Only every 15.53th registered user uploaded an algo, but the average algo/user rate is 1.23, which means that those that have uploaded an algo uploaded 19.07 algos on average.
This suggests that Terminal is excellent at making users that have already actively taken part in the competition (uploading at least one algo) interact a lot after joining (because many users create a lot of different algos), but bad at making them take the first step.
My explanation for this: The site is kinda blocked off without being logged in:
This makes them sign up with GitHub to see what the game is about and because uploading an algo is quite a specific (you need to have prior knowledge of how to write code or understand these kind of processes) and not an inherently easy action, most people either do not like the concept of the game or are not willing to put in the effort to get an algo uploaded.
I love this approach. I am almost certain that I would not have contributed to the competition if there had not been this kind of obstacle. After signing up, you feel like you have already taken a step into the dark and because of that are more willing to commit to it even more.
The fact that most active players create that many algos might just be because it is such a great design, rewarding you for playing.
The figures from the introduction and title are taken from the current metrics ({players: 7859, matches: 145276, algos: 9654}) and from the new and updated leaderboard, which now only displays one entry per user that has uploaded an algo and features 506 users.
Important to note that my numbers assume that no player has retracted all of their algos.
This state of entry will only continue as long as there is no gameplay introducing a lot of players, i.e. if you decide to join Terminal because of watching the game being played and have already grasped its concept by doing that, the blockade will not affect you due to the fact that you are not running “blind” into the landing page.