A big thanks to Deofuta for originally making this thread over on Taleworlds. My task is just to bring this over here and to try and improve this thread however I can.Hello everyone, this thread is my attempt at trying to give a simple aid into improving ones regiment for the purposes of recruitment. I will try to go from the more simple and easy to implement ways to more complex and longer reaching solutions. If you have a suggestion feel free to check in and if it's a good one I'll be happy to add it to the list.
At its heart regimental recruitment is a mix of factors. Nominally the composition of the regimental command, the composition of the regiment itself, and public presentation that is made. The first two factors are what I would consider 'bedrock' factors, they are the foundation of what the regiment is built on, and also the most difficult to change once it is established. Because of this I will focus on the third factor,
public presentation, although I may approach some of the other two later on. This is something that is vary malleable;easy to change and fix if necessary. It is presentation that can separate the smaller regiments from the larger powerhouse regiments.
So, on to the list.
1.
Recruiting in game.This is the easiest way to reach the largest number of new players possible. Keep in mind though that impressions are very important, and most often this will be the first one in terms of new players, if not other regiments. Do not spam recruit! It looks sloppy and desperate. Try and organize your members to come on together, play together, and do well together. This leads to leaving impressions on the public that will be favorable if they end up looking for a regiment to join. I personally enjoy waiting until one of my guys does particularly well, leaving benchmarks for them to hit and then adding a message that perhaps joining my regiment will get you the skills to do as well. The last Impression I want to leave here is that you need to make sure the image that you create is a positive one. This means being respectful to the other players. Do not bicker in chat, or extend game time by sitting in the back and waiting for the round to whittle down. Be creative, lead an assault with a sword held high and spamming the war call all the way in. Being charismatic and enjoyable to play with can go a long way to improving recruitment.
2.
The forum regimental thread. Essentially, it needs to be good. Our community is lucky to be very centralized when it comes to the regiments. Almost every regiment can be found to have a presence on this forum. Your own regimental thread will be a meeting place for regimental leaders, regimental members, and more importantly, players looking for a regiment. This will be the place you should be sending interesting parties to get them to enlist. It should look professional, like some serious effort was put into it, because people will look at that thread and make direct connotations to how the regiment is. The thread is sloppy? The regiment is probably sloppy as well.
3.
Videos and other creative outlets. I also called it Propaganda, as it is fully intended to spin your regiment in a positive light. If you have someone with some video editing skills and a youtube account,
go nuts! There are few assets for recruitment that are better than someone who is good at editing and willing to take on a fun project for his CO. Making enjoyable videos has spawned interest in the mod itself by the thousands. Look no further than the Reddit Brigade, one of the largest NW interest communities, which spawned after a popular video made by a group called the BAB ran around its site. There are several regiments who use videos in fantastic ways to encourage people who otherwise may never have heard of the game join up and enlist.
4.
Recruitment Incentives. This method is better for a regiment that has manged to get a few solid members. Give awards for bringing in set increments of friends, 5 20 and 20 perhaps. A popular method used by some regiments is to award medals on their website, or perhaps even on their Taleworlds thread.
However, I would strongly recommend against using recruitment as a way to advance in rank beyond enlisted. Giving an important position to someone should always be a matter of capability.
5.
Creating and maintaining a regiment website. Although small regiments can get away with using only the taleworlds thread and the 22nd teamspeak, if you want to expand you absolutely need to improve your ability for communications and logistics. Keeping track of a medium to large regiment is work, and you need a place to focus that attention and communication. Regiment Websties offer a place to keep attendance, organize recruitment, prepare for events, issue medals, the list goes on. There are hosting companies that offer free services for groups like regiments, by far the most popular of which is
enjin.com.
More to come in the future.