Conquer Club

I read relatively frequently on here about how we need more clan players, more clans, more participants, clans are dying etc and I wonder. We say that then nobody does anything to try to expand the reach?

Is there room for clan training? Or clan leadership training? Or just intro to clans/tribes? Like posting something on general discussion, where more eyes see it, and opening up the discussion? I know i was on this site for years, had checked out clans and just didnt quite get it + felt like if i wasnt in the club, then i couldnt even get involved. It took someone prodding me and taking the time to answer my questions before I joined up and I think now I'm a pretty active member of the community. There have to be other players out there like me, who would get involved if it were a little easier to get info/answers or whatever. I'm just curious if anyone has had a similar thought? Like I don't want to switch clans or start a new one - i very much enjoy my team and teammates - but i would be more than willing to walk a player or group of players through some things in order to make it friendlier for them to get involved. Maybe this is a pointless post and I'm sure I'll get some "youre an idiot, dont waste your time, go take your turns and finish your player rankings that 6 people care about" responses but uh, I'm super good at wasting time. Anyways. Excoriate away.

Yeah the CD Team had something in years past called Claniversity, where the CD team outreached people and was able to be freely joined by anyone not in a clan.
These players did mini fake clan wars and occasionally a leader type would emerge and the thought was eventually, perhaps new clans would form.
Ultimately I think only one ever did, which didn't get very far.

https://www.conquerclub.com/public.php? ... ClanId=186

It also has (had?) a training thing for new clans where the leaders could ask questions as well.

As far as outreach to players on the fence, I mean...the clans themselves are pretty good at always keeping a constant eye out for talent and talking new people into giving it a try.
The good there is that eventually new people join in as others leave, the bad is it takes a special kind of person to make a new clan and its very unlikely to come from someone who isn't already part of an existing one.

I don't think its a total waste of time, but from experience its very very easy to spin your wheels and spend a lot of time and end up with nothing to show for it.

I've had a few ideas since I left on how perhaps things can change, but haven't spent the time yet to really "put it on paper" so to speak.

This is a tough one.

I think you run into a few problems when looking into solutions.

1) Generally speaking clans are able to recruit players fairly easily and clans never die due to a lack of members. It is not "hard" to add a number of members to keep your clan active. As such programs to bring people into clans who are not currently in them(in the role of clan member) would struggle to get off or would leave most participants without an offer.

2) Finding people to lead clans is a major problem and a lack of a leader is how all clans die. Most people interested or able to lead clans already do. Top clans tend to have multiple people capable of solo leading a middle-tier clan and those people work together to lower the burden of work. Assuming people are not breaking off of their current clans finding someone to make a new clan is very difficult.

3) Even if you found someone who was capable of leading a clan that is not currently in a clan, the complete lack of any program to identify potential new people who are not currently in the clan world is nonexistent. As such starting up the clan could prove very difficult as finding quality people who will be committed to a clan could be very hard.


I think to really start a clan you need experience in clans(ideally as a leader) OR you need to be heavily assisted in the start up process. (including the first few wars)

If we wanted to seriously do this I think building a small team of capable members of the clan community who are willing to mentor and help build a clan would be key. These members would have to be allowed to do this while maintaining their current clan status. They would need to be allowed to temporarily join the new clan to provide internal help without playing games for the new clans. (or affecting their ability to play games for their actual clan)

The key here is to help build out a clan that is able to sustain itself without help and won't die out quickly.

I can only speak about my experience in TOFU. We’ve had probably a dozen leaders in my time in the clan. For one person to have done it for that whole time would’ve been impossible. There may be clans where that is how it functions but those clans are always a heartbeat away from extinction. A clan ideally needs 3-7 people capable of leading it at any time. That, as others have alluded to is the problem.

rockfist wrote:I can only speak about my experience in TOFU. We’ve had probably a dozen leaders in my time in the clan. For one person to have done it for that whole time would’ve been impossible. There may be clans where that is how it functions but those clans are always a heartbeat away from extinction. A clan ideally needs 3-7 people capable of leading it at any time. That, as others have alluded to is the problem.

Not just capable, also willing to and with the time available to them.

I think one thing TOFU has done well is to distinguish between clan leadership, war organization (running threads, creating games, sending invites, etc...), and war game/team selection. We have frequently had different people perform all 3 of those roles. That takes a lot of the burden off of any one person. It also makes it easier for players with either less overall CC experience, or even just a lack of familiarity with a clan's strengths and weaknesses to get involved supporting the clan with the more tedious "busy work" of organizing clan wars. Another member takes the responsibility to pick games/settings and select teams behind the scenes. Organization of a couple wars is great training towards clan leadership.

Doc_Brown wrote:I think one thing TOFU has done well is to distinguish between clan leadership, war organization (running threads, creating games, sending invites, etc...), and war game/team selection. We have frequently had different people perform all 3 of those roles. That takes a lot of the burden off of any one person. It also makes it easier for players with either less overall CC experience, or even just a lack of familiarity with a clan's strengths and weaknesses to get involved supporting the clan with the more tedious "busy work" of organizing clan wars. Another member takes the responsibility to pick games/settings and select teams behind the scenes. Organization of a couple wars is great training towards clan leadership.

dont most clans do this?

iAmCaffeine wrote:

Doc_Brown wrote:I think one thing TOFU has done well is to distinguish between clan leadership, war organization (running threads, creating games, sending invites, etc...), and war game/team selection. We have frequently had different people perform all 3 of those roles. That takes a lot of the burden off of any one person. It also makes it easier for players with either less overall CC experience, or even just a lack of familiarity with a clan's strengths and weaknesses to get involved supporting the clan with the more tedious "busy work" of organizing clan wars. Another member takes the responsibility to pick games/settings and select teams behind the scenes. Organization of a couple wars is great training towards clan leadership.

dont most clans do this?

Neither Doc nor I could speak with first hand experience as to what "most clans do."

iAmCaffeine wrote:

Doc_Brown wrote:I think one thing TOFU has done well is to distinguish between clan leadership, war organization (running threads, creating games, sending invites, etc...), and war game/team selection. We have frequently had different people perform all 3 of those roles. That takes a lot of the burden off of any one person. It also makes it easier for players with either less overall CC experience, or even just a lack of familiarity with a clan's strengths and weaknesses to get involved supporting the clan with the more tedious "busy work" of organizing clan wars. Another member takes the responsibility to pick games/settings and select teams behind the scenes. Organization of a couple wars is great training towards clan leadership.

dont most clans do this?

VDLL: 1-man show the past 8 or so years. Used to be JB, then I 'joined' but in fact took over, then JB again until it died. Couldve lived if players wanted to spend the time leading, but it's not the most hardcore group of players.
REP: I believe Ice led the first war, and now it's swimmer and space doing the planning, leading and inviting by themselves.. I'm not entirely sure how they divide responsibilities between themselves unfortunately.

I used to run ATL mostly solo. In the last year we have been splitting duties between 3 or 4 people for each war though.

Caymanmew wrote:I used to run ATL mostly solo. In the last year we have been splitting duties between 3 or 4 people for each war though.

they did things through multiple people before you got there too don't worry

iAmCaffeine wrote:

Caymanmew wrote:I used to run ATL mostly solo. In the last year we have been splitting duties between 3 or 4 people for each war though.

they did things through multiple people before you got there too don't worry

To a degree yes but not like it is done now. Previously one person did war planning, creating games, and threads. A second did scouting and assisted in war planning as needed.

iAmCaffeine wrote:

Doc_Brown wrote:I think one thing TOFU has done well is to distinguish between clan leadership, war organization (running threads, creating games, sending invites, etc...), and war game/team selection. We have frequently had different people perform all 3 of those roles. That takes a lot of the burden off of any one person. It also makes it easier for players with either less overall CC experience, or even just a lack of familiarity with a clan's strengths and weaknesses to get involved supporting the clan with the more tedious "busy work" of organizing clan wars. Another member takes the responsibility to pick games/settings and select teams behind the scenes. Organization of a couple wars is great training towards clan leadership.

dont most clans do this?

lol - I wish.

I've done everything on my own for 9 1/2 years.

Keefie wrote:lol - I wish.
I've done everything on my own for 9 1/2 years.

Maybe it's just a situation of them feeling comfortable with you doing all the work? People are creatures of habit. If they get used to someone doing everything, then you won't find too many willing to jump in and help.

I think if people work together, there will always be enough people willing and able to take on leadership roles. Of course, you do need someone to take on the position of delegator to ensure tasks are handed out. The secret is not dumping everything on one person. Not many have time to be a sole leader.

I have never been in clan leadership on CC, but I've been in similar situations, maybe on a bigger scale though. Oh, and I've let myself become THAT person. The one who ends up doing everything because others can't be bothered, and I just burned out. That happens.

Shannon Apple wrote:

Keefie wrote:lol - I wish.
I've done everything on my own for 9 1/2 years.

Maybe it's just a situation of them feeling comfortable with you doing all the work? People are creatures of habit. If they get used to someone doing everything, then you won't find too many willing to jump in and help.

I think if people work together, there will always be enough people willing and able to take on leadership roles. Of course, you do need someone to take on the position of delegator to ensure tasks are handed out. The secret is not dumping everything on one person. Not many have time to be a sole leader.

I have never been in clan leadership on CC, but I've been in similar situations, maybe on a bigger scale though. Oh, and I've let myself become THAT person. The one who ends up doing everything because others can't be bothered, and I just burned out. That happens.

Idk, maybe in more competitive clans people would be more inclined to resume it but the more casual clans not so much. When decided to stop running FIASCO we initially had one person willing to give me some help if I stayed on but no one wanted to really run things. Most were happy to go social then some left the site completely and some quickly jumped to other clans. I can easily see how people would be just as fine with Keefie doing all the work as they would be joining a new clan where someone else continues to do all the work.

Yeah, in FALL there was always additional respected persons/named leaders, but I was mostly the sole guy running things there for ages. We always tried to get others involved and prepared just in case but mostly fell thru over time.

Eventually, i handed off certain things and slowly disengaged enough that others took over duties and I was able to take a break / leave without a lot of disruption thankfully. Now people have stepped up and are doing well while I enjoy a lesser role.

But not all clans are built equally or engaged as Catcher pointed out, others could have just as easily folded / moved along to other clans

it's not really surprising that the competitive clans have multiple people willing to get involved, contribute and improve their clan as a whole, so they can achieve better. whilst the non-competitive clans don't have those people. it ties in together.

How on earth did we cope before you?!

Caymanmew wrote:I used to run ATL mostly solo. In the last year we have been splitting duties between 3 or 4 people for each war though.

viewtopic.php?f=90&t=238670

If you come across any newbies who aren't clan experienced but wanna try out / dip their toe into the world, send them this direction. Maybe we can find a couple people who are interested / get into a clan after a fun experience.

IcePack wrote:https://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=238670

If you come across any newbies who aren't clan experienced but wanna try out / dip their toe into the world, send them this direction. Maybe we can find a couple people who are interested / get into a clan after a fun experience.

Wow, that got some serious interest.

Yes it did and that's a very good sign for the future of the clan world. Caymanmew and I shared part of a list we made with IcePack of qualified, active players who are not currently in a clan. The entire list contains 1383 names. Based on ideas and suggestions put forth by Nut Shot Scott and Caymanmew, the new CD team is planning a Clan Player Recruitment Drive as well as a clan leadership program to try to increase the number of active, healthy clans.

Please see the following topic to read more and to share any ideas/thoughts you may have.

Thanks!

Shannon Apple wrote:

IcePack wrote:https://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=238670

If you come across any newbies who aren't clan experienced but wanna try out / dip their toe into the world, send them this direction. Maybe we can find a couple people who are interested / get into a clan after a fun experience.

Wow, that got some serious interest.

Maybe a little too much but it’s good