There are still quite a few people who play this game on the regular. The best times to get on the game for activity are the weekends around midday. This game was made for kids and a lot of kiddos play - hence why the game generally has lower activity during school hours.
It doesn't help that we have one map that people like to gravitate towards to just sit and watch. There are many other maps to explore and have fun in - which a few members do use to their advantage! I think that if people weren't inclined to remain in the singular maps, we would see less people AFKing and more people talking, making friends, and enjoying the game.