Game forums: instructions for use for the community manager and developer

Forum as a phenomenon originates from the time of ancient Rome. Even then, residents of the city gathered in the central square for discussions and discussion of pressing issues. Since then, the essence of the forum has remained unchanged. But now you don’t need to go anywhere and hold open-air conversations - you just need to connect to the network and discuss the issue of interest in the appropriate forum. This is fully applicable to the gaming industry. Where, if not on the forum, the player can discuss how to perform a difficult task or get a rare item.

Today we will tell you why you need to develop a gaming forum .

FORUM TASKS

1. Through the forum you can effectively convey the position of the company to users. It is not enough to simply post a news item about an update or about any other important event - it is extremely important to conduct a dialogue with the players: explain, sometimes convince, and most importantly listen, try to understand what moves them.
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2. The forum is the place where you can quickly collect and provide player feedback to developers .
   
   
3. The forum is a source of ideas for improving the product .
   
   How to work effectively with suggestions for improvement?
   
   
   • You need to know your product perfectly to understand how this or that innovation will affect the development of the game, so you need to play actively every day.
     
     
   • If you do not understand the essence of the proposed change, ask, ask . You do not need to write "I will convey your wish ..." if you did not understand. Even if the idea is frankly unrealizable, then by your inquiries show attention and respect for the player, which means, at least, you will receive a +1 loyal user, at most, you will understand the cause of the problem, which can be solved in another way. In addition, other players can connect to your conversation, who themselves can say that the proposal is better not to be implemented.
     
     
   • Do not be afraid to say no, but do it right. If you begin to respond to the ideas of the players and at the same time argue for your answers, in particular responses-refusals , then you will greatly increase loyalty. Even refusing, it is important to explain why it is impossible to accomplish what a person asks.
   
   
4. The forum creates a large amount of content that can be used to engage players. Memes in the game setting, useful tips, arts, photos, screenshots of battles, even rumors - all this can be used if you wish to immerse users in the game world. The task of the community manager is to create a favorable atmosphere on the forum and to stimulate the players' desire to share interesting content.

WHO IS WHO? How important it is to know your users.

Examine the audience, select several types of players (conditionally, of course):

• loyal,
• the rebels
• silent
• constructive,
• the experts.

You can come up with your own types, because each forum has some unique characters. The next step is to find helpers. This is especially true if your forum develops quickly. Undoubtedly, good moderators come from loyal players , but do not forget that aerobatics is the transformation of a rebel into a brand advocate or moderator.

You need to communicate with the players, not to be afraid to move to a closer level, to speak on topics that concern not only the game, but also some personal interests, such as hobbies and music. At the same time, you should not forget about observing a certain distance, in other words, you need to find a middle ground.

The player must see in the community manager his adviser, comrade, parliamentary, but first and foremost a representative of a company that can be trusted. The approach is erroneous when the community manager positions himself as “his person” and often takes the side of the players, agrees with their opinion, ceases to identify himself with the company, the solutions of which the community may not like. Yes, this is a safe approach, but not the best.



The type of players "rebels" can be divided into several subtypes, since this category requires special attention.

Rebels should always be in your sight, do not ignore them, but do not pay them too much attention, as this will only strengthen their self-confidence and can turn public opinion against you and the company as a whole.

The rebels are different, and the motives of each of them may also differ.

For example, rebels by nature , grumpy people who love to be the center of attention. Sometimes they are not experts in the game, but they can position themselves as such. Most likely, they often have conflicts with other players, even with those who share their opinions on a particular issue. With such people you need to behave calmly, under any circumstances not to get out of balance. Even if the players begin to insult you, act strictly according to the rules, that is, relying on the rules of the forum. Never - never - ever speak badly about these people in conversation with other players, even relatives. Firstly, this is not good by default, and secondly, it can turn against you sometime.

There are rebel experts - respected people in the community who have achieved some success in the game and consider themselves better than others. Of course, they are sure that they understand the game better than you. Often one can hear from them that you have “never seen the product”, in our case the game, and “only you know what to give obvious advice”. No matter how regrettable it may sound, such players try to humiliate others, including you. If you notice their excessive activity, then carefully read everything they are trying to convey. First, handle the facts, and secondly, do not be afraid to make comments if a person goes beyond what is permitted - again, everything is strictly according to the forum rules. And thirdly, do not try to prove that you are smarter.

Sometimes there are rebels out of conviction . People who revolt can be attributed to this type, because they don’t really like something and sincerely want to achieve some goal for their own good, and moreover, for the good of the community. Most often, such people appear when the company's decision goes against the opinions of the players. They enter into dialogue with the administration of the forum, trying to find a compromise. If a compromise is impossible, a more active phase of the activities of such rebels begins - they activate the community as much as possible, turn people against the company. The danger is that, as a rule, such people respect the community and enjoy a certain authority, respectively, can attract the maximum number of people with different views on their side. With such players you need to be frank and honest, you need to bring the company's position as clearly as possible to the rebel and his supporters. If there is a group in which boycotting demands are made, or a petition is created, take a hard time to study it thoroughly and give the most detailed answer. After the official response of the company is published, continue to engage in dialogue with the players, listen to them.

Power should not be abused: banning in a group is the last thing to do . And if you do, do not forget to notify the participant what rules he violated. Before this, make sure: you have done everything possible to sensitize the player, without resorting to extreme measures.



Constructive players are active in the game, in the community and in informal groups. They prefer to talk on the case, operate on facts and expect to receive the same answer. Most often they write in a group only when they really need to learn something. With such people you need to be as specific as possible, not to "pour water".

Experts are people who have long been familiar with the game, are constantly interested in updates and the slightest changes in mechanics; they make calculations, develop strategies and love to teach others. As a rule, they occupy top positions in their clans. Reputation is very important for such people, so you never need to humiliate them, even if they are wrong. With experts, as with constructive players, you need to talk as much as possible on the case, considering each phrase and paying attention to details.

The largest category of community members is the silent people , who, under certain conditions, can “mutate” into any other type of forum inhabitants. They look at you, read the news, your answers and, perhaps, do it more attentively than everyone else. Therefore, each answer you give is not the answer to any one person, but to all the visitors of the forum, those who enter the group, read the news and, based on your comments, judge the company itself.

Suppose you see a malicious post from a constantly disgruntled person who will still be unhappy, no matter what you write. Is it worth spending time on a bulk response? Yes worth it! Constantly complaining player will remain with his opinion (most likely), but hundreds of other players will see your answer. Remember: you write for all of them .

A few helpful tips when writing a response

• Never respond with aggression to aggression.
• Show respect to every member of the community.
• Listen to what they say to you. Seriously, most of the problems arise when the community manager doesn’t understand what the player has written, especially if a “poem” is written in a couple of pages.
• Never discuss players with other forum visitors. Especially in a negative light. Even if a situation has arisen when a group of players loyal to you is discussing some violent, unpleasant or just at that time aggressive forumchanin, even in a private chat, never say anything bad about him. Friends can become enemies in a month or two, and your taunts will be made public, which will damage your reputation. Be discreet and be more benevolent towards people.
• Never say or even hint that a player is lying, especially in public. Players never lie, they can only be mistaken.

STORM

So, we will talk about the boycott.

The causes of the boycott may be different, for example:

• insufficient attention of the community manager to the players;
• an update to which players reacted negatively;
• bugs, while users do not have a clue about what stage the solution to a problem is;
• boredom, depression on the forum, which may cause the desire to "warm up";
• personal reasons, defeats in the game, etc.

Prevention

• Communication with players, interest in current issues, quick and high-quality answers.
• Preparing players for updates: polls, teasers, detailed study of new features and compulsory instructions for moderators.
• A message about which bugs were fixed and which were still being repaired.
• Entertainment users, contests, discussion analytics.
• Visit informal communities.

What to do?

• Look around, understand who can support you, and find out where the "wind is blowing."
• Try to establish contact with the instigators. In parallel with this, work with the rest of the forum participants.
• Understand the reasons for the boycott and analyze what can be done in this situation.
• Accurately and extensively answer questions and claims of players.
• Analyze the causes of the situation. Assess the damage and begin to restore order.

Each boycott is a test of strength, because it is in such critical situations that you will see which of the game moderators gave up the slack, who is not so true to the word, and who stayed with you and stood until the end. Do not forget that the rebels are still loyal fans of your game, they just have no mood, something upset them. Do not take them as enemies - it will help to tune in a positive way.

I really hope that my article will be useful to you in your work, or at least suggest some thoughts. Love your players, accept them as they are, while trying not to let the negative through you. Turn on “Buddha mode” and do your job well. The ability to remain calm and not to get lost in difficult situations is exactly what makes a cool community manager, a professional with nerves of iron and a big heart, out of an ordinary person.

“Fishermen know how menacingly the sea, how terrible the storm is. But this does not prevent them from setting sail. ” Vincent van Gogh

Thanks for attention. All good!