I have noticed in every round I have played quite a few players will start and shortly after disappearing. I think part of it has to do with how slow the game is at the start and how difficult it can be to progress when it is a new player. People will get bored pretty fast waiting on resources to build up or make units which I may add seem very expensive at stone age. Even if they find dens, they can't do much with some hunters or braves.
I have some ideas that might help maintain those new players entertain and keep them in the game long enough to find quests and hence keep them in the game.
I have noticed some creatures/ monsters do not have dens and that's where my ideas come from. Might also be a good idea to incorporate the level 1& 2 tools which do not have much use currently.
Spoiled Garden, in here the new player can go fight some mushrooms. The mushrooms might drop some stuff and give some experience points, but not more than maybe 100. This place can show up every 2-3 days. The aim is not to be able to level up super-fast, but to have something to do in between builds. There can also be some attacking flowers like those in TTG. Also, maybe this garden only spuns 4-5 times and then disappears?
Anonymous Abandoned City, this can look like a town that was attacked with building partially demolished and such. In here you can find ghosts and coffins (specters from the previous town people) also with opportunity to use low level tools.
Creepy Forest, In here you can find some trees and also the creepy hands? Maybe this one can be for later on when a player can have proper units to kill these.
Another thought I had was a quest for exploring. This might entice the new players to explore more, which would lead to finding other things and stay in the game.
The goal is to keep the new players in and this will help grow the game. These ideas came with new players in mind. The veteran players and players in alliance can move fast through this phase, but for new players it can be hard. Maybe something can be done about improving the resources at the stone age?
Thank you for taking the time to read my ideas. Maybe other people also have some ideas?