Comments on: In the Beginning… http://www.dpwr.net/alahmnat/2008/02/13/in-the-beginning/ Ramblings and General Insanity Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:57:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ian Atrus http://www.dpwr.net/alahmnat/2008/02/13/in-the-beginning/#comment-4296 Ian Atrus Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:48:50 +0000 http://www.dpwr.net/alahmnat/2008/02/13/in-the-beginning/#comment-4296 To be fair, it's perfectly possible to start a MMO in a solo or quasi-solo area: LotRO and ATitD allow you to go through the first few levels without ever meeting anyone but an NPC, or meeting people you don't really have to talk to. They do, as you say, have a lot of guidance: lots of instructions, pop-ups, nudges, mentors, small quests whose only purpose is let you familiarize with the system. The problem in Uru was not that you started solo, but the choice of going down the 'extreme realism' route of not allowing any kind of on-screen interface but the KI, with the added issue that finding the KI itself and learning to use it were anything but intuitive. So I think it's perfectly OK to start solo in the Cleft. Had it been a 'trainer Age' where you could also get your KI and learn how to use it ('take a picture with Zandi and send it to him', etc.) it would've allowed the newcomers time to study the environment at their own pace, so that they would not be complete newbs once they hit a populated area and they wouldn't get the pressure that you have to learn everything <em>quickly</em> lest you feel left out. On the contrary I think that, even with the new intro, beginning in Relto turned many more players off than having to spend the first half an hour in the Cleft. To be fair, it’s perfectly possible to start a MMO in a solo or quasi-solo area: LotRO and ATitD allow you to go through the first few levels without ever meeting anyone but an NPC, or meeting people you don’t really have to talk to. They do, as you say, have a lot of guidance: lots of instructions, pop-ups, nudges, mentors, small quests whose only purpose is let you familiarize with the system.
The problem in Uru was not that you started solo, but the choice of going down the ‘extreme realism’ route of not allowing any kind of on-screen interface but the KI, with the added issue that finding the KI itself and learning to use it were anything but intuitive.

So I think it’s perfectly OK to start solo in the Cleft. Had it been a ‘trainer Age’ where you could also get your KI and learn how to use it (’take a picture with Zandi and send it to him’, etc.) it would’ve allowed the newcomers time to study the environment at their own pace, so that they would not be complete newbs once they hit a populated area and they wouldn’t get the pressure that you have to learn everything quickly lest you feel left out.
On the contrary I think that, even with the new intro, beginning in Relto turned many more players off than having to spend the first half an hour in the Cleft.

]]> By: Tweek http://www.dpwr.net/alahmnat/2008/02/13/in-the-beginning/#comment-4269 Tweek Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:41:49 +0000 http://www.dpwr.net/alahmnat/2008/02/13/in-the-beginning/#comment-4269 I personally feel the game should start off in the Cleft, moving the start to Relto really bugged me. So I'm thinking you start the game in a Public Cleft. In the room with the imager you have a DRC crate filled with KI's, clicking on it gives you your KI, on the wall under the glyphs that Yeesha uses for her message is a sheet of paper with another set of glyphs, entering them reveals Vic Laxman talking about how to operate the KI (you could always have him mentioning about hoods being public just to give people a hint). 7 cloths are found, person goes down to the cave grabs the Relto book and off to Relto, when they return to the Cleft later it could be the private version as to keep Yeesha's message being true. Nexus only need something simple like a D'ni book pedestal with a DRC notebook explaining how it works. Incidentally the DRC's KI pdf has been available on DJC for a while: http://dnijazzclub.com/media/downloads/misc/KI-guide-060403.pdf Course my ideal start would have the player being able to choose whether to go to D'ni via Relto or go via the tunnels. I personally feel the game should start off in the Cleft, moving the start to Relto really bugged me.

So I’m thinking you start the game in a Public Cleft. In the room with the imager you have a DRC crate filled with KI’s, clicking on it gives you your KI, on the wall under the glyphs that Yeesha uses for her message is a sheet of paper with another set of glyphs, entering them reveals Vic Laxman talking about how to operate the KI (you could always have him mentioning about hoods being public just to give people a hint).

7 cloths are found, person goes down to the cave grabs the Relto book and off to Relto, when they return to the Cleft later it could be the private version as to keep Yeesha’s message being true.

Nexus only need something simple like a D’ni book pedestal with a DRC notebook explaining how it works.

Incidentally the DRC’s KI pdf has been available on DJC for a while:

http://dnijazzclub.com/media/downloads/misc/KI-guide-060403.pdf

Course my ideal start would have the player being able to choose whether to go to D’ni via Relto or go via the tunnels.

]]> By: Deb Johnson http://www.dpwr.net/alahmnat/2008/02/13/in-the-beginning/#comment-4265 Deb Johnson Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:53:10 +0000 http://www.dpwr.net/alahmnat/2008/02/13/in-the-beginning/#comment-4265 OMG yes! YES she screams. You've hit the proverbial nail smack dab on the head, Alah. LOL @ the guy whom you wanted to tell "yup, that's your island, and you have to live with THAT, only" Hahahahaha, as I chuckle. (I know, a bit 'o the bitch in me) Anyhow, great post. Thanks. OMG yes! YES she screams. You’ve hit the proverbial nail smack dab on the head, Alah. LOL @ the guy whom you wanted to tell “yup, that’s your island, and you have to live with THAT, only” Hahahahaha, as I chuckle. (I know, a bit ‘o the bitch in me) Anyhow, great post. Thanks.

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