Clans - Up's and Down's - What out ways What?

you are getting off topic

I only want add that anyone who have enough free time and patience can try start his new, his own clan. This is best way he can really learn what is on clan building/maintenance difficult/easy and what all is needed to do for build a clan which is able survive longer time. What is most difficult to accept is ... clans are about ppl with +- similar idea about play, but those ppl have theirs personal lives, different behaviour, privacy needs, selfdiscipline and they solve things (understand troubles) differently. This all mean that in clan ppl change, some lost interest in game, some need concentrate on RL, come new ppl mosly with little experience which need time to learn and it all result in different clan presence in space. Are times when you need to have really big patience and think hard how to change clan activity from way down to way up.

... shortly to say: you need in clan build a friendship which go above game which this clan play and this way you will have members who want work for clan and give a hand when is needed.

... and now compare this above with freelancing ...

I appreciate your point of view, but friendships build in clans does not garuantee that the clans are active on CF.

Why is Disco so successfull in having high player counts ? I do not know because I ahve never actually played Disco MP before. Maybe someobody else out there has an answer.

I don't think we need a seperate threat for what is not workign and why, this is the thread - At least the name implies that to me.

Clearly CF is the most graphical advanced version of FL out there, but we still have issues keeping people on CF. Even clan members commenting how different CF is to Disco.

People like a challenge - my thinking - and CF is a stable, predictable server where you can trade in peace , pew pew in X or Arena when you are frustrated, and then leave.

There is no competition to gain a higher level as there is no recognition to it. No THING that makes new players stick around more than a few days and then disappear again.

In my software I develop, I find that more users use it when the ycan PERSONLISE it and make it 'their own', and I think this is why Disco can boast 179 players (i just schecked now) and there are only 14 on CF.

Would you not come back more often if you had the capability of LOOSING your base, ship, money, etc due to actions of others while you are inactive ? Would you not be hanging out in your own custom base, or defending it from attacke by others?

War and strife brings life to FL. Sorry to say, but CF does not have that any more, and ALL who whine to OP about being dockraped, or killed 'unfairly', just makes CF weaker.

GO OUT THERE AND KILL THEM BACK.

And if you cannot do it, get some friends to come back you up.

CF has become a very bland game server. It needs more action , adreniline and stress to keep you comign back to achieve that single goal of ... whatever ...

Like I said, Create a Clan license, and Attache certain equipment to each clan license, and only clans can have that equipment. So what if it creates and imbalance on the server.. . that is what we want.

If I want some equipment, or ships, or level of guns or level of sields, whatever, I need to gain that clan license to get that equipment,etc.

With Clan licenses, no need to have Tagged Chars to indicate the clan, but can be optional.

Clan licenses are linked to Base Reps - and disallow docking to bases where you have a 'red' rep. It's too easy to dock and spend 2M for a rep and purchase quipment after that.

Sorry for the disjointed responce, but I am prepared to document somethign like this if I know it wil lbe seriously concidered.

As an afterthought - Just look at how popular EVE is, not because it's protective ofplayers, but because it creates a challenge .. to build a ship, to gain money , to be killed without warning ..

WE are to blame for the CF situation - not OP - We asked for player protection and a way to 'complain' when we feel we were unjustly treated on the server.

Afterthought 2- Look at how many people was in the IC misisons of late - 15 and then 14 . That is basically 3/4 of all the players on the server ... and ask why? Because there were fighting and killing and specific goals to be acheived as a group.

Kind Regards

We shouldnt forget its Freelancer game we are talking about, a game nearly 10 years old. It has no option to build your own base. It can be done - but that has to be applied manually to the game. And i personally find all that games where you create your own character (body, face whatever) or paint your rooms, your ships kinda boring. If i want to play a sci fi game then those features are not the things i would look for. That shall be left to games like Sims.

Then we already have faction based docking. As pirate i cannot dock on police bases when i am hostile to them. Same applies to planet crossfire if you get hostile to the ASF faction there. Nevertheless there must be something on Disco that attracts players. But i dont believe its because players can paint their ship, select colors of lights, build up bases - its probably because the players there are just needed in their respective rank - dunno for sure.

In time i were in a clan, the situation was not really better or comfortable. Disadvantages of the clans at those times were and probably nowadays are that each clan had an agreement with other clans. You barely find a clan who has no alliances or a special mutual agreement. Its the rules that makes everything so damn complicated if it comes to RP. The clan alliances for example have led to the situation that nearly none tried to attack any other player because it would have either damaged the clans reputation or anyone would have got mad with you as player for whatever reason. There were a few exceptions but in general such alliances have nothing useful imo. Then all the asking about permission for entering here, buying there... Thats crap too. It has avoided RP in many aspects. Players usually dont want any further stress. So ok if they cannot have equipment A or ship B because its locked by a clan then i get another one. Why do i have to make stress about it? Its a clans responsibility to protect their stuff in time. If they cant, then their fault. Its a lot of inter clan communication and interacting with each other that has destroyed the clans. BTW that is also reason of the missing ASF/CSF role play. No one tries to play it because you can be sure someone complains about either lag, unfair behavior... all in all it has become too complex with all the rules.

Anyway clans are good - but its their job to recruit and keep their members. Freelancer can contribute to the server rp in the same manner like clans do. Actually there is no limitation for Freelancers (besides a little regarding the ASF/CSF). Freelancer can also play any role and with that balance the server rp if needed. Clans for instance cannot balance it easily - it would require to have a balanced load of clan players online. And in the same manner Freelancer can keep the server running if they intent to donate to the server - to maintain a place they like to hang out, do their rp and have their fun. It must not be the clans only... Finally its up to everyone to either join a clan or not. A player is not more or less worth if he either is a clan member or not. Thats just my understanding.

Another aspect i just want to mention. The more features we add the more unstable the server might get.

Very good Reply. Thanks Huor.

I tend to disagree with the customizing aspect not keeping players, but then we all cannot agree on everything.

Thanks forall the hard work you have put in.

granted Freelancer is an old game, but i know of at least 1 other game that's 8 years old (came out in 2004, FL came in 2003) still has multiple *populated* servers up (some reach 75/100 plater) and communities and mods and tournaments and people still play on a decently consistent basis with real life problems going on

this is the game i left CF to play in 2009...being Joint Operations and more specifically the International Conflict Mod and tournament. i left that community because some act like children when they aren't Rambo-ing and doing their own thing during battleday on Sunday (it's an FPS)...and it was boring having the opportunity to cause mass chaos and get in the top 3 on the scoreboard with a hydra bird only to be forced into being a flare bitch...

the lesson being is that even old games like Joint Operations, Quake 3, Command and Conquer (Generals and newer) Freelancer STILL has a player base and does whatever that community can to keep it alive. i remember the HUGE movement that the entire Freelancer Community to stop the FL Global Server List from shutting down, and when it did, within months was there a bootleg or work around or something for the global server list. if players lost interest when M$ did, most of the mods and communities wouldn't be here today

Clans don't make the server, People make the server. clans make it more fun

Quote

Clans don't make the server, People make the server. clans make it more fun

Well, thinking it only counting the game yes... but unless every player starts donating like 2 € or so, clans are still fundamental for the server. And most RP is reserved for clans anyway, freelancers are accepted (like for ASF vs CSF) only cus of need of firepower, but in future topics they may be out of some story.

clans - backup, teamwork, "friendly face in system", clear targets...

"Even the clans, yours included, which still exist, have no active members"

Clans survive on a few factors. The members being active, participating in RP and not being "targeted" to be driven off the server by players. This is the same for your chosen RP, being a cop or pirate isn't easy, but it's certainly more interesting than the other 2, being Smuggler and Mercenary, imo.

Quote from (IOC)Rex Nebular

I could have said "fug it" and quit, or returned to freelancer status or even joined another clan but I didn't and I was rewarded

A great reward, isn't it ?

Now the mission would be to keep them in IOC and more or less active. It is much easier without others trying to drive them away and such.

Whatever reasons somebody would have to "name call", do psychical damage (as important as physical harm) by downrating your clan or name calling the clan are not an excuse for such behaviour. From a while back, since a bit before PX was banned, such behavior is not tolerated and any kind of attack to the integrity of your, or another clan are bannable. (now think again at the part of "a bit before" ).
Trying to destroy one's work, an entire clan, just to damage that somebody cus he ignores/is immune to somebody's name calling is totally stupid and suicidal, but it happened.

So protect your people at all cost

Good to see a healthy discussion on a topic that needs attention! With respect to time zones, though, I have always valued having players in the clan from as many different time zones as possible. This ensures that the clan has the maximum exposure to FL players, and the best chance that clan members can have a reasonable expectation of grouping with their clan mates SOME of the time. I can honestly say that I hardly ever saw players from clans where all the members were from eastern Europe, since my time zone is GMT -7hrs. Add to that fact that the best clan members are also responsible citizens in RL, many of them have real jobs & families which don't leave as much cockpit time as we would like. In any case, clans do have a somewhat "tidal" life cycle, which ebbs & flows over time. Apart from selecting a clan with the RP of your choice, the most important consideration for clan choice is its overall longevity and contribution to the server. If you still can't find a suitable match, you are free to start one of your own, provided you have the extra time required!