Keeping a Supergroup Together
Creating a supergroup is the easy part--you go to City Hall's Supergroup Registrar desk, register a unique name, and suddenly, you are a supergroup leader! But how do you keep people in your new group, and make the group active and attractive to potential new members?
Leaders have been asking that question of themselves for longer than CoH has been existent, and the answer boils down to caring. Caring about your members should be foremost in your mind, as a supergroup leader. Here are some simple ways to show that you care about your members:
Make sure that the SG leaders can be on the game.
Real life, of course, is more important and must be attended to first; work and family concerns affect us all, and sometimes there are extenuating circumstances which prevent us from doing anything but what we absolutely have to do. However, if even the leaders of an SG can’t be bothered to log on once a week or even once a month, what kind of message does that send to the other members? If necessary, new leaders can be promoted up if the old leaders need to scale back on their CoH addiction; this benevolent sharing of leadership responsibilities can even create a more positive feeling among the group members, since we all need to care for each other in an ideal SG, and support each other, within the game and outside it.
Have a “Supergroup Day,” where all the members log on to be part of a massive team effort.
Perhaps your supergroup can set a goal to complete the Positron Task Force missions, or maybe each person has a low-level character they want to level up. You might even hold a special Costume Contest, or you might end up going on a recruiting mission for new heroes to add to your supergroup. Whatever your group decides to do, make sure you all do it together—-group goals that each person can help out on make for satisfied and content group members in the long run.
Talk to every member who logs on, every time they log on.
It doesn't have to be much more than just a "Hi, how are you, how's life going?" kind of conversation, but as a supergroup leader, you can really brighten your members' playing experiences by asking about them, getting to know them a bit better, etc. You don't have to stand in the SG base and have a heart-to-heart in Local chat; sometimes, you can keep in touch while playing missions together by using Tells or Supergroup chat as appropriate. But talking to your group members is a great way to help them feel appreciated and needed, and helps CoH feel more like a social event with friends. Some people can play games like CoH alone, and may even prefer to do so, which is fine. I have always found, however, that I have a lot more fun when I feel socially connected to the people I am playing with.
Keep your base upkeep paid.
This is ultimately what prestige is for--if the monthly base upkeep cost is not paid, none of the supergroup members can get into the base, and that means that no one will have access to the salvage, enhancements, teleporters, and inspiration holder. Not having an active base is a good way to make members leave and/or lose interest in the group, because it basically shows that no one in the SG leadership cares about the group.
Update the base periodically with new rooms/features.
Like redecorating, redesigning an SG base can liven it up a little. Rearrange the rooms so they flow together a bit better; maybe the salvage rooms should be closer to the entrance to the base, or maybe the teleporters could be all grouped together in one room. Add new features, such as a few new salvage racks, a new enhancement table, a new teleporter, etc. This shows your members that you care about them by giving them places to store items, as well as giving them ways to access different areas in the game. (Updating the base does take prestige as well, so if you don't have sufficient funds to update the base, be sure to let your members know so that they can start playing in SG mode and earning the SG some prestige.) Learn more about creating and maintaining the Supergroup base area in this article.
As often as you can, update the “Supergroup Message of the Day.”
It doesn’t need to be every day, but a new message at least every week is a great way to announce base redesigns and new group goals for the suggested “Supergroup Days.” You can also announce the need for players to play in SG Mode to pay off the base upkeep, or call for people to start making enhancements or picking up salvage. Letting your members know what’s going on, and letting them know exactly what you need from them and how they can help, is a great way to keep your SG active and happy.