[Bas]

Huhu,

although I am not that active here or don't play FS2 actually regular (I might change that...I am also on a try to convince some of my Freelancer-clan members to start playing the game) I want to point out a problem about the MP scene and presenting the solution(s)

1. It seems that many players stay in the SP campaign only? Try to convince them to play coop in MP! Where is the downside for those guys? In the worst case they play as solo player if his team mates are too low - so no difference !?

2. One thing I did in the Freelancer community just recently - I created some kind of promotion thread for c & ping, (http://the-starport.net/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=1638.0) to advertise Freelancer at other forums. Might be worth a try for you guys too.

3. At least in the Freelancer community I made the experience that many old players come back if you remind them to the great game. Two options: 1. Everyone shall try to chat with friendly ex-players to convince them giving the game an additional try - I mean, just a person asked in the xfire thread why I don't play FL at the schedulded game times and now I am considering playing the game again? WTF?
2nd option: Send as massmail to all forums members at HLP and GW, but not simultaneously as this can causes problems with the spam filters. In this mail include great processes made in the community, SCP & Modding, and whatever else is required.

I hope my feedback is appreciated and some of my ideas work for you/FS2.

Best Regards,
Bas

[The E]

Hmm. I got the impresssion that multi has been picking up steam over the past few weeks, thanks to colecampbell666 and jedimasterseth...
There is usually at least one person per day asking whether anyone would want to have a go on #hard-light, which I take to be a good sign.

[ssmit132]

*wonders whether to start using IRC

[Aardwolf]

There's been some discussion in the multiplayer board about SquadWar returning. Not having been around when it was operational, I really don't know very well what it was like, but that might help, I imagine.

[Blue Lion]

I don't know if SW would work right now. There simply aren't enough players to fill a map.

[Bas]

Eh, at least I think a mass mail to all forums members wouldn't harm - you have over 7000 registered users !
So the chances are good that at least some will return back to the game, and some of these some will may play FS2 in MP again ^^

[Mikes]

Eh, at least I think a mass mail to all forums members wouldn't harm - you have over 7000 registered users !

Spam much? I certainly would at least feel somewhat wierded out if i was receiving "marketing emails" about Freespace SCP multiplayer.... /boggle.

[wistler]

I didn't know FS HAD a multiplayer, so a message at least informing people that it does is a step in the right direction.

[Jeff Vader]

Personally I'd be against sending emails to all members. Sending advertising email to people without being requested to is spamming, regardless of the intentions. It would be ok if HLP had a subscripable newsletter and the message was sent that way. Or perhaps sending PMs to the members. And the Announcements are always there.

[Bas]

I am talking about ONE SINGLE mail to all forums members, not to spamm them over the whole time

[Jeff Vader]

One spam mail is also spam. If people haven't chosen to receive advertisement/informatory emails about FreeSpace and related things from HLP, it wouldn't be polite to send them advertisement/informatory emails.

[The E]

Spam, however well intentioned, is still spam.

Besides, I guess that in most cases, people who are inactive are inactive because they have lost interest in FS for whatever reason.

I didn't know FS HAD a multiplayer, so a message at least informing people that it does is a step in the right direction.

There is a whole Multiplayer board, has been there forever...

I am talking about ONE SINGLE mail to all forums members, not to spamm them over the whole time

And what would happen if that mail has no discernable effect at all? Send another one?

[Spoon]

never actually tried multiplayer, I guess i'll give it a try once.

[Bas]

Spam, however well intentioned, is still spam.

For me PERSONALLY it isn't that bad to recieve an additional spamm mail - I receive X mails, so one additional doesn't make any difference at all.

Besides, I guess that in most cases, people who are inactive are inactive because they have lost interest in FS for whatever reason.

If I recall correctly, I already wrote something like this: If you remember people to one game they loved to play they might grab it out again. For instance, I am sure that the reminder in the xfire thread as well as the xfire calendar entries will get me a bit back to FS2 ^^^^
Yep, really.

I didn't know FS HAD a multiplayer, so a message at least informing people that it does is a step in the right direction.

There is a whole Multiplayer board, has been there forever...

Not everybody reads HLP forums threads regulary

I am talking about ONE SINGLE mail to all forums members, not to spamm them over the whole time

And what would happen if that mail has no discernable effect at all? Send another one?

NO, of course not !
If one mail won't have the impact to a specific person a second one won't have any effect at all to him.
And we don't know if the mail has no effect if we don't try, correctly?

[The E]

In principle, yes. However, I'd advise you to read up on laws such as the CAN-SPAM act (I believe that was the name for american Anti-Spam laws.). In short, sending unwanted bulk e-mail opens you up for litigation. And yes, if I were living in the right jurisdiction, I would sue. Even if it is only one e-mail. Even if it advertises something I enjoy. THERE ARE NO CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH SPAM WILL EVER BE A LEGITIMATE TOOL FOR ADVERTISEMENT.

All we can do is raise awareness for the FS scene. xfire is one way. ModDB (I'm looking at you, Diaspora, TBP and WCS) is another. Random magazine features, like what happened for TBP recently, is yet another perfectly legitimate, perfectly legal, not-annoying way of generating publicity.

[Bas]

OK...if it is a legal problem then I can more than fellow. (But I guess of course it also depends on the country and state in which the server/website is located)

How about advertising at other sites, especially which have focussed at space-sims? Try to advert at all sites at once for the MP scene, so you get the best possible results.

Some nice sites are The Starport, Station Network (german), SWAT-Portal, Reactorforge, Space Sim Central....
And of course also advert here at the same time for a try to convince people to play MP again.

[Jeff Vader]

How about advertising at other sites, especially which have focussed at space-sims? Try to advert at all sites at once for the MP scene, so you get the best possible results.

In the name of justice, such advertising should be done by the people who want to increase awareness of multiplayer. There's no need to bother other people with such a task.

[General Battuta]

Y'know, I'm gonna come out and say why a lot of people don't play Freespace multiplayer: it's not much fun.

Even LAN co-op is laggy, glitchy, and kind of onerous.

Single player is where it's at for Freespace.

[The E]

There's that, of course. The mods that are hotly awaited right now (BP:WiH, for example) all concentrate on delivering a kick-ass single player experience that doesn't translate too well to multi.
FS multi now is better than what it was a year ago, but there's still room for improvement.
Don't get me wrong, it IS fun, but you have to lower your expectations.

[General Battuta]

I do really enjoy co-op missions when everything's working smoothly.