New players have entered! Thanks for your contributions guys... Have been discussing this on another platform, and the casual clans will be happy to know that the WG line is:
"please consider that we cannot force "social clans" to play competitive. If a clan just want to stay there to platoon with friends, or just one person wants to own a single man army having his own clan without inviting anybody, we won't stop them"
As I come to a mutual understanding with how some of these casual clans operate, I appreciate the OP was probably a little harsh when some casual clans are actually very organised and collegial, and its members make an informed choice not to engage in competitive play. But what a hell of a conversation-starter!
Ezz, on 01 August 2019 - 09:51 AM, said:
I suspect rewarding people just for being in clans is basically the opposite to what the op was after. He wants to tap into those with the means to compete but just aren't in the right clan. Giving rewards for non competitive activity would be a hindrance to that goal.
^^ Hits the nail on the head - Thanks Ezz
cplripley, on 01 August 2019 - 10:30 AM, said:
So my full clan of active players gets disbanded because we get 200 ping to HK after the change was lobbed on us as a surprise? so skirming has become pointless, but we still like a game on Aus server?
No.
This is an interesting observation - And I appreciate your concentration in WA creates some unique challenges to your clan with the timezone...
Is it a fair assessment that PERTH avoids HK Skirms because of the ping, but can't get games in ANZ because of a lack of assembling clans?
As an earlier poster said....
jumphonner, on 31 July 2019 - 03:33 PM, said:
Instead of a stick approach, how about some big fat juicy carrots?
What rewards would be required to get the participation that you require?
And I have had some subsequent ponderings on what the carrots could look like to achieve these ends...
Unfortunately a leaderboard-driven solution tends to reward established clans, rather than draw new ones into the field. While I do dislike the whole communist-sounding "rewards-for-all" philosophy, getting more clans into competition and out of their random games is only achieved by broadening the base of rewards and making their time in queue and combat worthwhile.
I've mentioned this in another thread, but another option could be setting "Technical Victory" conditions for Skirmish. But given that Skirmish is driven by queue times rather than a predetermined drop-time like Advances, it's probably fair to compensate the individuals for their time in queue... Nothing too crazy lest it be abused, say 50IR and 5,000 credits for Tier VI and 100IR and 5,000 Credits for Tier VIII... 50IR or 100IR might not seem like much to a clan that routinely runs advances, and that kind of credit return is probably a little underwhelming, but for a developing clan with developing players emerging into the competitive sphere (and lord knows we need more of them - hence the OP), that kind of reliable box injection can pay for boosters and combat reserves otherwise out of reach. Between that and the credits, developing clans and their members could hopefully be incentivised into having a regular crack at entry-level competition.