ROC

[Gen. Volkov]

I read the first Redwall book, and I found I was already past the age that it could really grab my interest enough to continue the series. I just didn't find it engaging enough. Of course, I was reading stuff by Asimov by the time I was 10 and Heinlein by 11. I read the entire LOTR series at about 12. With Harry Potter, which I started much later of course,I rather liked the first 3 books. After that I just kept reading them because I wanted to see what she would do, plus it was a connection to my grandma, who had been reading the series in the months leading up to her passing away.

As for why we aren't keeping members. I think part of it is that the game is not engaging enough. The rise of MMORPG's has taken away alot of what used to be the prime candidates for our playerbase. Text-based strategy is fun for me, but when there is stuff like World of Warcraft and Diablo 2 out there, we just can't compete. Then of course there are the real-time strategy games, which have up even more of our possible candidates. How can text and turn based strategy game possibly compete with The Battle for Middle Earth, or Command and Conquer? Especially when many don't even know we exist, due to the downturn in Redwall readers. Plus, people just read less nowadays.

[The Lady Shael]

Volkov: Agreed. I've realized that too...when I tell people I help admin an online game, they're like, oh cool! and I'm like well, it's a text/turn-based game, and then they're like, oh. And they kinda lose interest. Which is why I've actually thought about moving RWL to flash. I've done a bit of flash/actionscripting, and I think I could transfer everything over, but it'd just take a looong time. Flash isn't as cool as an MMORPG, but it's a step up from what we have now.

[windhound]

flash can be downright painful if not done just right
on uberpowerful machines you wouldnt notice as much, but for those of us still running on P3's...
meh, I tend to dislike sites made entirely of flash, in general they're harder to navigate and have less content, and still eat 100% of my processor's power..  but the processing is done on the user's pc, so that takes some load off the server
I have seen some well done flash games, like http://www.handdrawngames.com/DesktopTD/

The big advantage of RWL over all those games Volkov?  its free.  no starting cost, no monthly fees.

Also, I found the first Redwall book one of the poorest written in the series.  Its his first, and there are many inconsistencies and oddities
The latter books, while they did get formulaic, were much more polished

And as far as formulaic goes, the guy wrote 18 books.  The harry potter series was really just one long story split between books, all the redwall books are their own story with mostly different characters.  Scooby Doo, House MD, and various TV shows fall into the same trap because there's only so much you can play with and still keep the same style.  House for example, they're doctors, they get a new patient with some oddity, they try a few different approaches to curing it, the most unlikey case wins, the patient is cured and the episode ends.  Naturally there are a few twits thrown here and there, but there's only so much you can do and beable to have a full season of episodes.  You could kill a patient here and there (and they have) but if you get too happy with the killstick your viewers will turn on you..  people like happy endings, an ending where everyone dies is not typically happy.

[Gen. Volkov]

Volkov: Agreed. I've realized that too...when I tell people I help admin an online game, they're like, oh cool! and I'm like well, it's a text/turn-based game, and then they're like, oh. And they kinda lose interest. Which is why I've actually thought about moving RWL to flash. I've done a bit of flash/actionscripting, and I think I could transfer everything over, but it'd just take a looong time. Flash isn't as cool as an MMORPG, but it's a step up from what we have now.

That could be quite interesting. As wondy said though, it is hard to get flash right.

The big advantage of RWL over all those games Volkov?  its free.  no starting cost, no monthly fees.

Good point, but the question is, well, is it enough of an advantage? There are free MMORPG's as well. They aren't as pretty as WoW, but they exist.

Also, I found the first Redwall book one of the poorest written in the series.  Its his first, and there are many inconsistencies and oddities
The latter books, while they did get formulaic, were much more polished

Hmm, well, maybe I'll try one of the later books, but I don't think I'll become a Redwall fanatic any time soon.

Formulaic? Eh, I can understand that in this case.

About getting killstick happy, I am one of those odd people, who, when it's done right, can enjoy everyone dying in a show or book. If the pathos is there, I'm fine with it. Course I'm also one of those odd people who kinda wanted Voldemort to win at times. Evil as he was, when Harry turned into a whiny little emo boy in the 5th book, I was kinda hoping Voldemort would just kill him already and put him out of his misery. There's only so many books of "Oh, look at how much my life sucks, I'm an angry teenager" that I can take. By the end of the 7th book, the only people I had any empathy with were Neville, Hermione, and Luna.

[Holby]

I directed this at the ROC in general, but I'll venture my opinion on where RWL stands.

I think Promisance is great, but it doesn't take that long to exhaust its boundaries. Most Prom players drift around and play in different servers or sites merely for a varying player base or game dynamics. Promisance in general I'm sure has lost many players. Looking at it merely from that text based gaming point of view, we're at a loss.

From the ROC side, which is where this began and where the majority of the player base was, the community has shrunk to a great extent.

To further RWL, you either have to appeal to the gaming side or the ROC side.

The gaming side has a much bigger potential playerbase, but with so many other options for the masses already, I doubt we could set ourselves apart. What's more, we would have to do an awful lot to even come close to being special or original, not to mention need a heck of a lot of skills of the 1337 variety.

From within the ROC you have a smaller audience to attract, and I don't even know whether doing so is still worthwhile. However, because we have the Redwall element, we're already unique because it's a dynamic game. This is stale within the community too, many have had a bash at RWL at some stage. Making minor changes won't work, although having not played in a while, the new layout looks luverly and I'm almost considering making an account. En masse advertising and banners and stuff could go a long way with an official release, but you may already be doing that, I don't know. I'm out of the loop and just got nostalgic.

If there can be some twist, plot-wise or other, to RWL, I find that terribly appealing. Duels style with a storyline? I don't know, I'm bad at this sort of thing.

Either way, targeting one will inevitably attract the other to differing degrees. I'm of the opinion the Redwall side is still the way to go, if there's still people to play it.

[Holby]

(Hey buddy  :wink: )

[The Lady Shael]

Making minor changes won't work, although having not played in a while, the new layout looks luverly and I'm almost considering making an account.

yayyyy. =D

If there can be some twist, plot-wise or other, to RWL, I find that terribly appealing. Duels style with a storyline? I don't know, I'm bad at this sort of thing.

It's funny you mention that....the first round on our new server was a Duels round with a Redwall-themed storyline. It was based off of Mossflower, pretending that Gloomer came back and started a battle with Stormfin, and both were kidnapping warlords into their clan to help fight against each other. It was pretty complicated.
We're thinking about doing another one of those eventually. Still brainstorming though.

[Rough Raiders]

I came back!
We should make a billboard or something...
A Super Bowl commercial?
I think that the case is that people have grown up, moved on with their lives, and forgotten about RWL.  Me being one of those people who kind of forgot about it.  I remember when we used to RP on AIM and on the forums and such. It was such a fun time.  We need to get more people back... somehow... Gosh I miss the old RWL times

[Holby]

Hehe, I remember making you a Ninja Turtle avatar so we could have the whole set!

[Rough Raiders]

haha yeah!
I think I was Michaelangelo... I remember those days... good times they were...
I've decided to advertise on my old clans forums, they play some of the Promisance type games, so ill let them know, and hopefully bring a couple people :)