The new greeting: Change it.

Erdrick · Post by **Erdrick** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:54 pm

The big nasty disclaimer on the front page now is very discriminating.

I would like in particular the sentence about the age limit taken out.

As you can see by the recent poll, most of our players are below 16.

So does it make sense to you that because of one or two players, who are probably older than sixteen, drive you to highly recommend that the players under 16 should not play? Because they are too immature?

I want to hear the community's thoughts on this.

Dyluck · Post by **Dyluck** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:07 am

Well it says "recommended for ages 16 and older", not "age limited to" or "highly recommended"

Besides there's only about 30% of the voters under age 16, and just because a certain large age group is playing now, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's the target age group for the game. Not that I have anything against our under 16 population, but it seems to me most of them didn't know what roleplaying was when they first came to illarion. So if we get an influx of under age 16 players, I'll bet 80% of them don't know what roleplaying is. So, I think an age 16 recommendation would serve well to make the game look more mature and attract roleplayers. I think a player mature enough to understand what roleplay means won't be turned away by a little recommendation sign.

Brendan Mason · Post by **Brendan Mason** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:13 am

I find the new intro very jarring and ugly...it over complicates the opening page.

Dyluck · Post by **Dyluck** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:15 am

At least it explains right away to a newcomer what this game is all about and how to start playing. Hopefully it'll turn away non-roleplayers and reduce threads about "Why can't I log in!???"

Caranthir the great · Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:17 am

Perhaps, but I think that people deserve a change.
I mean, people can learn, especially young people.
Do not pre-judge people by their age, sometimes a honest attempt from a beginner-roleplayer is indeed more worthy than 'normal' roleplaying of a veteran.
Do not waste the only source of new roleplayers, it is not infinite.

As a note for some people, It is very easy to forget that you were once under sixteen too, right?

Erdrick · Post by **Erdrick** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:20 am

A while back, there was a BIG disgruntled bunch of older players who came to a decision that younger players are too immature. They then went around, trying their best to make sure every person playing is over 20 or so.

Since then, there have been snide comments about the less immature players, on AND off the boards, saying that they are very (unrealistically) young, they will never learn, and sometimes even to kill them.

It is impossible to avoid, we all know that the older players dislike the younger players, excluding few.

It's always been a part of Illarion. Yes, it is a mature game, but I don't think that such stereotypes should be made public.

((edit: some things made no sense. re-worded some things.))

Fooser · Post by **Fooser** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:24 am

sounds like an intellegent group of people, they could go around all they want and ask if your over 20, and people can lie all day long, sounded like a waste of time

Brendan Mason · Post by **Brendan Mason** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 12:32 am

Oh dear god...when did that happen?
I hope those players are no longer around.
Agism is a form of bigotry also.

Dyluck · Post by **Dyluck** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 1:09 am

So nobody says you can't play this game if you're not over the age of 16. It's only a recommendation.

If you're under 16, you don't have to say it, and if you can roleplay, nobody's going to complain. It's just there to reinforce the image of the game and the main target age groups that the team is striving for. Not everyone who's under 14 or 18 is necessaryily too immature to handle the contesnts of a movie, but people don't go claiming the movies are discriminating.

Roke · Post by **Roke** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 1:20 am

What Dyluck is saying is correct. I am in that under 16 category and when I came to Illarion, I knew almost nothing about role-playing however I did do one thing the majority of players from my age group didn't do; I read the manual, tutorial, rules and the thing when you start up the program which helped me get by until I developed my role-play to where it is today. Also, it helped that this was the first online game I played so I was not used to the way people play other online "RPG"s. Finally, the people around when I first joined were great and patient. Telling me what I did wrong.

Bror · Post by **Bror** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 4:25 pm

I think the age recommendation is a good thing.

I only fear, that the text is too small and too long to be read by the players that we want to turn away.
The average trouble/kewldude player will not read the text anyway - but they are dealt with the account system.
Something similar than this could be posted on online game listings and other websites.

Armil Darken · Post by **Armil Darken** » Sat Jan 25, 2003 11:03 pm

The only thing about it is that is should be simplified to an extent then it should link to the other pages and note that they should be read before playing.

Astral · Post by **Astral** » Sun Jan 26, 2003 5:34 pm

I find the new greeting fine myself, except I think that instead of saying that you should allow some time for the account to be approved, it should give an estimated time, like two weeks. Some people's opinion of 'some time' is quite different than others.

Another thing, instead of "You are not supposed to say things that are out of context from your medieval fantasy character.", it could be put "It is against the rules to say things that...", it just gives a stronger message.

Overall, I think that it will help.

Alatar · Post by **Alatar** » Sun Jan 26, 2003 6:10 pm

I agree with the 'some time' part. I'll change it soon.

Bror · Post by **Bror** » Sun Jan 26, 2003 10:35 pm

Alatar wrote:I agree with the 'some time' part. I'll change it soon.

The problem is, that if we specify a time period, we (Fleariel) are (is) somewhat responsible to achieve this speed in working up the emails.
Therefore I would not give a (much) clearer definition.

Armil Darken · Post by **Armil Darken** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 1:48 am

Even though i had a suggestion i think that the notice was a good and needed addition.