[Nightmare]

OK. There's this awesome game - it has a fascinating plot, it looks like it's been released only a few years ago, it still has people that make addontional content that's as good as some professional titles - there's just one problem. It was released about 19 years ago, and even back then it didn't sold well, so the number of people playing it is rather... low. So I'm asking everybody here to post your ideas how we can get people to play FS and the other cool things that are being developed on HLP.

1. Ask Interplay to include a link to HLP or Knossos/the FSO-Installer in every copy of FS2 they sale. Let them replace the the retail pics on Steam with MVP ones. It's a win-win; they sale more, more players on HLP.

2. There's a YouTube channel of HLP but anything thats ever been done there is uploading a copy of the age old FSO Trailer and liking MJNs YT channel with the sadly rarely viewed HQ Cutscenes he made (only a few hundred views). There are several HLPers on YT that posted playthroughs or similar (like the BP intro), but it doesn't become clear where to get that stuff. Also, some of the content here is barely covered, for example if I enter "FreeSpace 2 Exile" on Google, there isn't a single video for this, despite being one of the best things HLP has to offer. It would be good to have some cross-promotion - ask people in a news article or constantly on the main page to follow it, to send in videos (project leaders showing their work/playthroughs/whatever); whoever is in charge of that account should like channels of people around on here HLP etc. Give the project leaders access to the account so that they can upload teasers/trailers/whatever FS related there.

3. Put said FSO Trailer on the main page. If it's used more promotion-wise anyway, it is more interesting than a few oversized news pics that were updated 2 years ago. If it's considered outdated record a new one?

4. Does anybody have connections that could be used to push the TCs to potential players? I'm sure there're quite some people who'd play sci-fi flight sims for free (especially since most larger companies are out of that business), and there's quite a lot HLP has to offer (anime, BSG, SW, B5...).

[manwiththemachinegun]

There are a number of new arcade flight sims such as Ace Combat 7 and Project Wingman hitting the streets next year. You can always remind folks that the grand daddy of space sims is still alive and kicking.

[Iain Baker]

Time to put on my ‘freelance SEO and social media management and marketing’ hat methinks  https://iainbakerfreelance.co.uk/

Off the top of my head I would suggest:

•   Change the name from HLP to something that links it to Freespace. ‘Freespace HLP’ being the obvious example. If you type ‘Freespace’ into Google, ‘HLP’ does not appear until the second page, which few will look at unless they are already searching for HLP specifically.

•   Typing HLP into Google does not bring up Hard Light Productions within the first five pages of results.

•   ‘HLP’ does not appear on this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HLP Suggest adding it.

•   ‘HLP does appear on this page, however there are no functional links. Suggest adding them if possible. https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/HLP

•   Guerrilla marketing. Find YouTube videos about Freespace and add comments including links to HLP.


•   Reach out to influencers and ask them to review the retail games and the standout mods. Leverage the renewed interest in space sims – Elite Dangerous, No Man‘s Sky, Star Citizen etc. to raise awareness of the forgotten granddaddy of space sims.

•   Ask YouTubers that use HLP / Freespace asseets in their videos to provide links to HLP. One example is Pax Deorum, who makes videos about B5 ships using TBP assets. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmMM1QUy_rX_N0a0-ZZH8RA

•   Create a HLP Facebook page, and ensure it is regularly updated.

•   Create a HLP Twitter account, and ensure it is regularly updated.

•   Make far greater use of the HLP YouTube account. Add FS playthroughs, reviews etc to liked videos.

•   Add these playthroughs, reviews etc to ‘up and coming’ video sharing platforms such as *****ute. There is less competition on these at present, so it would be wise to get a foot hold early.

[niffiwan]

•   ‘HLP’ does not appear on this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HLP Suggest adding it.

Done!

•   Create a HLP Facebook page, and ensure it is regularly updated.

I thought we already had one of these? https://www.facebook.com/Hard-Light-Productions-113949898652963/

•   Create a HLP Twitter account, and ensure it is regularly updated.

Yeah - we need to be more active on here, there was a flurry a while back but it's hard to keep fresh news coming: https://twitter.com/HardLightPro

[Iain Baker]

The wiki entry for Descent: Freespace the great war makes no mention of HLP / SFO etc. Consider adding it, in particular reference FSPort :-)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descent:_FreeSpace_%E2%80%93_The_Great_War

[Nightmare]

There also one for Beyond the Red Line but Diaspora is only briefly mentioned.

[Goober5000]

This is excellent.   In order for the HLP community to thrive, we need regular members helping out in exactly this sort of way.

One thing I should point out is that even if HLP doesn't necessarily rank highly in SEO, Hard Light Productions certainly does.

Iain Baker, I appreciate your list, since social media engagement is something that HLP could certainly do better on.  I took a look at your website and I'm intrigued.  Have you managed any Twitter accounts or YouTube channels?

[Firesteel]

I don't know if I'll be able to swing it every quarter (or even how long I'll be doing it because of how up in the air parts of grad school are) but I'll be pushing to get something FSO related onto https://www.twitch.tv/scholarsplay, not that we have the biggest platform but it's a different platform to say the least.

Also I'll be trying to get something resembling an upload schedule on my channel going forward and once I'm done with FSPort I'll be doing Silent Threat Reborn so there will be some good HLP stuff there.

[PIe]

I have zero experience with SEO or publicity in general, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.
The SCP website is pretty high in search engine rankings for "Freespace 2", so perhaps linking to HLP more prominently there would help.
I'm not sure how much boosting "HLP" or "Hard-Light Productions" in SE rankings would help, since how would you know what this website is called without having been here already?  I'd try to boost its association with Freespace 2.
Creating/updating ModDB accounts might help.  Some of the best known FS mods are pretty popular on there, at least according to ModDB's embed buttons.  Offering files for download there might not be a good idea because Knossos is much better, but just keeping things updated (like indicating if a project has actually released and pointing people towards Knossos/HLP to download it) might help.

[Iain Baker]

@Goober5000 Hi there!

Since I have only recently started freelancing, the social media accounts I manage are as follows.

IBFS Website   www.ianbakerfreelance.co.uk
IBFS Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/iainbakerfreelance
IBFS Twitter   https://twitter.com/IBFS19
   
   
Nomad's Reviews Website   https://www.nomadsreviews.co.uk/
Nomad's Reviews Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/nomadsreviews
Nomad's Reviews Twitter   https://twitter.com/Nomads_Reviews


Which are both technically me, but you have to start somewhere 

I should be managing the social media side of my ex's businesses - https://www.mamas.london/ - once she works out what she wants me to do.

I am toying with creating a Nomad's Reviews YouTube channel at some point, once I have learned how to make and edit videos that is.

If you are wondering if I could help manage HLP's social media stuff, then yes, I probably could. I would be willing to do it 'pro bono' since HLP have provided such amazing mods it would be nice to be able to give something back to the community. Plus it would look good on my portfolio 

[Goober5000]

Just what I was thinking.   I'll run it by the other admins but I think this would be a pretty cool arrangement.

EDIT: Reddit would be good as well.  We have an r/freespace subreddit but it's not as active as it could be.

[Nightmare]

I think it's always cool to see when people bring in their professional-grade skills to bear on HLP.

[OverDhill]

I have been promoting The Babylon Project in the B5 room on Facebook. Quite a lot of interest

[0rph3u5]

1. Ask Interplay to include a link to HLP or Knossos/the FSO-Installer in every copy of FS2 they sale. Let them replace the the retail pics on Steam with MVP ones. It's a win-win; they sale more, more players on HLP.

... better not to wake sleeping dogs. Interplay is still an US-company and US-copyright requires a rights holder to challange any intrusion on their property or forfeit the rights to it.

And replacing the pics on Steam or GoG with modded pictures might constitute a case of false advertising, as they would not promote the software you buy but what you get when install the mods on top of it. That mods are free would probably be insubstantial.

2. There's a YouTube channel of HLP but anything thats ever been done there is uploading a copy of the age old FSO Trailer and liking MJNs YT channel with the sadly rarely viewed HQ Cutscenes he made (only a few hundred views). There are several HLPers on YT that posted playthroughs or similar (like the BP intro), but it doesn't become clear where to get that stuff. Also, some of the content here is barely covered, for example if I enter "FreeSpace 2 Exile" on Google, there isn't a single video for this, despite being one of the best things HLP has to offer. It would be good to have some cross-promotion - ask people in a news article or constantly on the main page to follow it, to send in videos (project leaders showing their work/playthroughs/whatever); whoever is in charge of that account should like channels of people around on here HLP etc. Give the project leaders access to the account so that they can upload teasers/trailers/whatever FS related there.

As for video content, I don't know if I speak for everyone but the problem isn't making videos... it's editing.
Having good gameplay often requires multiple session (unless you want to highlight just how bad a pilot you are), and then needs "a little" editing to trim out the loading screens etc. Add the time required to do those edits on top of that and you have an entire evening booked...

[jr2]

Probably should update http://scp.indiegames.us (stated homepage of the SCP from the SCP Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeSpace_2_Source_Code_Project )  -- the "Installer" section of the site I believe points at an older Installer (maybe even Turey's?

- Maybe add a pointer to Knossos (at least add it to the "Downloads" section), and have the Forums link drop you somewhere besides the SCP section of HLP (which is not very newbie-centric).

- Change "current MediaVP version" from 3.6.14 (2014) to 3.8

- current wxLauncher is listed as 0.12.0 RCx

[Goober5000]

I've updated the SCP website.