigWham took over. I like the site alot, and the changes I've seen all seem for the better. Thanks to the owner and management for keeping it going in spite of the hardship.

I'm not generally an advocate for censorship, but any new player reading this thread would def think twice about paying for membership. If it was my website/company... solely as a business decision I would consider making this thread either a little harder to stumble upon or consider retiring it completely.

Its fine to talk about a problem, but having a thread filled with nearly daily updates about the sites slow fall from grace by people who seem take pleasure in this site failing isnt good for morale and does contribute to the already existing problem.

[DoomYoshi]

Does CC have any kind of marketing/advertising budget?
If so, through what channels is it spent?
Did CC have an advertising/marketing budget in the first 2 years?
What length of premium membership are people buying most frequently?
How long are people staying premium members once they've bought in?
What is the current conversion/retention rate for premium subscriptions?
How does it shape up against the same numbers from different 'Eras' of CC?

Right now there isn't much money spent on it, since the plan is to reach a site that gets people to stick first. I doubt you will see any budget before an app.

There was effort in the beginning to promote the site, through the refer a friend program, and getting reviews out onto gaming websites and some press and targeted ads etc.

[ConfederateSS]

------Your right mookie...You haven't been here a long time...If you had been...You would have seen THE GOLDEN AGE of Conquer Club... This thread wasn't always about the count down... It was a warning to the High Command about declining numbers. Ideas to turn the site back around again... Like you,the High Command missed the message. Members who post here love C.C.,are trying to help save it... Ideas are here...People in the right places have to listen...
------Yes, I along with others agree...BW...is doing a bang up job...But if he would listen to his members in this thread....He could do so much more...Plus stuff a boat load of greenbacks in his pockets...ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... mookie ,as premium goes,more and more old members will join The Blue and Silver Rebellion...As the High Command continues to be blind and deaf............... ...Most New Members can't get past the Home page...Are here to play...BASIC RISK...I doubt they would even care about the Forum. I was here 2 years before I looked into it...Around the start of a very interesting topic. 4 years before I made my first post...

[xroads]

I really dont think they care anymore to be honest

[mookiemcgee]

Does CC have any kind of marketing/advertising budget?
If so, through what channels is it spent?
Did CC have an advertising/marketing budget in the first 2 years?
What length of premium membership are people buying most frequently?
How long are people staying premium members once they've bought in?
What is the current conversion/retention rate for premium subscriptions?
How does it shape up against the same numbers from different 'Eras' of CC?

Right now there isn't much money spent on it, since the plan is to reach a site that gets people to stick first. I doubt you will see any budget before an app.

There was effort in the beginning to promote the site, through the refer a friend program, and getting reviews out onto gaming websites and some press and targeted ads etc.

Thanks Yoshi,

I understand the reluctance and perhaps inability to allocate funds to advertising during a downswing, especially if you guys feel subscription retention is super low right now. I think and app is a good idea, although it would have to be a much abbreviate version of CC wouldnt it? I'm sure you guys have all been thinking about this more than me, but are you planning to have the app version carry all/most of the same functionality? Would the app player be playing against browser based players or would it be whole separate entity?

I have a simple idea that might help retention. This is by no means an answer to the larger issues of subscription cancellations outpacing new sub signups:
Having an automatic re-subscription feature - in other words, right now people have little or no notice of their subscription expiring. When it expires the have to make a conscious decision to buy in again, sometimes after being booted from new tourney rounds ect. In virtually every other subscription business I am aware of they avoid this model at all costs. Don't give people the choice to re-subscribe every 3 months/year. Make it so that you collect their money automatically until they contact you to cancel their subscription( you can still use 3/6/12 months options for payment collection). I'm sure some players will read this and think its a bad idea, but lets be honest the future of CC doesnt live in the hands a few dozen players trying their hardest to get thinks changed to their liking. The future is in bringing in new players and retaining them.

[owenshooter]

I have a simple idea that might help retention. This is by no means an answer to the larger issues of subscription cancellations outpacing new sub signups: Having an automatic re-subscription feature - in other words, right now people have little or no notice of their subscription expiring. When it expires the have to make a conscious decision to buy in again, sometimes after being booted from new tourney rounds ect. In virtually every other subscription business I am aware of they avoid this model at all costs. Don't give people the choice to re-subscribe every 3 months/year. Make it so that you collect their money automatically until they contact you to cancel their subscription( you can still use 3/6/12 months options for payment collection). I'm sure some players will read this and think its a bad idea, but lets be honest the future of CC doesnt live in the hands a few dozen players trying their hardest to get thinks changed to their liking. The future is in bringing in new players and retaining them.

wait... what you are suggesting is being dishonest with people and hoping that they don't notice it is a subscription, so they continue to pay until they cancel? like, they would continue to pay even after leaving the site and would have no idea unless they checked their bank statements closely?!! i'm just making sure that i understand this unethical practice that you are describing here...

oh wait... CC already does this and it is a hotly debated topic within the forums... CC also charges you more if you gift a friend premium, vs. buying it for yourself... yeah, to the tune of 10 dollars more!!! CC has milked this unethical idea already... however, if you possibly have more, even shadier ideas, you should submit them to an admin... the black jesus just vomited a little in his mouth...-Jésus noir

p.s.-i am truly hoping this guy is as sarcastic as f*ck and just got me... i really do...
shady "subscriptions"