Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Sleuth Talk

Mar-9-2009 21:36

Last night I spoke of some ideas I wanted to discuss with everyone on how to give a little kick-start to Sleuth. I would like to share these now and hear feedback. These things are not required of the Admin, but things we can do as a community to try to get things flowing again.

NOTE: Please do not bring up the development team. That ship has come and gone. This post is aimed purely at community-oriented initiatives, not changing the game itself.

Also, I would like to note that many players have been doing some really good things around here. The contests for free subs, ctown's radio show, AVH matches. I do not mean to discredit any of this. It's all wonderful. I just think we can do a little more :-)

#1 Advertising - Let's get out there and spread the word. This is a great little gem that we have found and there are probably others that would love it as much as we do. Do you belong to another internet site? A Group for Nail-Biters with Herpes? Post on the message board about Sleuth! (well maybe not that, but you get my meaning) Let others know outside of Sleuth what a great place this is. I would especially target (for Noir) adults who enjoy logic-type puzzles. That is what kept me addicted to this game for so long.

Mar-11-2009 13:41

Well, what am I going to say?
I once loved this game very much, and was highly addicted.
I wanted to do something for the game that I actually CAN do.
I was asking myself what can I do for the game? - and since I am not good with marketing, the answer was not advertising... It was related to what I am good at.
I was dreaming about being allowed to contribute to the game, making it more fun and interesting for everyone in the game. My pleasure would be the encouragement of the community. I yearned for the task. I did not want a place in the light, the shadows would be perfect for me, as I am more of a servant at heart. I truly wanted the light to fall where it rightfully belong.
But, you have decided for me that the horse is dead...
I have been frustrated some times, and put words on the message board, and you have told me that you don't want fights on the message board. - so I don't tell you much about my frustration anymore.
I have also both previously and lately tried to inspire people to be here or contribute in some way or another by offering free subs... - but my private conclusion are that free subs are not something that really generates interest. So far I have offered more free subs than I have been able to actually give away, and I guess the same will be true also with my last attempt.
The reason why I do things more correctly and the way you have instructed me are not of the reason you might want to belive, that you have actually changed my attitude or behaviour. The reason is more connected to what you probally don't want to hear - so I won't tell.
Just give you a hint by stating that the oposite of LOVE is not HATE but being careless or indifferent.

Mar-11-2009 17:27

Yay! The message boards are active again.

I have read everything that everyone has to say and agree with everyone. There is no easy answer to this. I understand happy's point that she doesn't feel like she should have to do anything, which is true. And thanks SS for your enlightening post and it made me think (I'm hoping I am one of the people you like ;))

Without any news from Ben on whether or not he still cares, why should we continue to care? Sounds like everyone unanimously agrees that some word from Ben on his intentions would be much appreciated by the community. And at least we could have confirmation one way or the other - that either this is it, or that Ben still sees his Sleuth endeavour as a growth project.

As I said I fear for the future of the game and this site. I don't want to go into details about it, but I have been doing some research and it would appear that although there are a lot less people on Noir than Shades, there are actually more subscribers here. Don't know if that's a fact, but all signs seem to point in that direction. Which also makes me fear that Ben is losing money... and if that is the case... what happens to us?

Mar-11-2009 17:41

Oh. And Ms Helen... You don't sound like a bag of misery at all. No more than any of the rest of us do :-)

Mar-11-2009 18:52

Thanks Nic. That sounds like a good summary of how we are all feeling right now.

Mar-11-2009 22:33

Anyone else have any thoughts? I'd like to keep this discussion going..

Mar-11-2009 22:45

ADVERTISE-We can filter out the trash! I want it to be where newbies were scouting the boards for agencies...not agencies scooping in like hawks at every new hatchling ...fighting on the boards? If you can't fight in person then forget a fight amongst minds. Opinions differ as everyone knows so no need to bicker unless both parties are open minded...you can scream at a rock all day that the sun is out...the true idiot waits to hear a response from the rock .

Mar-11-2009 23:21

*kicks silly rock* ... now he tells me!

Mar-12-2009 01:14

No no no no no...rocks DO answer! You just have to know how to listen...hehehehe

Now, about the advertising idea, as I said when I answered to this thread in another on (doing things the wrong way, as usual) I do believe it's good. I don't mean like jumping in the streets with advertising boards...although we could go to a television broadcast of a football game and stick a paper with some strong glue on a camera saying 'SLEUTH'. No, I'm basically thinking in the same way as detectivehappy: don't feel much like an action hero when it comes to promoting something. BUT some of us can use whatever simple methods that come at hand with not much effort, like sticking a banner with a link to our personal forums, blogs or/and sites, like sticking such banners to our names in other forums (as long as they allow it) and nevertheles, we could use the existing agency sites by trying to kick the up to appear in search engines (that might require cash though).

About other thoughts...*scouting my mind*...nop...my brain is blank as usual.

Mar-12-2009 07:07

Well for starters I created a Noir fan page over t facebook, the problem is that it's hard to promote a fan page over there. Those of you that have me as a friend there can find it from my profile page. When you join it will hit your live feed and all of your friends will see it. It's not much but its a start

Mar-12-2009 08:02

If you do a search of Sleuth on facebook ctowns page comes up. So there's a way to connect.
As for advertising, that depends on the type of market you want to include. I know we used to advertise on the Nancy Drew website, and that brought in a buch of those people, although they tend to be younger, and conversely less mature.
One idea would be to find a computer game or vidoe game site and advertise there, because when people are waiting for the next game, or version, or expantion to come out they tend to float towards games like Sleuth for the time being.
From there the power of Sleuth can lure them in!