Let's act

[Murrandii]

[LNet]-You: "how about this: Simu won't try agressive ads, so how about the players TRY to advertise on FB, instragram, snapchat, whatever. If 1 active player bring 1 new player, that will double the player base and that is good for everyone. Sharing a bubble that poped in my mind"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "we have done that before"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "and Parkbandit got a big tax break out of it, which no one seemed to care about"
[LNet]-You: "PB still plays?"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "basically, the PC raised like 5 or 6k to buy tweets by celebrities. We got Levar Burton originally, but he refused to do it, so we got Felicia day and someone else"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "it was for the Hatian Earthquake, which will tell you how long ago it was"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "but it had a few people come, not a ton"


How about another shot? A gofundme?

How about we try and when we're ready, we send a letter with EVERYONE'S signature to stillfront C.C. Wyrom saying: we care that much for the game, how about trying on your side too?

[Astray]

They'd take the money. Then make vague promises without actual dates.

[Taernath]

If the community is paying for advertisements, what do subscription fees go toward?

Simu is not interested in gaining new subs, they are interested in squeezing current subs as much as possible.

[Murrandii]

We will do the ads ourselves, not sending the money to Simu or Stillfront. But when we'll be ready to proceed, we'll copy them.

[Neveragain]

Don't do for others that they won't do for themselves.

There's no way I would help further enable their business model.

[Stumplicker]

From a marketing standpoint, advertising on twitter for a mud is about as effective as Simutronics' investment into Heroes Journey. It's like throwing your money into a hole. Now, here's the problem. Gemstone is the most widely known mud already. It's the world of warcraft of muds. That is to say, even if you don't play it, you know about it. You've seen someone play it, or you've tried it. Probably both.

The only effective way to advertise to a mud-playerbase is to advertise on the sites they frequent, or the sites they use when looking for a new mud to play. And if your name is already at the top of those lists, on mudconnector, on topmudsites, on reddit's mud stuff, then your ad dollars are worth nothing.

You are not going to sway FPS gamers to try a mud out, and if you do, they're gonna hate it. Your hope is to cannibalize the current mud playerbase as old muds start dying off. And if all those people already know about your product, why advertise?

I don't support a lot of things that Simutronics does, but not advertising is something I do support. The people who matter already know about the product. You want new players? You're gonna have to get dirty to get them. Visit the muds that are dying. I mean, 5-10 average players. Talk to people directly. It's scummy. It's poaching. But it's the most effective way to advertise directly to your potential playerbase.

http://mudstats.com/

Average total mud players across 1800 total tracked muds is around 8000 people. You remove the top ten muds, which are 7 furry mudsex muds, Gemstone, Aardwolf, and Dragonrealms, and you're left with about 6000 people spread across 1790 muds. That's an average of 3.3 players per mud. And they want someone to play with.

You get some of those from the muds about to go under, you get your increased playerbase.

[Astray]

From a marketing standpoint, advertising on twitter for a mud is about as effective as Simutronics' investment into Heroes Journey. It's like throwing your money into a hole. Now, here's the problem. Gemstone is the most widely known mud already. It's the world of warcraft of muds. That is to say, even if you don't play it, you know about it. You've seen someone play it, or you've tried it. Probably both.

That is a grossly broad assumption.

[Wrathbringer]

We will do the ads ourselves, not sending the money to Simu or Stillfront. But when we'll be ready to proceed, we'll copy them.

You're retarded.

[Taernath]

We will do the ads ourselves, not sending the money to Simu or Stillfront. But when we'll be ready to proceed, we'll copy them.

What I'm saying is, if Simu wanted to expand the customer base, they'd use the money that people already pay them. GS isn't just barely scratching by, it makes a ton of money that gets funneled off toward mobile development and cocaine instead of internal development.

[Stumplicker]

If you do want to advertise, the only place you're going to have any degree of success is going to be mudconnector. It's going to be a very limited degree of success, at that. But if you do, I would be willing to contribute under one circumstance.

Nobody gives extra money. 100% of the entire advertising budget comes from people downgrading their premium subscriptions to regular and tithing the savings to the ad budget. I will not pay money for their advertisements unless I'm sure they're losing an amount equal to those costs. Nor should you.

You set it up like that, and I'll be happy to be your first taker, and I'll draft the form letter to send to Mario and Chris as to why anyone on board is downgrading. I don't even care where the ads go or what form they take. Even just 10 people downgrading is $200-250 per month in ad dollars. That's not a bad amount. You can do a lot with that. And if it shows any amount of success, more people will follow.

[Murrandii]

You're retarded.

Hey player, I'm a player and I want to talk to you, from a non-business way. From a player that loves challenges, that love this and that.

We, as players, decided to invest in this ads cause we care for our game and we actually lack is people like you.

We're a dedicated community (throw some examples).

Et cetera.

There's lot of good writers ingame too. I find my approach wise, in fact, as the said ad would be different from the usual we see (and ignore).

[Taernath]

I don't support a lot of things that Simutronics does, but not advertising is something I do support. The people who matter already know about the product.

To add on to this, the MUD community is very small and insular. People already know about GS, and from what I've seen, every time GS is brought up on other boards or reddit the reaction is negative due to the monetization and subscriptions.

[Amerek]

Just put a $5 monthly subcription on Steam.

We need young blood, people who do NOT know about Gemstone and dont know what they are missing. Not old players.

[Drew]

We should raise a lot of money for a famous Star Trek actor to tweet about Gemstone (for charity) and then have him not do it.

[MusicalBox]

The market is the same as any other pen and paper RPG group. The jump from PnP to a mud isn't a far one. Advertisements pointing out the live GM storylines, GM interaction during events, and persistent world would be great ways to bring people who play tabletop games in. Low technical overhead, only limiting factor is the current subscription/free to play model.

Even with that limitation, it would probably be the best place to start advertising - PnP/tabletop message boards, gaming stores/events, stuff like that.

[Mobius1]

If you asked me, the best avenue to advertise would be Youtube (Videos, not adds.). Even someone not interested in MUDs might show interest, if they saw some Youtube personality explaining its virtues and why it's worth trying out.

[Murrandii]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61hqsldVvRk

That ad need to be advertised (it's a bit slow though… and I'd put a sexy woman to play feminine roles)

[Stumplicker]

We should raise a lot of money for a famous Star Trek actor to tweet about Gemstone (for charity) and then have him not do it.

Or just brand Gemstone as "This game stands against Trump!" and George Takei will share it on facebook for free.

[Mobius1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61hqsldVvRk

That ad need to be advertised (it's a bit slow though… and I'd put a sexy woman to play feminine roles)

Shouldn't it be a sexy guy, to bring in more ladies? :D

Like those romance novels. You know the ladies can't get enough of that good old text.

[Astray]

Like those romance novels.

Those are porn.

[Mobius1]

Those are porn.

Welcome to Gemstone

[Astray]

Welcome to Gemstone

Sir, we're PG-13. We don't condone those tentacle orgies in the sewers.

[Murrandii]

gofundme, anyone?

I won't be the flagbearer, I'm too polarizing

We can brainstorm the way too.

[Gelston]

No.

[Astray]

gofundme, anyone?

I won't be the flagbearer, I'm too polarizing

We can brainstorm the way too.

You are insanely out of touch if you think players should shoulder any financial burden for a company that can't be bothered to pay its staff.

[Wrathbringer]

You are insanely retarded if you think players should shoulder any financial burden for a company that can't be bothered to pay its staff.

This is now correct.

[audioserf]

You are insanely out of touch if you think players should shoulder any financial burden for a company that can't be bothered to pay its staff.

Yeah this.

[Fortybox]

I’ll contribute to a gofundme to get rid of Wyrom.

Who is with me?!

[Astray]

I’ll contribute to a gofundme to get rid of Wyrom.

Who is with me?!

They'd stick someone else into the position and let them take all the blame.

[Methais]

[LNet]-You: "how about this: Simu won't try agressive ads, so how about the players TRY to advertise on FB, instragram, snapchat, whatever. If 1 active player bring 1 new player, that will double the player base and that is good for everyone. Sharing a bubble that poped in my mind"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "we have done that before"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "and Parkbandit got a big tax break out of it, which no one seemed to care about"
[LNet]-You: "PB still plays?"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "basically, the PC raised like 5 or 6k to buy tweets by celebrities. We got Levar Burton originally, but he refused to do it, so we got Felicia day and someone else"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "it was for the Hatian Earthquake, which will tell you how long ago it was"
[LNet]-GSIV:Pendowilt: "but it had a few people come, not a ton"


How about another shot? A gofundme?

How about we try and when we're ready, we send a letter with EVERYONE'S signature to stillfront C.C. Wyrom saying: we care that much for the game, how about trying on your side too?


We will do the ads ourselves, not sending the money to Simu or Stillfront. But when we'll be ready to proceed, we'll copy them.

Even if you brought a million new people to the game, nothing meaningful would happen for the game itself other than scaling slot machine events way way up to handle 1m new people, because...


GS isn't just barely scratching by, it makes a ton of money that gets funneled off toward mobile development and cocaine instead of internal development.

Simu could have 10m players and they still would be too cheap to hire 1 full time coder.

Because they're cheap assholes.

[Ososis]

Lol, Since when did McGyver start posting under his player name?

[Hymore246]

It is in no way the community's responsibility to advertise for the game they play. If simu doesn't want to put forth the effort to develop or grow the game, then that's on them. Honestly, with the way simu monetizes things, I don't want to expose anyone else to the game.

Regardless of how much money GS4 is making right now, I still feel that all it would take is a few whales jumping ship to kill the game for not being "profitable".

[Methais]

Lol, Since when did McGyver start posting under his player name?

Murrandii is Xcalibur.

[Gelston]

Murrandii is Xcalibur.

The fool who enter the fool's game is fooler.