I think it's time to announce on Red99's login message

[Dullah]

We'll never know if it could work, because it had a horrible start, and a staff preoccupied with other things.

Take the server with its present build, add a few things helping new players like exp bonuses, then keep the community updated on the timeline (actually accelerated) to give players something to look forward to and give them hope, and it would be a whole different ball game.