Helping Noobs that POOF!! UUURRGH

[Dhalin]

Kumu... Low level mobs drop refurbished equipment now, along with beginner forms, and if you fight the WA near parsinia, you can get blighted items. Not all loot is coin and sand. My wife flew her dragon into the Dead Pool and fought the undead there and pulled out many crystals, blighted items, and hoard. There is "loot" just not enough of it on regular mobs. Only the WA seem to have the good stuff. You won't find a magic sword or piece of armor, or a crystal, off of a desert wolf. The game forces you to do battle with the WA if you want anything you could consider "loot worthy of using"

Many times, blighted stuff has large penalties and then needs recharge kits (which I still do not understand exactly how items with charges works), blah blah.

So I tend to avoid blighted items anyways. Gimme a good teched crafted item over those, anyday. Those I know, how they work... and Those I can rely on.

[Reisende]

I still have pieces of gear every one has made me when I really needed them, I will glady and proudly show them if any one wants, their in my "bag of memories".

And at least once a week I look in my bag. (but most likely I look in it 3 times a week.)

I still have one of the first essence orbs my A'mea gathered for me to make spells.

[Yarsgo]

WOW! (no pun intended ) I sure didn't expect this issue to be addressed so fervently! Thanks to all thus far for their input and opinions.

What I did for this latest "noob that owned me", I did for all. Yes I gave them some good equipment, but, as stated, I spent more time telling and teaching the ways of Istaria than anything else. It all seemed like such a waste. Perhaps the real issue here is indeed one of impatience of the players- particularly the "younglings". Like I stated before, I cannot speak for the other 3 "noobs that poofed", but, in retrospect, I do believe it was one of lack of "expected instant gratification". I believe I will continue in my practice of helping them but with with a modification: Stressing to them that this is a game in which one must work to achieve- Expect not to take on the big bosses anytime soon, and learn the potential of your character(s). Their reply and subsequent actions will at least give me an inkling if they are trully "Gifted Material".

Sidenote: My 12 yr old son recently started a hatchling and is entranced with the intricacies involved in developing him. He's a "chip off the old block" in that he hates games that give you too much to start with, are of "Monty Haul" nature, and allow you to level too easily. He looks forward to his ROP, but is in no hurry and prefers to enjoy the work it takes to get there...sweet

[Aaelefein]

I've had this happen several times...I can even go through the list of guild members...you probably won't be surpised at how many in the list have a "last on" date less than 2 weeks after the join date...

I have to agree with Yarsgo on this though...lots of newb's are after quick gratification. In many of the other MMO's listed, whether allowed or not, there are many options for quick advancement...whether its buying gold or leveling services...

So maybe being a small niche game is a good thing...too small for these 'companies' from offering leveling and coin bbuying services.

I will admit with someone else though...the first 20 levels, whether adventure or craft, are frustrating and hellish. But guess what...I did it and I'm happy for it and went on to do it over and over.

[Shian]

Hmmm... I was told straight up that there wasn't any high-end gear to go battle for, that most armor and weapons was crafted. Maybe the forewarning helped.

Many times, blighted stuff has large penalties and then needs recharge kits (which I still do not understand exactly how items with charges works), blah blah.

So I tend to avoid blighted items anyways. Gimme a good teched crafted item over those, anyday. Those I know, how they work... and Those I can rely on.

+60>+25 There is some wonderful blighted gear out there if you're willing to play roulette with it for a while. The catch is, you don't get to pick exactly what goes on it, but if you're patient enough you can find one that works.

[Justa Mirage]

Not to derail the topic, but you can get some decent blighted gear with no minuses, only plusses to stuff.

One of my dragons has a 3 pieces of blight gear with +100 +100 +150 health at 50th level, then socket the forelegs and add a few more +100 health crystals.

OP topic. Helping Newbies is ok, and you just have to have a knack for knowing which ones will be a flight risk (pun intended)

[Lissabet]

Being a noob myself, I was pretty clear to people when I was on the two week trial that I was just looking around. As nice as it is to have people help, it's kind of cheesy to take the help if you aren't sure if you're going to stay. IMO. FWIW.

I might appear to have poofed, but I just don't have much play time right now. Two more weeks, and things will settle down. Yay. I haven't actually accepted much help, though.

[Anime]

Well i been play this game few months now once a noob i was like hmm quests never been big fan of them till i came to HZ. I now acend and now lving up lairship , I really like build a lair it keep you busy. So nice to see it come long great now but what will happen once i finshi craft to 100 and lairship to 100 I can see that this will take a long time.

I never found a game I enjoy playing and meet such nice people .Guess new plays need take there time on game just get to know people like I did. Only down side I find that I'm in huge guild with 250 plays but you only see about 5 to 10 on most of the days.
Also I lve to craft I found in NT I get little hathling run up to me and stop and watch me guess they are surprised to see a huge dragon lol
I know there not lot play on HZ I craft in kion now and it so quiet may see a dragon once in a while there beside me and I love that

I use to play RO and I found that only time you could be on your own was early in morning and rest day thre be like maybe 20 people in one dugeon and find it hard to kill monsters I think there like over 5 thousand play on one server alone I found it to many people in one place and find that only like one dugeon is best to play in to lv and also you would lose exp when dieing and get made go to woe for your guild twise a week also over problem about that game you get charge to buy items to help you game more exp or headgears you would pay real money for the points to buy the items.


I miss the game sometimes cause lot more people on there but sometimes i think wow HZ is so peacefully, no problems heh maybe a few bugs had my fare share over christmas but I con't complain.

I love just have one char my dragon but lest i got opsion for new char and there lots on here that keep you buys for years to come :3 oh last thing going say I love 3d look ro was 2D anime like game heh

Oh just to say sorry about my spelling hope you can read it :3

[Valornyx]

Well, I've been playing a while and my reasons for playing change with the seasons.. sometimes I'm on a crafting bent - sometimes I'm working on Adventure levels, sometimes I log on just to say hi to my friends, sometimes I log on to help new players get started because this is still something that gives me enjoyment ..

I should probably let on that I'm a teacher outside the game and helping people is one of the things that actually I enjoy doing, but it is still true that Istaria has one of the most helpful communities going..

To the point though .. it is true that I have spent innumerable hours getting people started in the game to have them poof on me - sometimes when I was truly convinced they were going to be a long-termer .. however it never really gets old.

Play your style when it is right for you - when you are wanting to go back and start embracing the new payers again - do so. If you want to take a break from the game do so. If you want to spend time on crafting or adventuring or whatever - do so.

For all the dozens (hundreds??) of people who I tried to help get started out - a majority will vanish .. however .. there will be some who won't and for those people you made the game a place they wanted to be.

I'll never forget a moment when the lairs were first introduced to Istartia and all dragons were madly gathering coin - a guild-mate gave me 10G .. (in those days that was a considerable sum) .. I was very surprised and grateful since it would give me the opportunity to perhaps snag a lair in downtown dralk which was where I really wanted to be. I promised on the soul of my unborn first child that I would return the coinage - to which the reply was "Take it. You probably don't rememeber this but when I first started playing the game you helped me out. You took hours to explain how to find things and do things and gave me all my first gear and go me started. I would not be here if it was not for you."

In truth I had not remembered that at all - but it had clearly made a big difference to him.

So - yes - a lot of people play for a while and either find their home here - or somewhere else .. more will leave than will stay .. but for those whose experience you touch - you have the opportunity to make it a considerably better place.

Do not lose heart .. we build the player base one person at a time and if we can do something to aid that - then we all win .. if it is all a little disheartening - take a break from helping and go back to it when it feels good again

[Salama]

Yes, it makes you feel dissapointed when the newbie you helped so hard decides to leave.. but that's life I think helping them actually increases chances for them to stay rather than tell them to do everything by themselves..
(of course, I do not mean that they should ask help from older players all the time - that gets irritating and you lose the meaning of achieving something that way) but especially characters under their 15 need some guidance to begin with their journey.

I remember the day when I started playing Horizons with Salama.. it was back when Unity was there and the tutorial island was the same for bipeds and dragons.. Maybe it was also because the lack of good tutorial at that time, but I was really confused and fustrated of my weakness and the lack of knowledge I had.. I really didn't understand ANYTHING, not even how to hunt or take a school o.o I was really happy when a certain red hatchie in New Brommel came to me and taught everything there was to teach. He showed me how to craft, slowly step by step, and guided me to every NPC, crafting machines, and other stuff. Some adults also crafted me some scales to start off with. Thanks to them I finally got to stand on my own four dragon feet and enjoyed the game. ^^ I'm really grateful they all managed with me and my impatientness.. I probably was one annoying hatchling at that time.. *is ashamed*

And here I am, 4 years later - still playing. My old Salama is transferred to Chaos now, though she's now retired because I play with my new Chaos dragon Trica more.. but thanks to all the guidance Salama got in the past, it was possible for me to get Trica to the way she is now over time.

So yes - Definitely don't loose your hope.. Our friendly community is more than any new player could ever ask for.

[ScaleIron]

I generally like helping new players/characters. Yeah, I've had a few "poof" on me, but recently a friend of mine from another game (back in the day) started playing. I showed her a few things, gave her some hoard and coin to get her started, and even got her a new scalepack and a cargo disk to use. I then spent an hour committing genocide against sand ogres to get her some trophies, to make those lesser levels a bit easier.

Granted, because we've known each other for a while and this isn't the first game we've played together. I didn't coddle her and make her awesome scales or claws. We've always expected the other to at least make the attempt. RP together was much more rewarding, anyway, and our Dragons (and past characters) were never attached at the hip. (She currently has Vista, so sometimes she just can't log in. But she's in the process of fixing that, so that should change. From what she's told me, she's enjoying the game so far.)

For other new players, I sometimes go an extra step and give them a good tour early, make them a couple scales, show them how to craft, even take them hunting. At least one kept dieing, because he refused to take my advice about not running off to fight a bunch of undead at 5 seasons. A recent one didn't respond much to my offers of assistance, or a tour.

I don't expect all new players to stick around. Sometimes, this just isn't what they're looking for. Valornyx is right; we build the player base one player at a time. I would rather have one awesome player stay, honestly, than to have groups of n00bs (note: different from newbs) running around.

[AmonGwareth]

I know you all mean well, but your definition of "helping" newbies isn't realy helping them. The best way you can help newbies in the game is by:

a) Answering their questions
b) Keeping the consigners stocked
c) Maybe starting a new character to help them enjoy the game with friends

Giving them stuff is counter-productive as Kumu stated early on. Yes, you mean well, but isn't it more fun to earn your stuff?

Yes, winning the $1 million lottery would be fun. But wouldn't that $1 million mean so much more to you if you actually earned it? For me, it would.

[Teto Frum]

You had me till the lottery reference...lol..I'd take a million however it comes and be happy with it, but thats just me.

[CallakDW]

I reinforce the need to make alts to play with lower levels, Iv'e done this myself, unfortunately after so much adventuring with new people, my three secondary alts are now all between 40 and 60. Thing is is once and a while I even feel like playing them just to play them, and I know that sometimes I feel frusterated, because there are so many high level players that just don't really want to take a break from their main most of the time to play a lower level charactor. But if *I* often feel this way when looking for someone to hunt with on my alts, then new people have to feel truely frusterated.

[Galdethriel]

I know you all mean well, but your definition of "helping" newbies isn't realy helping them. The best way you can help newbies in the game is by:

a) Answering their questions
b) Keeping the consigners stocked
c) Maybe starting a new character to help them enjoy the game with friends

Giving them stuff is counter-productive as Kumu stated early on. Yes, you mean well, but isn't it more fun to earn your stuff?

Yes, winning the $1 million lottery would be fun. But wouldn't that $1 million mean so much more to you if you actually earned it? For me, it would.

I think it depends really. Sometimes someone giving you a big boost can really make things seem more interesting to you.

Example? Me! XD Aaaages ago, months ago, I left the game because I was stuck at level 82. I struggled for hours and hours. And hours. And hours. And I never actually managed to level. :/

I got bored. A boring game is pointless, so I just stopped logging in. My accounts were shut, and I had no motivation to open them again.

Couple months later, I started looking at the screenshots and a friend of mine (Tsaaaaaar <3 ) helped me get HZ on my computer. The original intention was to discontinue Galde and start a new hatchling. Even when I did decide to log onto Galde after all those months, I still couldn't seem to level. It took that same friend (Tsaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar <333 ) to help me through my tough levels to give me the momentum to play again.

Point is, without direct help, I would've just lost interest again. No "go hunt this" or "use this ability" had helped me--I needed someone to actually forcefully shove help into my arms, similar to the way you'd shove scales onto a hatchling. I would feel empowered, and then want to go see how well I could do with them. It's not exactly the same situation, but it's a similar basis.

Though I might just be firing at nothing, here. Just tell me if I am. XD

I had nice things given to me as a hatchling, and I think they really help as opposed to having to do everything on your own (scales. Scales are great. As a hatchling, you either have to a) craft like crazy, b) get them given to you or c) wear the basic scales, which are, frankly, rubbish. You have no idea how often I used to get thrashed before I started getting help from an older player (Tsaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar! ). And I'm pretty sure hatchlings start out weaker than bipeds, because I could whoop groups of skellies as my biped, when a hatchling at the same level could take 1 with large risk. So scales are good. :P

Generally, I think direct help is great when someone's losing momentum and having a hard time. Otherwise, just be someone they can ask about stuff, because it's no fun if you never even get to play. :P

~Rambling endlessly, Galde

[LOVWYRM]

I totally agree with you Gal:

Without Takoras advise and support I would have given up.
Somewhen at the beginning, somewhen in the middle..
She cared that the hatchie did not have to freeze or bleed, keeping me eqipped,
always adequate to my level, She made my spells and told me what it means to be a dragon- a rp, I was not used to. And it was much appreciated.
Nearly everything I had to learn, I learned from her.

So I did the same, as soon I was able to. And still do.
I experienced, like all of us I assume, many of my pupils left, after 14 days, or later.
But some are still there- and even some of Tako`s and my guildmates are reunited on order shard again

[Nambroth]

I will agree with Gald and the rest-- I know when I started, I was immensely frustrated. Especially with crafting spells and scales-- I found that unless I leveled my crafting up well higher than my adventure, I could not create the scales that I had open slots for as I needed them. When starting the game, the last thing I was interested in was grinding craft levels. If some wonderful and generous dragons hadn't helped me out with my first several scales, there is a chance I would have quit by level 25.

I was very glad for the help, because despite the fact that they gave me things, they also taught me how to make them. I now always help if I see a newcomer needing it. It is frustrating when they poof after 14 days, but well worth it for the ones that stay.

Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime.

Teach a man to fish and give him a fish-- you have fed him for a lifetime, but helped him ease his hunger today so he has strength to continue fishing tomorrow.

[AmonGwareth]

Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime.

But you do see the difference in what you have described and what the OP described, yes?

[Galilee]

I know you all mean well, but your definition of "helping" newbies isn't realy helping them. The best way you can help newbies in the game is by:

a) Answering their questions
b) Keeping the consigners stocked
c) Maybe starting a new character to help them enjoy the game with friends

Keeping the consigners stocked can help, but can frustrate too. I remember all too well the last new character I made: at the time the only one I had on Order, so no giving down stuff from higher-up alts: I had to earn it all, by myself. And I just couldn't earn ANY decent money... because the consigners always got stocked by high-level-players, for give-away prices - leaving me no chance to earn anything (from level 1 on, my 'most worthwhile' income had to come from pawnies... imagine the fun in that...). Lol it even came to where I put things on the consigner for the same small prices the high-lvl players were putting them on for... and then those high-level players would go back to the consigner and change their prices to undercut me, so that their wares sold and not mine... not once, but quite a few times... until I just gave up in disgust.

Almost got me off the game at that point...
(Lesson from this: stocking consigners is great; down or up to the point, and not past that, where newbie crafters can and are wanting to stock those consigners themselves...) It's all tender territory to walk... and so often well-meant, really well-meant... but not really working out...

So it really needs looking at the individual, indeed one player at a time, to see what helps thém, I think... and that can be anything out of everything mentioned so far.

[Nambroth]

But you do see the difference in what you have described and what the OP described, yes?

Oh for sure. But as is the nature of a forum thread, the discussion has evolved since then.