Considering a merge and after some advice.

[alsarcastic]

Three weeks ago I started my first new forum in about six or seven years. It's only been three weeks and it's gained just shy of 500 posts. None of those posts are organic. They're a result of post exchanges and a couple of sock puppets. I like the site, I like the look but it's for a game which doesn't launch until sometime in 2021. No release date known and the news is drip fed very slowly so content is difficult to generate at this time.

I know that closer to release activity will improve but I do not know when that will be and currently I'm languishing in no-mans-land with a site not getting a lot of attention despite it looking really good and despite a bit of promotion on my behalf.

One week ago I started another forum. It's also a games forum but covers a wider niche. In a week it's gained 350 posts, many of which are organic from people who have found us and connected with us on social media.

Now I have a crisis. Should I keep site one as a separate entity knowing that it will be a difficult slog but perhaps rewarding in the end when game launches. Or merge them together into the more recent forum which is getting activity and has folk interested. I am moving more towards a merger but wanted to just have the opinion of more experienced admins.

There are no users on the other site which will miss it. There's only really me who still visits. I just feel it could be big next year and don't want to regret merging them when the game hits. Thoughts please?

The first site is humankind2021 dot com the second is in my signature.

 

[haqzore]

I can't say that I know the "right" answer.

What I think I know is that if you close your site, another will pop up in its place sooner or later. It would really suck if they took off because they were the "new first forum".


Maybe just reeeaally trim it down... 1 single forum with news posted as threads/topics? Or something like that.

 

[zappaDPJ]

I agree with haqzore and I think the person best placed to answer the question is probably the forum owner

In general terms mergers will usually alienate one set users because they have been forced to move house or because they have been invaded by outsiders. From what I can gather from the opening post this is not likely to be much of an issue but a merger still needs to be handled sympathetically.

I would usually lean towards merging if the end result is at least equal to the sum of the parts merged. Being able to judge that is the key and the owner is best placed to do that.

 

[alsarcastic]

I was almost dead set on a merger until I saw your replies. Thanks. I’ll leave it for now.

 

[JoyFreak]

I was almost dead set on a merger until I saw your replies. Thanks. I’ll leave it for now.

I would settle for the merger. I would make a special section on your new forum specifically for that game and have the domain point to that.

 

[alsarcastic]

I've come up with a new plan:



Strategy Gaming Network is to become a true network of sites. SGN will sit as the hub and other specific niche game forums will feed into it. HK2021 is just the first. Let's bring forums back!

 

[haqzore]

I've come up with a new plan:

View attachment 54652

Strategy Gaming Network is to become a true network of sites. SGN will sit as the hub and other specific niche game forums will feed into it. HK2021 is just the first. Let's bring forums back!

A challenge for sure, but very exciting.

Single sign-on would be a great benefit for this.

 

[alsarcastic]

Indeed. It's something I'd love to put into practice.

 

[alsarcastic]

After weeks of considering my options, I'm going to merge the two forums. The question is; just how easy is it to do?

 

[Abizaga]

I have never tried to merge sites before so I wish I could tell you.

 

[alsarcastic]

I merged vbulletin back in the day.

 

[zappaDPJ]

The question is; just how easy is it to do?

It looks like both your forums are running on XenForo so it shouldn't pose any major issues at all as there is an XF to XF importer. Any conflict in user names or email addresses will result in a prompt to merge or rename one of the accounts.

I've done this multiple times now without any real issues other than an occasional problem with incorrect post counts.

 

[alsarcastic]

I’ve briefly read the notes on xF about importing and I’ve downloaded the importer add on. The forums are on different hosts. Would I be right to assume I’ll have to download the MySQL database from the forum being imported and set up a database on the host for the receiving forum? I expect I cannot do it across two hosts.

 

[zappaDPJ]

I expect I cannot do it across two hosts.

It is technically possible but it's far far easier to import from the same host.

 

[alsarcastic]

The original host has been down for about 12 hours now meaning I don't have access to the files on the FTP. This does two things:

1) it pisses me off
2) it galvanises my decision to merge

 

[ManagerJosh]

I would honestly just move the sites over to the same server but keep them separate. There's value in keeping different properties.

 

[cheat_master30]

Yeah I'd keep them separate as well. Your new site seems like it's got a lot of potential, especially if the game it's based on does really well upon launching in 2021. Merging them together means you won't get those benefits, and it'll just be another part of a generic gaming/gaming niche forum that less people will be interested in.

 

[alsarcastic]

I've gone ahead with the merge. I think I was spreading myself too thin on the gaming front. I had two forums and a blog to run, all based on gaming. The merge has freed up a licence for a new/old idea I have/had...

I'll expand, I guess, on the reason for the merge. The Humankind game has a significant official forum which is linked to the developers and to beta testing too. The forums are well run and backed by SEGA too. That's a behemoth you cannot fight. The singular game forum now has longevity beyond the launch of the game; which is where the hype would have died on the now merged forum. There is also the risk that the game it was for turns out to be rubbish. I got burned with Aliens: Colonial Marines previously. One of the worst received games in recent memory. With a wider - but still relatively narrow - niche to cover there's much more scope. I'm also working on bringing in indie devs and retro games which don't have the resources of a AAA title to throw at promotion and community.

Now, onto that other licence I have...

 

[haqzore]

The Humankind game has a significant official forum which is linked to the developers and to beta testing too. The forums are well run and backed by SEGA too. That's a behemoth you cannot fight.

'Nuff said. Good choice on the merge.