Ok. So let me prefix this with a i'm as usual just spit balling an idea here, and what i have in mind either might not be needed nor worth the effort to implement but id thought id throw it up there to see if anything stuck...
Ok the basic premise of my idea is :
"is there a better way to introduce new players to Sindome rather than just the current immigration process, ie queue-- chip -- hologram - blamo"
Now this might not be needed and its been awhile since i've been a new player and gone through the process but i was wondering if there was a better more thematic way of introducing players to SD and withmore icly that might help ease their culture shock and prevent some of the more frustrating aspects for new players and prevent them from making theme/cultural fauxpaus that's jarring to the general population.
Dont get me wrong, its entirely in theme and very cool that you get this "boom you in go nuts, its on your own ass".. And also recent (relatively speaking) work has gone into those cool tutorials and and there is a shit tonne of stuff available on holograms and website and wiki and everything else... but we still see new players coming in not just lost in game but also viably struggling to get into the swing of things in a timely fashion... also judging by the number of immies sleeping on the streets and generally cluttering up places i assume that we still have a high drop out rate of new players (i maybe totally off base and whilst the player base is great and healthy and never been higher.. im a sucker for wanting more players to stick it out the 2 weeks say that it takes to truly see what an amazing game/community/experience we have here in SD).
so i'm really posting to see if there was any cool great ideas to help ease the integration of new players if this is perceived as an issue.
My idea just to get it rolling would be to expand the immigration process and merge the tutorials into it and make greater use of the line waiting to enter the city.
There could be more scripted conversations that the new player is exposed to that could introduce some of the theme elements into their perception and also educate/entertain the new players into some of the differences they will need to implement in their play style between SD and other games (ie two things i can immediately think are that actions have consequences and the importance of playing in character etc...).. And then at the end of the line is not just the city of withmore blamo open to everyone and all.. but maybe an actually immigration center (suitably themed *think your worst Grim/Cyberpunk immigration/ over worked/under payed city employees jaded and uncaring as to the million immie they processed") where the player is guided through different rooms that contain the existing Tutorials and new ones.
In effect this place could be used a a sort of ingame / icly repository where the player should come out of it slightly more adjusted to experiencing SD in all its glory.
Key things that as well as the mechanics of playing the game would be
* getting a valid history.. it might also make the whole submitting your "paperwork" make more sense icly. shit maybe even a form would help with them filling out all the major points that causes GMs to reject a history thus saving time all around and reducing frustration.
* getting them up and running on sic - alias etc. - to enable them to communicate with players.
* the cause /effect of their actions ie attacking gangers/ breaking the law (also the basic laws - ie mouthing off to judges on sic) - whilst this is a great RP generator, i have witnessed new players getting fines and not getting this an opportunity. some warning before hand might reduce initial player frustration and then help keep a new player until they choice to do this and make RP that way).
* the need to get a place to stay for the night and set expectations around earning money. the cost of things and all things economy wise..
* in short anything that gets them up and running/ actling themely and reduces the pain of learning the game to get them into the RP sooner and smoother..
* None of these should replace the need for interacting with the players to learn stuff but if it can ease them in to it and then go whamo.. welcome to withmore it might help all around.
This slightly delayed entry to withmore might filter out some of the immie bodies that litter the mix as a player that's going to drop out is more likely to drop out in this center and could be auto reaped quicker than in withmore itself.
My reasoning behind all this is remembering two other games where this was done to great effect..
if anyone has ever player Guild wars 1 .. their initial Newbie area did all this to good effect before unleashing players onto the world.
and 2ndly for my sins i briefly dabbled in Aardwolf before finding SD which has that whole academy thing..
whilst both are very different games they have a much easier learning curve for new players and both of these games are much more like the run of the mill crowd that SD does such a great job of distancing itself from (thus making their learning curve even easier to get into for them and thus harder for SD...).
In short SD is such a great game that i believe that if all the new players that came through them gates lasted longer they would all be hooked like the rest of us addicts and we would all have more play things heheh... its just a question of getting them over the learning curve, getting them to understand that this isnt your usual run of the mill game and getting them into the RP faster and smoother..
Thank you for you time reading my waffle.. ignore if you want.. contribute if you can/want to...