Novice Recruitment/Retention - Ideas?

Macian

Etrigan said:

As a novice, what keeps me coming again to this world I don't really understand yet is:


- the interactions (be it IC or OOC)
- the immersion (learning slowly about a very interesting world I can be a part of)
- the feeling of importance (and be somebody, do big things, affect others)

Basically all of the good aspects that aren't just bashing mindlessly away to level up, but all the things that make a MUD different and interesting compared to other role playing games. Interactions are more deep, immersion is more deep, the role of the character is meaningful.

Totally agree with this.

After 10 years, it's not the idea of kicking ass (or not) at PK that gets me excited - it's leaving a lasting mark. Even after 10 years, I still love seeing this:

Captain Pericles of the Delosian Guard says, "Greetings, friend! I am enjoying my position as overseer of combat training here at the Arena. Thank you again for the part you played in bringing this about."

You say, "Sissfus."

Captain Pericles of the Delosian Guard says, "Margali and Sissfus were instrumental in bringing me here to Delos. They consulted Captain Korlosh and delivered his invitation to me at the Temple of Truth in Enorian."

Arbre

Vellis greets me and asks if I'm running the cure again.

Moirean

Tuiln doesn't remember Moi.

Sajin

I can tell you exactly why you're having a hard time retaining newbies. There doesn't seem to be any kind of newbie welcome system at all. Having played other IRE games, I'm accustomed to joining a guild/house during the intro and then being welcomed while being pointed to various help files. 

HELP WHATNOW can be helpful, but it is extraordinarily impersonal. Really, there isn't even a word of welcome, period. You basically create a character here and then are left on your own. You don't even have prompts to point newbies towards interaction, joining a guild, etc. 

I can certainly see how a -real- new player (one who has never played a text game before) would be easily lost and confused. Even with my past IRE experience, I was thrown for a loop at the unwelcoming atmosphere here. 

Moirean

You should be joined into a guild/house during the intro, and the NPCs will automatically greet you when you graduate. If you haven't been welcomed, it's a bug (the NPCs aren't saying stuff right now, at all, there have been a few hours where things go weird) and if you aren't being put into a guild/city, that's an even bigger bug. That's not the norm at all.

Arbre

That's a bug, @Sajin.  Our tutors normally greet you and point you to the appropriate help files to start, but it's been glitched, so if the guild members don't catch you for whatever reason (I'm about to make a trigger despite being fairly confident they're illegal) it's just bad luck.  Hopefully it'll be fixed soon.

Sajin

Oh, apparently I am in a guild and just didn't realize it. Heh, sorry about that! I only knew that I was in a city because players were talking on the channel while I was in the intro. I'm glad to know that this isn't normal here. Perhaps I should bug it?

Moirean

I am fairly sure they are aware of it and working on it - though it's really annoying!