WQ Game and Forum Activity - Why The Recent Drop? (GD)

[Steeps]

NOTE: GD stands for general discussion .

Recently, as of around the beginning of March 2012 or so, I and other active WQ users have noticed a drop in the amount of users posting on the forums at one time. I personally do not frequent the game as much anymore, so I will leave the status of that to others with more experience in that area.

Regardless, none can deny: the number of users online at one time on the forums has sunk shockingly low--more than twenty names at once on a weekend is becoming a rarity. Ten on weekdays. And the ones you do see are usually names you have seen many, many times before. What do you, WQ user, thick could be a potential cause? Do you think things will improve? Why or why not?

Go nuts, fellow WolfQuest lovers !

[Sintact]

Yeah, a year ago the Community was all day and all night crowded, as well as there were many users participating in all kind of discussions. I returned two days ago and already worried about this issue. The only explanations I can think of is; classes, college or well… a lack of something the game is having and I still can’t see it. Maybe users will return some time as I did.

Is there any other online multiplayer game that includes animals besides Impressive Title? (I realized the new version is out and it included wolves, besides new 3D models)

[failwolf56]

I definately agree with you Steeps, forum activity has been dieing down. I rarely see anyone posting, even in PC. Eh, I'm afriad to say it probably has something to do with the lack of funding. No funding means no new game episodes. I myself have gotten bored playing the game. Since the game isn't bringing in any new users, the community activity is dieing down as well. I really wish the WQ team could get out a new episode, that would help everything. But, we need funding, and not squirrel funding. xD

[Larkarl]

I would say the original main body of the forums have moved on, so to speak- as people get older, generally they have less free time and their interests change. I personally am not as active because high school work is taking up so much of my time. While we have a good number of users still joining for the game, even less are making their way to the forums.

I agree with failwolf in the funding area.
If WolfQuest gained more funding and could create new episodes, have more community-wide contests, and be able to put more effort into attracting people to the community, activity levels would likely not be as low. But seeing as the funding is limited, there's not much that can be done.

[Sintact]

If the problem is funding, why they haven't organized a t-shirt sail or those kind of things they used to make in order to raise funding? But I think the problem goes further than that. I personally see the problem with the restrictions and rules multiplayer has. When the game first came out, you could actually role play at multiplayer and build a scene, now that's not really possible and you can get easily bored after playing several times.

Since there's not a real place where you can role-play your wolf, people search for other pages where it's accepted. Many of our users migrated to Impressive Title, or at least used their time in both games but not anymore.

For example, there are still packs at Pack Central that keep really active and they do have a role-play page. Most users join that pack because they have more things to do. They still play at multiplayer and activity for them is the same as it was before.

I'm not enforcing the idea of turning WQ to role-play, we all know the original purpose of the game, but maybe we could find a solution regarding that.

[failwolf56]

Sintact, I agree with you, that it's necessary to make the game more open and interesting, but I don't think changing the rules would help. Wolfquest is meant to be safe for ages 9+, and changing the rules to allow a more lenient filter would make the game less friendly for younger users. I think a different style of game-play would help. However, it doesn't do us much good to think of ideas when there's not much funding. There was just a sale in the WQ store, and that was the last fund raiser-type event that I can remember. Maybe a few community members could write letters or something, in hopes to get funders for WQ?

[Sintact]

Besides, the team has already made a big effort making the MP chat safe to all ages. Some years ago there were may too many worried parents with all the abuse issue…

Hmm… sending letters would be a good way of trying to get funding, but if they see the community is most likely dead and people is not learning what’s their reasons to contribute?

What I think could catch more people's attention is research in wolf behavior made by specialized WolfQuest volunteers or professionals. The investigation could collect real and new wolf facts and then apply them to the game. Organizations should get more interested since is a scientific research and not just a game.

[Koa]

Just wanted to bring up something regarding the game.
Appeal-wise, I don't think the game is as appealing to others as let's say, Feral Hearts and company because of the game's realisitc standards versus other, more creative outlets for people to interact with. But in general, unrealistic creativity and ilk isn't the game's purpose or main focus, so if more people aren't into that, so be it.

This is a game meant to depict the actual life of an animal, and in ways I can see how that isn't appealing to some. In short, WolfQuest reaches a small percentage of an audience who likes this, compared to the people who are more interested in creative things. Games like Feral Heart may not have as many members, but their activity it seems has remained consistent compared to ours.

[Sintact]

I agree, though not necessarily in the "creative" part, here you can be as creative even interpreting a realistic wild w.olf.

I agree in almost everything you are pointing out Koa, but even though we reach a small percentage of people, what if that percentage continues to drop?

No organization will want to contribute to the game, and there the game will end; no progress, no new members… that’s not the idea even though we try to teach people.

We need new solutions, that's my point. We need new cost-free ideas...

[Koa]

The problem is some people don't realize the "creative" part in interpreting a wild wolf. The general audience's perception of creativity is different, i.e. wolves with unlimited markings accessories/etc. is probably more what they think of. To understand creativity here, you have to dig deeper than just the surface display of "Well you can't make blue wolves here so that most not be creative," and most people don't dig deeper and just scratch the surface, hence why they think of statements like that.

As games grow older, some tend to upsurp others or remain not as appealing to the public as trends come and go. We can't stop this game "getting old" or "losing style," but we can try and maintain what people we have. Unfortunately, as brought up earlier by Lark, these people come and go, and we can't always maintain them. So yes, something needs to be done to attract more people but I'm afraid we may be limited with what exactly we can do to attract audiences.

[BlackWarrior]

I agree with what everyone has said so far. I have noticed the dropping of activity in drastic ways. I am actually quite shocked to watch the rapid pace in which it is dropping. When usually on the weekends we have at least 2o members on all day, yesterday there came a point in which there was only about five. It is upsetting to watch the forums die down. When even I remember it being much more active just months ago.

I think that the moderator applications helped with activity for a while there, but there is only a certain amount of things you can do to keep the audience held and watching. Once they lose interest, they will move on. This is what seems to have happened to the members.

I have actually noticed a bit of a decrease in the game activity as well, but more-so the forums.

I believe that this is due to the fact that the one generations of members who were very active, have moved on, due to life and other reasons. This leaves us with a small percentage of active users. Perhaps what we haven’t been able to really notice until now, is that we are not gaining as many members. As to why this is.. my guess is due to lack of entertainment. We need something new in the episode to allow it to keep going on and on, that way the game never exactly ends. But we are short of funding, and without funding, you can’t afford updates. Without updates, we lose members. And when we lose members, we lose our chances of gaining funding. It is a ripple down effect. One that we can’t let happen.

[Kyrarah]

Yeah, I agree with yo all. I'm here since October 2011 (Active) and things are going down and down. As BlackWarrior said, we need updates. I'm quite sure things willl get more active when a new update for the game comes. The new members are not being amused enough to stay as the old aren't as well. Some of them are moving away because they want to focuse on other things. I'm almost 100% sure they will come back when a new episode/update comes, if it comes.
I thought it was just with me but Pack Centra'l's activeness has fallen down and that's very clear to see. I don't know exactly what we can do to keep active/be more active if we don't focuse on the GAME, and the game is soemthing that takes time to make.

The Forums activeness has fallen down, clear and bright to see. The Game.... Continues OK for me.

[Tita]

Has it occurred to any of you that the forum's lack of activity may not be the game's fault exactly? If the game itself is still going strong, that may not be the problem. There are very many users who only play the game and simply do not care about the forum, especially those that frequent MP. Perhaps the forum isn't appealing enough to people, therefore they don't see the need to post. When I was younger I felt the same way...
A lot of folks I've talked to say the forum seems boring. That, apparently, it's too censored and there's not enough freedom. That the rules are too strict. What people need to understand that WQ is realistic and family friendly. You can have a good, fun conversation without being...what's the word...inappropriate. >U Also many people find the forum confusing and hard time navigate, or just too slow. That may have an affect on things.
Anyway, as Larkarl has said, many do lose interest in WolfQuest as they grow older. It loses attraction. There is something else I would like to say concerning users falling inactive, but I'm not sure whether or not I should bring it up. I'm not exactly comfortable voicing it, but it does have something to do with the GD and such.
There needs to be some major change, that is for certain. I no longer play the game, so I don't know about that, but the forum inactivity is just saddening. I wish more would post and see what a great place this is.

[Alpha Female]

I believe that the main cause of this is funding. Since there is no funding, WQ isn't able to make new episodes or updates, which in turn spreads no rumors around. Since there are no rumors, no one really hears much about WQ and people don't join as much as they use to.
I also believe that the OTT may have been a bit of an impact as well. Ever since it was locked, most of the people who spend time around here just for the OTT have left to other forums and whatnot. Since they were only here for the OTT really, once it was removed they decided to find other places to hang out in. I also agree with Koa's point of creativity. Most people want to play a game where they can create their own unique character with interesting markings, such as FeralHeart. WolfQuest is an educational game, which doesn't really let you be "creative" with your character.
I think that, to get activity back up, we really need to get some funding into WQ. In return, they'll be able to use the funding for updates/new episodes, which will send rumors around and jumpstart the forums/game once more.

[failwolf56]

It seems to me, at this point, we all agree WQ could use some funding to change the game up a little. I know that suggestions for the game should be placed in the Game Suggestions thread, but seeing as it relates to this discussion, I'll just post it here. xD Customization is a huge part, at least for me, in playing a game.When you can customize something, it makes it more interesting and unique to play with. That's where Koa's "creativity" idea comes into play. I think we ( as a community) should try to do something about funding, rather than just wish for it. All I can think of, besides store sales, would be sending letters to possible funders.