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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 6:06 pm  Post subject: How Do We Expand?  
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 10:22 pm
Rank: Contender
Location: Behind you...
PSN: PGlassJar
I hate to say it, but somebody had to say it eventually. Merqury City is a dying forum. This topic is bigger than SSX, this is about Merq itself.

Merq is an amazing community filled with amazing people (as mentioned by Kubi at viewtopic.php?t=11968). However, like I mentioned, it is a dying forum. More people are forgetting/have forgotten about Merq than more people have discovered it. So my question is, what can we do to get more people to join Merq?

It's the most amazing, personal and cultural forum I've ever seen and I'd hate to see it go.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:29 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 1:16 am
Rank: Master
Location: York, United Kingdom
PSN: Kubi-ssx
I think that the culture of the forum exists here. We are different people held together by the common appreciation of SSX. We have a great place to discuss non-SSX related topics in The Playground and The Lodge. However, I do see your point. Many amazing people who would fit right into the community we have here might never find it because they don't like SSX, which seems not only mind boggling, but also like a very arbitrary "requirement" to join us.

I started off writing this post disagreeing with you, now I'm puzzled. :heh

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:18 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 10:22 pm
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Location: Behind you...
PSN: PGlassJar
Heh, I get what you mean.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 11:17 am  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2014 6:28 pm
Rank: Superstar
XBL: PeacefulJarl379
Many people don't even know that SSX exists. SSX is a dying community just as Tony Hawk. Since people see this site as a fan site as the main reason instead of the forum, people skip this site on Bing search results.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 6:33 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
SSX 3: Showoff: #1
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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:26 pm
Scoreboard Honors: 1
  • SSX 3: Showoff: #1
Rank: Master
Location: Brazil
yeah obviously merq, it is no longer as popular as in the past( 2003-2010), but I feel like as the same way the things "stops" here for a long period where some people leave the forum, mostly assets return sometime years later (as happened in 2015 with SSX3) and can happen at any time with other ssx games also, I understand your point and it is a bit sad really, but people who are still here, make this forum worth, and I think that merq not only "always decay to death" but the forum has just popularity oscillations, but due to being so wonderful here, here never dies, that's how I see it ...and I think the best way to increase the popularity here, and make more people join the forum, is whether each active person here, return to produce runs (the wonderful races and freestyles) and post on YouTube and on websites of this genere, so that people know these games and also to the old players want return to play ...


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:46 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:05 pm
Rank: Master
Location: United States
Hi All:

What Merqury City's gondee needs to do is to make a YouTube version of the well-organized site built here, and link the two sites together. That way, people need not toggle back in forth between YouTube and Merqury City, as they will have three options: 1) be a Mequry City non-YouTube member only; 2) be a Merqury YouTube resident only; 3) dwell in both the YouTube and Merqury City domains. In other words, gondee should create a Xerox of this site on YouTube, which should help participation in Lodge conversations and in other discussions rise again, as people seem more likely to engage in cyber interchange in a YouTube atmosphere than in an out-of-the-way site. In other words, the reason Merqury City is receiving so little attention these days is because of its obscure location, in contradistinction to YouTube, which is easier for people who immigrate to that locality (i.e., YouTube) to find. Of course, gondee might reject the idea on the basis that keeping track of too many domains will diminish his capacity to upgrade SSX gaming scores, monitor conversations, ad infinitum. A suggestion would be for him to select a person, or a group of people, who demonstrate the competency of doing the daily tasks which he requires. I hope my input helps.

Take care, My Friend!

Best Wishes to You All,
QuotidianPerfection


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:18 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:31 am
Rank: Master
Location: Cardiff, Wales
XBL: Joshie2499
PSN: Joshie2499
Dunno about you guys but I expand when I eat too much. :P

But to answer seriously: I don't know where to begin, except to say that I haven't been on this site for about a year now. Most of the time on the site I've only been checking back at some things, looking at the nice posts you guys make. It is clear that you all contribute positive strength to the community on the forum.

But to answer on how we should expand, well... we need to reflect on what the forums are mainly about: The SSX series. Anyway, it is why we started on the forums, right? From there, we would talk about the series then progress further by actual off-topic, more serious and social interaction with eachother.

SSX still stands as the common interest in the community though. It's 2016. SSX hasn't really been on the ball lately, given that there hasn't really been any major engagement with the series for about three years now, and people have taken interest in other game series that they like and leave this series and the forums entirelly.

To me now, SSX is just a thing of the past. Believe me. I haven't touched an SSX game in a long time, never really bothered with playing it anymore, nor really coming back on here. I think that the lost in interest is what's bringing the population of the forums down, that and because some people feel like they should concentrate more heavily on their lives; job, family, education, free time.

The only way to expand is to see the series come back to life again; attract new people to the forum by seeing more engagment with the series from EA and then that'll create buzz back to you.

I don't fully know.
Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well for yourselves.
I probably won't be active much so I hope you all take care and good wishes for the future. :)

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PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2016 3:54 am  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2003 3:58 pm
Rank: Master
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Isn't the whole concept of forums/message boards dying out? Sure, there are a few ones that still have activity, but they're all from the golden era of message boards around 10 years ago...

Hasn't most discussion like this moved on to sites like Reddit by now?

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PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2016 4:45 am  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 1:16 am
Rank: Master
Location: York, United Kingdom
PSN: Kubi-ssx
r/MerquryCity? Sounds sweet, let's do it.

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PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2016 12:55 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:05 pm
Rank: Master
Location: United States
Hi All:

Merqury City is not a decaying website, for, if it is, then, whenever a person achieves a WR score in the SSX Series, they can be validated as authentic WR Holder by some other organization that Merqury City. Nevertheless, this is not the case, as claims of holding authentic WRs in the SSX Series requires gondee's validation, an individual who owns the only site who can officially review SSX-related scores and times, and then adjudicate them as either acceptable or unacceptable. For this reason, I believe that only the participation on the Gravitude Bar discussion board is suffering. YouTubers who make claims of "owning" WRs in SSX-related games still must support their claims (i.e., if they are honest) with links to the Merqury City Scoreboard.

Take care.

Best Wishes,
QuotidianPerfection


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PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2016 1:13 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 1:16 am
Rank: Master
Location: York, United Kingdom
PSN: Kubi-ssx
All of this can be done on reddit.

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PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2016 1:42 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:05 pm
Rank: Master
Location: United States
Hi Kubi:

I think that Merqury City gives SSX-related times and scores a certain authenticity to it. If Merqury City can no longer officially validate SSX-related times and scores, then this opens the problem of gamers picking and choosing whatever site will authenticate the runs, even if they are questionable. The concern here is not of whether or not a site can check runs, but whether or not it can do so in a manner which reinforces the notion of fair play in gaming runs. Let me provide a brief analogy: X and Y can both brag about receiving doctorate degrees; nevertheless, while X attends a university which requires receiving a specific grade (or above) in eight core courses and four electives, a score of 85 on the general and the specific comprehensive exams given by university, a dissertation approved by an entire committee, and one which is read by both a primary and a secondary reader, and a dissertation defense, Y is allowed to attain doctoral status by passing eight easy courses and a twenty-five question multiple choice exam. The doctoral degrees offered by the first university are meaningful, as it takes tremendous work to achieve such degrees, whereas the ones offered by the university do not have much intrinsic worth to them, as they are quite easy to attain. I fear that if other sites can "validate" SSX-related runs, whereby just a picture screen of a score is required for every track, cheaters might be able to become WR Holders on the basis that some sites, like certain universities, decide to dilute the integrity of accomplishment, sacrificing what is time-consuming to do, such as submitting gaming runs to a thorough evaluation before accepting or rejecting them, and, instead, require much easier submission guidelines, perhaps to make the job of the judge far less time-consuming.

Take care.

Best Wishes,
QuotidianPerfection


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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2016 8:15 am  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2003 3:58 pm
Rank: Master
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
I'm not really here to talk about SSX though so I'm not sure how much interest I would have in a SSX subreddit. The only reason I come to this forum is it's was like a second home to me back when I was 15, and that's 12 years ago! Crazy.

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PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2016 12:25 pm  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2003 9:49 am
Scoreboard Honors: 1
  • SSX Blur: Showoff: #3
Rank: Ass-Kisser Extraordinaire
Location: P-Town in da NW
XBL: gondeeSSX
PSN: gondeeSSX
There are lot of things lending to Merq's stillness these days.

SSX as a series is dead for now. The last game was a challenge to get made as the EA execs didn't believe in it, and it didn't do that well in sales. I don't expect to see anything for a few years at least if not longer. Nostalgia (and maybe a VR platform?) needs to build up again. Make no mistake: our site follows the ebb and flow of the SSX tide. If we get a new game, you can a) bet I'd be more energized to update "older" parts of the site and b) we'd get a big influx of new people. As a general rule, our userbase is straight up getting older and they move on. The SSX Heyday was 2000-2005, and I think it's pretty good we're still around on top of that.

Lots (and lots and lots and lots and lots) of similar forums based on a single game series are done and gone. Even big ones like Tekken Zaibatsu have gone the way of letting users perform a lot of the content updates (via forum posts) and they haven't actively updated their sites in years. After a while, working on active continued development for an aging site is a diminishing return. Things like development (and paying developers) costs money and if the site doesn't have anyone visiting that often it's harder to justify spending large amounts of time on it.

Regardless of that, I still love SSX and Merqury City is my baby. I'm going to keep it alive until a) not a single soul is interested in visiting anymore or b) some awful circumstance in my life robs me of my ability to keep it around. We will probably fade into a slow burn if no new games come out, and I'm fine with that. I don't mind being the "archive" per se of SSX records. This site still gives me a platform to do some web work if I feel like it, and it doesn't cost that much to keep alive. :yes It will be around as long as I'm capable of it. :D

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PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2016 5:11 am  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
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Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:06 am
Rank: Master
Location: Inside Kaori
PSN: jonipooon
^That's why I love this site so much. It's basically the only site left from my young teenage years that's still around, in the exact same way it was back then. I (and many others) could not thank you enough gondee for keeping it alive, plus not making any lavish changes to it (like deleting stuff).

As for the activity, what is there to say? Everyone else has already pretty much summed it up.

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PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2016 9:35 am  Post subject: Re: How Do We Expand?  
Ass-Kisser Extraordinaire
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Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2003 9:49 am
Scoreboard Honors: 1
  • SSX Blur: Showoff: #3
Rank: Ass-Kisser Extraordinaire
Location: P-Town in da NW
XBL: gondeeSSX
PSN: gondeeSSX
Jonipoon wrote:
I (and many others) could not thank you enough gondee for keeping it alive, plus not making any lavish changes to it (like deleting stuff).

Eh, don't give me too much credit. Merq is behind the times in a lot of ways as far as development goes. Most everyone has moved to mobile for viewing web pages and most of our stuff is not even phone friendly. :heh But it'll do for as slow as the site is. It would be a mountain of work not many people would see, so I've always been reluctant to tackle it.

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