Intermediate introduction area between the Ziggurat and the OOC start area

[Kiaring]

Hiyo,

There's been much talk about how confused new characters (and especially players) are when they arrive at the Ziggurat. I think it's great that the top of the Ziggurat can be so full at times, it really does help new characters get started off in an exciting ways if they jump right into the action. At the same time, it can be very confusing, especially for newer players, if they jump into something without knowing really how to behave ICly.

My suggestion is simple. When someone enters the OOC Area 'go into the gameworld' door, do not transport them to the Ziggurat immediately. Instead, send them to a fully darkened IC area (maybe adding a blindness effect to the character) where a conversation is initiated with the PC. In this convo, it could be a very good idea to maybe add a small hint or another, if the DMs feel like it, about the nature of the teleportation. You could also add things like, "Your character was living another of his days, when suddenly, with a loud cracking sound, they find themselves traversing space in the blink of an eye...". This would help, I believe, give a better ambiance to new characters, help people put on their IC hat, so to speak, the same way the small crawl from the starting area to Sanctuary in EfU did. Maybe the Ziggurat's teleportation makes people feel slightly queasy, and you could add that to this conversation, too. I think it'd give people a better sense of what just happened to their character, and how exactly most people would feel after going through such an ordeal, all of which would help people in portraying their character during their very first moments IG.

[Caddies]

As something related, I was going to suggest an option for characters to spawn somewhere outside the city, to represent those who were for whatever reason actually on the island without having been transported there. This would also be good for monster PCs.

[Goblin Butcher]

It's be neat if you were transported to an area unaccessible otherwise with a portal that sends you to a random spot, rather than just the top of the ziggerat. Popping in with three dozen people standing around gets old after the first few times.

[Joe Desu]

I dunno, I think it is good for new people to have greeters who are actually PC and not just NPC.  Even if the PC's ignore the new person, it certainly makes the world alive.  I say, keep the Ziggurat top for standard introduction to show new folk that the world is lively.
 
For flavor, perhaps a spot for monster classes outside the city, and a place for shipwrecked shmucks.  Both of these locations would be much harder to start as you are away from the town and the low level quests.  While they would allow for a different flavor of RP, they may also take away of the significance of the Ziggurat.

[Vlaid]

I'd rather not be flung into possibly a crowd of PC's doing whatever, as my first few moments playing a PC. At least an option to spawn elsewhere would be nice, like teleporting into the female bath house would be nice.

Or the goblin temple of sune, that'd be a hot spot to appear in randomly.

Maybe multiple choices for random appearance! That would be even more fun XD