New Player Help

[Fianna Heneghan]

Quote:
What is there to learn for a developer when you criticise the community?
A thing the developer has the least influence at.
How, from a technical view, can a Dev make Illarion more friendly?

I have no set answer, possibly when the newbie island is set up, we will get some PO's to stay, many just come and leave. An interesting setup though that was just started is: when a new PO is ig, there will be an announcement to all, anyone that wants to only has to say two words (within a 5 min time only) and will be transported to the site of the new player to help teach (which can also be monitored by a GM). On the reverse, those that would prefer not, can avoid that area. I also like the idea of the trial account, then an application for those that are interested in staying.

I think we have serval problems like newbie treatment, player treatment, staff treatment, staff - player communication and roleplay atmosphere.

Okay. Newbie treatment is currently like "scare away all new players, who stays is good enougth."
If a new player comes into the game basically 3 things can happen.
1. He finds a GM / other player who is willing to help and shows the newbie around.
2. He finds someone who is not willing to show him around and gets scared away.
3. He is alone.

The first point gets seldom these days. As well as the third one. The newbie spawn in Trollsbane was placed because there were pretty often many characters around in Trollsbane. The the chance was huge that the newbie finds at least someone. Now Trollsbane is empty and we have to think about placing the spawnpoint maybe at a different location.

All in all i like the idea of Kaila.
And it would work pretty easy to set something like this up in case there is a newbie island. The staff will remember that proposal when the newbie island is done.

But beside the first moment treatment of our new players. What is there for a new player. Anything they have to scare. Something that sounds like adventure? Something that shows the possibilities in that game?
I don't think there is anything like this, but this goes hand in hand with the roleplay and game atmosphere. I will say something about this in that post as will. But later

Now that Newbie Island is up and running, I was wondering whatever happened to this idea.

Tagging new players on the online list is a start, but making it possible to know they are there, find and then help them would be a big bonus for the new players and the game as a result. Conversely, the players that are in game and feeling grouchy can be alerted to steer clear by the very same message.

Is this idea still being considered?

[Julius]

More like.. why stop helping new players after you finished teaching them the engine? I've seen so many new players being taught the engine of the game, but not the rp aspect. The Newbie isle is also exactly like the Runescape "starter camp". It teaches the economy, the skill side of the game. Has this game really came to that point where we don't teach rp anymore? Is this going off topic? I'm almost certain it is but I still think someone should address the issue before all the true rpers quit and Illa is left with engine skilling people with hardly any intensive rp knowledge. As for how what I said above even remotely relates to Fianna's suggestion, I think it's a good idea only if we use the system to help them with the rp aspect, not the engine part. We need more rpers, not skill grinders (of course this is not an attack on any newbie out there , I'm saying in general.)

[Sundo Raca]

More like.. why stop helping new players after you finished teaching them the engine? I've seen so many new players being taught the engine of the game, but not the rp aspect. The Newbie isle is also exactly like the Runescape "starter camp". It teaches the economy, the skill side of the game. Has this game really came to that point where we don't teach rp anymore? Is this going off topic? I'm almost certain it is but I still think someone should address the issue before all the true rpers quit and Illa is left with engine skilling people with hardly any intensive rp knowledge. As for how what I said above even remotely relates to Fianna's suggestion, I think it's a good idea only if we use the system to help them with the rp aspect, not the engine part. We need more rpers, not skill grinders (of course this is not an attack on any newbie out there , I'm saying in general.)

Agreed.. but you cant teach rp using a system like the noob isle. You can only teach it by rping with the new players, and not ignoring them because you dont consider them up to your level.

Its very difficult for a new player, particularly if they are inexperienced in rp, to settle into illarion. Things are better than when i first joined, but its still not great. If a new player suddenly enters your rp scene with 'HELLO IM NEW' dont just ignore them, or send them on their way. That sends a really unfriendly impression to the person, and they are very likely to just leave.

When i first logged onto illarion, i was really lucky to bump into a character who not only showed me the ropes but actually let my (noobish) character take part in the rp situation which was currently happening. This got me hooked on illarion, it let me experience what the game can be like right away, and i REALLY encourage people to follow suit, no matter how 'limited' or n00bish the player appears. We'd get a lot more new people this way, and the overall attitude ooc would probably improve.

[Juniper Onyx]

Teaching RP, hmm.....I have 2 solutions:

Engine solution - This can be solved by putting the "Ham Quest" or the "Cake Quest" or even the "Axe Quest" on Noobia instead of Gobaith. Even a simple quest which teaches 'some' roleplay would be helpful there. Since money and items aren't kept, I recommend a skill reward like in the axe quest.

I don't like the idea of players going back to Noobia. Too easy to abuse the NPC's to powergame skills when you get there.

Player solution - Someone asked for players to keep a character in Noobia to help new players. This is a good idea, and something to be considered by those who do really want to help. It's something we can do now, without any changes.

New players are 'tagged', so it's just a matter of logging in with the Noobia character to find them. Noobia isn't that big.

[Nitram]

Noobia was always meant to be used to teach the new players the
technical side of the game so they are actually able to "use" the game.

The reason for this is that the ones who made this desicion (the mean
staff) thought that roleplay can't be teached by NPCs in the why it should.
Only creative human players are able to do this, and NPCs usually lack
slightly of creativity.

About the general idea of going back to noobia... well I would not suggest
doing this, since the exit portal wipes items and skills. For some
characters that would be a rather... heavy change.

Some players on noobia could be nice to support the new players to learn
the technical aspects of the game. The roleplay part of the game should
be learned outside of noobia I think.

Nitram

[LifeWonder]

Player solution - Someone asked for players to keep a character in Noobia to help new players. This is a good idea, and something to be considered by those who do really want to help. It's something we can do now, without any changes.

That was me! And yes, I'd be willing to go onto Noobia once in a while to help new players out, I'm pretty sure others would too. However, maybe 'helpers' should get a message that goes 'New character on a new account has been created!' So we know when to log in..

[Juniper Onyx]

Great! Thanks for the idea!

I have made an elfess "Juniper Onyx" who will stay on Noobia to help new players. BTW, my forum account was made during character creation 2 years ago of this very same elf character during the application process, however the 'name' was denied then. I kept the forum account anyway. I think the name is appropriate now, so players (new and old) will know who I am when they meet me, and not just another 'NPC'.

It will also give me a chance to look for mistakes or abuses there ((Found a few already, hehe)) and check out new areas as they are completed.

If I am logged on as her, don't expect me to come back becuase you need Chester or something else. I'm looking for "Noobians" to help. I tried helping a german speaking dwarf last night, which was....interesting. We could use some german speakers there too!

It's something we all can do now, without any changes or work by the Devs.

[Ardian]

Great! Thanks for the idea!

I have made an elfess "Juniper Onyx" who will stay on Noobia to help new players. BTW, my forum account was made during character creation 2 years ago of this very same elf character during the application process, however the 'name' was denied then. I kept the forum account anyway. I think the name is appropriate now, so players (new and old) will know who I am when they meet me, and not just another 'NPC'.

It will also give me a chance to look for mistakes or abuses there ((Found a few already, hehe)) and check out new areas as they are completed.

If I am logged on as her, don't expect me to come back becuase you need Chester or something else. I'm looking for "Noobians" to help. I tried helping a german speaking dwarf last night, which was....interesting. We could use some german speakers there too!

It's something we all can do now, without any changes or work by the Devs.

I am doing this since 2 weeks, you just have to look at the online player list and log in if you see a new "(N)".

[Christopher..Rigden]

Yeah... I had a look around Noobia... dwarf was being a little... erm... stubborn. A man appeared... he helped... maybe that was you?

[Mesha]

Yeah... I had a look around Noobia... dwarf was being a little... erm... stubborn. A man appeared... he helped... maybe that was you?

Me actually. I was just hopping around between players a bit, before I saw him being quirky. Be happy that I even help normal players sometimes, not only noobs.