I think we are at a point where it's not to late to change things, but identifying the problem is quite difficult. There are a number of possibilities that I see; It could be that forum's are a dying medium; it could be that mafia is a dying game; it could be that MS just no longer caters to the tastes of people that play mafia; perhaps MS isn't getting it's name out there like it once did.
If forum's are just dying, I'm not sure we can do anything. I mean short of creating a mafia community based around a facebook plugin or something.
I take issue with the idea that mafia is a dying game, board games are doing better than ever, and I feel like mafia should be caught in that upswing.
MS has always taken the meltingpot approach to multiculturalism if you will. We force everyone to play the same way. I think that way has become increasingly divergent from how mafia is played elsewhere. That we are a meltingpot is a natural byproduct of our queue structure. Everyone only has access to so many games at a given time so they all need to have a wide appeal. I think we need to seriously consider redesigning how games go through signups to allow for more niche subtypes. Continuing to just further divide the queue's isn't enough.
Is our wiki no longer sufficient for attracting new people? Has MBF's flash finally died out? Perhaps more people look to twitch these days for games. A lot of work has been getting done to the wiki recently, and I don't know how to make it more accessible, but I've talked about creating a new interactive game introduction tool as a form of advertising for MS for a long time. It's possible we need it now more than ever. Also I know some people stream mafia games on twitch, perhaps we could try to get a weekly group together to do the same.
I look forward to hearing what other people have to say about this, especially our newest users.
Spoiler: User's whom registered and stayed to make at least 1 post
Code: Select all
+-----------+-------------------------------------+
| REG_MONTH | COUNT(DISTINCT phpbb_users.user_id) |
+-----------+-------------------------------------+
| 2014-11 | 39 |
| 2014-10 | 37 |
| 2014-09 | 42 |
| 2014-08 | 51 |
| 2014-07 | 63 |
| 2014-06 | 52 |
| 2014-05 | 49 |
| 2014-04 | 66 |
| 2014-03 | 66 |
| 2014-02 | 54 |
| 2014-01 | 62 |
| 2013-12 | 45 |
| 2013-11 | 36 |
| 2013-10 | 73 |
| 2013-09 | 34 |
| 2013-08 | 73 |
| 2013-07 | 91 |
| 2013-06 | 73 |
| 2013-05 | 78 |
| 2013-04 | 101 |
| 2013-03 | 72 |
| 2013-02 | 60 |
| 2013-01 | 92 |
| 2012-12 | 77 |
| 2012-11 | 58 |
| 2012-10 | 64 |
| 2012-09 | 62 |
| 2012-08 | 86 |
| 2012-07 | 82 |
| 2012-06 | 67 |
| 2012-05 | 57 |
| 2012-04 | 70 |
| 2012-03 | 63 |
| 2012-02 | 42 |
| 2012-01 | 82 |
| 2011-12 | 71 |
| 2011-11 | 61 |
| 2011-10 | 65 |
| 2011-09 | 98 |
| 2011-08 | 82 |
| 2011-07 | 131 |
| 2011-06 | 108 |
| 2011-05 | 95 |
| 2011-04 | 76 |
| 2011-03 | 91 |
| 2011-02 | 101 |
| 2011-01 | 75 |
| 2010-12 | 67 |
| 2010-11 | 73 |
| 2010-10 | 80 |
| 2010-09 | 93 |
| 2010-08 | 93 |
| 2010-07 | 91 |
| 2010-06 | 107 |
| 2010-05 | 93 |
| 2010-04 | 83 |
| 2010-03 | 78 |
| 2010-02 | 111 |
| 2010-01 | 107 |
| 2009-12 | 133 |
| 2009-11 | 100 |
| 2009-10 | 93 |
| 2009-09 | 63 |
| 2009-08 | 120 |
| 2009-07 | 95 |
| 2009-06 | 121 |
| 2009-05 | 97 |
| 2009-04 | 136 |
| 2009-03 | 120 |
| 2009-02 | 104 |
| 2009-01 | 108 |
| 2008-12 | 142 |
| 2008-11 | 125 |
| 2008-10 | 107 |
| 2008-09 | 104 |
| 2008-08 | 136 |
| 2008-07 | 154 |
| 2008-06 | 140 |
| 2008-05 | 126 |
| 2008-04 | 114 |
| 2008-03 | 86 |
| 2008-02 | 82 |
| 2008-01 | 109 |
| 2007-12 | 86 |
| 2007-11 | 80 |
| 2007-10 | 111 |
| 2007-09 | 106 |
| 2007-08 | 109 |
| 2007-07 | 93 |
| 2007-06 | 102 |
| 2007-05 | 126 |
| 2007-04 | 139 |
| 2007-03 | 94 |
| 2007-02 | 29 |
| 2007-01 | 88 |
| 2006-12 | 9 |
| 2006-11 | 6 |
| 2006-10 | 19 |
| 2006-09 | 28 |
| 2006-08 | 44 |
| 2006-07 | 39 |
| 2006-06 | 49 |
| 2006-05 | 36 |
| 2006-04 | 61 |
| 2006-03 | 53 |
| 2006-02 | 30 |
| 2006-01 | 49 |
| 2005-12 | 45 |
| 2005-11 | 64 |
| 2005-10 | 50 |
| 2005-09 | 19 |
| 2005-08 | 33 |
| 2005-07 | 27 |
| 2005-06 | 26 |
| 2005-05 | 19 |
| 2005-04 | 20 |
| 2005-03 | 37 |
| 2005-02 | 28 |
| 2005-01 | 20 |
| 2004-12 | 17 |
| 2004-11 | 29 |
| 2004-10 | 18 |
| 2004-09 | 9 |
| 2004-08 | 23 |
| 2004-07 | 17 |
| 2004-06 | 18 |
| 2004-05 | 23 |
| 2004-04 | 14 |
| 2004-03 | 14 |
| 2004-02 | 15 |
| 2004-01 | 20 |
| 2003-12 | 24 |
| 2003-11 | 15 |
| 2003-10 | 21 |
| 2003-09 | 23 |
| 2003-08 | 27 |
| 2003-07 | 26 |
| 2003-03 | 4 |
| 2003-02 | 8 |
| 2003-01 | 7 |
| 2002-12 | 8 |
| 2002-11 | 14 |
| 2002-10 | 13 |
| 2002-09 | 16 |
| 2002-08 | 8 |
| 2002-07 | 3 |
| 2002-06 | 15 |
| 2002-05 | 13 |
| 2002-04 | 30 |
| 2002-03 | 11 |
| 2002-02 | 4 |
+-----------+-------------------------------------+
Spoiler: Number of unique non alt posters
Code: Select all
+------------+-------------------+
| POST_MONTH | NUMBER_OF_POSTERS |
+------------+-------------------+
| 2014-11 | 506 |
| 2014-10 | 538 |
| 2014-09 | 564 |
| 2014-08 | 596 |
| 2014-07 | 581 |
| 2014-06 | 554 |
| 2014-05 | 557 |
| 2014-04 | 581 |
| 2014-03 | 593 |
| 2014-02 | 558 |
| 2014-01 | 602 |
| 2013-12 | 569 |
| 2013-11 | 564 |
| 2013-10 | 597 |
| 2013-09 | 593 |
| 2013-08 | 668 |
| 2013-07 | 689 |
| 2013-06 | 656 |
| 2013-05 | 663 |
| 2013-04 | 675 |
| 2013-03 | 647 |
| 2013-02 | 615 |
| 2013-01 | 647 |
| 2012-12 | 626 |
| 2012-11 | 598 |
| 2012-10 | 650 |
| 2012-09 | 657 |
| 2012-08 | 671 |
| 2012-07 | 659 |
| 2012-06 | 640 |
| 2012-05 | 626 |
| 2012-04 | 608 |
| 2012-03 | 539 |
| 2012-02 | 1 |
| 2011-11 | 694 |
| 2011-10 | 716 |
| 2011-09 | 763 |
| 2011-08 | 783 |
| 2011-07 | 846 |
| 2011-06 | 757 |
| 2011-05 | 725 |
| 2011-04 | 704 |
| 2011-03 | 709 |
| 2011-02 | 648 |
| 2011-01 | 630 |
| 2010-12 | 610 |
| 2010-11 | 620 |
| 2010-10 | 630 |
| 2010-09 | 655 |
| 2010-08 | 680 |
| 2010-07 | 694 |
| 2010-06 | 684 |
| 2010-05 | 660 |
| 2010-04 | 649 |
| 2010-03 | 690 |
| 2010-02 | 711 |
| 2010-01 | 711 |
| 2009-12 | 680 |
| 2009-11 | 651 |
| 2009-10 | 639 |
| 2009-09 | 661 |
| 2009-08 | 713 |
| 2009-07 | 709 |
| 2009-06 | 719 |
| 2009-05 | 721 |
| 2009-04 | 746 |
| 2009-03 | 740 |
| 2009-02 | 688 |
| 2009-01 | 696 |
| 2008-12 | 755 |
| 2008-11 | 708 |
| 2008-10 | 677 |
| 2008-09 | 721 |
| 2008-08 | 751 |
| 2008-07 | 748 |
| 2008-06 | 707 |
| 2008-05 | 661 |
| 2008-04 | 639 |
| 2008-03 | 604 |
| 2008-02 | 593 |
| 2008-01 | 566 |
| 2007-12 | 531 |
| 2007-11 | 577 |
| 2007-10 | 645 |
| 2007-09 | 639 |
| 2007-08 | 616 |
| 2007-07 | 562 |
| 2007-06 | 542 |
| 2007-05 | 555 |
| 2007-04 | 490 |
| 2007-03 | 405 |
| 2007-02 | 343 |
| 2007-01 | 354 |
| 2006-12 | 268 |
| 2006-11 | 245 |
| 2006-10 | 296 |
| 2006-09 | 336 |
| 2006-08 | 350 |
| 2006-07 | 335 |
| 2006-06 | 358 |
| 2006-05 | 343 |
| 2006-04 | 356 |
| 2006-03 | 350 |
| 2006-02 | 324 |
| 2006-01 | 325 |
| 2005-12 | 324 |
| 2005-11 | 317 |
| 2005-10 | 280 |
| 2005-09 | 235 |
| 2005-08 | 246 |
| 2005-07 | 238 |
| 2005-06 | 224 |
| 2005-05 | 222 |
| 2005-04 | 223 |
| 2005-03 | 235 |
| 2005-02 | 220 |
| 2005-01 | 203 |
| 2004-12 | 202 |
| 2004-11 | 195 |
| 2004-10 | 180 |
| 2004-09 | 166 |
| 2004-08 | 187 |
| 2004-07 | 185 |
| 2004-06 | 175 |
| 2004-05 | 177 |
| 2004-04 | 163 |
| 2004-03 | 160 |
| 2004-02 | 147 |
| 2004-01 | 145 |
| 2003-12 | 144 |
| 2003-11 | 129 |
| 2003-10 | 125 |
| 2003-09 | 106 |
| 2003-08 | 100 |
| 2003-07 | 66 |
| 2003-03 | 74 |
| 2003-02 | 82 |
| 2003-01 | 75 |
| 2002-12 | 79 |
| 2002-11 | 69 |
| 2002-10 | 102 |
| 2002-09 | 66 |
| 2002-08 | 52 |
| 2002-07 | 60 |
| 2002-06 | 76 |
| 2002-05 | 73 |
| 2002-04 | 58 |
| 2002-03 | 3 |
| 1970-02 | 1 |
| 1969-12 | 12 |
+------------+-------------------+