Also, maybe loosen up your anti-trolling policy. Webdip appears to have alienated its core constituency. Where have all the fun people gone?

We're still here.

More micro transactions

Im still here dirge

More smallpox blankets

That meme will never die as long as we have CB here.

No only his simulator games as a result of

I have been playing on this site on/off for the last five years, when I have time. The game is time consuming and hence I think most action will be seasonal.

That said, I started playing online diplomacy on webdip and playdip simultaneously. I had much bigger expectations from playdip than webdip. For a first time googler the site looks quite clunky. However, from playing two games on both websites I quickly realised that even though webdip looks less pretty it is far superior in functionality and better suits the game. I think for the random googler the front page of webdip should better communicate this! Make the front page prettier. Don't explain diplomacy there but make it a commercial. Why should you choose this website to play diplomacy?

I would have three recommendations to keep more people here once they sign up:
1. GR should really be integrated. People are competitive and will play more games. Now I gotta go to some external website. The opening page should have a GR pane. I really don't understand why RR's were implemented before the rating system. Can we do a vote on this sometime or something?
2. We should be able to message multiple parties at the same time. In the end thats really the only thing other sites have on this one.
3. I'm sorry to all you lovers out there, but stop with the Mafia. The site should be about diplomacy. It's very cool that a variety of subjects is discussed on our forum and I think it enriches the site with all the nationalities here and their points of view. However, playing other games on the forum really just competes with why we are all here: to play diplomacy. Take other games - or advertising for other games (like Civ and what not) - elsewhere.

Lastly, I think the community should also be more active in introducing people to the site. We can do more. I think I have introduced seven people to the site. When I meet someone who enjoys intricate board games (which aren't a lot in my generation) I bring up diplomacy and this website. Sometimes I forget, and that's an opportunity wasted..

Oh yeah, I do think its harder to get games going in the past two years than when I first started here 5 years ago.

I've seen "more tournaments" mentioned and then comments like "logistical clusterfuck"

It's 2016. Sheesh. I know this is another developer issue....but the reason it is a logistical clusterfuck is that we don't use 'dem newfanlged computer thingies to help organize.

1. RECRUITING for games/tourney's is done on the FORUM for crying out loud! How utterly ridiculous!
2. There is NO mechanism for linking games tournaments, particularly to make sure some poor schumuck doesn't get the same country over and over and/or to allow the tourney to arrange how nations will be assigned.
3. There is no Tourney scoring mechanism built into the site
4. Really, the whole archaic method we use to even finds games it silly. I know...it's been mentioned that the site needs a tech upgrade, so presumably this would be covered.

It's ok to have reduced numbers if some how getting rid of the poor sports / non committed players. Maybe the best way to get solid player base is to charge a small fee for a game -- keeps away the players who NMR / leave games .. (maybe even better is to charge a huge fee for a game - and then refund most/all if a player actually plays the entire game). You may actually reduce numbers with this method -- but the numbers you are eliminating are the ones you want to eliminate.

We are not pay to play and couldn't be even if we wanted to be.

Im always up for a game. Anyone, any time, any style gunboat, live, 7 days phase, anything

If you are just starting out, who wants to be thrown into the deep end with frequent commitments. I will probably still just be doing longer phases - unless I think that I will not NMR - until 2020. There are too few long phase games that appeal to newcomers - it may get frustrating for them later, but at the start, all many people want is to dip their toes into the ocean - not to jump in with full, regular commitment.
I do not know how I would fix this, other than telling everyone that 10 days does not really mean 10 days/phase, just that you CAN TAKE 10 days if you wish - most of the earlier games that I played took 1/2 days per phase.

The ha' pennyworth of a fairly new player

BRAINBOMB

BRAINBOMB -- SET UP AND RECRUIT A GAME -- 1 - 1.5 days phase, full press, cheap.

I want to seduce you to the dark side so that i can stab you unmercifully...or...claim the world in an unholy alliance...either or.