Becoming more friendly to new players

[9lives]

If we're super busy we may not be able to respond, and, often, asking "Is there a DM online?" is not the best way to get a reply.

[Jasede]

Even perfectly valid DM tells that actually have a purpose or a concrete question are often met with dreadful silence, even when DMs are on. This is fine since I know DMs are very busy and a lot of times something maybe I consider important isn't really, and other times there is just too much going on for a DM to care.

But what'd really help me, and would have really tightened my enjoyment of the server when I started, would be a simple "Can't, busy right now." or "Sorry, not now." or anything else, a simple response so one doesn't feel so ignored and unimportant. I know this must sound very silly and ya'll know I am silly like that, but still, any reply is so much better than nothing.

When there is no reply I am left to wonder- what'd I do wrong? Did I ask in the wrong manner? Maybe what I asked didn't warrant a response? I wouldn't know, and the mystery is oftentimes disturbing.

[The Beggar]

IMO Game design wise EfU/A fills a niche market of players that want the RP and a very high risk experience. At this point we are picking up a few new players to EfU/A or recycling old ones (like me). That said, I echo the needs to notify players is a very simple format and assist them on getting a character started with the pertinant information given up front, prior to starting IG. My suggestions:

Make the "starting area" two areas. The first with a small room, very simple, center statue with a welcome dialogue and stating that this is an RP server, and high risk of death.

You then leave via door to a long hallway, along which hallway are Educational Primers we already have set up, a man you can buy basic gear from (I would include basic armors, shields, weapons - nothing fancy), deity setter, etc. Placing them in a line along a hallway forces a new player past them in a linear manner, and ensures they have atleast walked past each station and each educational tablet we already have.

The starter quests are well linked around the Zig, I think that's very nicely done. I've got nothing else atm.

[Yalta]

Beggars idea of a linear start area where people *must* go past certain points and speak to certain PC's sounds a good idea. It would only be a couple of minutes for those that know it already but could be invaluable for the first timers.

[Egon the Monkey]

Beggar makes a good point. With the current setup people can go straight for the portals or equipment cabinet and miss all the other useful stuff around the area.

More equipment definitely. It's a lottery when you start, as sometimes junkpiles have a discarded halfplate or something, other times you're doing all the 2-5s in leathers on a 12 DEX fighter. I think that "Portal-Damaged" starting armors would be good. For example:
-2 AC Halfplate (5 AC +1 dex)
-1 AC Chainmail (4 AC +2 Dex)
-3 H/MS/Tumble Studded Leathers.

These would be perfectly serviceable for a few newbie combat quests, but rapidly become outdated due to their weight and low AC or high check penalty. I find a big issue when starting is getting the few basic bits of equipment, which is why I tend to make a couple of ideas for my next PC in advance, and do newbie quests/dumpster dives occasionally to arm them up. I was talking to a new player last night who tried to sell my PC Tainted Banded Mail. He genuinely thought that was good armor, as only Tobar sells anything better. If new players could always get their hands on the real basics, it would make it easier to learn EfU's loot progression and that you don't rely on NPC merchants.

EDIT: Actually, had another idea. How about dropping some newbie quests straight into the player's log? If they port in, give them the quests "Speak To Nduru" and "Speak to a Stygian Guard". You could get them on a newbie quest and deliver a scripted IC and OOC verbal warning about the wilds being dangerous.

[Yalta]

"Portal Damaged" equipment sounds good.
 
The magic of the portal has ripped and damaged your previously prestine equipment.
 
Potentially a neat way to give a set of very basic stuff for free prior to character creation. Have some standard sets with leg and arm bits missing.

[Lulzebub]

If we're super busy we may not be able to respond, and, often, asking "Is there a DM online?" is not the best way to get a reply.

It should be pointed out that new players to EfU:A are coming from servers where that is the norm. It took me about a year to learn to stop sending "Hey is a DM around?" into the DM channel, and that was only after a DM (it may even have been you!) informed me about IRC.

If Beggar's suggestion is implemented, one of the NPCs should explain that when DMs are in-game, they are 100% of the time doing something for other players, and the best way to catch an idle DM is through #efu.

[AceOfSpadesX]

.
- New players who, because of the efu phenomenon of people always using new player accounts, are mistaken for vets, and not really offered the helping hand that they should be offered.

From my experience when I was brand new, I would guess this is true.

I still feel very new to the server at times because I see new characters, even just a few days old, involved in quests or plots or whatever that my character who may have been around for a while just misses. My char makes the only quest sending for an hour and like one person shows, and the rest of the server is somehow off doing awesome shit (in terms of questing). New characters getting to lvl9 when I've like never been able to do the high xp quests makes me think it is more of an OOC thing. I guess this could be one discouraging aspect of this cool server, unless I'm alone.

[tropique]

Improve the IRC culture! It's terrifying to new players.