[Bubblematrix]

Considering where you are posting, have you considered writing for Heresy instead?

The games site niche is pretty saturated already, with Heresy, Bols, Warseer, Dakka to name but a few all filling their niches, unless you have something truly original and can attrack a lot of sources/writers/active posters you will find it hard to break into the scene.

The questions you are asking are things which really YOU need to go out and research, if you really want to make a site then you need to go and read a lot of material and see what people are posting and how the demographic breaks up. You then need your niche and I really can't see an opening which isn't already heavily filled.

 

[Bubblematrix]

Just so I know we're talking about the same thing: My understanding was that Heresy-online.net was a web forum and message board. I'm not talking about setting up a message board.

http://www.heresy-online.net/news-network-blog/ is the news part of Heresy, in its infancy but I am sure it will grow larger considering that on average a visitor to Heresy stays longer than most other 40k sites.

:scratchhead:
so I have to go out and ask what sites people read... isn't that what I'm doing?

Sorry for the sarcasm. I couldn't resist. But what exactly are you referring to?

No, I meant you need to do the legwork not ask people, few will bother to reply and will skew your demographic horribly, furthermore people have a tendancy to say one thing and actualy be doing another, if you really want accurate information you will need to go and read what people are writing and which kinds of threads get the most views and replys on forums - these are the active kind of topics and the ones to target.

Maybe we're referring to two different things. Presently I'm trying to develop a demographic map by looking at the various sites that people are reading. The four sites I listed are the ones I read, not counting the 1,000 40k blogs on blogger.com mind you. Outside of asking "What sites do you read and why do you read them?" I'm afraid I don't know another way to obtain the information.

If you have another means, by all means, please tell me.

Of course if you're actually referring to something else, please tell me that too.

What I am saying is that your only real chance is to decide what you are going to do, do it and see if it sticks.
My other point was that I really can't see any other niches, but that is not to say there arent any for example, the following are what these sites seem to specialise in:

BoLs: news articles and some thought provoking stuff
Dakka: Modelling and showcasing
Heresy: in depth discussion of 40k issues
Warseer: general board, breaking news

I do not know of a tactics specific site, but that is more that I have not looked for one than there necessarily isnt one.

Anyway good luck and see what you get, though as Heresy man I would prefer you just wrote for Heresy itself.