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SSI_GG

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    The Current State of Forum Recruitment

    in General

    Posted · Edited by SSI_GG

    TLDR; New Recruitment Forum design is worse for virtually everyone using them, needs urgent review.
     

    Previously, the PC Recruitment section of the Warframe Forums was divided up into several sections; one each for ‘Find a Squad’, ‘Alliances’, ‘Trading’, and five subsections for all Clan tiers. However - after the Condensed Recruitment Forum changes on 15/01/18, implemented due to “most subforums [...] not being used frequently enough” all Clan tiers, Alliances, and Squads were combined into one gigantic selection of 550 pages and 13,700+ recruitment topics (at the time of writing).

    This change has drastically changed the dynamic of how the Recruitment Forums functions, to the detriment of the majority of active clans and average forum users. While it may have achieved the metric of higher statistical activity, this has come at multiple costs to the users. 

    This post, a collaboration from a wide range of PC Clan and Alliance representatives, aims to succinctly outline the concerns about this change and, trusting it will be met with understanding, have the said change reversed, or at least come to a compromise which will benefit the Warframe community as a whole.

    One can analyze the negative impact of the change in 2 main areas: for new forum users, and for established clans.

    1. From the point of view of a new PC player:

    a: Confusion from the start, and no forum tools to assist.    

    A new player, looking to play with other members of the community, clicks on the Recruitment sub-forum. They’re greeted with a front page full with ‘Trading’, and dozens of uncategorized recruitment topics. Unlike the Recruitment Forums pre-change, which detailed and defined clan sizes and clearly separated Squad requests, Alliances, and Clans, there is no explanation for anything. There are tags for each clan tier, but these tags mean nothing to people who have no idea what the difference is between “Moon” and “Storm.” There isn’t even a tag to separate Alliances. Furthermore, one cannot search or sort posts with specific tags, so there is no way to filter the Recruitment Forums to what a player is looking for. Thus a newer player is left without assistance, and without any tools to streamline the overwhelming amount of information.

    b: New posts and players quickly lost in the noise. 

    A new clan, or perhaps someone just looking for a squad will get their post buried in a matter of hours by all of the other thousands of topics competing for a front page position which  is determined solely by when the most recent post was. With more entrenched clans posting variations on thread bumping (described elsewhere), new posts will be swiftly moved off to obscurity in under 24 hours (sometimes in less than 12 hours). This can also serve as a deterrent for people to even participate (at time of writing there are no squad threads on the front 2 pages). Less hectic subforums would not have this issue.

    2. From the point of view of established clans:

    a: Less exposure for all clans, disproportionately for newer and smaller clans.

    Due to the hectic activity all concentrated in one place, clans will lose out on exposure in under 24 hours unless threads are constantly attended to on a daily basis. It goes without saying that very large clans that get many replies on their thread can essentially monopolize the front page due to high player intake, leaving especially smaller clans with a brief moment of exposure. Regarding anti-bumping,  [DE]Aidan stated that it is not allowed, but “new information/updates” are. Thus, large clans and alliances could and do get their members to post daily promotional updates on their various threads. This, effectively, bumps their post to the top of the first page. 

    b: More work for less results, to a potentially uninterested audience.

    If a clan, for example, does somehow manage to keep their post on the front page, they will be advertising to an extremely broad audience - this includes people who are just looking for one-off squads, different tiers, alliances, and to whom that specific clan is not relevant to their interests. As a result, many clans might actually struggle to get any increase in interested recruits. Non-stop hectic competition for attention with thousands of other threads, the constant influx of new posts, and de-facto monopolies from larger clans, smaller or more specialised clans have limited options in recruiting.

    To summarise:
    While everyone can appreciate the intention behind the decision to merge (more activity is normally a positive statistic), there appears to have been little consideration given to its impact on all players, which extend far wider than has been described here. For example:

    - The aforementioned limitations with tags (cannot be filtered or searched) of course also affects more experienced players.
    - All Clans and Alliances will produce less constructive forum content, now that they are forced to bump on a daily basis to stay relevant. 
    - Forum Moderators will now receive unnecessary extra work, having to now police and pass judgement on various thread-bumping strategies and reports.

    Bearing in mind that [DE]Drew stated “Stay tuned for additional forum features in the future that will make it easier to sort through the different types of recruitment threads”, it is concerning that it merely plans to add a search functionality but not address the central issue of a messy hectic forum. This is further reflected in [DE]Aidan’s post on Recruitment Guidelines, which only exists to reinforce existing forum guidelines, without addressing any of main concerns already mentioned in other posts on this issue (Post by ---RV---Maniac, Post by Suncake)

    To conclude, while it is unknown to us the actual cost to DE of keeping the subforum separate, it is bewildering to think that forcing all threads into one section can be considered streamlining. It has, in fact, over-complicated life for all players, making the Recruitment Forums frustrating for everyone who has to use them. 

    We trust this meets with understanding and DE will “continue to review forum activity and make improvements as needed!” Paying heed to the aforementioned, we trust for an urgent review of the forums.


    Statistics and Data
    We have gathered data from the Recruitment Forum threads of various clans in different clan tiers, which you may view here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vIbyDzuEssrn-lzVQrzTdqdjK19VP3fxy4HYlVr0tCQ/edit?usp=sharing This spreadsheet is still being constantly updated, and we will post on this thread should any major changes to it occur.

     

    This post was made in collaboration with the following people and their respective clans/alliances: SSI_LordOfErebus and Huntragon from clan Space Shark Incorporated, MariAnnette from V Alliance, -PD-ImHeroic from the Phoenix Clans Family Alliance, -SM-Doomie from Solaris Alliance, OkniolasPrime from Blossoming Petals Alliance and clan Wardens of Blossom, QueenQue from Warframe Indonesia Community Alliance, ---RV---Maniac from clan Remnants of the Void, --Q--Devi from Quasars clan, -Vo-ThatBlue from clan Volatilis, Eisfurst from clan Blades of Genesis, Quillu from clan Level 1 Classified, and -CCC-Secret from clan Clem Cult Clan.

    Space Shark Incorporated [4+ Years Old-Running Strong] [All Regions] [Casual] [All Research] [Discord]

    in Recruitment

    Posted · Edited by SSI_GG

    IGN: Cepmosod

    Mastery: 11 (Silver Seeker)

    Total In-Game hours: 568

    I've been playing since the closed beta (or was it alpha?) and have been hopping back and forth between dying clans. I'm looking for a clan that will continue to thrive and recruit lovers of the game. I would very much appreciate a invite!

     

    Invited and welcome (we are active so you are in right clan)

    Space Shark Incorporated [4+ Years Old-Running Strong] [All Regions] [Casual] [All Research] [Discord]

    in Recruitment

    Posted

    Hi everyone,

    IGN is wannabeaframe

     

    been a member for a long time, then my first baby was born and I couldn't play for over a month. Logged in today to see that I have no clan anymore... sadness ensued...

     

    Can I have a new invitation please?

     

    Thanks a lot,

    wanna

     

    1st congratz on the baby :)

    2nd next time go on our forums and post that you will be gone and you wont be kicked

    3rd invite sent :)

     

     

    IGN: Muzzy_bb

     

     

    Invite sent. Welcome

    Space Shark Incorporated [4+ Years Old-Running Strong] [All Regions] [Casual] [All Research] [Discord]

    in Recruitment

    Posted

    IGN Frozenhard                                                                                        <-------   woops caps lock this is the right one

     

    You are in some other clan or got inv from them. leave it and post here for new invite.

     

    IGN: Strikeclone

    Trinity focused and looking for customers :) 

     

    Look forward to going out for a bite with some of you !

     

    Invited and welcome!

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