Why Your RP Server Always Fails
#1

DO THESE, AND YOUR RP SERVER IS NOT EVEN WORTH STARTING

1. You worry too much about the script and not enough about the unique IDEA for the server. Everything has been done already and if you see servers doing anything remotely what you're trying to do.. *COUGH COUGH* RP IN LOS SANTOS * COUGH COUGH* then you have NO CHANCE in the market.
2. You don't bother to learn. You MUST have a basic understanding of scripting, mapping, etc. You are the manager so you must know everyone's job.
3. You hire admins based on friendship rather than dedication to the server and qualifications.
4. You offer refunds.
5. You make generic posts, and use stupid names like American Roleplay or "INSERT LONG ENGLISH WORD" Roleplay
6. You are self-hosting
7. Your server was made to make you a few hundred bucks and it's all PAY TO WIN. Donate 20 USD and you can have infernus, starter package, 28492859184 dollars, 3 hookers, all guns in-game, and invincibility from bans so you can DM every player on server.


HERE IS HOW YOU SUCCEED! (THIS IS PROVEN)
STEP 1. Think of an original idea. Start with a small space so small playerbase is no problem and never boring!
Example: HMM, ISland Roleplay where you restrict vehicles to Sanchez, Quad, and that bumpy sand looking thing. Add in a casino on the island, etc. Expand as you go. Have a faction of men wearing black suits (skin 165) who are in the woods and a secretive faction whose main purpose is to ensure that nobody gets off the island. Script in a ship that comes and goes, delivering cargo. Script in custom jobs like island cleaners. Instead of Police, have Island security who DO NOT WEAR POLICE OFFICER SKINS but instead use the new relaxed off-duty officer skins or come up with something but restrict it for that faction only! Even the Cadet skin is good for this.
Example 2: Take a major area, not too small and not too big. I would suggest Fort Carson area. Wall it off all around like a giant dome fell from the sky one day. Players have no way of leaving the area so all roleplay and life takes place within the area. This can go in so many different ways. Have a starting faction of weird scientist dudes who are somehow coming in and out of the dome'd section as they please through their base. Their RP purpose is to abduct people and do testing on them then release them back into the dome. HAVE SOMETHING UNIQUE AND INTERESTING. LIMIT THE PROPERTY PEOPLE CAN OWN. It's not that hard at all!
PROOF: Think of when Prison RP servers first came out, everyone went crazy for them. Unfortunately, none of the owners of these servers ever thought outside of the box and went on to step 3, which is EXPAND.

STEP 2. Implement, dedicate, and work. Be creative, organize a good team, and get it done for god's sakes. I know you're anxious to release it fast but make sure it's operable. The first impression is what counts so when players join your server and it's not functional, they are quitting and most likely 50% will not return.. And the other 50% might do so out of curiosity YEARS later. Get your stuff looking fresh to the point where you can release the game and manage the players and the community.

STEP 3. Know when to expand and DO IT. By expand, I do not simply mean the server boundaries but also the factions, the abilities, the roleplay, the staff, the functions, etc. If you did the Island idea, add a second island on which you can have MORE vehicles since it'll have roads and be bigger. See what I'm getting at? Add in a ship that goes from one island to the other but costs a LOT of money, give the players goals and objectives. Make vehicle SUPER expensive. Expand admin team, get hella strict as now you have room to be picky. Good admins = Good community.

STEP 4. Never stop promoting. So many server owners just quit trying after they reach a steady playerbase of 30-50-maybe even 60 players. It is your job to do marketing for your server. Make awesome ******* videos, encourage players to promote and bring their friends. Get innovative and offer rewards for bringing friends. Do ANYTHING in your power to make your server grow and do not stop when things don't go your way for the first few tries.

STEP 5. Stay positive, be happy, and enjoy what you're doing because if you're not having fun, all you will end up doing is demotivating yourself and not getting anything done.

P.S - I am a big supporter of Heavy RP servers because rather than shaping your server to fit the criteria of all the neglects, you should enforce heavy RP and help EDUCATE these neglects into becoming valuable SA-MP RP players. I have nothing against foreigners, rulebreakers, etc. They can all be educated. And heavy RP servers get way more in depth, thus more fun and enjoyable. They can hook players more easily.

If you need any more coaching, PM me. I don't want to discuss my previous names and projects but I ran two servers before which both succeeded for an extended duration of time. Unfortunately, I learned from my mistakes and I'm here to help you learn from my mistakes as well. I never had the 3rd, 4th, and 5th step which I do now. I didn't expand fast enough, people got bored since EVERYTHING gets boring eventually. I also stopped promoting thinking that things would just grow naturally. At last, I was negative and felt like the server was a burden and thought of it as a job and as something that interferes with my personal life.
Reply
#2

I skimmed some of the important details in your tutorial and I think it's very helpful.
Reply
#3

I 100% agree with the Prison RP statement.
Reply
#4

Good point(s) ! i wonder if any newbee RP server starter would read this entirely though
Reply
#5

Quote:

HMM, ISland Roleplay where you restrict vehicles to Sanchez, Quad, and that bumpy sand looking thing. Add in a casino on the island, etc. Expand as you go. Have a faction of men wearing black suits (skin 165) who are in the woods and a secretive faction whose main purpose is to ensure that nobody gets off the island. Script in a ship that comes and goes, delivering cargo. Script in custom jobs like island cleaners. Instead of Police, have Island security who DO NOT WEAR POLICE OFFICER SKINS but instead use the new relaxed off-duty officer skins or come up with something but restrict it for that faction only! Even the Cadet skin is good for this.

Your brief, most like 5 minute example actually sounds like a great way to start a server.. Imagine if you actually sat down and really thought about it. Could not agree more, people seem to just plagiarize scripts, copy LSRP's forum open a server and its gone within a few weeks.

+1
Reply
#6

Roleplaying in a dome gets a little-.. uh, well-.. tight? Imagine cop chases around a dome, underground criminal activities in a dome, gang banging in a dome, wow. Sure, it's going to be great RP with a good background as if radiation spread and government forced to wall off the area and its citizens(simpsons movie ehm), but it's great roleplay for the scientists, knowingly that they have access in and out. What of the people living inside? Does it not get a little bit boring, you're stuck in one place.

If you're going for this, don't dome the area, instead- choose one main town, Fort Carson as an example and only make scripted stuff there and its county regions, so people are forced to stay around Fort Carson if they are looking to use the bank/shops and stuff. Maybe close off major cities like Los Santos & San Fierro, but leave Red County so police chases, criminal activities etc. may have more variations and it doesn't get too repetitive/boring.

But what are the odds of success? I've seen a lot of servers that's done this. IBP Roleplay, Bone County Roleplay and a ton others, they all met their untimely fate of failing and dying. And trust me, they had a good administration who answered my questions in a second. But honestly what made me left, and possibly others is because of how bland it gets, barely any action goes by. If you are willing to allow active players that value character development to write a faction thread then script them a farm and etc., then you're good. Adds more variation to what you can roleplay. Also, allowing players to join factions without the need of microphone, do it. Trust me, I've seen a lot of disappointed players joining 10 different servers to join LEO factions, they are just looking for RP and probably live in an area where it's very noisy or have a family. This will bolster your playerbase by a mile by the very least.

Island RP sounds like a good idea too, provided there is a detailed and logical explanation as to why "MIB" agents are restricting people to leave the island, and why there are even inhabitants on the island in the first place. No one likes to roleplay in a setting where it makes no sense, right? It limits character development.

Overall, I agree with the rest of the thread.
Reply
#7

Well, your pleading could be easily transformed into a tutorial. You listed there some important do's and dont's. However, speaking from my own experience, there is a huge boundery between words and facts. It's easy to say something and harder to achieve it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Krest
Посмотреть сообщение
I've seen a lot of disappointed players joining 10 different servers to join LEO factions, they are just looking for RP and probably live in an area where it's very noisy or have a family. This will bolster your playerbase by a mile by the very least.
I totally agree with it. The microphones have their own benefits, and is really enjoyable to communicate with others by voice while playing, but some people can't really do this due to various reasons.
Reply
#8

Every mature and intellectual person would know these steps. You have pointed really good points which would be useful for people who lacks managament skills.
Reply
#9

**Claps**
Reply
#10

Nice one buddy! Keep going.
Reply
#11

Very nice job on explaining the current situation with the RP servers!
We gotta hope for the best.
Reply
#12

Quote:
Originally Posted by HugoWorm
View Post
DO THESE, AND YOUR RP SERVER IS NOT EVEN WORTH STARTING

HERE IS HOW YOU SUCCEED! (THIS IS PROVEN)
STEP 1. Think of an original idea.
Yeah, most 'original' ideas are pretty much non original now, most rp servers have done stuff unique and now it's just over used shit, people aren't gonna find original stuff.
Reply
#13

I like your points. I don't own an RP, but do have what I consider a successful SA-MP server.

Quote:

1. You worry too much about the script and not enough about the unique IDEA for the server. Everything has been done already and if you see servers doing anything remotely what you're trying to do.. *COUGH COUGH* RP IN LOS SANTOS * COUGH COUGH* then you have NO CHANCE in the market.
2. You don't bother to learn. You MUST have a basic understanding of scripting, mapping, etc. You are the manager so you must know everyone's job.
3. You hire admins based on friendship rather than dedication to the server and qualifications.
4. You offer refunds.
5. You make generic posts, and use stupid names like American Roleplay or "INSERT LONG ENGLISH WORD" Roleplay
6. You are self-hosting
7. Your server was made to make you a few hundred bucks and it's all PAY TO WIN. Donate 20 USD and you can have infernus, starter package, 28492859184 dollars, 3 hookers, all guns in-game, and invincibility from bans so you can DM every player on server.

My comments on your points that I feel strongly about (more or less supported):

1. Think like you're a player. Why exactly should people want to be staying on your server?
2. Fundamental. You can work in a team but you risk having a dispute with your team which will may affect the future of your server entirely.
3. This honestly took advantage over me, but definitely I agree. If your 'friend' is redundant then sincerely GET RID OF HIM.
4. Exactly. Think yourself, you have all the money in the game. You buy the most expensive assets there is available, now what's so special if other players have the same thing?
5. Some servers actually do well with stupid names, after-all KISS.
6. Yep, fundamental to keep your server 24/7 that way you do not risk losing the interest of your potential players.
7. I don't know any successful server that started off with a financial objective.

It is absolutely ludicrous to start a server in hope of making a money initially... Calculate real life expenses and you will realize that bills and food will overwhelm your 'profit' and is therefore pointless. Unless you have a server that has HUNDREDS of players to throw money at you, or you are a god at marketing - find another way to make money.
Reply
#14

To be honest most of these tips and information are not really the big deal breaker in my eyes.

The problem is nowadays most English RPers especially people who are interested in actual role play so a strict / heavy environment are already dedicated to a community.

SA-MP is getting old it is not dying but the English side of SA-MP is dying and that's so easy to tell. Go check out SACNR and search "eng" the full English servers in ranks is rank 15 the next is 30 and than not until 79. Out of the top 100 servers in SA-MP by players only less than eight are English accepted servers.

So if the English side of SA-MP is dying nowadays what does that exactly mean? This means SA-MP is barely gaining any new native English speakers that speak and write in proper English. This means most of them do not want to learn or do strict or heavy RP in the English language. They rather either play light-roleplay where they don't really need to use proper English or simply join a server in their own language.

So now add the fact that there is hundreds of role play servers operating right now because kids seem to think that having a few different features from a popular RP server will make people want to leave that RP server and join theirs instead, the problem is nobody wants to simply leave their RP community they're dedicated towards, they are already settled and already have a reputation and have fun and so forth why would you change that for a server that doesn't even have a track record? For a admin position? Well clearly they won't be good admins than because all they're there for is for the admin position and not the actual community itself.

Opening a heavy / strict English RP server nowadays and it being successful is like winning the lottery. You can have as many friends as you want but normally the only reason they're switching is because they assume you are going to give them special treatment and special powers such as admin which normally makes them horrible ass admins because they have no actual dedication to the community, the dedication is the power to them.

I have seen RP servers that open up and do better than I do nowadays on PR-RP and they reach 60-70 players on the first few days of opening but than after a week all the hype is gone and people realize either they're not going to get that special treatment or people do get special treatment and abuse it or get bored and ruin it for others. Than all of a sudden they're completely dead and lucky to reach 5 players a day because all the players re-join the popular RP communities they are already apart of.

My suggestion to many people wanting to open a English RP server for SA-MP DON'T. Instead of thinking you can create a better server just STOP and realize that unless you have actual dedicated players who have memories with your community itself and are dedicated to the actual community than you have NO CHANCE. SA-MP is no-longer gaining a bunch of new native English speakers so you are not going to gain a bunch of new people to SA-MP, you are going to only gain people from existing servers and most people who come from existing servers expect something in return and that always ruins a community no matter if you choose to do it or not.

Go join a existing RP server and put your support there, clearly if you're actual owner material for a RP server you can easily work your way up to a admin position on there. If you're simply a power hungry kid who is opening a RP server for the power, than you shouldn't be running a RP server because it won't get anywhere with that mindset.

If you don't like something about a RP server than get over it don't think a few special features different from that one means you can open a successful server that's better than it, because you're wrong. Don't throw hissy fits because you don't always get your way on a server, it's a video game relax and enjoy it. And next tip and realize if you fuck over a existing community and try to ruin theirs and build your own, you should realize it normally backfires because most people who are behind you are also fucking over that community and normally will fuck over yours as well once they're bored or don't get their way.
Reply
#15

I disagree about English SA:MP RP dying. I think it's actually the opposite, and just Russian RP's have caught on very late and only just found SA:MP.
Reply
#16

While you make a lot of valid points, I have seen communities grow OVERNIGHT to success.

Fort Carson Roleplay in 2012 (even though it wasn't something completely new, it got HELLA POPULAR for a month or so) because it was NEW. If the owners expanded, re-mapped features, etcetera, they would keep the hype going. Never let the hype die.

The prison servers, same thing. If they kept expanding they would've survived long enough to build a powerful community.

I also notice that you NEED property on your server such as cars, houses, etc. People stay just to earn money and make profits and own property.

But nobody said property has to be infernuses! You could make CLOTHING super expensive on your server so it's something that shows ELITE-ness. You could make players be able to have companies.

When Red County Roleplay first came out, why do you think it did so well? (And would continue if Owner didn't abandon it, and admins didn't give up on the server) it still lasted for a very long time!

It's because everything was Los Santos... and then you had the Italian Mafia RPG thingie that was in LV as well or something, which was just too much space.. and someone comes out with RED COUNTY RP and everyone was WOAH.

Trust me Jake187, there are TONS of players who you don't even know about who go on the hosted tab and SERVER ADVERTISEMENTS section EVERYDAY and just wait for a unique server to come out.. but NOBODY IS DOING IT!
Reply
#17

Quote:
Originally Posted by Harold
View Post
I disagree about English SA:MP RP dying. I think it's actually the opposite, and just Russian RP's have caught on very late and only just found SA:MP.
English SAMP is dying if you agree or disagree I showed a good example of the top 100 servers in SA-MP right now only six are in that list.

You look up English RP and only six servers gain over 100 players in SA-MP. Only 20 servers gain over 20 players averagely.
Reply
#18

its very nice,cool too..
but roleplay must have some new and unique ideas,also sometimes i don't find reality in it..
like to create donators shop at market? lol
everything is the same,3 or 4 dealerships,same car system,same faction system,PD FBI Gov.........
also some scripts stolen,ideas too...you register on a server with 20 players online,19 admin and 1 player[afk] -_-
Reply
#19

Quote:
Originally Posted by HugoWorm
View Post
While you make a lot of valid points, I have seen communities grow OVERNIGHT to success.

Fort Carson Roleplay in 2012 (even though it wasn't something completely new, it got HELLA POPULAR for a month or so) because it was NEW. If the owners expanded, re-mapped features, etcetera, they would keep the hype going. Never let the hype die.

The prison servers, same thing. If they kept expanding they would've survived long enough to build a powerful community.

I also notice that you NEED property on your server such as cars, houses, etc. People stay just to earn money and make profits and own property.

But nobody said property has to be infernuses! You could make CLOTHING super expensive on your server so it's something that shows ELITE-ness. You could make players be able to have companies.

When Red County Roleplay first came out, why do you think it did so well? (And would continue if Owner didn't abandon it, and admins didn't give up on the server) it still lasted for a very long time!

It's because everything was Los Santos... and then you had the Italian Mafia RPG thingie that was in LV as well or something, which was just too much space.. and someone comes out with RED COUNTY RP and everyone was WOAH.

Trust me Jake187, there are TONS of players who you don't even know about who go on the hosted tab and SERVER ADVERTISEMENTS section EVERYDAY and just wait for a unique server to come out.. but NOBODY IS DOING IT!
I have seen hundreds of unique RP servers on the advertisements section and hosted tab and I actually find the structure and gamemode to be way better than mine, as stated they gain about 60-70 players for the first few days than the hype goes down and they're lucky to gain 5 a few weeks later.
Reply
#20

Yes, so it's DYING.. Okay.

Why not REVIVE IT?

You act like it's an irreversible thing but I bet you as SOON as someone makes this unique server as one of the ones I describe here, their community will grow.. and if they expand in time, and market their server properly.. Those players will get hooked and play for an extended period of time.. and they will have returned to samp BECAUSE of that server... and stay loyal to it.. and a server like that is what will one day be like LS-RP, except LS-RP already took the Los Santos market and this server could take everyone else.

Therefore, English RP is not dead. It is in a coma and needs some serious defibrillators.


Hell. If you want to succeed bad enough, you will go and find people to JOIN SA-MP just to LEARN HOW TO ROLEPLAY just to PLAY ON YOUR SERVER... because your server will be THAT good, and your advertising will be THAT good.. USE YOUTUBE PEOPLE! Call your video, "Awesome game where you can be a cop" or something.

This is beyond marketing to the SA-MP community.. Move out of the SA-MP community and into the real world. Bring your friends, teach them how to Roleplay.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)