What keeps you coming back to a server?

[JunkyPic]

Hello,

My question to you is quite simple.

What keeps you, the user, coming back to a minecraft server?

I own a small-ish server, and I constantly have to search for new players, because most will login 3-4 days tops, after they reach the "end-game", they'll get bored and simply leave, never to come back.

I'd really want a steady player base, but I do realize that I have to keep them motivated to come back to the server. All in all, it's about a long term goal they'll need to have in mind. For example build a magnificent structure or have a fantastic base. Whatever floats their boat.

It doesn't really matter what kind it is, PvP, PvE, Tekkit, Hunger Games, etc.

Also, I'd like to ask, how long have you played on a single server and what kind was it?

[Torezu]

This really doesn't belong here. I'll move it to General Tekkit SMP.

[elmarko98]

The longest I've ever played on a server is a month, you've just got to keep in mind that people can't play tekkit or minecraft forever. Luckily they're one of those games that you keep coming back too but you do get bored of them.

Just wait a bit and you may see some familiar faces in a few weeks. Just give it time and advertise, always advertise.

Speaking of which I have a tekkit server that-

Nah just kidding but I do have a tekkit server if anyone's interested

[The_DarthMoogle]

Interaction with the players. As people get to know you, they will get to know each other.

Any muppet can become infinitely powerful in Tekkit in a few days, but it's friends they've made that they come back for.

[Phuriousgeorge]

I've ran MC servers for 3 years now, only a few months as Tekkit and I've had players around for just about the entire 3 years. We had a similar discussion a couple months back.

While I can't really comment on why I "play" on one server (everyone knows admins don't play), the community keeps admining fun and interesting, almost as if I actually get to play ;)

[Yuriy]

As a casual player, I normally don't stay on servers for long. Often, I'm "hired" to create some sort of creative structure or area with the help of my girlfriend and we do it because we want other people to be able to enjoy our work (when I'm taken on for creative work I don't actually play, I'm an op flying around building stuff). When I play, it's usually with a small group of people who I become friends with but only then will I come back and play with them but, even then, only in sporadic bursts. More often than not, I play MC when I just want a simple break from other games and/or when I want to build something creative with my girl.

Although I'm probably not your 'target market/audience' for feedback on a casual user experience, in such a circumstance, the most important thing to convince me to play with a group of people more than once would be community and creativity. If there aren't any projects my new friends want to plan out or work on, I get bored and go find some (sometimes on the server, sometimes elsewhere). In short, if we all have a goal and we all enjoy each others' company, we'll play together again. I met a group of friends in a random FTB game and we still talk but I just haven't played with them in about 1-2 months (I feel kind of bad because I laid out a cool new HQ style for them but we never finished the roof and final touches).

[andrewdonshik]

To answer your question, usually a small server that has EE, just because I like transmutation, players that haven't reached endgame yet, and a nice community.