In the newest issue of the Time Capsule, we once again provide a platform for various community members to share their thoughts and predictions for the upcoming year. This project aims to preserve their insights and opinions for future reflection. In this edition, we talk with the Top Ten Committee members, who will share their opinions on armies’ maxes, as well as the use of CPPS other than CPA Battleground.
Designed by Master DS
Last week, we had the pleasure to speak with representatives from the small/medium community, delving into topics related to the S/M scene and how the league can better accommodate to its needs. For this edition, we have invited members of the Top Ten Committee to provide insights into current top ten trends, potential shifts in armies’ statuses, and the usage of other Club Penguin private servers.
It is no secret that several armies are considering expanding their activity to other CPPS, such as New Club Penguin or Club Penguin Legacy. Their motivations usually revolve around having access to a larger player base for recruitment and hosting more engaging events. Many argue that without additional servers like CPO or CPR, armies may disappear completely. Today, we asked people who know the Top Ten trends the best about their perspectives.
What would you say is the current trend in armies’ maxes? Are they generally higher or lower, comparing to last year?
Link3000, Top Ten Committee Head: I would say right now it’s slightly above average considering we are in a post tournament/war time and also September drop is here as well.
Mchappy, CPA Admin: In general, I believe that sizes are somewhat similar with the only outlier truly being the decrease in Templars’ sizes. However, when it comes to tournaments, I think 2023 has seen smaller turnouts. Armies that were once able to generate hype large enough to max over 50 easily are now seeming to peak more around the upper 30s to 40s range. (Of course there are a few exceptions. Shoutout to the Army of Club Penguin versus Elite Guardians battle in Legends Cup XIII.)
Mogi, Top Ten Committee Member: I think comparing to last year it was around the same, but maybe a bit better. We recently had two wars though which boosted the points for those armies.
ROOBOO, Top Ten Committee Member: I believe armies are maxing averagely the same as last year, putting TCP on the side. The climate for all major armies varies from 15-25 depending on the timezone that is strong or weak for the respective army. Some armies have boosted their performance this year like ACP and HF too (For parts of the year).
Ugly, Top Ten Committee Member: Around 15-25, rarely 30. Last year was definitely better than this.
Do you expect this trend to change in the second part of the year? Why yes or why not?
Link3000: I anticipate a bit of change, maybe higher numbers as more people’s schedules become more steady (some might actually be more able to attend events in school) and also as we see possible tournaments in the future.
Mchappy: We’ll absolutely see this trend continue. I don’t foresee armies ever having another universal boost to its size unless another big life-event were to happen: whether that is another pandemic or even the return of a supersize Club Penguin release, or private server.
Mogi: I think the activity will probably decrease because school just started for most of the community and people get busier. It will only go up during Christmas probably with Christmas Chaos but yea it will mostly decrease.
ROOBOO: I do expect change but not a massive one. I personally think that wars would definitely boost the maxes at the second part of the year only if there are ones like ACP vs EGCP more often. To be more accurate, it’s gonna be a slight change if armies truly worked for it.
Ugly: I do think the maxes will go a little bit higher because people will be more flexible in their time as they get used to their current schedule of either work or school. There is always a boost in activity between the end and beginning of the year due to holidays and such.
Do you think we will see any changes in armies’ statuses in the following months? Do you expect any s/m army to gain a major status, or a major army to fall down to s/m?
Link3000: Some new armies that have a pretty good starting size have potential to become major in the next few weeks, or some s/m armies that have been starting to rise up again. But sizes fluctuate so often it’s kinda difficult to accurately say.
Mchappy: Yes, I believe that the threshold to obtain major is not that hard to obtain with the right planning and recruiting. Given that these parameters stay the same, armies will enter and leave the major classification every few months. I believe it provides good motivation to those that are not in the major classification, while keeping those that are on their toes.
Mogi: I believe the Dark Vikings might go back up to major as they are active again, and maybe also the Friendly Gamers soon enough. They both have the potential to be a major one day. I don’t think any major armies will fall back down to s/m however.
ROOBOO: I expect SWAT to come back as a major army. Other than that I don’t think any army would change much. But I’m not doubting any army at all. For example FG and PIC are both amazing candidates to come to Major, so it’s just a matter of time. They can beat time.
Ugly: I don’t think any S/M army will jump to major soon but if I had to pick I think LEGOMAN army is the closest out of all currently. I think as well there are some major armies that will fall to S/M.
What do you think about armies using CPPS other than CPAB? Do you expect more armies to expand their activity to them?
Link3000: I think it’s inevitable and also important. CPAB is wonderful and has provided us with a place to stay post CPR shut down but it also doesn’t provide an influx of recruits. And as good as other methods can be, in this era you’ll need people interested in club penguin or at least the online community aspect. So if CPPS are safe and reliable then yes I anticipate armies using them, if they haven’t already
Mchappy: I’ve been seeing more discussion about it happening more recently. I think a select few armies are looking to expand past Battleground. Armies like Dark Vikings already have.
Mogi: I don’t really get why armies wouldn’t use CPAB except because of the activation process but I think CPAB is simply the best CPPS for armies there is and it also ensures everything is fair and there is no multilogging. I mean maybe when armies use a different CPPS then random strangers will see them holding their event and would want to join their army but I don’t think it’s worth it.
ROOBOO: Look to be honest, there’s no doubt that using CPL and NCP effectively, if only used effectively, can definitely boost. CPO and CPR were proof that many members on the CPPS platforms join the outfit themes and find those interesting. Like if I’m a normal waddler and saw 20 people in a form, wearing the same outfit, and doing the same tactics; I’ll definitely be intrigued and wondrous of the incident. Recruiting from a CPPS platform can also be more effective since you’re getting a Club Penguin player to join so they’ll be more familiar with the game. In all cases, if an army focuses on recruiting and making events on public CPPS they can definitely boost their army. It’s like a mirror: work hard, achieve more. But what can I say… Are they safe for your army?
Ugly: There will definitely be armies that will change from CPAB to other CPPS’s like maybe NCP but mostly likely CPJ.
Do you believe that the community will eventually find a reliable and safe CPPS to play, other than CPAB?
Link3000: There’s hope and i think there’s a couple out there, but I think it’ll be very difficult to reach the level that CPR had. The fact that at the moment there’s numerous CPPSs but none specifically standing out it’s a bit of a toss up.
Mchappy: That is the dream.
Mogi: I have only been in armies for two CPPS’s them being CPR and CPAB, and in my opinion CPR was pretty great and CPAB is even more great. I do hope that we find another CPPS though that we can trust in case something happens to CPAB. But Club Penguin is slowly being forgotten so I don’t know if there will be a new CPPS anytime soon.
ROOBOO: I definitely think that’s possible if honest and reliable admins and developers gathered one other to form a public game. Like it is possible, but only if people truly worked for one.
Ugly: Most definitely, there always comes a time where armies switch to other servers and I do believe that time might be soon again.
What are some challenges for you, as a Top Ten Committee Head, connected with armies using CPPS other than CPAB?
Link3000: It just comes down to being able to verify the max sizes provided really, not much to say on this one.
Mchappy: Challenges regarding armies using different private servers lie in the armies expectations and if they align with the league’s. Rogue events should never be discouraged but should Edsheeranfan125, who is not even in the army color but happens to be sitting next to the form, really be counted towards size? Rogue events bring out the true appeal and essence of the community, a sort of back-to-the-roots euphoria, but there needs to be a level of fairness to it as well. Additionally, some private servers have no security set in place against multilogging. It’s up to the league’s team to do its best to discern between what is real and what is not.
It appears that most of our guests agree that there is hope for a safe CPPS with a larger player base. While some find the current maxes to be average, others hold a more pessimistic view and hope to find ways to boost the armies’ activity. What are your thoughts? Do you believe the army community is in decline and won’t survive without a new CPPS, or do you think we are in a stable state for which we should be grateful?
More Information
Mchappy is interning at Club Penguin Armies as the Chief Executive Producer. Max held him at gunpoint to finish his biography.