Cities And Housing Archive

Thread: ghost towns

Janann
Fri Dec 17, 2004 5:55 am
#14

Here are a few tips:


1. Easy to access. People are more willing to come back to the town to log off, for example, if it's easy enough. Actually this is useful hint only those who plan to found a new city. Our city is 2km from Tyrena on Corellia so its very easy to come back home.


2. Build tightly. I have seen many many cities which are build very sparsely. So even if there are people they don't hardly see each other. Our town is built very tightly, everything is close to each other. All important buildings are in the center of the town. It's a common mistake to place them apart trying to create an illusion of a big town. Then you end up with a city which doesnt have a center at all.


3. Support crafters. Get research center and find crafters and create a shopping area for them. I have made a shopping street where are space for merchant houses and tents. A good shopping area always attracts people and give them reason tovisit your town. This is very hard project and may require a lot of work if the city is far from major cities.


4. Support fighters. Find entertainers and try to get a cantina where are most of the time musicians and dancers anddoctorsbuffing people. That's a very good reason for fighters to come back home to heal their wounds or get buffs before they go hunting.


5. Make your city look like a city. Take care of that your city is nice place to live. Place gardens, streetlights and plan it well. Make it look like a city, not just a bunch of houses placed randomly. This is probably not as important thing as the ones above, but I am sure it matters.


6. Be present. Walk around in your town, sit in the cantina and talk with other citizens. Give them an impression you are present in your town, so at least they don't think it's a ghost town.



The key question is to give them a reason to be in the city. Think what your citizens need and give it to them. It's not easy, creating a living town is one of the hardest but most rewarding things in this game for our politicians



_________________________________
Janann
guild leader of

Deepcore
Fri Dec 17, 2004 6:33 am
#15




RareGem wrote:

Oh, another good tip, start a city chat channel. It means people get to know each other so they are more likely to interact (expecially if not everyone is in the city guild)





Ahhh, beat me to it. Unfortunalty to play this game most people leave the comfort of their cities to hunt and mine on the danger planets, only returning home to drop off the loot or load their vendors. The city chat channel is a great way of allowing people to chat to other citizens without the need to join a guild and hijack their guild chat,



Dunwa Arche {Retired}
Haven Island Militia, Imperial Staff Sergeant, ORC - Outer Rim Corsairs
Master Rifleman Politician - 4/4/4/3
Dunwa's Bulk Resources - \\Chimaera\Corellia\Haven Island\ (-2000 -4660)
http://www.havenisland.co.uk

Ralphito
Fri Dec 17, 2004 9:49 am
#16
its simple, pick a planet people can grind on, like dantooine or lok, have a buffing doc present at all times id suggest being master doc/politician, get all sorts of crafters for food items and armor and ish, then no one ever has to leave home



Strykur Kain
[ Rifleman/Combat Medic ]
Imperial Colonel/Commander of DC-I
DC-I...The Only One
SCA
Fri Dec 17, 2004 11:23 am
#17
Thanx alot! some nice pointers here. Got some of the things you mention, but ut can always be better

I'll make use of it

cheers



~~~~~~ Qaz Quel-Eclipce ~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~ Rockhound ~~~~~~~~
~~~~Mythos ~~~~~~ FarStar ~~~
TK-118
Mon May 30, 2005 1:08 pm
#18
Guys can you post any ideas that I can use in this town i live in (Mos Meca) and well its a ghost town. But i remember in May last year people were always in town, every night the cantina had dancers and people were there and when it was done we would hang out for a bit and talk or duel then we would all go home. Any ideas how to make this town like this again? BTW if anyone remembers me I am Tookea and Saden



"I think, therefore I am.
I destroy, therefore I endure." -IG-88

-Saden "TK-118"
Jhett
Tue May 31, 2005 5:00 am
#19
Well, it's unfortunate, but the server populations have declined, apparently. That is one possible reason for the lack of people in your town. Another is that with the CURB, many features that towns have to offer are kind of null and void. You didn't state if you are the mayor of your city, but I get the impression that you are not. The first thing a successful city needs is an active mayor. If yours is not, consider picking up politician and wresting the job away from them. A warning, though: the job is tough and thankless. About the only thing a citizen can do to improve their city is spread the good word. Merchants can set up barker droids at starports and players can talk their cities up in cantinas and med-centers. (Although, again, they aren't as populated as they used to be.) If you have a good relationship with your mayor and s/he is active, I'd suggest possibly running some player events. There are event coordinators out there that can help with this, although currently their locations are not coming to me. Bring in some good vendors with quality goods for sale and people will beat a path to your town. WIll they stick around and enjoy the place? Not likely. But traffic will increase through your town. And if the town is visually maybe some of them will want to live there, too.




Jhett Dark
The Honorable Legion (HONOR)
Mos Vegas, Tatooine, RADIANT

TK-118
Tue May 31, 2005 4:42 pm
#20
Well the mayor is not active at all and it wouldnt help making a vote because noone in the town even votes. Theres just a bunch of empty houses with nothing in them. People RARELY come but when they do its usually just to get something from one of their houses.



"I think, therefore I am.
I destroy, therefore I endure." -IG-88

-Saden "TK-118"
Aodo
Tue May 31, 2005 5:10 pm
#21
The CURB has caused most cities to become ghost towns, our once busy city (pretty much the crafter hub) is now a ghost town, the times I have come online I have not seen a single person online. My Entire guild (except 3) quit playing due to the CURB, thats over 70 members. I too have cancelled due to reason, I'm doubtful to return as empty servers and lack of dev care makes SWG no fun



Master Yoda: If so powerful you are, why leave
Darth Sidious: I forgot my blob candy, bofa treats and Neutron Pixie
Master Yoda: Take those you will not, NERF it the devs did


CharPrime
Tue May 31, 2005 7:51 pm
#22
there is a city behind my house that i have never seen anyone there for over 1 year.



Vendor location kor vella -2931 1721.
Drop of vendor location kor vella -2897 1698

RIS quest and set completed on 6-12-04,

Khristen
Tue May 31, 2005 9:03 pm
#23




TK-118 wrote:
Well the mayor is not active at all and it wouldnt help making a vote because noone in the town even votes. Theres just a bunch of empty houses with nothing in them. People RARELY come but when they do its usually just to get something from one of their houses.





Actually it would be very easy for you to take over as mayor in that case. The election cycle runs for three weeks, and the incumbent Mayor has to reregister each cycle to have their name on the ballot. If they don't register and you do (and no other citizen registers to run) you win by default because you'll have the most votes, even if it is only one vote (yours).






| Khristen Lockslett Barezz |
| Galactic Senator |00

Owner of The KhrisNea Companylocated in Kor Spera,Corellia, Naritus-730, 1195
Jhett
Tue May 31, 2005 10:21 pm
#24
It sounds like your town is deserted, the way I see it. What I would do is pick up Politician and become mayor, as Khristen suggested. Run your town and learn the ins and outs for a few weeks, maybe even a few months. Start getting a list together of people who want to play actively during this time. Make sure that you register to run for mayor each cycle and vote every time. This will gain you experience. After you have your list and a few minor politician skills, set off on your own and create a new city. Trust me, you DO NOT want to remain in your old town. It will swiftly become most frustrating to have to deal with all of the abandoned structures. Personally, I would like to see the devs make null and void ALL player cities and restart them over. Short of a purge, this is the next best way to level the playing field and see where we all stand in regard to cities and population and whatnot.




Jhett Dark
The Honorable Legion (HONOR)
Mos Vegas, Tatooine, RADIANT

IcepickIIIDragonrider
Tue May 31, 2005 11:08 pm
#25
please dont null/void the cities....


I live in a Level 5 city, and while there has been a decrease in players, there has been new players wanting to join ours. We have a nice layout for our business sector as all the shops are in merchant tents in a big area outside the shuttleport. Im glad I live here and not anywhere else, but unfortunately alot of players have left. Leaving behind all thier houses/stuff, including merchant tent/vendors. It really is a bother to deal with since there is no decay like before. Honestly this is a great spot for a city that we have. There is a very large area where harvestors can be placed without worry of "red zones" just outside the city limits. Unfortunately there are about 200-300 harvestors taking up great space. About 3 different companies too. Large multiple account ones. They are all condemed, luckily some are burning finally but its only a handful.


Anyways back to the city and growing life. Many planets are capped at least on my server, Ahazi. So if it was possible for houses to decay properly, new players could come in and fill your city. Unlike starting your own. Player events are the best way to get people into your city. If the city is near where wild spawns are high, thats a plus. If you organize the city as a staging ground for hunting, thats a plus. Newbs are everywhere these days, so if you can create events and let them come by and have people help them out. That would be a plus. Especially for hunting trips, general questions, etc. But running a city can be expensive, so be forewarned.



IcepickIII Dragonrider

Ex-architect Commando.
LuxDiazepam
Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:23 am
#26

TK-118, I know what you are talking about. I was just in Mos Meca a few days ago......WOW, it used to be a large and populated town. Like others have said, there are pros and cons to taking over the town. Pro, it's a well established town, on tat... con, you'd have to fight with abandoned buildings in order to rebuild the town. You can not make them go away, and unless you are the mayor, or a melitia member, you can not allow others to build there.


Basicially you are limited to a few options. Talk to those n charge of the town ,politicians, guild leaders, etc, and see if any one has or can get feedback from those that DO live there and still play. Find out what would bring them to town. PVP, Player events, vendors.... what is it they want. Once you learn that, then go abut trying to fix it. OR, you can attempt to take over the mayor, find new citizens (i saw tons in Eisley last week!) and get the town populated again. OR, try to recoup, see if you can organize those that still want a town, and attempt to find a new place. Chek the town treasury though.... any one can do this i think ( i might be wrong). If the town has millions, then it will not decay for a long long time. This leads to a true ghost town that would prevent another from being placed. I know that at one time tat was city locked, but i can't tell you it's status right now.


If Mos Meca is a waste, and no one cares abuot it any more, your best option is to run for mayor, and spend a few weeks emptying the treasury. When you remove money, it WILL send an e-mail to every citizen of the town. People who are actively playing might take notice, and contact you! If it's still just a dud, by emptying the treasury, you will allow the town to decay faster. Towns will stand with out a mayor until the treasury is empty.


With the CU, players should be able to find missions in town that would be suitable to their level. (previously more advanced players would never return to towns on lower level planets because they had so little to do there) so this does give you an advantage. But as for making Mos Meca great again? I don't know what to tell you. Until we have a server wipe (i don't see one comming any time soon) you are stuck with abandoned buildings until the players run out of cash to fund the buildings, and so few people seem to care about RP content on Kauri, that player events might be hard to organize. I wish I could help you more.





I am rock..........
Nerf paper, scissors is fine.
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