My New Player Experience

[Anonimofied]

Meanwhile in noob player experience:

Im trying to farm enough creds to gain access to the city, im allergic to quests because i am a free will type of a person, i dont like to follow quests because it makes me feel like a slave who have to do what they dont like to do, but they must do it and I want to play Anarchy online, not begging online. However i will keep you guys update regulary on my progress, but dont have high expectations. who knows in 1 more month i can celebrate 6month birtday party at noob player experience area.

To be discontinued

[stiiixy]

Meanwhile in noob player experience:

Im trying to farm enough creds to gain access to the city, im allergic to quests because i am a free will type of a person, i dont like to follow quests because it makes me feel like a slave who have to do what they dont like to do, but they must do it and I want to play Anarchy online, not begging online. However i will keep you guys update regulary on my progress, but dont have high expectations. who knows in 1 more month i can celebrate 6month birtday party at noob player experience area.

To be discontinued

Wow, are you for real!? AO isn't exactly quest/reading heavy if you dont want it, but damn if you can't even find the quick-exit item of value then maybe you should take some time out and read a long book to learn some patience.

Arete is a damn fine area to learnt eh game. I found it far more practical han the old island, and far less depressing as was mentioned previously.

There is a bucketload more cash to be made (loot only wepoans and those off/def rings? Try sell one), there are items that can be crafted if you look (farm some cleaner bots and when you get the nodrop item, look it up) and the rare items like Div9's (which I haven't seen in weeks). Everything about Arete is a darn site better in my opinion. The learning curve, the levelling, the free vehicle. The area's more open and less constricted and there are more trade tools to tinker and make random crap. Plus, the side quests and enhanced newcomers if youre sly.

Get out there and look around; dont bitch if you come away empty handed because you wanted it easy and ran through and found nothing.

[edmaster3]

apparently people like edmaster like to play this game with all the chat boxes closed and have never heard of typing except when complaining on the forums about imaginary issues only he experiences.

Sorry but I ran a newbie friendly org for 4 years, so I am pretty sure I have helped way more people than you. Back when RK was relevant taught people to actually go an farm creds for lvling and bought a hell of a lot of morphing memory's to help them start out. Even back then the problem was and is still always you cant buy the basics at lvl 10 with 50k.

You VETS cannot understand and you probably never will cause you know the game back and front, even if you say you start from scratch YOU ACTUALLY DON'T. Knowledge is a really powerful thing.

You guys do realize that if you give a newbie 50k and they go and buy 1 50k implant by mistake cause it has better stats, they are then F'ed and broke with no way to get the stuff they need.

Secondly AO is the only I have played where begging for creds, or having friends give you creds at the start is normal and needed. Lazy the only thing you should have to give newbies is advice and the occasional item if you feel like it, NOT CREDS.

Because many people will make the mistake of buying high quality items and you cannont get enough creds to buy the baisc implants or nanos for your level it doesnt hurt to drastically reduce the price of nanos and implants.

[Lazy]

idk why you keep bringing up charitywork like giving creds. where have i ever stated that i gave newbies a cash injection? projecting much?

[Wakizaka]

You VETS cannot understand and you probably never will cause you know the game back and front, even if you say you start from scratch YOU ACTUALLY DON'T. Knowledge is a really powerful thing.

When I started playing AO, I spent more time grinding through forum posts and various knowledge sites to learn about the game.
After 1 month, I was able to make enough money to sustain my gimpy self while leveling 3 frooby chars, and when I went paid it got even easier.

So yes, knowledge is a powerful thing, but what stops any newbie from doing the same as I did 11 years ago ?
Is it because new players are expecting a hand-held experience like they've had in many other games, and which they've come to expect as the de facto standard ?

[edmaster]

When I started playing AO, I spent more time grinding through forum posts and various knowledge sites to learn about the game.
After 1 month, I was able to make enough money to sustain my gimpy self while leveling 3 frooby chars, and when I went paid it got even easier.

So yes, knowledge is a powerful thing, but what stops any newbie from doing the same as I did 11 years ago ?
Is it because new players are expecting a hand-held experience like they've had in many other games, and which they've come to expect as the de facto standard ?

This is exactly what I am talking about, when I said VET cannot understand. You all including me had it easy 7 years ago. 1. More people were playing, 2. everything was a hell of a lot cheaper. 3. There wasnt SL yet so most people was on rk. A hell of a lot of people were doing team mission, the sub, totw etc, there were less OPed twinks and items out there.
It was a simpler time, comparing 5years ago to now is the same as comparing apples to oranges. People actually explored RK and learned how to use their profession (well mostly because they had to) unlike now where the complete focus is speed to 220 (Lots of fast xp items).

No one is expecting a hand out, but they are expecting to at least be able to enjoy the UNIQUE aspects of AO (Implants, nanos, a reasonable weapon) at low levels.
They actually expect that the devs would actually let them enjoy the low levels so they actually might want to stay.
They dont expect the mindless grind for creds to come starting from day one.
And they especially dont expect to HAVE to BEG, or HAVE to read through hundreds of pages of mostly bad advice 10 mins after they just started. Walk-throughs are for when you tried and failed, not for starting out.

[Wakizaka]

SL came out in 2003.
AI came out in 2004.
I started playing in 2005.

Yes, more people were playing.
No, things weren't a hell of a lot cheaper, they're around the same price as they are now.
Only during the recent hyper-inflation period did it swing wildly, and when ingots were still a thing.

The times haven't changed drastically since then, the addition of LE and LoX hasn't added much except for NODROPs that are generally trivial to farm.

As for credit generation, sure it's not easy, and it did suck to get started back then, but with a little bit of research (and there are some great posts on these very forums) you can make enough money to supply you with credits as you level provided you accept the fact that you can't power to 220 in one week and have everything gifted to you.
A reduction in purchase cost of sub-ql100 items (as well as their sale value) would be good and/or changing the Computer Literacy scaling formula for low level items such that you hit the peak cost reduction with 120 or less CL.

As for the concepts of walk-throughs, that doesn't really apply to anything outside of specific game mechanic derived instances. ie. trying to do 12 man with zero knowledge about the instance. It does not, in my humble opinion, apply to basics of a game that have had 15 years of 'maturing' with a deep level of information freely available on the forums.

[Shaikura]

This is an old school mmo with very little hand holding. You really do need to make friends in this game. That's how old school mmo's worked. This was my first mmo back in 2001. I had computer geek friends from M.I.T. in Boston that raved about this game. So i was lucky as i had alot of friends and a guild that showed me how to play. The new generation of mmo's and mmo players will have a hard time with a game like this. I just came back to the game to see new engine and zone. Really missed this game after bouncing around so many different mmo's. Feel like i'm back home. Had to make a new account because i forgot my old one.

[Awikun]

Wellcome back Shaikura

AO is oldshool MMO and the funny thing is that from veteran point of view it has already been dumbed down so much that its hardly any challange to play.
At the same time new players find it extremely difficult .

I remember 8-10 years ago it took 2-3 teams of ppl (level 150+) to kill Hezak in IS and quite often Hezak managed to kill us all.
Now I can solo Hezak on my 220 Shade without any problems at all...

As for credits AO was always difficult for new players. I remember back in 2003 when I started to play I could not afford to buy Yalm up to level 110. I was often leveling on borgs in Mort and the usual place to look for team was around Meetmedere grid exit. Once the team was formed everybody took off in their yalms while I was running behind them (some of them were laughing at me or even offering credits so I could buy one, but I kindly declined and when I finaly managed to buy my first yalm I was very happy).

Now whenever I roll new alt I just spend 1 veteran point and buy yalm from veteran shop...

[edmaster]

Welcome back Shaikura, i hope AO is still the great game you love.
Everyone knows that new player experience is hard, but yet everyone seems to be against changing anything. Most people cite that is was this hard back then. That is a MASSIVE LIE (FACT).

Even when i started in 2004 things were not "HARD" they were "CHALLENGING" (while its good they changed out a lot of the useless weapons, those useless weapons allowed people in the sub to upgrade as they lvl, now only the expansion weapons drop there.

What is the major difference between back then and now? Population!!, more specifically, RK population, that is the reason why yall did have it easier. While you might have to force it, back in the day you could find people to team with. People did RK teams, low level twinks werent so abundant so people had to team. Went to the sub for 1 hour saw 1 person.

Back in the day I ran around with my rifle NT, a guy I met convinced me to start a agent instead and that's what started my journey. With the chances of things like that happening now
(or anyone talking to new people at all). AO needs to make major changes at the low levels to retain people.

Let them play around with implants, let them use nanos (massively lower the prices) and let them have a useable weapon until level 20 (maybe remove the LE req of the subs ofab weapons)

Maybe make RK relevant again, I am sure everyone can agree that rk missions were funner than SL, except for the long travel times.

[Cratertina]

Lol.

Learn 2 Play.

Since this is newbie experience comment.. Let me share mine.

Like step 1 read description of professions... Picked adventurer for dual wielding Pistol prowess.

Step 2 Newbie Area... I AR NO NOOB asked people how to get out of there... Got sufficient answer and joined omni and left for mainland lvl 4 or so. Newbie island to me was booring as hell.

Step 3 once in Rome sold my newbie stash bought heal kits new pistols and armor, only one piece i was able to equip... Nano? Implants? Aint nobody got time for that.

Step 3 I was told subway is a good place... Killed some mobs went lvl 14, looted everything, bought guns and armor.. Since... Got time for that... I picked up implants in subway and got them on. Likewise nanos and morphing memory.

Step 4 lol subway is booring lets do RK mission... I pick a mission location Omni Ent.... Woot other side of the world... I plan route and start running.... Running.. 4 hours in half way there... I died. Alt F4.. Aint nobody got time for that.

Or maybe did I. Could not sleep, was dreaming of mobs lvl 60 chasing me around RK... Until I reached the end of the zone and they cought me....

Step 5. Start again... Runn lasted 9 hours, I completed the mission, while traveling gained up to lvl 20..

While running back to Rome.. I died. Saving me trouble time.


My point being? What credit issue... I had lvl 60 pink d#ck chassing me issue... Not starting credits. And entire time I had fun like you would not believe. I used every item that gave me a stat advantage, I did not know what to spend my credits on, so I had enough.

AO is not bad to a Newbie at all. Especially Froob. The world is open, everything you do, you do first time. Every item is a power upgrade, nanos are not expensive, because you cannot cast them anyway. Implants beyond ql50 seem not really useful... And it works.

But newbie trying to be Veteran epic is expensive, buying all items you had before is expensive...

[Gimpynoob]

I wonder how many new players the "AO is already to easy, lol" faction has?

[edmaster]

Lol.
Learn 2 Play.
Since this is newbie experience comment.. Let me share mine.
Like step 1 read description of professions... Picked adventurer for dual wielding Pistol prowess.

I like your style... Only thing is maybe you should try playing sometime AO in the last 5 years before commenting.
1. new nebie area, no newbie stash, have to complete all quest ot get out... (Not an issue i care about)
2. You will not have enough creds from Arete, no more rome
3. they cleaned out the garbage weapons to hardly anything drops to loot for cash.
4. Missions send yo to places you need the grid for, cant (technically, without help) use grid at low lvls.

[Kane-Hart]

I ignored the comments because most people are going be hard on you because their vet players period and have no clue about a new player shoes because they are so use to knowing the ins and outs and use to AO as a unique MMO.

I for one can tell you the entire game is flawed when starting for new players. They need some sort of hand holding chain quest series that stays with you that you can't delete or if you do you have to use a special method to delete it. They need to walk you from NPC to NPC and they need to be a bit more strict about having you follow certain methods period. They need to consider semi level locking etc as well.

The game is super overwhelming for new players. Most games now hold your hand the second you walk in.

[edmaster]

With the absence of many of the changes needed to help new people.
Also with the fact that we want to help new people play around with the game and make it easier for them at low levels before "THE GRIND" starts.

1. We can all agree that lowering ql100 and below implants to a ridiculously low level (to help manage creds flow. Have the buy price the same as the sell price. If they make a mistake its not permanent) Will prefer them at around 500 creds each though.
2. Make basic nanos and Profession basic nanos 500 creds each (making the buy price the same as sale price might be ok) but: Nano's are part of what makes AO unique, if you keep people from being able to afford them they cant work with them and it just becomes a slowly shoot everything game. Technically at low levels it should be free.
3. Make the reward for the first quest from the sub give more creds, can make it a bit longer and let it give a froob friendly version of the subs ofab weapon.

Playing as a froob is what lets people test out the game. The First few levels should be a hell of a lot of fun (slightly easy) especially FROOBS. Maybe even let them level slower from lvl 15-50 sending everyone on RK team missions to learn their profession and etc. THEN, you can show them the benefits of going paid. Not spit in the face of new people testing the game out.

[Lazy]

fun fact, you can make something like a million creds an hour without ever leaving noob island with creative use of funcom-sanctioned tools. if that's not easy money idk what is.

[Kane-Hart]

fun fact, you can make something like a million creds an hour without ever leaving noob island with creative use of funcom-sanctioned tools. if that's not easy money idk what is.

AI Weps? how they suppose to sell those weps :P

[McKnuckleSamwich]

when I first started playing AO I rolled an engineer.

I got fricking STOMPED so much I quit for a few years. I remember thinking, oh yes, a yellow mob, this will be a good fight, and then it's like, I'm dead, my robot is like a can opener with a rusty handle, and all I can think about is how long it took me to get to the mob that wtf raped me.

My robot was one step up from an automaton wet noodle. I think my engineer was about a half step up from a wet noodle.

Man, some froob profs are really hard. I rolled an enforcer, and I looked at that froob char once, he was level 100 with a support beam of intolerance. I remember, distinctly avoiding mango nanos, because WTF why would I want a nano that just got me killed all the time.

Yea.. AO is a tricky game when you're starting out.

So after whatever 4 years and university and whatnot, I rolled a froob MA and holy crap that wasn't any easier, except I actually kept trying to beat up stuff... way more patience than I have now for whatever reason, and eventually upgraded to paid. Ya, that was a day of blazing glory, I remember my first experience with paid: I spent ALL my money (like 13m credits) on a left wrist symb that was like 40 levels lower than I should be using. Oh yes.. AO. times were tough.

I really don't have a clue how anyone would ever get into this game nowadays.

I remember starting out in SWToR and right from the very first hour in game you're already immersed, there's things to do, there's guidance, the progression feels good, because you learn quickly but there's oodles of room in rotation variation, etc. AO is like: SO! YOU LIKE TO DIE DO YOU? WELCOME TO DEATH CAMP, NOOB! If you can't find a mob to kill you, we'll supply a never ending stream of epeen twinks at every level range who would like nothing more than bait you into Qing them for your piddly PVP points.

yes, YES! just press Q! free trip to reclaim!

Oh, you got stuck?

Oh, you had to reroll because your toon has been stuck in geometry in EFP for two weeks?

Don't cry, just reroll!

HAHA NOOB, you don't have to reroll if you're stuck in geometry, you just have to alt F4 twice, log back in, sit down, type /stuck and hope you get out. You didn't know that? HAHA NOOB, Go reroll!

[Lazy]

AI Weps? how they suppose to sell those weps :P

nope. think outside the box

[nanoforcer]

Fun post McKnuckleSamwich (because it's mostly true) ;D