New AO Engine Launch

[Zeephonz]

As a celebration of the new AO engine that will grace our presence in the future, and the influx of new players that will grace the planet of Rubi-Ka, I hereby formally request a rework and reintroduction of "The Arrival Hall" back into the startup of Anarchy Online.

kthnx

[Binarybits]

Bump... that was always fun to stroll around in, plenty of opinionated NPCs helped INFORM some players that this was an mmoRPg.

It helped make sense of why everyone on the island was asked if they survived the crash...


Wait, what crash? I don't remember any crash. I just appeared on some sandy shore completely clueless to how or why I'm here.

In anything telling a story this would be called a reason-an-editor-lost-their-job event.

[Tradersoft]

bump

[If6was9]

Bump... that was always fun to stroll around in, plenty of opinionated NPCs helped INFORM some players that this was an mmoRPg.

It helped make sense of why everyone on the island was asked if they survived the crash...


Wait, what crash? I don't remember any crash. I just appeared on some sandy shore completely clueless to how or why I'm here.

In anything telling a story this would be called a reason-an-editor-lost-their-job event.

The entire beginning needs to be redone - least the original graphic of the shuttle.

The startup crash - as cool as the graphics and sound were - was written by someone with an 11 year-old's skill. It was startlingly bad writing/voice acting. And probably the ladder confused peeps. Even vets. How many other times do you use a ladder in this game?

I'd be happy to see the shuttle crash put back in with rewriting. And the original character design room - it added to the immersion.

[Eseb]

Yeah the arrival hall was great, I wtb it back.

[Ayria]

And probably the ladder confused peeps. Even vets. How many other times do you use a ladder in this game?

Well I didn't think it was confusing when I first started, I saw a ladder, it lead up and out, I went to it. Previous games have taught me to look at everything in my environment before giving up and saying I'm stuck. There are things far less obvious then a ladder in games that people deal with on a daily basis.

Bump for bringing the hall back.

[Effrit]

yeah Arrival hall was just cool, they should definitely bring it back, it actually helped you understand the shuttle crash.

bump for this.

they could also add recruitment stands to the Island (not just a bloke standing there) where theres pictures of the main cities from which each promoter are from, etc and explain the factions a bit better.

[Cynic092]

I loved the old arrival hall/crash scene. The NPCs in the arrival hall explained the setting and helped to set the scene. Planet, Omni, Clans yadda yadda. Big baddabump.

As to it being 'confusing for new players' - I didn't get confused about it at all. Seemed perfectly obvious to me: talk to NPCs to find out really basic stuff (and get the hang of moving, how to interact with NPCs etc before being chucked into a combat area, especially for a game without a combat tutorial) and then the (admittedly lamely done but still a lovely idea) disaster that causes your shuttle to crash. Oh look, a ladder. Well there's nothing else in here, I'll hit the ladder. Oh look, I climbed out! Hey I crashed on a beach, lucky that. Oh look, an NPC - he'll tell me what's going on like the other guys did.
I doubt that requires genius-level intelligence.

[hsemage]

Bump.

I've talked to many newbies that don't have a clue what omni/clan/neut even are. The arrival hall presented a nice opportunity to learn some backstory at the very beginning of the game, instead of having it all left to the recruiters near stacklund.

[Boltgun]

Bring back the folowing :

The drop ship crash for Rubi Ka start.
The huge stargate room for Shadawlands start.
The hall for... I dunno, froobs ?

If that's confusing, make it a non interactive cutscene. I agree that the hall introduced the sides well and gave you the occasion to see a few plot elements. Now it's not really well introduced (RK and SL).

Oh and make the dropship at the morning star and the one crashed match colors please. You board an OT dropship and crash in a yellow one.

[Omutb]

The huge stargate room for Shadawlands start.

Wow, id forgotten that.

The arrival hall just needs a basic "training" area, with some NPCs that get you to do things, like fitting implants, belts, NCU etc

[Slashgibber]

Great idea, I was really shocked when they removed it in the first place, removing it didn't make any sense. But instead of waking up inside the ship after the crash it makes more sense waking up on the beach.

Hello, this is your captain speaking...
*explosion sound*
We're getting attacked by aliumz
*everything goes black*
*wakes up on the beach*

[Shumarte]

bump
I remember when I first started AO a few years ago and got very impressed by the Eremite (but RK version..) statue.

Wtb some statues where you show off some cool scenarios from SL/AI/LE too!

[Technogen]

bump, that was possibly the best intro to a MMO i've seen. If you need to redo the en area so that you cant go to RK with out talking to one of the NPCs to know what you're doing then do it, but seriously bring this back.

[Xaun]

/bump best intro "zone" to a mmo game ever..

[streppelchen]

the intro was really great and teh arrivalhall was,too
give us this back

oh and pls with the new engine make some tutorial movies about the conflict in rubi-ka and how to play and so,easyer start for enw players

[Binarybits]

Well I didn't think it was confusing when I first started, I saw a ladder, it lead up and out, I went to it.

((in regards to the ladder being confusing/ ill-used))

LOL Maybe I was ill timed in the initial intro to that ladder. First time playing I thought I did something wrong causing the shuttle to crash, the 'stabilize' period confused me why I couldn't move, once it crashed I had no idea what was going on because I was running into a corner while the screen was dark/black and couldn't seem to go anywhere, after finding my sense of direction and going to the hall of red-light made me readjust my monitor settings thinking the RGB values were bugged,spent 2-3 minutes wondering where the exit to the shuttle was, Got to the ladder and "changing area, please wait" I waited... waited... and waited a couple more seconds. At that point I closed the game thinking there was a bug... it was just my first experience to the Lag-effect lol. But I got through it all just fine the second time!

[Technogen]

lol same, the crash was a great idea, but did not fit AO at all. Nowhere else in game is there anything like the crash.

[Xaun]

Just found this thread again when I was searching for the old EoT Upgrade thread.. Since I included it in my new proposed idea I feel obligated to link to you since your post is older

[Ulrike]

Old arrival hall actually still exists.

Long time ago I rolled one toon to other dimension but never played it. Logged her out in arrival hall. And lately I logged her in since client show that she's logged in arrival hall, had to try if it still exists. And it does. Was fun to see it again, and all those NPC's.

When I started AO that Arrival hall was very nice and quite informative place to start. Please activate it again for new toons FC.