You want to capitalize on a new-player-bump? Get people to use good manners in the servers, and stop arguing about stupid shit on the forums. Focus on development and playing the game. That's what got people to stay before, that's what got them to stay after that, that's what got YOU to stay, that's what works.
The same thing that makes people argue about "stupid shit" is the same thing that causes people to use poor manners with each other.
You may call it stupid shit because it may be a controversial topic and/or difficult to deal with, but the two problems are not unrelated.
What got me to stay:
I actually left...completely. Then I only came back because of Tron Legacy (I remembered how awesome this game was and missed it).
The manners people use in game, on forums, wherever; that does not have an affect on my choice to stay.
What works for some may not work for everyone.
Overall, new players will be here.
You don't have to put pressure on yourself to do anything.
People are just pointing out all the reasons that made new players leave without coming back, and seeing what we can do to fix that.
If nothing is done, then the same things that make people leave will take out a huge chunk of that population boom.
Doing something now can reduce the number of users that will quit without coming back (e.g. better tutorials).
It doesn't have to be a deadline or anything to put pressure on you, but everyone who's here now can work towards a change that will welcome the new users.
IDK if you realize, but people have made youtube videos of armagetron...video game reviews. And what did they have to say?
The game isn't worth playing because of all the hackers (people double binding)...it's a case of ignorance that can be fixed with some simple changes (example: some actual documentation easily accessible for them to learn all this stuff*).
For example, there is no explanation anywhere on how to use colored text in tron...that's something that's just figured out or taught by other users.
Armagetron is full of secrets like that; things people have to discover for themselves and that is overall too much work expected from a game (something meant to be fun, not work).
So yes, I think it would be good to capitalize on the new-player-bump.
No, I don't think anyone should feel pressured to do something about it.
But, if we as a community do something now, we can be prepared for it (to welcome the new users - the last thing they want is to be called nabs, and voted out of servers).
*I have some plans that I hope to get partly done by the time new players come in...idk when that is tho ("spring 2015" might be sooner than I would have liked).
