Request for Feedback

[Sanvean]

I was looking at our advertisement on TopMUDSites and pondering a couple of other places to put one, when it occurred to me that maybe those ads should lead to a page designed specifically for someone thinking about playing, and provide an idea of the requirements.

I'd like to know what people think should go in such a page. I'd like to keep it relatively brief and to the point. So - what questions would you have liked answered before you enter the game?

Some thoughts I had:
1) an explanation of what guilds/races are available to the new player
2) an explanation of what roleplay required means
3) why people should put a valid email address when applying for an account (seriously, I get 2-3 bounced mails per day to the account from people supplying invalid email addresses, and it's a little frustrating)
4) pointers to the newbie info

[Anonymous]

I think that's a great idea.

I'd add one thing, however, based on my own experience.  I found armageddon on a google search and posted in the GDB looking for specific features which this mud didn't have.

But someone else posted a brief testimonial about how Arm offered something more, the chance to take part in a living breathing world and make an impact.  To be more than stats, etc.

So, maybe it sounds goofy, but I think maybe a list of player quotes...

Failing that, a list of the top 10 most compelling features or reasons to play might be worth it too.

Regardless I think its a great idea.

[Sanvean]

What are the top ten most compelling features?

[Anonymous]

Obviously this is a relative thing but...I'll take a stab a broad stab at it...

1. Roleplay so in-depth that it feels like a separate reality.

2. A vibrant player-affected history.

3. A setting rich with unique NPC races, creatures and locations.

4. Challenging and exciting gameplay utilizing permadeath to provide the most intense and at times trembling hands RP experience possible.  

5. Full-PK in a 'griefer-free' and realistic game world with the rule of brutal law inside of cities and the rule of brutal lawless outside their walls.

6. Thousands of unique items including hundreds of player-craftable items.

7. Play a role fitting the character of your PC, not according to their skills.  From the shadow lurking assassin, peaceful merchant and sword slinging warrior to the sword swinging merchant, peaceful assassin or shadow lurking warrior.

8. An active, professional and dedicated Imm staff continually adding to the gameworld in the way of locations, NPCs, custom scripts and objects as well as interacting with the playerbase in large plots in the form of NPCs.

9. A system of guild/race distribution to help keep the more powerful and easily abused guild/race selections not only rare, but played by those mature enough to properly play the character in a trustworthy manner.

10. Level-less system featuring hundreds of custom skills and an amazing magick system.


I imagine others will have a different list, if not a better written one.

[Anonymous]

So people will know who to debate with...the above was me....heh.

[deviant storm]

Looks good to me, both Sanvean's suggestions and CRW's.

I can't remember, does Armageddon advertise on The MudConnector? I always liked that site better than TopMudsites.

[Sanvean]

They're a -lot- more expensive than TopMUDSites, so we haven't in the past.

[Dentrick]

Gaah, I wanted to do top 10 compelling features too, and you listed all of them!

[Sanvean]

How does this look as a draft?

http://www.armageddon.org/intro/adpage.html

[Pale Horse]

This is just me, of course, but when I ready 'post-apocalyptic' I tend to think of a 'post-nuclear-war' desert world.  Perhapse something to make it known that this is more of a fantasy genre instead of a Sci-fi type.

[Anonymous]

Pale Horse makes a good point.  Post-Apocalyptic sounds like Mad Max/Fallout to many.

I'd change one line:

The game requires roleplay - it is not about killing things, but rather about living out a character's (sometimes short) life.

To read something more along the lines of:

The game requires roleplay - while conflict abounds,  it is not about killing things, but rather about living out a character's (sometimes short) life.

===

I think adding the words 'while conflict abounds' or something to that effect would help.  I may be wrong, but when I read 'the game is not about killing things'  I interpret it to be a game that is low on conflict.  While I have no problem with the idea of playing a predominantly social role, others could misinterpret to mean that they are expected to sit around in a tavern.

Thanks a lot for letting us chime in on this, Sanvean.

[Sanvean]

I've tweaked it a little more. While I kept the post-apocalyptic, I did throw fantasy into the same line so it's clearer. Also added while conflict abounds.

[Sanvean]

I've revised it again based on staff feedback. It tries to be short and succinct, while providing some feel for the game, and remaining visually appealing. I don't know if any of these are successful, but I'm going to email people today about having our banner ads point at it rather than the main webpage. It's still at http://www.armageddon.org/intro/adpage.html
Feedback vastly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I really like that page.  I think making it smaller will help for those of us with ADD.

What is griefer-free?

[Sanvean]

What is griefer-free?

I'm having some trouble with that one too. Is there a better way to say "Assholes running around just trying to spam or cause problems for other players due to OOC rationale are disposed of when discovered?"

[Bestatte]

PART ONE

Edit suggestions/corrections: (notations in bold are my corrections) * - "an unique" looks and sounds awkward but is grammatically correct. ** - parenthetical statement moved for greater fluidity of the sentence.

Armageddon MUD is an online fantasy game no comma in which players jointly inhabit a post-apocalyptic harsh desert no comma and completely textual no comma world. The game requires roleplay replace dash with semicolon while conflict abounds, play is not about killing things.  Rather, play is about living out a (sometimes short and always difficult**) character's life in a world where magick exists, replace the rest of this sentence with: and is feared by most of the population and even outlawed in some areas. Sorcerer-kings and their ruthless servants, the Templarate, govern the two main cities, Allanak and Tuluk. Life is a constant struggle no comma and death may occur over a drink of precious water.

Armageddon is an* unique roleplaying experience, blending worldwide sociohyphenpolitical intrigue with riveting interpersonal conflict and cooperation. Some players and staff have been participating in the Armageddon experience for over a decade.

[Bestatte]

PART TWO

Edits in bold. * SNERT is the more common term for griefer in the mud community and is generally acceptable as a reference to idiots, twits, griefers, spammers, troublemakers, OOKers, etc.

4. Challenging and exciting gameplay, utilizing permadeath to provide the most intense and at times tremblingdashhandsdashRP experience possible.
5. Full-PK with in-character consequences in a realistic and snert*-free game world.

PART THREE

To get a feel for the game, we suggest that you initially pick a human character in Allanak. While other races are available to new players, elves and dwarves on Armageddon differ vastly from the Tolkein-esque or high-fantasy versions. Player logs may help provide insight into play as well.


THE END

These edits and suggestions for improvement brought to you by the number 72.46 and the color vermilion.

[Anonymous]

What is griefer-free?

I'm having some trouble with that one too. Is there a better way to say "Assholes running around just trying to spam or cause problems for other players due to OOC rationale are disposed of when discovered?"

Griefer is a common term to those familiar with MMORPGs.  They create all sorts of trouble and in the process of trying to limit their ability to screw with the rest of the playerbase most MMORPGs will implement all manner of screwed up (IMHO) nerfing of different skills in order to make grief play as difficult as possible.  In the process the rest of the playerbase is affected.

A quick and easy cure for 'grief' play is permadeath.  Kinda hard to camp at someone's body waiting for them to return so you can kill them again when they are dead and there are no repops.

'Griefer' roles don't last long in a permadeath system also because a bunch of people get together and go kill that person and they are at square one.  Kinda hard to get jollies when your 0 day warrior gets his ass smoked by anyone he comes across.

Another reason why Armageddon is griefer-free is because we have players and imms alike policing the game.  Its not possible with an MMORPG since you don't have complete logs of what everyone is doing and the ratio of staff to player is tiny.

My goal with that line was to attract those who are looking for roleplay but see permadeath as the ultimate 'griefer' dream when actually it is the only cure.

[Nineveh]

Actually, I believe its a unique, being grammatically correct (and I checked it in the dictionary). The u in unique in this case takes on a consonant sound, making it... well, a unique case.

A goes before a word starting with consonant syllable.
An goes before a word starting with a vowel syllable.

Though technically u is a vowel, it sounds like y in this instance.

Same thing with unicorn. It's pronounced yewnicorn and it's prefaced with a.

[Bestatte]

I don't know about unicorn, but Strunk and White's Elements of Style says it's "an" unique. I never argue with Strunk and White.

[Eternal]

I kinda thought our original homepage did a good job, but then, I am against over-advertising.

One idea for this page, I just clicked through the banner on topmudsites.com, but there isnt' a direct link from it to the homepage, just to sub-pages.  Can we put one up, possibly using the Arm-icon as a link like we have on the GDB?

[the halfling]

Very well put Christopher Robin.  *claps*

[gfair]

But someone else posted a brief testimonial about how Arm offered something more, the chance to take part in a living breathing world and make an impact. To be more than stats, etc.

Saying this, alone, is a believable statement in my opinion.  A bit more profound than is necessary, but I'd look more seriously into something if I was told it was in any way more meaningful or satisfying than a hack n slash game of any type.

I've spoken of Arm on discussion boards, including a recommendation on the board where I heard about it in the first place.  How about blogs?  Becoming very popular, I've put it up on a blog that got, maybe, 15 reads.  How about advertising it in forums for games with graphic engines:

Graphics card not good enough for Counterstrike?  Warcraft 3? The newest MMORPG?  Take a look at Arm - text-based, thoroughly entertaining, great interaction, real roleplaying.  You can play on any computer with access to the net, it is an engaging, active world, it is very well balanced and does not suffer from "grief gaming" like some MMORPGs, and it uses imagination, not pixels, to conjure up a world richer in detail and nuance than any computer can reproduce.

If you enjoy reading books, you will enjoy reading Arm, and writing your own part of it.[/code]

[Sanvean]

I'll do some more tweaking this weekend.  Eternal, there is a link to the main website, here:

If you're interested in joining our immersive experience, we invite you to check out our main website, located at www.armageddon.org.

Did you mean other than there?

I agree that reviews, mentions on discussion boards, and other such testimonials are the best way to go, but I feel that needs to come from players, so I let it happen as it will.  We could compile a page listing possible venues, perhaps, with links to the different review sites, if people are interested. I would love to see someone write a review of the game for a major mag, but as staff, I feel like I can't. I'd be glad to help copyedit such a piece and suggest places, if anyone's interested in trying it, though. (I know Frog Fairy would make a terrific candidate for that *poke*)

People with blogs might consider linking to the Armageddon journal, here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/armageddonmud/ (And once again, please, if you haven't written an entry for it, think about doing so, whether you just started a week ago or whether you've been with us since the beginning... I would love to see some additional player and staff voices in there.

I'm working on a couple of different projects for the coming year, and we'll see how successful (or not!) they prove.

Would people be interested in having a player/staff recommended fantasy book link in the weekly update?