Either,
18x18 warriors
or
18 17 17 hunters,
Neither of those would bother me at all, if someone could jump right into playing.
I guess it's off topic, but I've never understood why wotmud doesn't have a standard stat system, where based on class you get pluses and or cons to different stats, and X amount of points to distribute, designing your stats. I've always thought the faster you can get the person signed up, and walking through your world, is the best way to get them hooked.
The Newbie Experience
Re: The Newbie Experience
You can already get an 18 x 18 warrior with the current prerolled stats setup, but I'm not sure anyone would consider that truly playable, in the sense of being able to play that character forever in end game (not in the sense of being able to survive exping).
That still leaves said newbie with people telling her to give up on the character and restat a new one once she gets up to level 40 and tries to start doing things other than exping/exploring.
Maybe this is not such a big deal -- I don't have a good sense of how many people we would actually lose at that point who would otherwise turn into long-term regulars if they could continue playing that first character.
EDIT: I also don't know how many newbies we lose because even though they know that they can get a mediocre pre-rolled character, they feel like they need a really good character (and people on chats are telling them, "you must have such and such stats or you will hate your life"), so they stat for a while in search of these stats, and then get bored and just quit. People become very attached to their first character, and might not want to feel like they are investing the time just to have to give up on the character down the road.
That still leaves said newbie with people telling her to give up on the character and restat a new one once she gets up to level 40 and tries to start doing things other than exping/exploring.
Maybe this is not such a big deal -- I don't have a good sense of how many people we would actually lose at that point who would otherwise turn into long-term regulars if they could continue playing that first character.
EDIT: I also don't know how many newbies we lose because even though they know that they can get a mediocre pre-rolled character, they feel like they need a really good character (and people on chats are telling them, "you must have such and such stats or you will hate your life"), so they stat for a while in search of these stats, and then get bored and just quit. People become very attached to their first character, and might not want to feel like they are investing the time just to have to give up on the character down the road.
Re: The Newbie Experience
The LAST thing we should be doing is telling newbies that 18 18 is unplayable. Good grief.
Re: The Newbie Experience
When I first started playing back around 2008 I was super excited and made a lot of characters, leveled them up and got them all clanned. I had an eagle, a defender, and a rising sun. I was told that my characters stats were 'playable' but when I got more into the game I began to wonder why am I playing a 17 x x x 18 warrior? A 17 x x 17 17 hunter? A 16 x x 19 17 rogue. If I had just spent a little more time statting (or so I thought) I could have good stats and I would enjoy it more. So I deleveled and deleted all my characters and began to restat them. After about a week or two of off-and-on statting I gave up and didn't come back for a few years.
And this was 10 years ago. The stat discrepancy between old and new nowadays would only be so much more pronounced and it is the newbies that need all the help getting started. I can't really see the downside to allowing 19 12 12 12 19 warriors or even something like 18 12 12 17 18/19 12 12 12 19 hunters for that matter.
And this was 10 years ago. The stat discrepancy between old and new nowadays would only be so much more pronounced and it is the newbies that need all the help getting started. I can't really see the downside to allowing 19 12 12 12 19 warriors or even something like 18 12 12 17 18/19 12 12 12 19 hunters for that matter.
Re: The Newbie Experience
damn guys, if 18 xx 18 warrior is unplayable I wonder what I've been doing all these years. Honestly, the mud was better when everyone played "okay" stats, unfortunately, that is not the way it is anymore. A big problem with the mud is the homogenization of everything, stats, gear, playstyles... Story for another topic.
Back in 98/99 what hooked me to the mud, was 100% the community. How easy it was to feel apart of the world. At that time a lot of newbies were on every day, so we all grew and learned the mud together. We formed smob groups together and learned to PK (ie; die) together. The fear of hitting DWC and having Weaver come with a group and stab you all dead while you rested. It all kept adrenaline pumping.
I think something like, an Adventurer clan from creation to level 25 or so, that made it obvious you are a true newb would help tonnes. It would allow new players to form bonds with other new players and learn the game together. While allowing the rest of us to know his is truly new, and help. Have the "clan head" in the tavern in Caemlyn, allow them to issue lanterns, and a basic cloak, like a retooled dark-hooded. (A brand new cape bearing the symbol of an Adventurer.)
Always having a goal to achieve in this game keeps me coming back, there should always be an obvious goal for a new player in sight.
A side note, giving new players gear to get them started is great, but showing them how to get gear is 1000% better. Becoming self sufficient in this game is the difference between it being a game and being a job.
Another note, make a command like "tell crier practice" at the criers to give players spams to the nearest pracs would help a lot too.
I'm just rambling at this point.
TL;DR: Improve immersion with the world, and help everyone tell who a real newbie is. Foster a positive, community.
Back in 98/99 what hooked me to the mud, was 100% the community. How easy it was to feel apart of the world. At that time a lot of newbies were on every day, so we all grew and learned the mud together. We formed smob groups together and learned to PK (ie; die) together. The fear of hitting DWC and having Weaver come with a group and stab you all dead while you rested. It all kept adrenaline pumping.
I think something like, an Adventurer clan from creation to level 25 or so, that made it obvious you are a true newb would help tonnes. It would allow new players to form bonds with other new players and learn the game together. While allowing the rest of us to know his is truly new, and help. Have the "clan head" in the tavern in Caemlyn, allow them to issue lanterns, and a basic cloak, like a retooled dark-hooded. (A brand new cape bearing the symbol of an Adventurer.)
Always having a goal to achieve in this game keeps me coming back, there should always be an obvious goal for a new player in sight.
A side note, giving new players gear to get them started is great, but showing them how to get gear is 1000% better. Becoming self sufficient in this game is the difference between it being a game and being a job.
Another note, make a command like "tell crier practice" at the criers to give players spams to the nearest pracs would help a lot too.
I'm just rambling at this point.
TL;DR: Improve immersion with the world, and help everyone tell who a real newbie is. Foster a positive, community.
Last edited by Yurius on Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: The Newbie Experience
Well, I mean we're sort of dancing around an inherently problematic part of the game which is the tediousness of character selection. Also, with how strong warriors are right now, should we really be giving out 19 19 warriors like candy?
Re: The Newbie Experience
I keep being told rogues/stabbers are the problem, are overpowered and ruin the game. I encourage everyone to be an overpowered 19 19 warrior. I would stat one for anyone that wants one right now if the mud was up.alima wrote:Well, I mean we're sort of dancing around an inherently problematic part of the game which is the tediousness of character selection. Also, with how strong warriors are right now, should we really be giving out 19 19 warriors like candy?
Re: The Newbie Experience
Yes. Have you played a warrior recently? Sure, they can be very strong in the right hands, but zerking is a risk, and survivability is low in abs, especially as a newbie. Warriors are one of my favorite classes now tbh. 18 con is just so flakey, but maybe an 18 12 12 14 19 type of compromise.alima wrote:Well, I mean we're sort of dancing around an inherently problematic part of the game which is the tediousness of character selection. Also, with how strong warriors are right now, should we really be giving out 19 19 warriors like candy?
Re: The Newbie Experience
Well then if it's that hard to play, we should also be able to get top rogue and hunter stats without statting as well. In fact, do away with statting and implement a point distribution system 
Re: The Newbie Experience
To an utter newbie, I would argue potentially yes, there isn't a problem with them having one single 19 19 warrior. A newbie is not going to be OP with a 19 19 warrior, given all the super stats/masters in the game now.alima wrote:Also, with how strong warriors are right now, should we really be giving out 19 19 warriors like candy?
Besides, I statted my 19 19 warrior in probably 15 minutes (and that was as a relative newbie watching TV). For experienced players, I think a 19 19 warrior is already a bit like candy, so I don't see a problem with helping a newbie along to getting one.
Anyway, I'm not trying to derail this thread into a discussion of whether 19 19 warriors are OP, or too easily available. But I do think that there are already a lot of malluses for new players compared to veteran players that are not even necessarily related to skill/knowledge (e.g., stat inflation, rerolls, master bonuses, etc.), such that it is not such a bad thing to help newbies along a bit.