Until the new Biped tutorial is finished, why not...

[Aamer Khan]

Take up the slack?

Had a tell from a player doing the 7 day trial. What this player told me I have heard before, and will probably hear again. They felt that the community response to new players was ... VERY poor. Let me relate what he said and see what you think.

He is a low level crafter ( of course, 7 day trial ) and needed some cargo gear. Asked around and was told to look for tinkers using search. Found a couple high level ones and asked if they could help. He was told, that they could not help him since they were too busy PL'ing. They wished him luck on finding gear.

That all sounds very believable to me. Currently, many are doing just that, PL'ing their metal crafts before the change to metals goes live. I know some are very good about helping the new players, but they can't be online 24/7. And since I keep hearing this same complaint from new players, I feel this is becoming a big problem again. Have we become so fearful of a coming change, that we are forgetting about the very ones we NEED to be here.

But now, I need to ask a few questions...

If we truly want new players to join and stay, would taking a short break from leveling not serve that desire better?

If we are not aware of the new players testing out HZ, could we not pay more attention to channels like General, help, and new player?

We DO want many more to start playing and staying in Horizons ... right?

Let's try to get back to being a community that is famous in MMORPG world, and try to keep aware of the new one in our midst. No need to do it all for them, but let's at least try to remember them a bit more... ( that includes me too! )

See you all in Help, and General, and New Player channels.

[kengar]

What's a fair price for cargo gear? I currently don't have anything on the empire connies, and could easily put a full set of unteched cargo armor of the appropriate tier in every starting/empire town.

I don't want to price too low, because that's unfair for the people who that level of cargo gear would be appropriate, but i don't want to charge too much, either.

I'm quite active in supplying my guild with alchemist/tinker gear, but I don't advertize outside the guild, so it's no surprize that noone has asked.

[Aamer Khan]

Well...

In view that this player is on a 7 day trial, what charge much at all? 10c per piece, just to be sure they have something to start out with... If they stay, then work out what is fair for the second set onwards.

My point is that the community show take care of these new players. Taking care of them to provide a good experience is way more important than money. Just set them up and teach them what they need to know.

[AmonGwareth]

Last time I played my character on Order there was more cargo gear on the NB consigner than I had ever seen. And it was all in the 50 - 100 c per piece range which is pretty reasonable. This has been a couple weeks, but good job whoever stocked it.

- Amon

[imported_Stromgard]

Came across this thread and thought I'd post here something I've wanted to say somewhere for a couple weeks. I hit the NB connie on Ordera couple two/three weeks ago and just for kicks did a search on gear. Saw that there was almost 900 items on the connie including, as Amon said, lots of cargo gear. I just wanted to say "great job" to the shard and new player team.

[AA0]

I have a feeling this problem exists mostly on chaos, as order has a lot of people dumping newbie items on the connies. Each time I've gone to look its always got more than enough on it, so I never add anything.

[imported_asteral]

The new player assistance team is to thank for that! We would encourage the Chaos shard to do as we have done. Create a "New player assistance team" Which we have lovingly dubbed the "GNAT" team....Greater new-player assistance team. Yes weird name I didn't pick it! But we've grown from having the original 2 "team leaders" who were chosen by the community Via a vote at our first annual community meeting, to having over 15 crafters ranging from beginner to expert helping keep the connie in New Brommel stocked with appropriate begginer equipment, tools, spells ect. This is not counting the numbers of people donating time to keep a few warm bodies in the new-player room. We have around 13-15 people in it at all times usually, except at the REALLY really off hours. There is always some kind of action, be it question answering, RP, general chitchat ect. Gives newbies a good impression of a living breathing community as their first experience in Istaria!

We have also as a shard, asked the devs and Worldmasters to see about placing new players into the new-player channel automaticlly upon entering Istaria for the first time. This way the person does not have to figure out chat tabs before they can get proper help. Just figuring out the tabs is stressful enough!

But I would encourage any member of the Chaos or Unityshards interested in doing such a thing to hop over to the Order forums. Alot of the community organizations and goings on are listed there. May give you an idea of how we are doing it over on order! I wish you luck and hope that someone picks up the torch to make starting a new life in Istaria all the more easy for the newbies!

[imported_Twelvebagger]

1) I haven't been on with my biped as much as of recent. I'll be sure to check NB this weekend for spells and restock if needed, as it's all I can do in terms of craft help (I do regularly refer new players to crafters after I send the tell to said crafter, just to be sure the new player is attended to properly).

2) Great post Aamer, couldn't agree more.



In closing, I'm STILL seeing a regular number of new players and returning players, moreso as of late.

-12-

[LaughingOtter]

Aye - Chaos needs to do this, too. Not just elder players, though - this is just the sort of thing newer players with a little time under their belt could really help with.

[Gordok]

I left the game before the Vialo so a long time ago and came back actively about 3 weeks ago I think. An easy way would be to have them auto'd into MP as it's hard having so many boxes up and the help I recieved there relearning the massive world changes has allways been unbelievable. Not only have I recieved amazing help with directions over and over again:) they'd get to share in a few jokes aswell :) That aside I'll add a newplayer tab to an existing window and try my best to watch for the flashes.

[Nords]

Started playing again not long ago after a 6 month or so break andchose to start fresh on chaos server. I was very dissapointed with how all the connies, not just the newbie ones, were empty. I had to port around 5-6 connies before getting the tools needed to start crafting. I had to stop crafting many times just because the I couldn't find the tool I needed anywhere nor a crafter to make it for me.
I stuck it out though and have subscribed past my 7-day trial and plan to be here for awhile.
Now I try to have 10+ of every tier1 tool I can make (I can make most tools now) on NB connie because I don't want newcomers to have the same experience as I had.
I remember when I was playin before my break that everyone tried to help the newcomers alot and kept the connies full at all times even though you could only have 10 pieces up at each connie back then.
What happend to the great helpful community I was so proud to be a part of?
Have the helpful souls of istaria left the game?

We all know that if we don't help the newcomers, most of them will give up on the game.

[R`aven_Sky`Dash]

a friendly reminder to those new and just returning from a long absence...there is an empire conny search feature on the community website that 1 can use to save ya the trouble of porting around and searching each 1.

http://community.istaria.com/default...ype=&cnt=0

for the chaos server.

good post Aamer

[Aamer Khan]

Thanks for the post Asteral. [;)]

Organization is how we can accomplish this, so I'll be starting a "New Player Assistance" Channel on Chaos tonight. ( if nobody beats me to it )

Starting Saturday morning, I'll be announcing the time for a community wide neeting in this new channel to organize any who wish to help. And as Klaus has said, this is open to all in Istaria, new and old, that can help new players with anything from questions to gear.

I look forward to a big response from our fine community!

[Dha'Vol]

Good Post Aamer,

I took the time last night to head to NB and NT to put some bronze tools on the consigners. I noticed several new people running about. Made some tools for one and put a bunch more on the consigners.

Even if we each only take time out once in a while to head to the starter towns to check the T1 stuff it will go a long way toward helping the new players.

[Jayne]

The Lady of Pain would love to help anyway she can :)

Jayne

[Aamer Khan]

Channel is up Jayne and Everyone else :)

I'm looking for folks that are willing to man the channel on a regular basis, and have a willingness to craft when needed.

If you want to help in this way, Please join the channel tomorrow and let me know.

[imported_asteral]

Wow! I hope it goes well for chaos! Its a bit frustrating and slowgoing at first, but once you get some volunteers you all have to work less heh.

You may wish to PM Tokoz since he is our "moderator" in charge of setting up meetings, taking care of the agenda ect. I'm sure he would be more than willing to share what he is doing with you Aamer! We are still kind of in the process of trial and error as it currently stands. Some people are happy others are not as is typical. Just trying to work out a system that makes most people happy. Biggest issue we are having is the meeting times. East coast V.S West coast....so we decided to see how alternating times will be. May wish to do that if you are going to make this an annual meeting and save some grief :P

[Dragonboy]

I like your post Aamer...
And I am happy to hear that on Order the newcommers are treated with so much care and that the consigners are well filled with stuff...
I only hope that the connies are not only stocked with tools and armor for the biped players among us...
In my experience on unity and before that on Wind the consigners were not well stocked with dragon stuff
Eventhough I play not so regularly as I used to I try to keep the NB consigner withsome dragon stuff as well...
Mostly sandstone scalepacks and most if not alldragon spells and it seems theyare wanted nonetheless...
I remember having trouble as well in the beginning with getting stuff so I try to sell the stuff for 75c per scalepack or spell...