Building and maintaining an active community

[sniko]

Hey, so I know some of you here are still having success in running a text-based game in 2020. I am hoping we can crowdsource a list of things a game manager/owner can do to help build their community as well as maintain their existing player-base.

I have not run a game or a community in a while, but in theory I know how to maintain one - building one is what I imagine to be the hardest part. How would you go about building a new community?

• Bimonthly newsletters - Email players twice every month of things that has happened in the game (ie: new Hall of Fame placements) in the last 15 days, what is in the pipeline for new features, and give promocodes out
• Multiple communication channels - Have an active chat area and even allow for stale chats to stay, this can be in the form of live chat/IRC and forums
• Run competitions - with tiered prizes for most referrals, most attacks, ....
• Frequent planned updates - update the game with new features and bug patches on a frequent schedule with a public changelog
• Mobile-first methodology - optimize the game for mobile and have support for desktop
• Having clear and enforced community rules - governance is hard but it is critical that your rules are clear and ban hammers are handed out to those who exploit/break the rules

What other tactics do you have to build and maintain a community?

Edited July 14, 2020 by sniko

[InverTed]

Dont stop adding content, i dont mean like mods and things of that sort. I mean real content, provide a storyline. Take your community seriously, allow them to suggest new things. Noone knows what a gamer wants more than a gamer. Interact often, if your community doesnt ever hear from you, they will make the assumption the game is just meant to make money, and not for user enjoyment. 

[Sim]

I believe what @InverTed said it's the most important thing. Fresh, consistent, updates, content, features, contest keep the game from become to boring. If there's nothing new, there's never nothing new.

 

Players need a reason to keep coming back. Every gamer has there own preference, some like collecting, some like the power of fame, some like battling.

 

I think announcements of what's to come could be a good idea, or bad if you don't follow threw. It gives them something to look forward to.

^^ with what I said, maybe finish your update before an announcement, then anounce it that will be coming soon this way your desire is met and proper testing is done.