It's the illusion, stupid

[Arev]

Apologies for not being very active recently. I was at work the other day, thinking about Outpost Kappa activities and RID's membership. Historians often ask the question, "Why?". Why did RID lose it activity? Why did we become active after our last slump? When I created RID RP, I relied on one or two other casual RPers to help create the illusion that RID RP was larger and more active than it actually was. Then RID's reputation was saturated and other players began to look at RID as a formidable force in the RP community. The first 'official' RP event hosted in Fort Keen was only attended by one RID member, me. (Lexx, and two others came later.) But that's all people knew/saw was "RID", so they drew their own conclusions.

Now before you say, "But didn't you say something about honesty?". And that's true as well. We should be honest with recruits, but we don't necessarily have to wear our honesty on our sleeves with strangers. Again, let them draw their own conclusions.

What does this mean for RID? In planning future events, we should include our friends from outside the PA, especially those from other inactive PAs. Kioet and I knew Crazygun would join us eventually because U-S-A was dying (but hilariously, still isn't 'dead'), so we kept inviting him to RID events. Eventually we told him we wanted him to join, but not from the onset.

Image is fundamental, so is honesty, but allowing ourselves to look different from the reality is an admirable goal for recruitment.

[Lexx Yovel]

Very good point.

Sometimes what is needed for a successful guild is a core group of individuals, even as low as 5, and then having a ring of "others" who make up the larger numbers, but aren't always as actively involved.

Such as before, it was really only you, Farik, Apauck, and a few others who made up the core group of RP'ers in RID, yet it did become quite successful.

In a sort of related/unrelated note, I'm in discussions with 'Reirae'. He was actually the founder of IMPHL, but has returned to form a guild called Wolf'. I've been keeping on good terms with him, but he keeps telling me that starting a new guild is rather difficult, and that his leadership time will be minimalized in the future due to real life obligations.

His guild has 15 members, and he says he's seriously considering having the guild merge with us. I don't know his members too well. They may consist of RP'ers, PvE'ers or whatnot, but it could be helpful in bringing RID back up in size.

[P'nub]

Has there been any further discussion on the integration of Wolf'?

[Lexx Yovel]

Unfortunately, 'Reirae' and his guild Wolf' apparently merged with another guild -- I can't remember the name of it. So pretty much any chance of them merging with RID doesn't seem like it'll happen.

In any case, welcome to our Executive Lounge!

[Osar]

The guild's name is IBM, I only remember it cause I was with him when it happened after a heroic.