Getting a decent playerbase on server?

Hey. I recently made a server and I have been struggling to get players on. The maximum I have had is 8 players, three of which being my friends. I know I should be patient and wait for more players to start joining but I'm wondering if you guys have any additional tips?

Thanks.

 

the first few days of a new server is make or break it can depend on what plugins you have that can stop someone coming back and if they lag a lot then that will stop players every time coming back to your server

 

Make the server the best you can. Try to balance it so it's not too OP - can be difficult. Build a community. Give the players things they may not be able to get anywhere else. Create a web site. Create a Steam Group and use the SteamGroups plugin to give members a supply signal every day. Offer VIP ranks with differing levels for differing donation amounts. Add automated mini-events - you may have to pay for those kinds of plugins but they're reasonably priced.

Get creative. We built a small M249 shop protected with ZoneManager where the cost of an M249 was a Rotten Apple. Then we made the Rotten Apple only available via k1lly0u's Treasure Box plugin. We /paste the shop in after a few days of wipe and set a protected zone around it. Then giggle and watch people say "I threw my Rotten Apple away!" or "I ate the damn thing!"

You could do a similar thing for free by replacing the M249 in heli crates with the Rotten Apple.

We give them decorative stuff like the Wind Turbine too.

Make it so that people say "Hey! GREAT server!" and they will come back. Friendships and rivalries will grow - people will come back for that too. As admin, you shouldn't be a player and you shouldn't take sides (abuse) and you should only help and observe. A light touch on the server is better than a heavy hand.

Be on the server at least a couple of hours a day - hard when you have more than one, but easier if you have one person you can share the load with. Don't be quick to give mod or admin to other people - there's a good chance they will screw things up for you, and I would suggest you only give it to VIP (paying players) but don't advertise that's what you do. Have a definite set of rules. If you run two servers, don't make the same people mod on both. That way they can play on their preferred server and help out on the other.

PM me if you want the link to my web site and server to use as an example if you like.