Brainstorming: Ideas for EfU advertisement/propaganda

[Kiaring]

Hey guys!

I had an idea earlier today, that I thought was worth mentioning to the community. Basically, it occurred to me that at this point, NWN's age stops being a hindrance (due to the constant hemorrhaging of players) and starts becoming an advantage (the game is affordable, on its most stable/developed version and any computer can run it, nowadays).

With this in mind, I think we could say NWN is headed to the same place where MUDs, a select few EverQuest shards and other such platforms reside, in the cosmology of gaming: The excellent-RP-platform niche. What I mean by this is simple: This is arguably the greatest online roleplaying platform ever devised. The power of NWscript, combined with the creativity and thousands upon thousands of hours of work put into EfU certainly puts it on par with the WotC source material for the Forgotten Realms. Sanctuary, and indeed Ymph, were crafted so well that in my opinion they would deserve their own campaign setting auxiliary books.

Since that isn't happening, the next best thing is for us to go out and get the people who'd buy and enjoy those books in here, playing with us.

How do we do that?

First thing to keep in mind:

<@Howl> All that I ask is that we not piss anyone off, or be obnoxious and tasteless in any way.

Internet advertisement is one of the most tasteless, obnoxious things ever devised. It is generally uncalled for, and proffered by a person (some times not even that!) who you do not know, nor wish to know or have any sort of contact with. So, advertising things on the webz is generally a good way to get people to think you're an obnoxious, tasteless goon with nothing good to say.

This is why I've opened up this thread as a place for us to brainstorm new, good ways to advertise EfU in this sort of community: Places where people are focused on roleplaying, rather than gaming. NWN is hopelessly outclassed as a computer game, but it is unparalleled as a roleplaying platform. If we can reach out to the roleplayers out there, I think we could draw a good few of them in here. I know what you're thinking. Getting someone to buy a seven-year-old game that they do not own, to try out a user-content-based PW designed and run by people who do not make any money out of it sounds crazy. But hey, so does spending hours upon hours of sunlight sitting in a dank room, trying to think of your next character now that Caddies ganked you.

This is my initial pitch of the idea:

1) We get some material together. Screenshots, statements, maybe even stories about past IG events. Things that would get people who have nothing to do with EfU or NWN excited, and eager to try out our server, even if that meant dishing out a good deal of cash for it.

2) We go to places we (or some of us, at least!) are regulars in. These could be anything from RL roleplay/gaming parlors, to internet-based roleplay forums, to FR communities across the globe. This would take care of the whole 'obnoxious traveling salesman' side of things: If we advertise first to people that we know, we don't look like douches who came out of nowhere trying to get them to do something they want no part in.


To make my most important point clearer: NWN is hopelessly outclassed as a computer game, but remains one of the best roleplaying platforms ever conceived, and will remain for as long as places like EfU exist. All we have to do is convince hardcore roleplayers looking for a new and exciting experience of this, and we'll have ourselves 50 new players in a few months. Or 10. Or 1. But, hey, if they bring in some awesome, it'll have been worth it.

Ideally this should be handled by players, so that DMs don't have to shuffle their already absurdly busy schedules around to accommodate something that while really nice and thoughtful, might not pan out into IG benefits for us all.

I'd like to hear some thoughts.

[Kiaring]

tl;dr

I'm looking for ideas to advertise EfU as a roleplaying experience (not a gaming experience, folks!) in roleplay-oriented communities, be they IRL or on the web. I think we can all agree that an influx of players (the more the merrier) would make for a very nice turn of events.

[Sternhund]

A long time ago, before EFUA I thought of advertising on the NWVault. Of course, these are no longer useable, but you might find them interesting anyway.


(I didn't like this one after all)

[9lives]

You can probably see why we, er, opted for a more conservative route.

[PanamaLane]

Entertainment sells itself. Why not put together a 5 min short using the game, like an animated movie? We could use Sanctuary as the background. It could be funny, or serious or hopefully both. We put it up on youtube with a dungeons and dragons tag and people will watch it who like that kind of material.

I'd be happy to work with anyone on this kind of project.

[Caddies]

Best places to advertise are on other servers, honestly.

[DangerousDan]

Best places to advertise are on other servers, honestly.

Are you suggesting we mole other servers? I will go to Amia, you can go to CoA and we'll send Wern8 deep undercover to KinkyKingdom.

[9lives]

PUN

[Lansert]

"Escape from the Underdark:  It so does not suck!"

"Escape from the Underdark:  Your brain will explode from the awesomeness!"

"Escape from the Underdark:  Hell yes."

"Escape from the Underdark:  WWJP?  What Would Jesus Play?"

[Garem]

I think the most simple and effective means of supporting EfUA by finding new players is to, quite literally, be an evangelist. Interpersonal communication, telling others about how fun it is and the cool stories you've seen or heard or BEEN in is a great way to go. No joke, I've told some of my close fraternity brothers (hard drinking, hard partying sons'a'bitches!) about my nerdy addiction and the stories within and they found it so interesting they would ask me for updates every week or so. They'll never play, but it goes to show you that this place really is that awesome and don't be afraid to expand your vision outside of the normal RP groups!

I've got a friend who just bought NWN2 because I've played so long, he thought it might be fun... then he found out it was one NWN 1. >.> Woops. Be sure to give accurate information!

[Thomas_Not_very_wise]

I've went to other servers and pointed out what EFU does better, tell a story, and not be hack and slash.

[Wern8]

Are you suggesting we mole other servers? I will go to Amia, you can go to CoA and we'll send Wern8 deep undercover to KinkyKingdom.

Despicable idea, Dan. You may go to KinkyKingdom, instead of sending me.

[Kiaring]

I'm quite against going to other servers. I think this breaches the whole 'let's not be obnoxious and annoying about this'. I would also contend that they no longer constitute the best place to advertise. I'm trying to think of places like roleplay forums, or other FR-related communities on the web, or IRL.

[dragonfire9000]

I think we do need more new players, but also that most obvious forms of advertising will not bring us the kind of players we want. Word of mouth is usually how this gets passed around. Heck, I just saw it had players on the Server List and came over on the boat from CoA.

[Cluckyx]

I came to this server through word of mouth. Halfbrood told me >_>