The Future of the ASMF

The place for current RWRS universe and "canon" historical series
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Klon
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The Future of the ASMF

Post by Klon »

Since the last topic in the canon council never even got to a vote, it's just the last in a series of problems plaguing the game we had fun with over the years. With the lead horse ARWS not continuing, Alt-F1 Hydrogen Era basically being as functional as you would expect a hydrogen-powered F1 to be and other series also struggling or not running at all, we can safely call our game having a significant crisis.

It has been clear for the last year plus change that we cannot draft in new players anywhere at the speeds required to make up for the old guard dropping out because RL and/or other interests comes into play. This is a common cycle in online games, especially those appealing to a niche and not being browser games. Just ask anyone who's ever been in a fantasy wrestling promotion (such as yours truly).

Yesterday, there was discussion amongst the chat regulars as to how we can proceed knowing the significant crisis we face. In the end, there were two proposals:

a) We continue operation with the explicit agreement that the canon is no longer a strict guideline but a bigger universe in which series can be placed until a(n unlikely) time where there are enough users to allow a proper universe with full-on continuity can be established. Sort of like the arrangement we had in the early days of the ARWS canon. This would also involve replacing the canon council with a single overseer again like back in the days that merely checks for logical problems and doesn't make decisions beyond that.

b) We close the ASMF before time inevitably destroys it completely and close out the universe with a "bang" instead of a whisper, going Delete on everything like Monika and Zen-O. The ASMF would be closed, like all sub-forums of the PMMF (possibly moved to an archive?), leaving the PMMF as a simple board of forum games where everyone is free to roll how they want. Current canon series can of course still continue, but any agreements would be between individual series as they please.

As this is a heavy decision, I would first like to see some discussion on it before I will open a poll on 26/02/2019 at 9:00 AM CEST. Debate away.
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novitopoli
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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by novitopoli »

This is a thread I had been looking for for quite some time - especially after weeks, months of daily logging in and seeing no progress in any series I take part in, notwithstanding the fact that I've been neglecting my own series (which, due to dwindling interest, will probably be quicksimmed/ran without any particular commentary until the end of the season. I was actually thinking of doing it today...).

The main problem here is the fact ARWS is on a hiatus. No matter what, throughout the last years, ARWS was the main factor drawing attention to the forum, even from those who didn't (yet) have a place in the series: anything else has always been a, by all-means well-liked and well-received, extra. An extra which has evolved into a plethora of series with a complicated canon, which tires old regulars and scares newcomers away. And let's mix into the picture the fact forum-based games, of any sort, are sadly mostly on their way out...

If we want to carry on to any extent, we need to clinge to our main series - ARWS, F1 and their direct feeder series. Historical stuff/prototypes/Indycars/touring cars/anything else can wait. If we can keep them running, better days may come back.
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Londoner wrote:Something I've thought about - what happens to our canon should we have a worldwide recession or some other outside event?

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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by pi314159 »

I second the suggestion to slash canon down to the bare mininum. I think that's the only way it can sustainably continue right now. In case that an influx of new users creates overly long waiting lists again, we can always extend again.

I suggest that the currently active series organizers discuss how such a "core canon" would be organized, because it's them who put the most of their spare time into keeping this game running, so canon should be structured in a way that allows them to keep enjoying running the game rather than have it become an overly time-consuming burden.

Finally, I have some spare time available, at least for the next year, and would like to get back into running a series again if there's demand for that. If needed, I'd be available to run one of the series such a core canon would include. Don't expect anything fancy with liveries and videos and streaming though, I'd use a results generator to run the races and try to put more emphasis on the role-playing ascpect of the game.
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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by Pinkd56 »

Obviously inclined to keep the forum open. I would say that if series are healthy and still running then they should carry on regardless of them being relevant to the "core" championships (i.e. WTCM)

Also, I would say something like GB's Champcar series could quite happily exist within a canon of some sort with some minor changes (i.e. getting rid of anyone in alt-F1)
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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by Gertrand Bachot »

Yeah, I would also prefer to keep the canon, but to a minimal, more simplistic level. In the short time I've been here, it's been pretty fun, and it would be a shame for everything to get tossed away, to be honest. I can't really say anything else other than that.
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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by Peteroli34 »

It all well and good streamlining canon making it easier for people to follow, Join, to run. It has got too big for our small community to sustain. Its all well a good making it smaller until an influx of new users. But how are we attracting new users.

Its not like the forum as a whole is active and its just the ASMF that is struggling because people are scared to join or what have you. The forum as a whole has been in decline. Is overhauling the ASMF just one part of a wider plan to overturn that decline.
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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by CaptainGetz12 »

I agree with streamlining the canon to a few major series, since we would need more players to necessitate having so many feeder series to a main series.

I wouldn't want everythings scrubbed, as we can just put it in archives. As for dwindling number of members I'm not sure how to proceed with that. As a former active member of GTracer that website is still up with a steady amount of newcomers, though I'm not sure how that can translate to forum-based games like the ASMF.
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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by pasta_maldonado »

The ASMF is unique and it would be a real shame to see it go. I support any proposal to keep the canon going, and attempt to bring in fresh blood. If we must officially declare it closed, then so be it, but as Klon said let’s not fade gently into the night.

As you know, I have not been around as much, but my free time has stabilized now. Historic F1 remains my only commitment in the ASMF and I fully intend for both 70s and 90s to continue. The only reason it has not done so is the lack of activity in the forums; it would not be fair on the core users I know would be happy to see 70s and 90s continue if they had to wait for users who rarely check-in, if at all.

Additionally, as peteroli touched upon, the forums as a whole are dwindling. We are still reeling from being forced out of the original F1rejects domain. I fully believe that was the right decision, I couldn’t be more grateful for the forum members who’s tepped up during that time and then produced outstanding content to drive the site forward. Unfortunately, user participation has dwindled. I was never a fan of the prospect of allowing anyone here to post, but given these dark days I feel that any new user on any part of the forums is a welcome sight.

I propose to the Council that matters aimed at increasing traffic to the site fake priority. We can always protect the past content, we now need to secure a legacy for all our hard work over the years.
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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by Nuppiz »

As has been pointed out, the lack of activity is not just ASMF's problem - the whole forum is suffering from lack of new members to fill in as a lot of the old guard has to either reduced their involvement or completely abandoned the forum for various reasons. Simply put most of our core userbase is still the same that it was prior to the transfer from F1R to GPR, but what used to be a group of (mostly) late teens or adolescents is now (mostly) adults with a whole lot more real-life commitments to worry about. Heck, some even managed to fulfill their dreams and are now actually working for the motorsport industry in at least some capacity.

Basically ASMF's - or should we say the whole PMMF's - problems are just a consequence of the dwindling amount of active members on the whole forum. And I think this is directly linked to the main site. When the F1R forum was founded the main site had already built up its reputation and content for nine years, and when it was forced to shut down the main site was approaching 15 years on the internet - a great achievement for any sort of fan website. In comparison GPR will be four years old in three days time, and although our rate of new content (excluding podcasts) has been slightly better than F1R in its later years we really suffer from not having all of that archival content available.

While we most certainly must concentrate our limited resources on the ASMF to keep a core canon alive, any efforts to fix our problems on one subforum will be futile in the end if we don't manage to improve the forum's overall interest. And for that we need new content on the main site.
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Re: The Future of the ASMF

Post by CaptainGetz12 »

Nuppiz wrote:As has been pointed out, the lack of activity is not just ASMF's problem - the whole forum is suffering from lack of new members to fill in as a lot of the old guard has to either reduced their involvement or completely abandoned the forum for various reasons. Simply put most of our core userbase is still the same that it was prior to the transfer from F1R to GPR, but what used to be a group of (mostly) late teens or adolescents is now (mostly) adults with a whole lot more real-life commitments to worry about. Heck, some even managed to fulfill their dreams and are now actually working for the motorsport industry in at least some capacity.

Basically ASMF's - or should we say the whole PMMF's - problems are just a consequence of the dwindling amount of active members on the whole forum. And I think this is directly linked to the main site. When the F1R forum was founded the main site had already built up its reputation and content for nine years, and when it was forced to shut down the main site was approaching 15 years on the internet - a great achievement for any sort of fan website. In comparison GPR will be four years old in three days time, and although our rate of new content (excluding podcasts) has been slightly better than F1R in its later years we really suffer from not having all of that archival content available.

While we most certainly must concentrate our limited resources on the ASMF to keep a core canon alive, any efforts to fix our problems on one subforum will be futile in the end if we don't manage to improve the forum's overall interest. And for that we need new content on the main site.


In this regard, any suggestions on how we can attract new people to the forums?
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