The server has a big perception problem.

[Time Mage]

Namely: People just don't know what the hell Syclant is.

And that's a bigger problem than it may seem. Entering the server and not using Syclant is perfectly fine. Not having the sprites, if they desire so, it's fine, too. But having 80% of the people I battle through the "Find" option ask "What the hell is that?" or "Why do you have 2 Dusknoirs?", and then disconnect after I explain them what's Syclant is a BIG problem.

If people enter the CAP server, they should be aware that they might encounter a Syclant user, and later on, a Revenankh user, too. If the server is known as a place to go when you are banned from official or a place to go when official is down, and there is an absolute ignorance about the CAP project, then the server is not serving its purpose.

I think something should be done about that. I really don't know exactly what, but if the only ones that have Syclant in mind when battling there are a handful of people, we have failed.

 

[Dane]

I really don't know exactly what, but if the only ones that have Syclant in mind when battling there are a handful of people, we have failed.

Password protect the server, with multiple passwords. Those passwords would be the names of the Pokemon created through CAP.

ie: As of now, 2 passwords would be accepted: Syclant and Revenankh

Obviously have a prompt that says the "hint" of the password being the name of any CAP created Pokemon.

 

[Time Mage]

Brilliant. If that's possible, it would be the best solution.

 

[chaos]

You're not going to attract many new users like that...

 

[darkie]

how about a message on title screen of the server linking to this subforum?

 

[Time Mage]

But if the new users just don't know anything about the new pokémon, and actually quit the battles against those using them... What good does that to the project?


If the Welcome message started with something like "READ THIS FIRST" in caps, and then explained briefly the purpose of the server (along with giving the passwords), I think only the ones too impatient or too dumb to not read that would be the ones not entering. They would be probably more than I think, but if things continue this way, we could just name the server "Your second option after Official".

Maybe I'm being slightly exaggerated in my reaction, but it really surprises me the sheer lack of knowledge about the project in the server.

how about a message on title screen of the server linking to this subforum?

Actually, that's what the welcome message has right now.

 

[darkie]

hmm..
In that case, you could make a password, that is found in this subforum; they can't enter unless they visit here and actually read.

edit:
okay, I just saw the message. If I were a random person that just got banned from the Official server, I wouldn't read that block of text.

 

[Magmortified]

how about a message on title screen of the server linking to this subforum?

If I recall, there's a link to the Syclant thread on the login screen or something, though it might have been updated.

The main issue is kind of that people barely read the login message to begin with.

 

[tennisace]

The main issue is kind of that people barely read the login message to begin with.

Which is where we get spammers and non-english speaking people from.

 

[Dane]

Which leads back to a password protected server, with the password being one of the CAP Pokemon. As long as a prompt is there saying what they need to input for the password (without saying the password itself, just so it's not a blank text box), they'd either have to learn what the CAP is or already know.

If the main problem is people just not being willing to battle against CAP Pokemon, and treating the server as a backup to the official server, who cares if they can't get in? Quality > Quantity.

 

[tennisace]

that could work, but people would just go to another server, probably pmnb if it's online.

 

[eric the espeon]

having 80% of the people I battle through the "Find" option ask "What the hell is that?" or "Why do you have 2 Dusknoirs?", and then disconnect after I explain them what's Syclant is a BIG problem.

agreed, though about half the people i see go "cool you can do that?" and then get swept by it as they dont know how to stop it.

Password protect the server, with multiple passwords. Those passwords would be the names of the Pokemon created through CAP.

bad bad idea, we would lose 70%-90% of our traffic.

my idea is to do /walls (with something like "please try out the new pokemon on this server Syclant, <link> it has been created on smogon pokemon university by a series of votes of the community, not a singe person") at 10-15 minute intervals when there are lots of people on. It could even be automated by the upcomeing modbot.

 

[Surgo]

Password protecting is pretty retarded. A message upon log-on that explains what's going on is a much better idea.

 

[tennisace]

you mean the login screen. this brings us back to the fact that nobody reads the login screen anyways, and half of the people come from official because they're banned. for all the good it's doing right now, you could change it to anything and not one person would notice. there has to be a way to do something about it

 

[Mekkah]

If people are coming in without reading the login message, not noticing it's a CREATE-A-POKEMON server, then that's their own damn fault in my opinion. No need to cater to those. If they came because they got banned from official, they are likely retards anyway.

 

[tennisace]

true, but at the same time, its unfair to the people battling when their opponent d/c's because a "second garchomp" is about to sweep them. its a losing battle that HAL will hopefully help with.

 

[Time Mage]

If people are coming in without reading the login message, not noticing it's a CREATE-A-POKEMON server, then that's their own damn fault in my opinion. No need to cater to those. If they came because they got banned from official, they are likely retards anyway.

Yeah, I've finally reached that same conclusion. So, since most people won't bother reading the welcome message, and even less visiting this forum (linked in the welcome message), I've been posting this when I see a lot of people connected, to at least try to make some people notice Syclant:

/wall This server, as its name implies, has an exclusive pokémon, Syclant. You can learn everything about it following this link:
/wall http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38249
/wall To see the sprites, follow the instructions on the second post of this link:
/wall http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38360

I only post it once every time I log in, and only if I see a lot of people, because so many /wall text is annoying. But I hope it will help even if it's a tiny bit.

I'll have to modify it once Revenankh is implemented, though.

 

[tennisace]

well why dont you sign on now and post it? there are a lot of people on now.

edit: i just posted it. server reaction: minimal.

 

[Time Mage]

If I'm not connected is because I can't. My access to this computer is now sporadic at best, I can't use it for more than 10 minutes straight.

 

[Rhykune]

Revenakh is on the server now?

 

[tennisace]

no, we just finished the polls. doug has to code it and finish HAL

 

[monkfish]

on entry:
This server uses some unofficial pokemon.


that should do the trick - a short sentence to catch people's attention, rather than a block of text that they won't read

 

[Hyra]

on entry:
This server uses some unofficial pokemon.


that should do the trick - a short sentence to catch people's attention, rather than a block of text that they won't read

This. And the a little blurb about seeing them @ smogon.com/forumnumber=66 (I think). Big, bold text grabs peoples attention. A link for those curious enough. I haven't done more than skim the current wall of text, eventhough it is only a paragraph.

 

[Sunday]

Can you even do bold text on a welcome message?

 

[Dane]

You might be able to bold, but I'd be surprised if you could change the size, and it's really a combination of the two that grabs eyes.