Friday with Means - May 14th, 2010 - Multipatch

[Jerusha]

Also, what kind of rewards are to be expected for the mentors?

A happy new Player with a sub and someone to play the Game with.
regards

[Traderjill]

Curious on updates on the sponsor/mentor system also.

July 3, 2009 post:

7. How much interest do you have in a sponsor system, to get new players motivated to subscribe and continue playing on DNW?

I would definitely make good use of it. - 24.14%
I would watch the situation first and perhaps make use of it. - 53.25%
I don't think I would bother at all. - 22.62%

24% of users would make use of a sponsor system without really even knowing what it was. 53% are willing to look and consider using it if it is worth using.
This confirms the need for this kind of system in AO. AO suffers slightly from "Old MMO-itis" where the veteran players are not really available to new players to help smooth their transition into the game. This makes perfect sense as AO is probably the most complex MMO available and there is little or no benefit to a veteran player who uses their time to help a new person who might not even stay. The sponsor system we are considering is a simple one...as long as you continue to sponsor two new paying players (who are not sponsoring players themselves) you will not pay a subscription fee to play AO...this will allow the veteran players to grow the game and be rewarded for their efforts. This will take some time as we can't allow for "creative gameplay" in this area...but it is in the works.


************************************************** ***********************
AO Learning Curve

There has been a great deal of discussion recently on the beginning experience" of AO. For example this discussion here:

http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...d.php?t=556269

I can't count the number of times I have played the "beginning" of AO. I can full agree that:

1. It is confusing.
2. Overly complicated.
3. Difficult to make money without previous knowledge.
4. Somewhat lost in terms of story.
5. Lacking the obvious direction that new players need to get started.
6. Lacks profession specific content to help you learn your profession.
7. Has massive room for improvement.

Having time I would like to completely alter the beginning of the game. The learning curve is steep and the amount to learn is frightening. Some adjustments will be made...but I'm not sure when we will get to them. There is another problem as well.

Anarchy Online IS complicated.

At some point, whether it is level 2 or level 200, players will look around and be stunned by the sheer complexity of AO. This is part of what makes AO the game that it is. AO is a game for a specific kind of person. Removing this complexity would remove a large part of what makes AO the amazing game that it is. Players return to AO specifically for the complexity and level of character customization. Efforts can be made to smooth out the beginning of AO in terms of the "WTF Factor" but the jarring moment of realization that separates AO players from everyone else will still happen at some point in the experience. We can only hope that moving this moment later into the experience will result in more players joining the community.

September 25, 2009 post stating that it was going to be out in the coming weeks and that no decision would be made on RK3 until it was tested. I couldn't find a post after that, but before the shutdown of the RK3 server so no idea what happened.. or maybe my search terms just aren't producing results (or did this only get rolled out on the german server?):

The upcoming weeks should also bring the "Sponsorship system" to the Live servers where the kind act of mentoring new players and ecouraging them to become full members of the AO world will result in a reward of free game-time. I had hoped to get this out earlier in conjunction with the evaluation of the german server but the deployment of the new billing system has resulted in delays. No serious decision will be made concerning the future of the DNW until this system has had a fair chance at helping the recruitment of new players...as the ability to be a full subscriber for free is likely to have an effect on customer numbers. I know this is likely not what some of the DNW community wants to hear but it is the next significant step in the process of deciding on the future of the DNW server. Cost of an AO subscription has been a long term concern voiced by the DNW community...the sponsorship system is a direct action based on DNW concerns. The large percentage of players who wish to remain on a german-only server are entitled to try out the new system designed for them before any other drastic and permanent action is taken.

[Wrangeline]

I must have missed some important post about this mentor/sponsor program at some point because I still don't know what it actually is.

All I know so far is this:

.."as long as you continue to sponsor two new paying players (who are not sponsoring players themselves) you will not pay a subscription fee to play AO."

and

"..the kind act of mentoring new players and ecouraging them to become full members of the AO world will result in a reward of free game-time."


I have maaaany questions though:

1. Is there any minimum requirement set for the mentor? There has to be. If 2 new players has a mentor that is only a mentor in theory but doesn't actually do anything for them, how will FC know? What exactly is the minimum effort needed on the mentors part before it's deemed "not good enough"?

2. What exactly is it that a mentor is supposed to do? Just answer questions? Team with them? Give them gear? Help them do quests? What?

3. Do the mentor only get free game-time if the new players were froobs (specifically) but then become paying customers? Or is there some free game-time-reward for mentoring and then an added bonus game-time-reward if they also become paying members?

4. Will the mentors free game-time stop if one or both of the new players decide to mentor someone themselves?

5. Is there a minimum requirement on how long or how much someone must have played AO in order to become a mentor?

6. Was this mentoring program only supposed to be used on DNW or was there ever/is there still a plan to use this on Atlantean and Rimor as well?

7. Did people know all the details they needed to know about this mentor program before they answered the question: "How much interest do you have in a sponsor system, to get new players motivated to subscribe and continue playing on DNW?"

So many questions!

[Kingbling]

Actually, when you put it that way ...
It got my brain juices going. I think that I was an "inbetweener."

There was so much that I didn't figure out. I ran from ToTW to New Land City more than once. I was somewhere between ~120 and 144 when I found out about evades and inits. I had just teamed so much that people tanked, healed and so forth, compensating for that hole. I didn't figure out why it was so difficult to solo.

However, I was taught something, "If you don't know. Ask! You have a tongue in your head."

Way I see it? Give them their shinies, let them feel this is a good game. Spoon feed them a bit at the beginning but subtly get them to work the puzzles out themselves. Give the game an altruistic purpose of helping people think, socialise and work things out.

Challenges, puzzles and such. It empowers people and gives them a sense of accomplishment to over come it. As long as you scale up, so they take it in steps and stages. One day they will look back and go, "Whoa! That low levels stuff was so easy but now look at what I can do?!"
I think that is so much better for people. AI that changes, puzzling maps and dungeons that give clues and you have to work out ...

... SO much potential that could be realised.

Sounds like a good idea.

Show how the game works at beginning lvls and hint to how the mechanics work, but still make people think and figure it out themselves after the basics (with help from friends of course).

I hate a game that gives it all away, probably why this is the only one that has held my attention for so long. And I still really don't play that much.

[Pomidor]

I don't understand what you people find so horrible about noob island. Week ago I started froob char just to check what's so bad in current AO start area and I find it very interesting. Last time I started new char it was in 2003 and I started in BY. Compared to BY with 1 guard NPC and bunch of minor wildlife mobs, island has lots of quests, NPCs, few "boss" mobs, so there's lots to do and get basic knowledge. I don't say it's perfect, nothing is, but imo it's pretty decent.

That states, how small knowledge you have about game overall. Let me explain:

1. You get info about Shuttle crash from Brandon Thorn (you can speak such line), but there is NO crash at all!

- So? Somethings wrong here, mate

2. You arrive from nowhere - and the Arrival hall, which made best introduce that game had is not existant. So, you chose your side not cause you know what to do, just cause luck of NPC you talk to (like Omni Reqreuiter)

3. There is no help and new player has no idea, why he gained lvl by talking to NPC, since in whole game, you WONT get a lvl by talking to NPC, so once again, its confusing

4. There are Aliens running, but you dont know, why they are running

5. You start on Island, which for many is whole game (cause they actually dont know nothing about it, therefore, they dont know, they can leave) There is no Advertisement of any City (Borealis, Old Athens, Omni-Trade ect, Clan clan or Omni - nothing that actually leads player to produce choice of their own, based on knowledge flowing from game.

6. If you are new, you wont be able to understand - why XP on n00b island is so good, and nanos are cheap - because, when you leave Island, everything costs fortune.

So, assuming if there is NEW player - he will be confused like hell - cause eferything works the other way, then it is in Rubi-Ka World.

[Wrangeline]

@Pomidor: That's a pretty accurate summary of the trouble-spots in the startup-area.

One of the things I actually want to do in AO because it would be interesting, challenging and fun, is to test out the new startup-experience when FC gets around to create that. I honestly WANT to spend time doing whatever I can to make it as good as possible.

In terms of what I find fun and interesting, I'm looking forward to the day the new startup areas hit test server a lot more than I look forward to testing the incoming balance patches.

I wish I worked at FC so I could help design the startup experience from scratch because that sounds like fun to me

I'm such a nerd.

[Effrit]

@Pomidor: That's a pretty accurate summary of the trouble-spots in the startup-area.

One of the things I actually want to do in AO because it would be interesting, challenging and fun, is to test out the new startup-experience when FC gets around to create that. I honestly WANT to spend time doing whatever I can to make it as good as possible.

In terms of what I find fun and interesting, I'm looking forward to the day the new startup areas hit test server a lot more than I look forward to testing the incoming balance patches.

I wish I worked at FC so I could help design the startup experience from scratch because that sounds like fun to me

I'm such a nerd.

Your not the only one looking forward to the new startup experience and wanting to test it and help them with it, to make it as good as possible.

[SSK]

That states, how small knowledge you have about game overall. etc

I wouldn't call 7 years of game experience a small knowledge I said, island isn't perfect, but it's so much better than back yards. In SL startup area I was just during SL beta so hard to compare it, but closed clan and omni doors was strange Arrival hall was awesome, don't know if it's nostalgia or it could be better startup experience. IMO it could fit perfectly combined with current island. My point also was, noob island doesn't need complete overhaul, just some tweaks, which you perfectly pointed.

[XenonDe]

What does "using no internal resources" mean?

Hamsters. Definitely hamsters. Private hamsters in fact.


...or leets.

[Pomidor]

Sorry SSK - I used wrong words to tell whats on my mind. Let me explain it in right way:

It shows, how old players see content made for new ones - thats exact what I was thinking and I should write there. So, once again, I am sorry for saying, that you know nothing about game.

The way it should be fixed:

1. Reintroduce Arrival hall
2. Add information about Aliens shooting down the Shuttle
This will explain Noob island and Aliens
3. Add basic quests bounded with story line: Omni vs Clans.

Then, changes must be done after leaving Island:

1. Add easier way for starting players to gain some cash: One time quests for money or maybe lowbie mission with better reward to assure better start. In current state, new player will find himself cluless about nano programs/implants most cases because lack of funds for such. This leads to getting behind with knowledge about played proffesion (multiple times I teamed with poor developed characters caused by lack of credits and trust me, those players were very angry about not haveing opportunity to equip they characters, and they were to proud to beg for money)

2. Rewamping weaponary, so each character/player can find in shops something, that will be usable at current lvl (notice, that most weapons, cept Sleekmasters are way below any useability)

3. Add low quests for Nanoline from "Nano Departament officer": guy, from whom player will receive quests, will tell about Nanoprograms. Granted reward should be based on proffesion.

4. Add "Discovery officer", and quest's for this guy:

- One for Map Upgrades and dialogue, which will explain newcomer about maps, map upgrades and will provide reward (Map statt buff item - like 10-15 to wrist slots), so players actually will learn abouth this feature
- Second (or first which is more logically based) about whats going on on RubiKa: This guy should be near player start point, and should dirrect to shops, or mission terminals, subway: basicly, he should have multiple answers for many basic questions:

o Where do I seek for supplies?
(he responds about money, and offers a quest to find "Nano Dept. officer"
(he can also tell about shops, vendors ect.)
o Where I should go to gain experiance?
(he talks about subway, team missions, or offers a job - quest)

And such...

[Gunfytr]

Way I see it? Give them their shinies, let them feel this is a good game. Spoon feed them a bit at the beginning but subtly get them to work the puzzles out themselves. Give the game an altruistic purpose of helping people think, socialise and work things out.

I really like this. Definately worth a bump

I'm such a nerd.

A lot of us are, m8, a lot of us are....

[Doom]

looking good
keep up the good work and get this thing done!

[Ophiuchus]

A random thought but why not make an intro cinematic of the walk through the station to the shuttle, then the shuttle crash? Maybe with subtitles to show snippets of conversation from others in the hall about the omni v clan thing, jobe etc - a highly condensed version of the old dialogues that were available in the Arrival Hall. If it's blatantly cinematic and not using in-game graphics, people won't get confused and think they somehow failed the intro becasue their shuttle crashed.

It would also explain a bit more wtf they're doing on some random beach with nowt more than the clothes on their back, instead of having to talk to Brandon about it. It's been mentioned before that new players often don't notice him, and if they do they might not realise that it's the startup NPC and that they're supposed to go and talk to him before pressing random buttons to see what the heck they all do (accidentally agging that Surf Lizard which patrols around the new character spawnpoint which then probably kills them). I've seen more than a few new players do exactly that, log off and never see the name log in again.

[Pomidor]

Problem with noob island is - that it lacks features that Arrival hall had. If you look carefully into AO folder, you will find old voices, helpfull tips spreaded by random NPCs just when you passed them by. And, whats most important, there was Voice introdiction for Proffesions in-game, which made things Sci-Fi and up-to-date. Now, on noobie island, help from NPC about the game is less then none, and its packed in blocks of text - not everyone (or most) want to read it all, thats why Voice Help was so innovation back in that time in 2001 - yet, FC did step backward and removed it.

I often make new toon and I find Island not related to the game or story in any ways - its way to diffrent then Rubi-Ka. Just look at the mission terminals or LFT window - New player has no idea about it, cause there is no help about this features and tbh, no TM at all on n00b island. From very start AnarchyOnline doesnt encurage players to seek team, to work with other players, but it makes them bored by /q /tab/ q /tab

Back in the day when players started in BackYard, I remember it was needed to farm 1000 credits to leave to City. Ok, during this, I was able to get team, try hurt boss, visit second section with rats, talk to Guide, visit Team mission. And after 1 hour, I knew what game has fo offer and what to do in Big Worls of Rubi-Ka. When you look at Island, there is no guidance for such actions, thus, shows not real face of the game. I belive that FC wanted to show lots of stuff at start, but during by missunderstatement and forgoting about main content, they build nonfunctional area, which leads new arrivals to see game, which AO isnt at all.

Anarchy online at first is about Conflict, about WAR betwean Two opposing factions, its a multiplayer game, whe you can team with other ppl to achive goal, its a game, when Developing character has huge impact on gameplay - yet, Island doesnt offer any single thing related with this.

[Wiegersma]

Problem with noob island is - that it lacks features that Arrival hall had. If you look carefully into AO folder, you will find old voices, helpfull tips spreaded by random NPCs just when you passed them by. And, whats most important, there was Voice introdiction for Proffesions in-game, which made things Sci-Fi and up-to-date. Now, on noobie island, help from NPC about the game is less then none, and its packed in blocks of text - not everyone (or most) want to read it all, thats why Voice Help was so innovation back in that time in 2001 - yet, FC did step backward and removed it.

I often make new toon and I find Island not related to the game or story in any ways - its way to diffrent then Rubi-Ka. Just look at the mission terminals or LFT window - New player has no idea about it, cause there is no help about this features and tbh, no TM at all on n00b island. From very start AnarchyOnline doesnt encurage players to seek team, to work with other players, but it makes them bored by /q /tab/ q /tab

Back in the day when players started in BackYard, I remember it was needed to farm 1000 credits to leave to City. Ok, during this, I was able to get team, try hurt boss, visit second section with rats, talk to Guide, visit Team mission. And after 1 hour, I knew what game has fo offer and what to do in Big Worls of Rubi-Ka. When you look at Island, there is no guidance for such actions, thus, shows not real face of the game. I belive that FC wanted to show lots of stuff at start, but during by missunderstatement and forgoting about main content, they build nonfunctional area, which leads new arrivals to see game, which AO isnt at all.

Anarchy online at first is about Conflict, about WAR betwean Two opposing factions, its a multiplayer game, whe you can team with other ppl to achive goal, its a game, when Developing character has huge impact on gameplay - yet, Island doesnt offer any single thing related with this.

That's funny

These days expansion players doesn't need a team for 95% of content, they are already too strong to solo almost everything.
And when they can't solo?
They use the second paid account to dual log and kill it with both toons

So team window isn't soo important as you think it must be.
And for the free players, also new players who wants to see where they will pay for when upgrade.
Maybe better put a Boss on newbie island that only can get killed by a full team ^^

Go search for a RK mish team and maybe you get one before the year ends
RK mishes for teams are almost the same dead as penumbra mishes

btw, this game is semi dead because of too much content for nothing.
A large land where you must walk 2 hours to reach it and where you can kill level 10 mobs.
I have never seen players go to that land to level up there, lol

You can make the map to 40%, and all content can be on it easly.
60% of the content on the RK map is rubish, all same mobs and no player is going to travel 2 hours for killing mobs that can be walked to in 2 min.

[Kingbling]

Total Recall "come to Mars" type commercials on the billboard would make the Sci-Fi mood on the Island.

"Come to Rubi-Ka", adventure of a lifetime....."Join Omni Tech"......Bla, bla

That would be cool

[Jerusha]

Yeah, but Froobs have there the "real" commercials running . But I actually agree. There is better use for those.

[NoGoal]

It's Omni-Tek and why would you advertise people that are already on RK? :P

[Mastablasta]

On the FC FTP server there's, among other things, some really old "commercials" for ingame stuff in AO; gridfeeds. They are really short clips that show stuff like TOTW and some text about weird stuff going on there. And there's one about Santa Leet. They're the kind of thing that could do with a slightly modernised version and go online on the billboards.

[PhoenixOfAges]

Yeah, but Froobs have there the "real" commercials running . But I actually agree. There is better use for those.

Do they? I haven't seen any when on my fr00b chars for I don't know how long now.

On a side and unrelated note I just noticed that they got rid of the LE forum.