OT - who are all of these 'guests?'

[obvert]

Thinking about the recent WITP2 thread, I stumbled on the main forum page while looking at how dead the WITW forum is now, already ([X(]), and have a question.

Who are the 'guests' shown in the massive numbers at the bottom of the forum here? Are there really so many players not registered in the forum but using it regularly?

Why not sign up and take part? [&:]

Also, does anyone know how many copies of WITP, or WITP AE have been sold? Is there an available end of year report somewhere? I'm just curious.

[JocMeister]

Yepp, sadly WitW fell over and died like a cow struck by lightning. Sorry I made you buy it. [:(]

I remember reading somewhere that Matrix never releases the sales numbers for any game? Not sure why though...

Regarding the number of guests that is probably quiet common on most gaming forums. Many people just read but never post. No need for an account for that. [:)]

[wdolson]

The forum may quietly logout people who have the forum open in their browsers, but not active for x amount of time and then auto log them back in when they post. Just guessing though. I don't know exactly how the forum software works.

Bill

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Yepp, sadly WitW fell over and died like a cow struck by lightning. Sorry I made you buy it. [:(]

I remember reading somewhere that Matrix never releases the sales numbers for any game? Not sure why though...

Regarding the number of guests that is probably quiet common on most gaming forums. Many people just read but never post. No need for an account for that. [:)]

I'm fine with the WITW purchase. I'll call it rent for all of the forum server space I'm taking up with my AAR posts! [;)]

You'd think they'd want to publicize that quite a few are still buying this game.

It would make for a more interesting forum if those guests took the leap. I remember when I did, after about two weeks of lurking in guest mode. It was great to finally be able to ask a question, and only then did I realize how many I had to ask!

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

The forum may quietly logout people who have the forum open in their browsers, but not active for x amount of time and then auto log them back in when they post. Just guessing though. I don't know exactly how the forum software works.

Bill

It seems not to. I've had my window open for hours and still was logged in, though I hadn't done anything in that time.

[wdolson]

It may also be counting bots cruising the forum as guests too. Though I do think that you are right and there are a fair number of people just visiting as guests. I've managed a few forums over the years that were private and could only be seen by subscribed members. The ratio of people subscribed to the number of people participating was usually greater than 10:1. And I have been among the unregistered lurkers on some other forums over the years. It's usually just something I'm casually interested in and don't feel a burning need to say anything, so I just read and lurk for a while and move on to something else.

Bill

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: wdolson

The forum may quietly logout people who have the forum open in their browsers, but not active for x amount of time and then auto log them back in when they post. Just guessing though. I don't know exactly how the forum software works.

Bill

It seems not to. I've had my window open for hours and still was logged in, though I hadn't done anything in that time.

I typically keep it open all day at work and have never found myself logged out.

[DD696]

One of those "guests" is myself. I rarely bother to log in but have Matrix set as one of my home pages, so I am always "here" whenever I have the computer on.

[Bullwinkle58]

I'm guessing in a lot are people reading on the their phones/tablets. I read the forum on my iPhone before I get out of bed in the morning. Although I'm registered and have Bullwinkle cookies enabled in my PC browser I do not on my phone. On my phone I'm a Guest.

For those who do AARs it is important to remember that anyone can read the forum on a phone and be invisible. Even more important to choose an opponent you can trust.

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I'm guessing in a lot are people reading on the their phones/tablets. I read the forum on my iPhone before I get out of bed in the morning. Although I'm registered and have Bullwinkle cookies enabled in my PC browser I do not on my phone. On my phone I'm a Guest.

For those who do AARs it is important to remember that anyone can read the forum on a phone and be invisible. Even more important to choose an opponent you can trust.

Good point. I'd forgotten people read on their phones these days. I had assumed they'd do that logged in but I guess not all. I'm logged in on mine but only usually check when something big is going on. I hate reading on that thing.

What shocked me was the relative number of guests to logged-in users. Only 61 forum members and 12,976 guests. That's a hel of a lot more people than I thought would even be on these forums. It's kind of great, but just makes me want to know how many are in the AE forum and playing the game. Thus my question about sales numbers.

[kbfchicago]

I only login if replying/posting, a small % of my time on the forum. More to learn than pontificate or pass on...even after nearly five years of play.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: wdolson

The forum may quietly logout people who have the forum open in their browsers, but not active for x amount of time and then auto log them back in when they post. Just guessing though. I don't know exactly how the forum software works.

Bill

It seems not to. I've had my window open for hours and still was logged in, though I hadn't done anything in that time.

The damned thing logs me off after about 30 minutes!

[operating]

ORIGINAL: JocMeister

Yepp, sadly WitW fell over and died like a cow struck by lightning. Sorry I made you buy it. [:(]

I remember reading somewhere that Matrix never releases the sales numbers for any game? Not sure why though...

Regarding the number of guests that is probably quiet common on most gaming forums. Many people just read but never post. No need for an account for that. [:)]

To get an idea on how many units are sold or at least looked at to buy: I keep an eye on:

Buy Commander: The Great War Now!
Redirect Count: 4040

as an example, near the top of each Matrix forum

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: kbfchicago

I only login if replying/posting, a small % of my time on the forum. More to learn than pontificate or pass on...even after nearly five years of play.

Some of your posts are very informed and useful nonetheless. Plus, cool signature. Not enough merchant marine FBs. [:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

I'm guessing in a lot are people reading on the their phones/tablets. I read the forum on my iPhone before I get out of bed in the morning. Although I'm registered and have Bullwinkle cookies enabled in my PC browser I do not on my phone. On my phone I'm a Guest.

For those who do AARs it is important to remember that anyone can read the forum on a phone and be invisible. Even more important to choose an opponent you can trust.

Good point. I'd forgotten people read on their phones these days. I had assumed they'd do that logged in but I guess not all. I'm logged in on mine but only usually check when something big is going on. I hate reading on that thing.

What shocked me was the relative number of guests to logged-in users. Only 61 forum members and 12,976 guests. That's a hel of a lot more people than I thought would even be on these forums. It's kind of great, but just makes me want to know how many are in the AE forum and playing the game. Thus my question about sales numbers.

13,000 guests is a huge number, yes. I think some of them are bots, as was suggested. But more than that, when you look in a lot of Matrix forums, the regulars there often mention AE, often with awe that anyone could play it, let alone be good at it. I think a lot might be Matrix customers or even boardgamers who don't own AE, but like to look through the knothole in the outfield fence.

[AW1Steve]

Pikers! [:D] Hey Lurkers! Come on in and join the dark side! We have cookies! [:D]

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

13,000 guests is a huge number, yes. I think some of them are bots, as was suggested. But more than that, when you look in a lot of Matrix forums, the regulars there often mention AE, often with awe that anyone could play it, let alone be good at it.

Do we have to be 'good at it' to generate awe? [8D]

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

Pikers! [:D] Hey Lurkers! Come on in and join the dark side! We have cookies! [:D]

They are aliens. Don't irritate them.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: kbfchicago

I only login if replying/posting, a small % of my time on the forum. More to learn than pontificate or pass on...even after nearly five years of play.

Some of your posts are very informed and useful nonetheless. Plus, cool signature. Not enough merchant marine FBs. [:)]

I had ten years in the Seafarer's International Union..Does that count as a FB? [;)]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

13,000 guests is a huge number, yes. I think some of them are bots, as was suggested. But more than that, when you look in a lot of Matrix forums, the regulars there often mention AE, often with awe that anyone could play it, let alone be good at it.

Do we have to be 'good at it' to generate awe? [8D]

Do people watch NASCAR for the race or the crashes? [:'(]