@blinkini:
Oh, those sites are still active? I haven't visited one in forever. I think the only one I can remember is that uhh... Flights Rising or something like that?
I'm usually more drawn to human-like avis rather than dragons tho ;; as cool as that site was

@blinkini:
ohh I forgot dappervolk existed lmao
I always thought it was an interesting concept, but idk id always get too distracted to get past the initial tutorial.
I'm trying it again tho, seems like it works decently on mobile O:
something to do at work!

Still, I do prefer the pixel avis we have here. Something so cute about them

I agree <3
Like I dont want to come off like I'm dumping the site and gonna go find something more ~active~
just.. more like I wanna think about how can I help contribute to this site? Doesn't have to be bustling but there's gotta be something to hold attention a little longer.

One thing I notice on dappervolk is they have an event going on rn thats a little on the grindy side, but has a gift exchange concept. I.. actually quite like grindy concepts if there's a good reward, yknow? There's a way to balance that and make it fun to work for something. Maybe it would be cool to have something more to do on here to hold peoples' attention, outside of just events. I cant put my finger on a specific idea though XD imnotgoodatthis

I tend to always be on the more lurker side, even when things are bustling, but it makes me sad to see just a small amount of activity here. I love this site. I donate almost every month, even if I don't like the items. I just want to support it.

I think there are a lot of things that could be done or changed to encourage more activity and new users. I think taking a good long look at what people love about other sites would be a good first step. Lots of these types of sites have several of those flash(RIP) mini-games. I know we have puzzles and blackjack, a good start, but not many people's cup of tea. A lot of them also have some sort of item or thing to collect, i.e. pets/"familiars", item sets only available through certain user achievements (example: 500 posts automatically awards an item), custom items through either raffle or RL money, etc. The need to collect or hoard things is just pure human nature. You just need to provide something to collect.

There's also usually a lot more moderator/admin engagement, such as "ask the admin" or weekly/bi-weekly chats about the site, what's being worked on, plans for the future, general questions about expectations or hopes or long-term site goals. Active upkeep of the site is a must, semi-frequent updates will keep people feeling like the site is active and being cared for and thus keep them coming back. I think a lot of the problem, at the moment, may stem from somewhat inactive staff. Life gets in the way, of course, but the inactivity of those at the top can really grind the whole site to a halt. No one wants to come to a site that feels abandoned. And, honestly, the outdated frontpage with several topics or updates from over a year ago isn't helping.

QOL changes or additions are also severely underrated. A marketplace, for starters, almost seems like a necessity at this point. Item previews on your character (not just commons, but every item) are a standard a lot of people have for these kinds of sites. Easier access to things, like implementing a drop-down menu for "Shops" that would include each shop you can go to, or "Settings" with links to each of the tabs (Personal, Profile, Forum, etc.). These kinds of things seem little, but they give a sense of a more updated, modern site. And the small things build up a lot and add a ton to the overall picture.

I think implementing mini-events that don't require staff involvement would be helpful too, it would activate those primal collecting instincts without putting too much of a toll on staff to keep up with threads, interactive thread games, roleplay-type stories, etc. Simple events like just a a spring festival, a winter ball, a summer beach party, a fall pumpkin patch outing, etc. Little events that give an item set that won't take too much effort to set up, outside of the initial coding. They would keep the userbase occupied between the big events, like Halloween and Christmas.

I know these would be a lot of changes or additions, but I think just the active implementation of these over time would really boost their active userbase.

But, overall, I think the site activity falls to the staff. I don't think we, the users, can really help or do anything to change the current level of interest.