Casual Players Alliance

[mythosx]

With all this talk about increasing membership, I pondered the stated of the CPA. Maybe we should be more elitest, perhaps that would make people want to join us. I do like no matter how heated certain debates have gotten that the CPA has always been a very mature forum of ideas of MTG and beyond. Perhaps there is a way we can sell this to potential users of the CPA.

 

[Spiderman]

What do you mean "more elitist?"

 

[mythosx]

I'm not sure myself what I mean. But like try to drum up business by not letting people join? Like that one southpark episode with cartman's theme park that no one was allowed to go to.

 

[Spiderman]

Heh. Well, we don't really have *anyone* joining at the moment, so that'll be hard to refuse anyone membership...

 

[Mooseman]

I thought at one time someone called us an "Elitist" site?
Unfortunately this site doesn't offer what most others do: Instant play (MTGO), ability to promote oneself, the chance to buy, sell and ripoff others in the CCG market and the din of 100s or 1000s of posters........

 

[BigBlue]

The CPA is a quiet cafe off in the farthest corner of Dominaria...

And that's just fine by me.

I think the biggest problem we have here, is that some people grow up, and simply don't have the time to post... there are plenty of really good members who just don't show up anymore... maybe a fair amount of the people who used to spend their online time posting here, are off playing MTGO now... I don't care to spend $ on it myself...

 

[Ransac]

I think the biggest problems we have are:

1) Letting people from PA join.

2) Spidey as our admin.


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[Spiderman]

I thought at one time someone called us an "Elitist" site?

He did.

I don't know about people growing up - some of that may be true. But a lot of us don't keep up with current Magic sets (except for Mindmaster) so when people come here, they either can't find any advice using current cards or can't get any when they ask for it. I think that's the main reason why we don't get a lot of new members posting.

 

[Melkor]

Yeah, we're more of a community type site and that community has become pretty small. Makes it hard to just show up and integrate yourself right away

 

[Mooseman]

Our analysis of current sets is lacking for new members? That's a problem?
Is the "Casual" in the site name throwing people off?

Ok, I'm done ranting.... oh wait......

Remember:One opera singer will spoil the bunch..... and the stench keeps newbies away.....

 

[BigBlue]

Look at the bulk of the posters here...

We spend a LOT of time in the games forum... and not much at all in the other forums... we talk about Magic once in a while... But honestly, if I were a prospective member looking for Magic discussion, this isn't really the place for that anymore... if you want to drum up membership, we need to start discussing magic topics. Now that the WotC column Building on a Budget is gone... we should find a way to pick up the slack.

We have some really bright players here, I know because I lose to them all the time in the forums... We need to start posting in the magic threads again, to try and keep the lurker's interest enough to get them to join, and finally to contribute. Articles don't suck either at bringing in readers. Google is a wonderful thing. When I google Casual Magic.... guess what site comes up... you guessed it, this one.

We need to start building content again - and not simply content about our forum games - as great and interesting as they are.

I have a column idea... Common Knowledge - discussing the best common cards and how to get the most out of them.

 

[Mooseman]

I have a column idea... Common Knowledge - discussing the best common cards and how to get the most out of them.

That sounds great. Would other on here be willing to collaborate on the articles, since I would like to contribute, but my knowledge is not as good as it should be...... I take editing very well......

 

[mythosx]

Maybe we need some name recognition and then we can reject people who join. Like maybe sponsor one of our players on the site to become world champ. Then they can wear tshirts with our logos on them. And when people see the site and they try to join...then we can reject them.

 

[Mooseman]

I vote for Modus Pwnens. He can wear a t shirt with the CPA logo and says, They didn't help me win, but they helped me have fun doing it......

 

[Oversoul]

I thought at one time someone called us an "Elitist" site?

Yes, it was the same person who thought anyone that didn't have a bachelor's degree should just not talk.

 

[Spiderman]

BigBlue pretty much nailed it... I mean, I've been posting the preview cards from Shards and there hasn't been much reaction... just mythosx posted about yesterday's cards.

And even for a casual site, there isn't any discussion about casual decks that might have arisen from the latest sets... so that's probably discouraging. People doing a search on a certain card would never come here because it's not mentioned.

But the fun casual formats, we've got those

 

[Killer Joe]

I like our site the way it is but I wouldn't be opposed to it growing. Growth is good. Just not sure of how to do it effectively

Off topic: I do like having all of you as my "virtual" friends (though I actually know Moosie ), but I'm not a part of anywhere else on the internet where I have known folks for this length of time (going on 8+ years for some of you).

Articles do seem like a good wat to attract new folks. I, myself, have been slaaaacking big time for the past three years, I can't remember the last time I wrote a "The Road to Tourneyland" article. Jeezsh, I think it's been a long while...

PS - A REAL opera singer is tubby, isn't Ranny a skiny little guy?

 

[Shabbaman]

And even for a casual site, there isn't any discussion about casual decks that might have arisen from the latest sets... so that's probably discouraging.

That's the thing: there's not much discussion about decks going on. A lot of people like to talk about their pet decks, and are looking for advice. CPA could be the site where the standard answer isn't "play more tarmogoyf". The site where budget is taken into account, the site where 61 card decks aren't frowned upon. The barren emptiness of the Casual decks and SCS fora isn't encouraging anyone to post.

We should do more "contests" or "community builds": a weekly SCS-deck with a card from a new set, budgetizing tournament decks, whatever. It'd make me happy, FWIW

 

[mythosx]

You all raise some good points. I will get on writing more articles. Although I can write(My Mommy says I write gud.), but I might lack the in depth magic knowledge.

 

[Spiderman]

Shabbaman: True, but what goes hand-in-hand with that is that a lot of us don't keep up with the latest sets to offer opinions. I know I don't; the only experience I have is the Mindmaster games I play with just the boosters. But I haven't studied the sets fully to offer deck advice and unfortunately, since I don't play IRL, I can't see myself doing do just to get the Deck forum going.

That's probably the case with others too. However, there's *got* to be others who do follow the latest sets - Mooseman? KJ? I mean, I know you guys judge or go to the pre-releases... Modus seems to play also...