Razhak wrote: ↑Mon May 24, 2021 7:04 am
People are always confusing things in these kinds of threads. Even in the above posts people are talking about things that attract new players cris-crossed with things to attract old players to come back.
Most old players who left, left because of real life issues making it harder for them to invest the time needed to play. This game is quite time consuming if you want to achieve things, and most old players have actually achieved things already. Hence for them to be enticed to come back, there need be new things for them to achieve.
I'd argue I'm not confusing these things. The thread was titled how to bring back old players, but there is overlap between that and bringing back new players. Just like there is overlap in retaining existing new and old players. I don't think you are 100% correct that players need something to achieve. I think many players would just continue to play for the PK alone, there are players who have achieved everything, Lykan, Jaster, etc., others I'm sure, that continue to play. It's a combination of real life, and getting bored with the game, that I think is why they take a break. Sure, giving them something to achieve is good and important, but why spend imm time giving three players something to achieve when they could be spending more time giving potentially a hundred players something to do early on? When 15 of those 100 players stick around and get okay at PK, it's going to benefit the old three players more than a "rank 10," if you will.
Razhak wrote: ↑Mon May 24, 2021 7:04 am
This is a totally different beast from how to attract new players. Whereas a new player needs a way to learn, grow and get engrossed into the mud, most old players need a way for them to get back into the mindset where they want to spend (waste??) their time doing things on this mud.
Honest question from your particular point of view, as a player and character, do you think you are wasting your time on this game?
Razhak wrote: ↑Mon May 24, 2021 7:04 am
Breaking this down, basically new players need:
- newbie quests and/or clans for them to learn
- easy access to gold/basic equipment for them to re-eq and rent after "losing everything"
- good pre-rolled characters on all sides (the whole "experienced players" thing for different sides should be abandoned in my opinion).
I don't disagree with any of those things, but I would say primarily it goes like this, in my opinion of course. Always just my opinion.
1) better/smoother onboarding than Clive. Though, to be fair, I should probably try it from a newbie perspective soon, I don't think I have yet.
2) More importantly I'd rather have an oldbie guide a newbie in a fun experience to get said equipment. And to help them re-eq, because they will die, I hope they die, it's part of the fun. We all probably remember our first death!! Sadistically, I kind of miss newbies at level 10 dying to Smaher or Eleanor or Thwack or whoever it may be. PS if Thwack is still around, please let me know? Dude made my HS hears here SO fun!
3) Stats All right completely different animal to tackle, but I would argue they're okay as he is. Because we still play this game and newbies still come to this game even with that being a broken system! We used to be able to overcome bad stats by rerolls, I'm not sure it's possible anymore? I hope so.
4) This should probably be number zero, but I would argue the most important thing is mutual respect for each other as players of this game. Been a while since I've read it, but I would imagine if you don't break the house guest rule, and all of your actions is a player on this game don't even get close to any of those rules, you are a force of good for the game's growth! If you (the big You, not you who I'm replying to) are doing anything that could be misconstrued as breaking the house guest rule, which boils down to "don't be a dick," then I don't think you are doing the best You can to make Your game a welcoming place for more players to come and be slaughtered by You. You're doing Yourself a disservice.