Spawning characters of new players

[psychowico]

So, new players almost always confused with game and need helping. I have some proposition to give them a little easier start.

I suggest that the first created character of any player will be spawned with location that fit some condition:
* location with 10 or more characters using this same language
* location were other characters showed some activity in last few days.. for example more that twenty events for any from last 3 days

This can help us keep new players, what do you think about it? Maybe you have some own idea?

[Addicted]

Yes. It sounds reasonable. My second spawned on Fu as a ship was exploring. It was - interesting.

[masterekat]

I think this will increase our retention rates dramatically, as well as help out the places with characters that are actually taking time to play the game.

[Majix]

Maybe the very first char of a new player should be marked in some way, so others easily understands that this char needs more help than an usual newspawn. The mark should go away after some time.

[psychowico]

Nice idea. I think it should be some simple icon, it would be nice that new players not realize that they are marked, but any older player should know what this mean

[Pies]

Good idea. That what Majix wrote is also interesting.

[Ronja Rotschopf]

* location with 10 or more characters using this same language

That's a real bad idea for small language groups. If it's possible to implement it separatedly for the different languages I don't mind if it gets implemented for the languages that'll have enough spawning options then (I know for sure that for German and Esperanto this is not the case)

[psychowico]

Remember that we are talking only about first character of new player.

[Ronja Rotschopf]

I'm aware of it.

[Piscator]

That's what I noticed, too. With these rules many small language zones would have no legal spawn points. You would have to include a mechanism that switches to the regular spawning algorythm if no suitable spawn points can be found.

[Ronja Rotschopf]

That's a solution for those language groups that would have no regular spawn point. But it's not a solution for language groups that would have one or two regular spawn points. It's just not fair to limit spawning of characters of new players so much more (I think there is already a special spawning routine for the first two characters of a player, and in my opinion it's sufficient for most language groups)

If I remember it correctly there was also the discussion that newspawns get easier ignored in large towns. And that most players in large towns get annoyed by typical newspawn/new player behavior.
Small language groups appreciate every newspawn, no matter where it spawns.

[magnus]

I think there should be some kind of "test" location for new players. Like isolated island with, say, 3 or 4 inland locations. Standard game mechanic with projects, travel, but maybe with some restrictions to fighting and death. There should be couple of older characters, with big experience to help new players. After training the new character will be "promoted" and spawned in regular location (even with experience he got and basic tools/clothes).
Every new player should have at least one character trained this way before regular spawning.

[Pilot]

I think there should be some kind of "test" location for new players. Like isolated island with, say, 3 or 4 inland locations. Standard game mechanic with projects, travel, but maybe with some restrictions to fighting and death. There should be couple of older characters, with big experience to help new players. After training the new character will be "promoted" and spawned in regular location (even with experience he got and basic tools/clothes).
Every new player should have at least one character trained this way before regular spawning.

I find this a very interesting suggestion to help with player retention. A kind of interactive tutorial for game mechanics?

[masterekat]

That really needs to happen. This way the characters of players who really aren't understanding the game or who are purposely trying to interrupt it won't end up in the actual game. Plus, it would cut down on ooc notes in game too. I would volunteer to have a character on the tutorial island and since I'm in contact with new players anyway, I could even tell them who my tutorial character is, so they could ask for help in game.

[psychowico]

I think this will result for new players false look at the game. I see many way for tutorials, but now some like special island.. And what with this characters? They would be teleported in other place when they ready? Or stay there forever? I'm totaly oppose this idea.