We need a better hook
This is it in a nutshell IMO. I mean, getting online gamers to look at the site/game is one thing, but capturing them - ie getting them to sub - is another. The game has to be fun enough, not frustrating enough, etc enough, to get them to stay past 2 weeks, for the free trial to mean anything. Extending that free trial beyond 2 weeks, with limited options, I think would be a sharper hook than what exists now. First 2 weeks, new players get access to everything, but then can stay, but only get what Bruv described. That will create a need/want, and that's how you entice new customers IMO, make them feel like they are missing out on something others who are subbing for $15 have, but they don't. The extra time will also give new players some more time in the oven, let them learn the game through observation and participation while in the FTP planes/etc.
I think this idea will benefit everyone, as it'll fill up the arenas, albeit some players won't be all that great, but that's fine, they'll learn, and in the meantime it'll be more targets, more red guys in the air for everyone, and so forth. I think through cooperation between the community as is, and the current great trainers, getting a lot of the new/ftp/etc players that would be in game spun up and interested would pay off quickly. And all of this is at no real cost to HTC, other than more bandwidth being used, and the cost/time to set up the game so it would work this way. No advert costs is what I'm saying.
Combine such an effort with a blitz on all social media platforms, have the new guy hired to do the help/website/whatever start working the phones/net contacting all the larger (and smaller) gaming web channels on Youtube and Twtich, hand out a couple dozen free accounts for a few months time and have them play and do reviews. Also, contact the few remaining print mags, such as PG Gamer, and get them to do a review, as well as a story on HTC (HTC's story is worth such an article, having lasted SO long, nearly 20 years now, I can't think of but a couple of other online games that have lasted this long, also, HT having started the Massively Multiplayer term/effects as well). I would bet $ that within just a month or so, the MA would be bursting, and within a few months we would know how its working, ie how many new sub/full players are "upgrading" from the FTP option. Even getting 2 or 3% of those doing the FTP thing would start growing the game again.
I really hope HTC starts making moves like this, it doesn't even have to be such as the above, just doing something aggressive to get more players. The game is great, it always has been, I have stuck to my theory that the original game and model works, and that it just needs fine tuning here and there due to time having passed by. The new AH3 is very good, the only issue is #s right now, and IMO many of the the major gripes many have are by and large solved with more numbers.
