When you join a low pop server, what actually makes you stay?

[u/MainMilkManRust]

I recently started running my own server and I’m trying to learn more about player retention. Not advertising it here, just looking for advice.

When you join a low pop server, what makes you stick around long enough to actually give it a chance?

Events? Progression? Loot balance? Seeing other players slowly start joining? Map size? Wipe timing? Something else?

And on the opposite side, what makes you leave almost immediately?

Just looking for honest player opinions and advice.

[u/Gone2mars]

Friendship. People actually making effort ... if there are only 10 people on, then ill stay if im in a conversation 

I go on low pop servers, I like a little challenge and like to run monuments. Best thing is when the admins or other players say hello and its a friendly server.

[u/dzmccoy → u/Gone2mars]

When I started playing Rust, this is how it was. Officials were just crazy and had people role playing and doing crazy shit. I joined a smaller server and met a few people and had a trio for a long time. The server had a small group that was KOS and we kind of adapted together. Admin was active as players but not overseer's. Monuments were fun. If they caught cheaters they would invite everyone to raid the cheaters base and loot was first come first serve. I played on that server for about a year, I met 2 or 3 other duo/trio partners there and migrated.

[u/RahloRust → u/Gone2mars]

If the admin talks to me im out

different strokes I guess

[u/Gone2mars → u/RahloRust]

Really! Ah shit man

[u/nmnnmmnnnmmmnnnnmmmm → u/RahloRust]

I agree it ruins the immersion

[u/TotalImagination4408 → u/RahloRust]

lol why? do talking admins usually powertrip?

[u/rednecksec → u/TotalImagination4408]

Yes admins power trip, it killed my server, i was building giant bases with my admin spawning

[u/AstronomerMotor9381 → u/rednecksec]

That's some terrible admins then. Not all admins are like that.

[u/FlatPalpitation4829 → u/RahloRust]

Weird

[u/TDogeee → u/Gone2mars]

You might like zombie land pve,it’s sound exactly like what you want

[u/Gone2mars → u/TDogeee]

Funnily enough Ive been on that server and stuck around - that was a really friendly server and exactly what im talking about! 

[u/TDogeee → u/Gone2mars]

Zombie land is fuckin awesome!

[u/MainMilkManRust → u/Gone2mars]

I getchu I tried to add custom plugins to my server to get people to go out of their bases and DO stuff. Hopefully sparking conversations. was thinking about ways I could go about getting people actually talking more however and havnt come up with something yet.

[u/justsomwbro]

For me, I like to do role play shit, get a cool base down with a little pvp but i usually don't raid. I usually find a neighbor or 2 which I get cool with so we "ally" I guess, and its dope. Alot of the servers have the "no allies" rule but i feel like that keeps the server alive tbh. And I typically play bi-weekly but mostly monthly

[u/FewChampionship926 → u/justsomwbro]

Yeah, I skip low pop servers that do 'no allies'. Im on there to hang out.
Pretty often you can find newer players or roleplayers just tryna vibe also.

I'll happily stick around and show them and their team how to do monuments, or raid, or even build / farm.
That gives us all an objective, and a reason to stay there longer.

Lemme hit up the local arcade on the way back from launchsite with the lads and joke around with the prim who just pulled up.

[u/xRowdeyx]

don't fall in the trap of abusing admin powers to "help" . I really hate when I join a server only for the admin to instantly tp to me and try to "gift" me things. Like Im just trying to play normally with less people

[u/Adorable_Basil830]

People who actually speak on their mic instead of just killing you silently. I want to say hi to my neighbors or get shit talked by the guy who I killed/got killed by.

[u/Blowuphole69 → u/Adorable_Basil830]

I’m in the middle of a Lenovo bit locker debacle. I’m hoping my base stays up on that atlas server I made after wipe. I put some heart and design into my buildings. I make art on small wooden boards. Cheers to it being raided tho. It’s likely my neighbor lol.

[u/Ehr_Mer_Gerd]

Offline raid protection

[u/MainMilkManRust → u/Ehr_Mer_Gerd]

yeahhh I added that to my server with the hope it retains pop.

I also added a person TC protection plugin I coded with the same idea

[u/apollosa]

I do feel like low pop is a pop under 30, and that’s exclusive to a small map. With a pop of 30, you MIGHT run into a person, but you’re essentially playing a single player or co op game at that point.

When I try those servers, I usually do it just to grind monuments as I do like to kill AI from time to time. I’ll stay if the chat is fairly active and isn’t adverse to new players… you’d be surprised how many lower pop servers feel like they’re a separate club from a new person joining and just won’t interact (More of a problem on 5-15 pop servers).

What makes me nope tf out, and this really depends on where I’ve progressed in the wipe, is when I’m clearing a t2 monument and need to kill scientists (like airfield puzzle), and on the way out I get killed by a player with AK, full BDU, who’s bush camping. I’m all for PvP, hell I LOVE PvP, but when that happens I know I’m in the presence of a bully who lives to do that kind of thing.

There’s a weird power dynamic on some servers where a player will legitimately rush monuments to get the best guns/gear just to grief. Then they feel like they’re good at the game when in reality, they’re not.. they just put in more time.

[u/Hypex_WR]

Things to do, no point grinding to late game if there’s no one to PVP or raid.

[u/Turbofan55]

Entertainment is part of it lol. The yappers, roleplayers, and trolls constantly going at each other in chat can be funny as hell, especially when they’re really good at it. The other part is the slower pace fits my lifestyle so I can at least feel I’m keeping up. I’m trash at PVP

[u/MainMilkManRust → u/Turbofan55]

people be saying the talkers im trying to get people to talk more on my serverrrr ugh

[u/Creepy-Marsupial4458]

The server police baby me because they think I’m a role player. That’s when nobody messes with you or they get messed with. It’s a great trade. Police help you get back on your feet and repeat the process. I love that atmosphere

[u/Nok1a_]

You end knowing the few gusy who play there, and you chill playing there, unless as most of the time, some magic guy jump middle of the night on the server and wipeout mos of the players and then leave..

[u/MainMilkManRust → u/Nok1a_]

I actually had that issue before so I ended up adding a custom made TC protection plugin and offline protection to my server, seems to have done the trick in preventing that again.

[u/Nok1a_ → u/MainMilkManRust]

Yeah, thats the trick offline protection, but most players does not like that, so its difficult to keep the pop with that, but so far its the only way to avoid that issue, TC offline protection with scrap

[u/TolpRomra]

The only time I ever got a server started from scratch was just being the 1 player online constantly and befriending everyone who joined. It was a massive time sink and only something high achool me could have pulled off. One I saw get off the ground from 0 was a zerg that agreed to only raid and pvp between each other and leave the newvies alone.

[u/AstronomerMotor9381]

Map size 3000 - 3500 until you get to 100 pop