Is there much people left ?

[shaelyn]

I think that one of the biggest problems with player retention is that the game is WAY more fun once you have a decent grasp on what you are doing and a group of people you enjoy playing with, so it can be hard for new players who don't have friends who play to get into, so they give up before they can experience the joy of a well-functioning team that really makes the game special.  I don't know how to solve this.  Maybe a well-advertised mentoring system that people can sign up for?  I know people have suggested similar things in the past and I think it would be really neat.

I do think the CAs should be easier to find than they are at least, that's another thing.  I'd like to see something off to the side of the big button that says Play for the CAs.
I've never thought about something like mentoring someone.  that could be something.  kind of set up similarly to the wanted list?  hmmm.  wonder if this is something the Museosaurs would want to police.  wonder if the people on the list should have the ability to get into novice matches.  wonder...a lot of things.  hmmmmm.  has a lot of potential, methinks.

[shaelyn]

I went ahead and emailed Muse about the mentoring thing.  Howard likes the idea at first glance; they're going to look into it more. 

[Squidslinger Gilder]

I think that one of the biggest problems with player retention is that the game is WAY more fun once you have a decent grasp on what you are doing and a group of people you enjoy playing with, so it can be hard for new players who don't have friends who play to get into, so they give up before they can experience the joy of a well-functioning team that really makes the game special.  I don't know how to solve this.  Maybe a well-advertised mentoring system that people can sign up for?  I know people have suggested similar things in the past and I think it would be really neat.

Nah solo players can find enjoyment as well. They just have to have their own goals or focus. Heck I'm a solo player. Part of a group now but I'm still generally solo most times I'm on.

Once I realized this is just like vehicles in Battlefield, except people can't just use me as transport and are forced to do things which keep the ship alive, it was a very easy to find enjoyment. In BF, I work on K/D ratio. Not for bragging rights but because I don't like meat grinder combat. Run, gun, respawn action doesn't excite me. Often times in BF if I go down, I'd lose my tank or chopper, then someone else would snag it before I'd respawn or get back. Then I'd watch them fly into AA fire and use it as transportation instead of trying to be effective. Half the time they'd get picked off in the air while chuting and I'd question what the point was of doing that. Its a moment when you're glad the military doesn't just let anyone pilot or drive because if they did, we'd have much higher casualty counts in wars.

Yes I'm a vehicle hog, but till people can prove they can survive longer than me, I see no point in giving up my tank/chopper. Especially not when I just watched the last idiot rush into a RPG nest and kill no one. Same basic thing transfers well to GOIO. If you're going to be a pilot, be effective. Make sure for every kill they get out of you, you take 2-3 down with you. The challenge of doing that with random crews is at times enjoyable and at times frustrating. But what is awesome about GOIO is, crews always recognize it and want to stay. "Hey, we didn't die at all did we?" is probably the best comment I get. I'm like, yeah what do you expect? I'm trying to fly not trying to die.

[Hoja Lateralus]

This is a huge problem - the down peak means that both old and new players don't want to play goio. What has left is either a group that hasn't played long enough to say "F*ck it, I quit" or a group that will love that game no matter what (because reasons).

But basically when you look at it - no one cares and wants new players - I mean when a quite experienced player (like myself with >500h played and >1300 matches) go to the lobby and see a 1/1/1 captain (if he's a pilot - that's quite a success!) who played 20 or so matches - we just go find another lobby. Basically my way of dealing with small amount of players is playing only in prime time (which is luckily 8 pm - 2 am my time) and mostly catching up with my friends and clanmates. As someone said - the best lobbies are the one semi-organised when experienced players invite their experienced friends and they all play together.

I'd also like to notice that current tutorials are really bad, especially gunners and pilots. The engineer one is.... decent, barely decent. I recommend watching this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCPcn-Q5nKE
Two quotes:
"If you don't entertain your viewers within 10 minutes - you're going to lose a lot of your audience"
and
"Try to watch people going through your tutorial. Don't say anything, just watch them do it and listen what they say. Then advise them.
Which I had impression Muse didn't. Co-Op would be a great opportunity for better tutorials.

Edit: I also agree that this game bring most joy when you know what you're doing and you have a group of friends (from your life or met in the game) to play with.

[FredTheFifth]

A lot of times I do like joining lobbys with a lot of new players in, mainly because its always a joy to find someone who listens and wants to learn how to play the game, but ofc, they need the right attitude for that which is sadly lacking in most new players.
Other times its nice to have a good challenge to be the only person on the ship that really knows how to play. (I do like to play with friends but pub stomping does get boring)
Problem with new players is that oftimes they have not got the right attitude and instead of learning the game and making friends simply quit and find an easier game. That said, I love this game for its complexity and would hate to see it dumbed down just for the sake of making more money...

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Problem with new players is that oftimes they have not got the right attitude and instead of learning the game and making friends simply quit and find an easier game.

I call them CoDdies

Players with short attention spans that need to be coddled or they quit within 5 mins after hitting their first mine.

[Kouhei Sakurai]

I keep seeing the same few people in-game. Is the active playerbase really that small?

[RedRoach]

At which time?

I haven't popped in the game in a long time, and I consider myself a member of the playerbase. But, as far as I can tell, around 100+ people actively play this game 4/7 (four hours, seven days). Maybe people are just popping in the same matches because they're on a play streak and haven't logged off?

[Kouhei Sakurai]

I log in either in the afternoon or at night (my time zone's +8GMT btw). I wouldn't be surprised if I don't meet a portion of the playerbase due to time zone differences, but most of the time when I'm online I see familiar names. I also haven't seen more than 90 players in-game and "waiting" so to speak.