CC is declining again!

[Dako]

If I remember correctly there's always a seasonal dip at this time of year anyway?

Nope. Dip is in the summer.

[karel]

the way the god damn dice are i can see people leaving,dice are so fucked up,makes me want to

[JoshyBoy]

I'm going freemium for sure. Never paying for this again.

[Caymanmew]

the way the god damn dice are i can see people leaving,dice are so fucked up,makes me want to

would the dice be better if they always where on your side?

there random which means they can be anything good or bad or streaky or anything that what random is

[QoH]

would the dice be better if they always where on your side?

Yes

[Dako]

No of 'Results' on Scoreboard

Sep 05 2011: 17315
Sep 22 2011: 16637
Oct 24 2011: 16192
[Oct 24 2011: Conqueror Cup Promo Email Sent Out]
Oct 28 2011: 17000+
Nov 7 2011: 17458
Nov 10 2011: 17423
Nov 14 2011: 17423
Nov 25 2011: 17282
Nov 29 2011: 17055

Update:
Dec 14 2011: 16800

April 15 2012 - 15883

[Army of GOD]

On April 1 last year there was around 18k players.

CC's definitely dying.

[Pirlo]

Thanks for doing the job, Dako. I wanted to bring this thread up a couple of days ago but was too lazy to do XD..

It's the first time ever I see the No. of active users on scoreboard below 16K

- PENIS!

[nagerous]

On April 1 last year there was around 18k players.

CC's definitely dying.

Dying seems a bit extreme. There are less active members than previously, but new updates such as the trench mode should bring a rise in the active members again!

[Army of GOD]

On April 1 last year there was around 18k players.

CC's definitely dying.

Dying seems a bit extreme. There are less active members than previously, but new updates such as the trench mode should bring a rise in the active members again!

I don't think so. It's a pretty obscure update which only appeals to a certain group.

[pmchugh]

Yeah CC is pretty good at keeping people once they are here for a few months but I think it struggles to welcome new players.

I remember being confused by all the game options when I first joined and that was before trench, manual, nukes and round limits. I remember disliking some "standard" maps too. I think there should be a "basic" game type that excludes most of the options to make it easier to get started.

[natty dread]

CC is dying because the admin doesn't care enough about the current players.

CC is also dying because the people who create the content for the site do not get the attention they should.

Instead of concentrating on advertising, trying to lure in new players and useless gimmicks, CC should go back to the basics and improve the user experience. There's tons of things that would actually improve the site but we never see any of those... all we get is conquer cups and novelty game options...

I can quickly think of at least 5 things that would dramatically improve CC.

- new XML features for maps (conditional borders, etc)
- a playtesting feature for mapmakers (we already have this, ie. the test site - lack just doesn't want anyone to use it)
- 12 player games
- game UI redesign (get rid of the stupid sidebar = more room for the map, easier to play bigger maps)
- sort maps in categories

Sadly, I don't think any of these are going to happen in the next 5 years.

[happy2seeyou]

Also, so many people have smart phones now and prefer to play games in their apps.

[Dako]

CC is dying because the admin doesn't care enough about the current players.

CC is also dying because the people who create the content for the site do not get the attention they should.

Instead of concentrating on advertising, trying to lure in new players and useless gimmicks, CC should go back to the basics and improve the user experience. There's tons of things that would actually improve the site but we never see any of those... all we get is conquer cups and novelty game options...

I can quickly think of at least 5 things that would dramatically improve CC.

- new XML features for maps (conditional borders, etc)
- a playtesting feature for mapmakers (we already have this, ie. the test site - lack just doesn't want anyone to use it)
- 12 player games
- game UI redesign (get rid of the stupid sidebar = more room for the map, easier to play bigger maps)
- sort maps in categories

Sadly, I don't think any of these are going to happen in the next 5 years.

I'd start with the site redesign. New XML features will only complicate gameplay and it is already complicated on many maps.
Also, I would love to have a button "Start a basic game" that will create a normal game in one click that will be ok for most users. Make it one of 5 basic maps, NS C S and most new users will get used to the site easily. The current game creation screen is veeery hard to grasp and should be placed in another tab called "advanced game creation".

But alas, UX is not something lack is willing to concentrate on (or at least he doesn't understand how important it is). Even if we hire more developers we will not get a lot of profit from user stand point because the site itself is outdated and feels like it was created in 90's. Yes, we will get clan database and maps database, and sitting feature and testing tools and support of everything. But in the end it will be hard to use and will have crappy design and UX.

[pmchugh]

CC is dying because the admin doesn't care enough about the current players.

CC is also dying because the people who create the content for the site do not get the attention they should.

Instead of concentrating on advertising, trying to lure in new players and useless gimmicks, CC should go back to the basics and improve the user experience. There's tons of things that would actually improve the site but we never see any of those... all we get is conquer cups and novelty game options...

I can quickly think of at least 5 things that would dramatically improve CC.

- new XML features for maps (conditional borders, etc)
- a playtesting feature for mapmakers (we already have this, ie. the test site - lack just doesn't want anyone to use it)
- 12 player games
- game UI redesign (get rid of the stupid sidebar = more room for the map, easier to play bigger maps)
- sort maps in categories

Sadly, I don't think any of these are going to happen in the next 5 years.

I'd start with the site redesign. New XML features will only complicate gameplay and it is already complicated on many maps.
Also, I would love to have a button "Start a basic game" that will create a normal game in one click that will be ok for most users. Make it one of 5 basic maps, NS C S and most new users will get used to the site easily. The current game creation screen is veeery hard to grasp and should be placed in another tab called "advanced game creation".

But alas, UX is not something lack is willing to concentrate on (or at least he doesn't understand how important it is). Even if we hire more developers we will not get a lot of profit from user stand point because the site itself is outdated and feels like it was created in 90's. Yes, we will get clan database and maps database, and sitting feature and testing tools and support of everything. But in the end it will be hard to use and will have crappy design and UX.

+1

[natty dread]

New XML features will only complicate gameplay and it is already complicated on many maps.

New XML features encourage innovation - some of the best maps on the site have taken advantage of at the time new XML features.

If CC wants to stick to plain classical gameplay then it only serves to limit the potential audience, and it will get boring very quick. People yearn for new and different experiences. There's only so many variations of the same basic gameplay you can create before it starts to get repetitive - just more of the same with different graphics. If we get conditional borders, that alone would be a HUGE leap forward for gameplay design, something that would allow for almost limitless options for gameplay design.

We also need ways to code in collection bonuses in a more sensible way - currently, there are some maps that can't be made, not because they require some new features but because of the way they need to be coded currently, their XML would simply be so huge that the game engine couldn't handle it. Incidentally, this small improvement was promised like 18 months ago, at the time it was going to "surely be done in the next 6 months"...

I agree though that the site redesign is something that definitely should be done.

[Dako]

New XML features encourage innovation - some of the best maps on the site have taken advantage of at the time new XML features.

If CC wants to stick to plain classical gameplay then it only serves to limit the potential audience, and it will get boring very quick. People yearn for new and different experiences. There's only so many variations of the same basic gameplay you can create before it starts to get repetitive - just more of the same with different graphics. If we get conditional borders, that alone would be a HUGE leap forward for gameplay design, something that would allow for almost limitless options for gameplay design.

We also need ways to code in collection bonuses in a more sensible way - currently, there are some maps that can't be made, not because they require some new features but because of the way they need to be coded currently, their XML would simply be so huge that the game engine couldn't handle it. Incidentally, this small improvement was promised like 18 months ago, at the time it was going to "surely be done in the next 6 months"...

I agree though that the site redesign is something that definitely should be done.

You are talking from the veteran user standpoint. If you are a new user all you need is an intuitive interface, pretty maps and simple options. Of course in some months you will get bored and will start to explore things. And then XML quirks kick off. But not before. And I think that CC main problem falls under category of people coming and not staying. Old guard stays around the same number, but new people barely stay at the site. And not because they don't see the site in the ads or don't come here but because the conversion is low. So CC has to solver how to transgress a newcomer into a regular member.

[Army of GOD]

CC:

[OliverFA]

In my opinion, which is just that, an opinion, we could be in the turning point if well played. I know you will say that I am partial in all this because the suggestion just implemented is the one I championed, but I will backup my opinion with an explanation:

The problem about CC the last times was the perception of a static site. And by static I mean a site not implementing new features and not listening to suggestions. From now on, and if the next big update doesn't take too long to arrive, there will be evidence to demonstrate this has changed.

There are still things to fix, but this one might be the most important one in convincing newcomers that it's worth to stay.

[natty dread]

New XML features encourage innovation - some of the best maps on the site have taken advantage of at the time new XML features.

If CC wants to stick to plain classical gameplay then it only serves to limit the potential audience, and it will get boring very quick. People yearn for new and different experiences. There's only so many variations of the same basic gameplay you can create before it starts to get repetitive - just more of the same with different graphics. If we get conditional borders, that alone would be a HUGE leap forward for gameplay design, something that would allow for almost limitless options for gameplay design.

We also need ways to code in collection bonuses in a more sensible way - currently, there are some maps that can't be made, not because they require some new features but because of the way they need to be coded currently, their XML would simply be so huge that the game engine couldn't handle it. Incidentally, this small improvement was promised like 18 months ago, at the time it was going to "surely be done in the next 6 months"...

I agree though that the site redesign is something that definitely should be done.

You are talking from the veteran user standpoint. If you are a new user all you need is an intuitive interface, pretty maps and simple options. Of course in some months you will get bored and will start to explore things. And then XML quirks kick off. But not before. And I think that CC main problem falls under category of people coming and not staying. Old guard stays around the same number, but new people barely stay at the site. And not because they don't see the site in the ads or don't come here but because the conversion is low. So CC has to solver how to transgress a newcomer into a regular member.

I partially disagree.

Firstly, about your assertion that new XML features only benefit "veteran users". Sure, if we assume all new users are coming from a risk background, and are used to the classic map, then anything that deviates from that formula can be confusing, or at least contain a higher treshold to get engaged in... however, that's simply not true - not all new users are risk players, and many new players find maps that are nothing like classic easier than classic.

Secondly, you seem to think that new XML features can only be used to create more complex maps. Again, not true. The reason why maps are getting more complicated/difficult these days is because of the lack of new features forces mapmakers to create convoluted gameplay dynamics in order to innovate something new - the only other option is to stick to the old and familiar. Taking again the example of conditional borders, which as a feature would be so flexible that it would allow a lot of different things, including making maps that are both easy to understand and innovative.

Thirdly, the best way to get new users to stay is to make old users happy. Because new users will eventually become old users. A lot of the features that would benefit old users are ones that would also benefit new users, such as categorization of maps, UI improvements, etc.

[Dako]

Conditional borders (the example you are using) is a hard gameplay feature. You have to think more to be better at map - and this ups the threshold of getting involved. I am not against this particulare feature, I am just telling that it is a difficult one.

But I agree with you on most of the points.

[natty dread]

Conditional borders (the example you are using) is a hard gameplay feature.

It doesn't have to be. It depends on how it is used, just like any other xml feature.

It could be something as simple as "hold X to attack Y from anywhere". Or you could have certain impassables, like walls, and you'd have a territory that when held allows you to break through those walls. It doesn't necessarily have to be hard or complicated - the good thing about an extremely flexible feature like conditional borders is that it allows an incredibly diverse set of different gameplay types.

[chapcrap]

Conditional borders (the example you are using) is a hard gameplay feature.

It doesn't have to be. It depends on how it is used, just like any other xml feature.

It could be something as simple as "hold X to attack Y from anywhere". Or you could have certain impassables, like walls, and you'd have a territory that when held allows you to break through those walls. It doesn't necessarily have to be hard or complicated - the good thing about an extremely flexible feature like conditional borders is that it allows an incredibly diverse set of different gameplay types.

+1

[Dako]

My wicked mind drew a picture of "hold 3 keys to attack the gate to the throne room" or some other tricky levers and stuff. But yes, looks like hold x to attack all y is kind of easy.

[pmchugh]

[quote="natty dread"][ however, that's simply not true - not all new users are risk players, and many new players find maps that are nothing like classic easier than classic./quote]

I don't have any stats but I am pretty sure that a vast majority of the people who join here knew and had played the game risk before they did.