IMO,nobody want to join an empty server.no actions no fun nothing to do then.i think you know that feeling when you're alone ,ECNR have everthing,exapting for the number of ppl.if the old ppl of ECNR ig all the time or let's say for a hours why not.then i think ppl out ECNR will join.
But from what i see nobody's gonna join! Datswhy.
To a degree yeah, you've hit the nail on the head. More people would join if people were IG, that's a fact. But there's way more to it than that. It's easy to say, to get more people we need people IG but what ends up happening is people being forced IG and then the gameplay becomes scripted and becomes the same old boring "let's just stand around because there's nothing to do".
That's where I feel the server is lacking. IMO there is very little "endgame" in ECNR. Money has little to no value, once you have maxed the two skills you can no longer progress, and there aren't any "end game" goals for you to work for, like a business or a house.
And then you've got the fact that the script is what.. 5-6 years old? Some people at ECNR have been playing a version of this script for that long, how can it still be interesting? Granted a lot has changed since then but the fundamental basics of the GM remain the same and have been left un addressed in my opinion, it's no longer appealing, everything has been done before and there's just nothing new.
You said "And make get some things easier than ever!....", how can they get any easier without adding a command for /setroblevel 70 or /maxstats ? That'd be 10 steps backwards imo.