Transdimensional balance

[Jezebelle]

I was going to post this under "RK2 People Unite" until I saw how verbose it turned out and decided I didn't want to hijack that thread and make it harder to count the RK2 voices.

I'm not exactly an "RK2 native", but I've been thinking about this recently. I play about as little on RK2 as I do on RK1. If I play RK1 a little more often, it's because GSP is there more often, but I have friends on both. When I'm only logging in for shows, I get to missing my RK2 friends. And I know at least one of them feels like RK2 is being neglected by most GSP DJs.

Of course, I'll be just as happy to dance for GSP on either dimension, maybe even RK0 once I get around to trying that "Duplicator" thing, but I wouldn't mind seeing a little more effort to get RK2 some attention.

The way I see it, it's a self-sustaining cycle:
1) The shows on RK2 are smaller and those who do show are mostly RK1 natives on alts with just a few RK2 natives, so the DJs feel like it's not as good a show. Or they'd rather be on their own home dimension where the majority of their listeners are more at home.
2) Because the DJs aren't as pleased with the turnouts there or aren't as comfortable there, they do fewer shows there.
3) Because there are fewer shows, there are fewer occasions for new potential listeners to discover GSP
4) Because there are fewer new listeners and fewer shows to attend, some listeners are losing interest and drifting away and not being replaced.
5) Dwindling interest and listener count lead back to #1.

Unless effort is applied to that cycle somewhere, it will just continue to get worse. There will, I'm sure, be die-hard fans still, but they're the ones who are willing to make RK1 alts and show up there. To get those who are devoted to RK2, have ties to RK2 friends and orgs, are dedicated to their RK2 characters, or just started playing on the default dimension, GSP would have to make a concerted effort to work uphill against that cycle until it reaches a better, more sustainable level.

My suggestion, for any DJs who feel it's worth the effort, is to have some shows in visible, but out of the way, places on RK2. Somewhere newcomers might notice them, but "powergamers" won't get upset and waste their day griefing the party for slowing them down by a whole second. Either of the Newland Bronto Burger stands would be good, as would that spot in Borealis Nushen likes, by the ramp down to the giant unused door across from the whompahs. Not in bars or around waterfalls where nobody will see us unless they're already looking, and not right in front of Fair Trade where people will get upset.

I understand that the majority preference should usually rule, but wouldn't it be even better to spread the love around a bit more? Maybe catch the attention of some new listeners who might become addicted enough to make RK1 alts and increase the listener count on both dimensions? Pleasing the majority is a safe strategy, but I prefer to give everyone some attention more evenly. It has better potential returns.

Just my observations and opinions. If your interpretation or perspective differs, please discuss.

[Sprkly]

I think your points are quite valid, Jezebelle. I think it's something us dj's need to discuss and put some sort of policy on our bi-dimensionality to ensure we get fair coverage for RK2.

I only recently got my RK2 Sprklygrrl set up to dj, so I'll plan on doing some RK2 shows. This week's Sprkle Party I have already announced as RK1, but the following week I think it would be appropriate.

Thanks for the input!

Xoxo

[Ashval]

I gave it my best shot both with my own shows (alternating every week) and also as a strong suggestion to the other DJ's while Director to try to be more active on RK2. It worked to a degree, but there just seems to be a different mentality on RK2 in my opinion. The casual play and social scene just aren't as prevalent there, or they certainly weren't during most of my time with GSP.

It becomes very difficult to justify telling DJ's, who are donating their time, where they should be spending that time. I've always felt it's a worthwhile goal for GSP to try to be as equal as possible, but it just hasn't worked out as well as I'd have hoped. It's definitely not as simple as just doing more shows on RK2, though.

[Switchfront]

Well said Ashval.

[Jezebelle]

What I don't understand is why there's even a difference. Has it always been that way? They're basically the same planet that different people landed on at different times, so it's not the dimension itself that's any different. How did the people turn out to be different? Do the dominant orgs and factions have that much influence? Have that many people tried both enough to choose the one that fits them best? What about the newcomers who, lacking any indication of the difference, go with the default?

And what about the "RP Community" I keep hearing about on RK2? I'd suggest trying to fit in with them, but I suspect there's too much drama potential there, especially with GSP being technically Omni there. Maybe there's something less intrusive we can do to fit in better with whatever's different there.

The in-game events and org parties there seem to go pretty well, usually. Those have a little RP to them, but it's relaxed. It's still a party. So what's different about those, other than having Other Forces at work to get people there?

Maybe we need to ask some RK2 players. Preferably including the ones who don't frequent this board. As a fr00b, I can't post on the FC forums, but on AOFroobs I could. And I could make some time to hang out on RK2 and find someone to talk to.

I hope you all don't feel like I'm pushing too hard here. It's just something I've been thinking about lately, and that other topic got me motivated to post about it.

[Vallikat]

I'm not particularly sure why there is a difference Jez. However it has always been that way. To an extent I could almost blame it on the fact that in the beginning GSP did not exist on RK2. However I think enough time has past to have negated that fact. After all, I expect that most people in game now were probably not in game back before they moved there.

Perhaps this is a job for the GSP Dancers.

*puts her thinking cap on*

[Roth]

I don't know what it is about RK2 either, but there does seem to be some sort of lacking connection between GSP and the players, whose to blame I don't know, but most likely both. So anyways here's the opinion of someone who is just a player:

I originally started on RK2 when I first heard about this game with some RL friends. We never got very far in game, and they left after about a month of playing, but I kept going until my fixer got to around lvl100, and in my entire time there I think I only ever saw one person shouting the "Now Listening to" macro for gsp granted I was clan, but I wouldn't think that would matter to much to GSP followers. So before this story gets much longer: RK2=barely heard about GSP literally just enough to get to this website and download the player and start listening, left the game for awhile came back and started playing on RK1 instead, RK1=OMG its a GSP show, stop the raid its time to ROCK OUT!!!!!

I agree it would be nice to see a few more "RK2"s when I turn on the player, but I never personally saw much of an effort on there side either.

[Shigy]

I can't speak for other DJs but my show is at a fairly odd time for Americans (probably the largest single country of listeners to GSP). A lot of my regular listeners don't come out on there dance alts or anything like that they come out on there play characters. On rk2 some of them just don't come out and some of them log alts over to rk2 but I think I've seen one native rk2er which was Lutzie who is on both dimensions. Now I'd be happy to do more rk2 shows if I thought it would get more (or new) listeners but not at expense of my regular shows. Some who have been coming to my shows for years.

[Kriegshammer]

I started on RK2 myself and I have to say I miss my character there. My main on RK1 was meant to be a party alt only, but since some time shows started to focus on RK1 my party alt became my main and vice versa. I was on RK2 to grab the AO anniversary items and a good acquaintance sent me a /tell about how surprised she was to see me because she thought I had quit. It sometimes even feels strange to be there now.

I'd love to see more shows on RK2 but I can really understand why DJs prefer RK1: Since I started in early 2007 there were always fewer people to attend the shows on RK2 and it was mostly on RK2 when people tried to spoil the parties I visited.

Also, as I live in Germany there are some shows I can almost never show up to hang out with the party crew...

[audrima]

Gather around youngens ;P in beta there was 1 server rk1, and all was good. the plan was for 1 server. then there was gold (or beta gold as we called it) and the server overloaded and the server was "Split" and 6 months later it was playable as 2 servers. then the germans wanted there server then the pop was split again. and the germans were happy too. thus the story of the 3 rk's (and ofcourse test cause we can't wait to see what they want and they can't test there own stuff ;P)

meo ^^

[Jezebelle]

So I posted on AOFroobs and got only a couple responses so far. I told them I'd get the message back here if they posted there, so here's the most useful one:

Publicity is probably a major part of it. I mostly only pay attention to the Roleplaying circles, and don't generally leave the OOC chats active, but I would guess that about 1/2 the time I do hear about a party, I'll show up (or try to). If I'm busy with a mission or something, I'd finish up first, which can sometimes take longer than the party will run, but if I'm not busy, I'll at least try to make it to the party...

I missed one a while back because it was in somebody's org HQ, and I couldn't get anybody to respond to my /tells asking to help me get inside.

I think the biggest issue is just that most of the GSP events on Rimor aren't as well known - there isn't as large of a pool of "regulars," and those of us who might come (but don't know the schedule and don't think to check the GSP website) never hear about them.

(Here's a link to the thread if you want to reply or read the rest of them.) There was only that one good clue in there so far, but it got me thinking some more.

Twitter just might be a good solution for that problem, but they don't seem to be using it. At a guess, I'd say that people who do use Twitter mostly don't want to be bothered with it while they're busy in the game, and people who don't aren't likely to install it just for this if they're not big enough fans to just leave the player running in the first place. It's probably helping some, and if we spread the word about it more when we're on RK2, it might help more.

I have two suggestions for additional ways we could help this along, but they're complicated, technical, and require resources I don't think I have. I'd be willing to help with what I can, but I can't do it myself.

First off, marking the calendar with which dimension regular shows are scheduled for would help them see when GSP will be there and prove that you're trying (some are just turned off by the perception that they're being "neglected" or "dismissed"). I'm sure this would be logistically difficult to keep up with, possibly requiring updates to the schedule page on a daily basis. Perhaps some mechanism for DJs to set their own future schedule dimensions could be arranged, distributing the updating work to a manageable level. I don't know if it would be worth it, but if someone can come up with an easier way, it might.

The more complicated idea (yeah, sorry) is also one I don't entirely understand. Can bots be used for announcements on private channels without allowing anyone else on the channel to say anything to it? Could there be a "GSPannounce" Private Channel and bot that auto-invites anyone who sends it a tell, but the only thing they'll hear on that channel is show start and end announcements and the only tell they'll get is a welcome message describing the current show?

[Shigy]

I believe the second isn't possible Jeze but what you can do is basically have something like GSP listeners channel with a bot in and just get it to use coloured text so it sticks out when a show starts. Don't know who would want to set up such a bot...or if we could use gridbot for it?

[Sprkly]

I just had an absolutely AWESOME show on RK2 today! Sure, there were a lot of RK1 alts, but I had the show in the ICC square and we nabbed quite a few new listeners. I would guess that for a good portion of the show, there were more than 20 people in vicinity.

It just goes to show that when we give RK2 a fair chance, they can party down with us fer sure! This pleases me much. I, for one, will definitely be doing more shows in RK2 in the future.

[Phaetonix]

I should probably say, My last show was on rk2. My shows are usually a touch quiet, but I did have more RK2 natives them RK1 people there, it was pretty cool

[Nomax]

In 2008, I created my character on Rimor. I did so because I read somewhere that there were more European players on that server. So I chose that server thinking it would be easier for long team play if other players lived around the same time zone.

Then I began to listen to GSP. I was saddened to see that most Gridstream shows were on Atlantean.

If I had to create a new character today, I would choose to create it on RK1, just because of GSP shows. But to stick to my role play principles, I limit myself to only one character per game.

It's always a pleasure to hear; "tell xxxx and you might win 20 millions credits.... oh by the way, you must be on RK1".

Fortunately, there are more shows on RK2 lately. A big "Thank You" to all DJs doing shows on RK2!!!

I would love to see shows on par on the two servers but if there are less people on RK2, a good idea would be to do every third show on RK2.

I mean, for each show:
ep 1: RK1
ep 2: RK1
ep 3: RK2
ep 4: RK1
ep 5: RK1
ep 6: RK2
and so on...

And also write the server where the show happens on the calendar page.

The best solution would be to organize shows on both servers simultaneously. But that would require the DJ to have two games running at the same time...