What almost turned you off the game WHEN YOU WERE NEW

[Morrolan]

As for a topic about what almost turned off players about the game--sure, that might help!

Okay, this is a tough question because, knowing the GDB (that's this board, new folks) and the Internet, negative feedback has a way of getting out of hand. So, please, some rules for this thread:

• The purpose of this thread is to gather information on things about ArmageddonMUD that limit player retention.
• Feedback only. No debating.
• No discussions of the code (per usual GDB rules)
• This is only a discussion of your experiences WHEN YOU WERE A NEW PLAYER
• If you are a new player, please remember not to post character or code specifics. Keep it vague. Very vague.
• The purpose of this thread is NOT venting.

If you are a new player and are experiencing frustration, please contact a helper by going to armageddon.org and clicking on Get Live Help!. Like the name says, the helpers will be happy to help!

[RogueGunslinger]

No colorful text everywhere. Other MUDs really make that seem like the bees knees.

Also, negative reactions to my character for the stupid mistakes I'd put him through, because I was a noob. They always felt somewhat personal to me.

[Fragmented]

Truthfully? The dreaded quote "Find out IC". Really angered me at first, because it seemed like such a lazy, elitist way of telling me I wasn't part of the clique. Took me awhile to realize the purpose of such zealous guarding of secrets - to increase the mystery and fun and ultimately, prevent people from getting bored by knowing too much, too fast without the journey of discovery.

[Delirium]

I had no idea what to do or where to start getting involved.

I was snapped up by PCs who recruited my clueless self, and showed me the ropes. 10+ years later, here I am.

I think interaction is one of the most important things we can give to new players.

[Morrolan]

Broke my own rule. nm

[Fredd]

Being talked into joining the Byn as a merchant.

[Barsook]

I had no idea what to do or where to start getting involved.

I think that what almost turned me off.  Or it was just plain old boredom that I get from every single game that I join and play, but funny I stuck to ArmMUD after a month of a break.  Maybe the being creative sense of me made me to come back.

[Dakota]

The application process was both intriguing (as it told me you had to be srs) but was also a turn off to start.

The fact I had to read a book before I played (I gave up when I started. Began playing instead and sort of back-tracked the docs as I progressed).

Learning that many of the clans were closed and no longer playable (and no more HRPTs).

[Morrolan]

For me (when I came back), it was the transition from other MUDs. I tried to pickpocket in the bazaar with a new character. SQUISH.
Then I tried to skill up in the Labyrinth. SQUISH.
Then I took a break for a good long while.

EDIT to add:
When I cam back, the GDB almost drove me away with its elitism. I did something stupid in game, and some player who saw it mocked me for ignoring the virtual world on the GDB. It turned into a GDB grudge match. Even though I continued to play, I stayed off the GDB a long while...and I was a returning player. A new player would likely have been gone.

[Nyr]

I had no idea what to do or where to start getting involved.

I was snapped up by PCs who recruited my clueless self, and showed me the ropes. 10+ years later, here I am.

I think interaction is one of the most important things we can give to new players.

Agreed.  I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for pissing off a Borsail noble 10 years ago.

[Fredd]

I had no idea what to do or where to start getting involved.

I was snapped up by PCs who recruited my clueless self, and showed me the ropes. 10+ years later, here I am.

I think interaction is one of the most important things we can give to new players.

Agreed.  I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for pissing off a Borsail noble 10 years ago.

That being said about my merchant. I then rejoined as a warrior, and had the time of my life over like...4-5 guys?

Lt. Raul is the reason I stayed, hands down.

[Riev]

The application process was both intriguing (as it told me you had to be srs) but was also a turn off to start.

The fact I had to read a book before I played (I gave up when I started. Began playing instead and sort of back-tracked the docs as I progressed).

Maybe this could be alleviated by having the examples of some PCs, or REALLY SHORT writeups of what one PC did in their life (a mini bio or something)

[Twilight]

Player limit.
Intense lag.
Saturday downtimes.

Fortunately, all of those have been fixed.

[Barsook]

The application process was both intriguing (as it told me you had to be srs) but was also a turn off to start.

The fact I had to read a book before I played (I gave up when I started. Began playing instead and sort of back-tracked the docs as I progressed).

Maybe this could be alleviated by having the examples of some PCs, or REALLY SHORT writeups of what one PC did in their life (a mini bio or something)

It has.  See other topic for the links.

[greasygemo]

I am new (less than a year) So ..Uh.. I'll... try to do this and then duck and run away.

1. Um, firstly, one thing that almost turned me off is the fact that I feel like just writing things like this are going to be received with a whole lot of GDB slaps in the face ...e.g. "You just need to look harder" or "I haven't seen anything you've mentioned and utterly disagree with your whole statement" or "Then -be the change- or don't complain" or some other thing that makes me feel like I maybe shouldn't have expressed an opinion about it although I tried to write it as neutrally as possible...

2. Secondly, Reading about the game and then getting into it and slowly realizing that all the big plots from years past seem to be done possibly (don't hit me! I'm sorry I was pumped about elf wars and occupations and exploding cities. It sounded bad ass.)

3. Thirdly, trying to make my own or find the ones that might be happening, and then not being able to figure out how to do that, asking about it, and still not having any clue how to do it, or if I was asking wrong, or doing something wrong, or taking the wrong steps even though I swear to God I read the docs over and over sometimes and spend time IC trying to learn stuff about past player accomplishments, >forage GDB information, etc.

4. Fouthly, each time it feels like I hit a wall either in understanding what's going on, how to deal with it, receive counter-productive or unconstructive feedback from, well, anyplace, no specifics mentioned. Granted, I'm guilty of GDB rage too. I try not to be, but by God, sometimes it feels like I'm using it to vent frustrations I don't know how else to vent. Heck, when I first started I'm guilty of blowing a gasket over something really not all that big a deal in retrospect over the request tool. I get emotional. It's fair to say everybody does. But it does kill off ambition to try when you feel like OOC stuff is as gritty, snarky and difficult as IC stuff and like trying to raise a point or talk about may or may not get you spanked....

Other than the above, when I -do- stumble into something (shorter term mini-plots or building on something I have been working on) or running into great players (which a lot of you guys are) and having some stellar, white-knuckle, hair-pulling, ROFL RP sessions, or when I do get constructive feedback, conversations, help or suggestions that make me feel like learning and trying to put into the gameworld and have fun are positive things. That stuff makes me stay. Because it is fun, when it's not frustrating as hell.

No I swear I'm not trying to be like, STAFF SUCKS OMFG STFU THE GDB IS FULL OF TOOLS I HATE YOU GUYS YOUR MOM TEABAG SHITCOCK.

So pleeeeease don't read it like that >.>

I have had lots of good experiences. THAT IS WHY I STAYED. But I've had some bad ones too. It's those things that make me slouch at my keyboard and go..

[Flincher]

-No color, reading pure white text felt very difficult on my eyes when I was use to shadows of isildur and atonement coloring sdesc purple and items green so you could easily keep track of things.

-Guild-based skill system rather than picking 4-8 skills out of a list. Not a good amount of customization and you get skills you don't want.

-Extreme lack of simplified Lore. I had to play my first character like a dense idiot when people would say something I should obviously know.

-No way of realizing that the game was popular. I wanted a guest lounge I could pop into and type 'who'. If I had known there was 50-80 players playing this game then I would have started a while ago. I heard Armageddon was dead by word of mouth.

Ps: I am absolutely addicted to Armageddon despite these flaws.

[Riya OniSenshi]

The GDB.

[James de Monet]

When I first joined, it was an RL friend that brought me into the game, and I naturally joined the same clan he was in. When he was around, things were great, but when he wasn't, no one wanted to talk to me and I had no one to explain what was going on.  

After that char, and getting separated from my friend, I had a couple of false starts before I finally got it. And, in the end, it was being part of a clan with leaders who were willing to show me what to do (even when they were yelling at my char for being an idiot) that made me stick.

[Barsook]

When I first joined, it was an RL friend that brought me into the game, and I naturally joined the same clan he was in. When he was around, things were great, but when he wasn't, no one wanted to talk to me and I had no one to explain what was going on.  

After that char, and getting separated from my friend, I had a couple of false starts before I finally got it. And, in the end, it was being part of a clan with leaders who were willing to show me what to do (even when they were yelling at my char for being an idiot) that made me stick.

That happened to me.  The RL friend was the reason that I was on, but alas, he quit about two more PC's.  I think he said that he got to attached to them and after their deaths, yeah.  Plus, he was antisocial in real life, if that makes a difference.

[Fredd]

2. Secondly, Reading about the game and then getting into it and slowly realizing that all the big plots from years past seem to be done possibly (don't hit me! I'm sorry I was pumped about elf wars and occupations and exploding cities. It sounded bad ass.)

Yeah. We all want more of these. I remember my last few HRPT's, and I miss the white knuckle excitement.

There are small plots, and the best way to find them, I have seen, is to make yourself very useful to nobles. They usualy have schemes upon schemes.

The whole "player driven plots" sandbox thing is still kinda new to us all I think. But there are things out there, they just aren't easily perceptable. I hope this isn't the kind of answer you hate though. I'm trying to give you actual, constructive feedback. Nobles always seem the best place for fun plots, for me, personally.

[RogueGunslinger]

Forgive the offtopicness but:

Staff are back to guiding and nurturing plots now. Sort of a blend between what it was before, and what it was supposed to be afterwards, with player driven plots. At least that's what I got out of that "april fools thread"

[Fredd]

Forgive the offtopicness but:

Staff are back to guiding and nurturing plots now. Sort of a blend between what it was before, and what it was supposed to be afterwards, with player driven plots. At least that's what I got out of that "april fools thread"

I sort of got that? But I'm not 100% Either way, I know it was mentioned there are HRPT's in the works, but it depends completely on player actions.

[Refugee]

I've not run into it yet, still loving the game.

[benegesseritwitch]

1. Frustration with the code. Luckily, fellow players and staffers were/are infinitely patient with me and really nice about it. Shoot, I STILL have my stupid mounts wander off on me.

2. I thought all the text was overwhelming as well as I am an extremely visual person. When I play, I have to have it split screen with a makeshift map on the other side as reference. Switching to MUSHclient and using Agent 137's infobar and armandhammer's color triggers helped a ton in that regard.

[musashi]

Nyr got me to rage and take a year off once ...