People just aren't interested in a text based game anymore.
There are still plenty of people that would play Bushtarion. Many people are not interested in text based games, however i bet this has been the case since Bushtarion started.
The declining playerbase is not because less people are interested in text based games. It is to be expected as inevitable under these circumstances. People stop playing because they get bored of it, they get distracted from it by work/family/etc requirements, or they simply cant hack it because of waving/bashing/whatever. The last point it something people argue is, or could become, a major cause of people leaving the game. I think this effect is minimal, and that even if this weren't the case, playerbase decline will continue to occur due to the other two aforementioned reasons.
Consider that a significant portion of the playerbase is students, and that student life is particularly suited to playing Bushtarion. As a student, I spend a lot of time in front of the computer and so i can easily refresh every 10min and involve myself in an alliance. In fact, I am more active during the semester than when I am on holidays. When I work I can't access a computer. Many companies have filters that stop people accessing certain sites which may or may not stop people playing at work. The point is, many students graduate, get jobs, maybe start a family, and no longer can play Bushtarion effectively.
I think it is completely obvious that people over time will move away from the game. This would even have occurred when the game was growing or steady in size. The key difference was that while people stopped playing, other people would start playing. Now, hardly anyone is starting to play the game because no-one knows about it.
This is why advertising is needed. You cant rely on word of mouth, especially over the internet. By advertising you can reach a large number of people, a portion of which may be interested, of which a portion may enjoy the game and be able to play. Even if only 1 in every thousand who saw the ad became a player, a text ad on Google could reach millions, resulting in thousands of new players.
But you can't just whack an ad anywhere and expect it to be effective. You need to consider your target audience. If you want to poach some already online gamers, maybe put some sexy banners on a games site with promises of fierce competition and strategy. If you want to woo students, then a text based ad on Google or Facebook might be a better idea. Such an ad could advertise ability to play while you study/do homework. Or if you want office workers actually say you can even play at work due to subtle website design and minimal time requirements. The office is somewhere graphical games would be impossible to play, and this would offer a cheeky alternative.
I think there are still a shitload of people that would play this game if they new about it. You just need to find them.
Was doing some schooling on it before I joined the military. If I could code, or cba to learn, I'd happily make a bush knock-off 
