Radical Measures to combat the Low & Decreasing Playerbase.

[ImperiumXVII]

alright gang, let's keep on topic and stop arguing over which LEO faction needs to be disbanded

[Giovanni_Sgroi]

I'll be completely honest I'm not even going to read the replies on the topic because it's been the same old song since late SAMP days.

 

Before V, LSRP was the powerhouse roleplay community but everyone seems to forget why.

 

It helped to have the most developed script but it wasn't the reason. It was a reason. The moment V came along that's where most of the target audience went. They would swap the most developed script in SAMP for a barebones script in V because it was the future.

 

The main reason LSRP became the powerhouse roleplay community in SAMP was everyone could roleplay what they wanted to roleplay (and I don't mean having the money).

 

The only questions we should be asking ourselves and everyone else is:

 

1) What's LSRP's target audience in terms of roleplay quality?

 

2) What does everyone want to roleplay? What do they want to do in LSRP?

 

3) If what they want to roleplay/do in LSRP doesn't match our intended target audience and roleplay quality, leave them be so long as they don't break rules and bother others. If they want to have shootouts in Davis, let them. If they shoot up a business over an argument, ban them for DM. Simple as.

 

A lot of people seem to think everyone's idea of roleplay has to match theirs. It doesn't. The beauty of roleplay is that everyone has the creative freedom to express themselves through the character they choose, and the scenarios they create. If it happens in real life, it's realistic. Just don't overdo what would be extremely rare.

 

4) Figure out what players truly want to roleplay/do on the server, and if it happens in real life take immediate action to make it possible. Do you need a rule change? Do you need a policy change? Do you need a script change? What's the [x,y,z] that players need to roleplay? 

That's the most important part of building a community. It's never about ”how do we get more players?” it's about ”how do we make/keep current players happy?” That's what's going to attract more players.

 

The second part is balance. If player A needs a rule change to roleplay X (which would realistically happen in real life) how do we balance the rule so that there's equal opportunity and counterplay? If you provide certain factions or players the privilege of guns or drug supply, do they deserve it and are they going to use it in goodwill spreading it around to other players who want them? 

 

You should literally be asking groups of players for feedback on a regular basis. Gang roleplayers, OC roleplayers, MC roleplayers, civilians, governmental, legal: what do each group need to have more opportunities for roleplay creation, and how do we give it to them in a balanced manner (relative to other groups of players)?

 

Are gang roleplayers happy with the current state? Are MC roleplayers happy with the current state?

 

That's real progress. Otherwise, you can go in circles talking about this is a problem, that is a problem, but you need to have a vision and mission statement for the community, take the necessary steps to build and maintain a community, increase community engagement, listen to feedback, put the right people in positions of team management who know what they're doing. 

 

Otherwise, what? You're never going to find any competitive advantage compared to certain other servers in the landscape and continue to ride out old nostalgia.

[Flemwad]

I'd love to see LSRP succeed.  It's part of all of our histories, but there needs to be systemic change in the ecosystem.  To me, I didn't commit to LSRP because I lost hope after the failed deadlines and absent management.  I was surprised to see the release.  I heard it was good but never played on it.  I didn't want to commit my time and my energy into a server that has had such a horrendous start.  And that was likely to continue to happen down the road.  

 

I'd like to give it a shot, but seeing the comments and same issues popping up leaves a bitter taste.  You need to offer something that all these other servers don't offer.  I'm not sure what that is though.  

Edited September 18, 2023 by Flemwad