Yes the fact is that even the people who know it is there do not want to go there.
Yep. That is what a test is for.
We tried it with what DemnSlyr thought would be an idea configuration, and we tried it on what you thought it should be. Neither made a difference to the traffic.
Would it fair better if it was setup permanently and a link on the front tab? Hmmm maybe. It's not certain. We certainly didn't prove there was a community of furballers just chomping at the bit for a venue.
Bottom line is, it's not the same community of people now than it was back when Furball Lake was a thing. So maybe that experience can not be easily recreated.
I had to laugh at the dance you and Bixby did. That is so typical of a side arena trying to get traction. Someone goes in and no one is there. They fly around a bit but no one is there so they leave. 10 minutes later someone else comes in, but no one is there and there is nothing to do. So they fly circles for a bit then leave. Other look later and see no population in that arena, so they don't bother even going in. LoL.
WW1WF still gets a trickle of traffic, but it is specifically design so that no other players are required. I still see a couple of regulars in there periodically like Pops04 and some others, so I guess repeat customers means they get some enjoyment out of it.
Any side arena that is totally dependent on herding in human cats, is very hard to sustain on a continuing basis when the easier path of clicking on the Melee button is there.
I still cannot fathom why in a community of "historical enthusiasts" the AvA can't at least put 10 players in a historical setup on most night. But the pull of the Melee dark side is strong.
I'd be interested to know why the AvA stays empty except for a couple of non-historical events. You can't capture bases there right? Is it just that? Why isn't that the place that guys who prefer historical Scenarios hang out in-between events?
Bixby, if you are interested in picking it up and running it on some kind of basis to try and drum up a clientele, I'll help you get setup. Let me know if you are interested.