Post by j3crow on Dec 25, 2013 23:02:43 GMT -5
I am very, very impressed.
I've only just started (and I mean literally just started. I've felled a few less-than-living rats and that's about it), but I am very impressed with the new player experience.
The Character customization options in the front end rival the best I've seen anywhere. (Ravenloft PotM comes to mind).
You've also made it a point to make reasonable visual customization, as accessible as possible instead of trying to use Customization as a gold sink.
I haven't tried yet, but I hope you've made that same wise choice with weapons too. So long as the available customization fits the immersion and the setting, it should be as accessible as possible.
For Players, their PC is a form of expression that ensures emotional attachment to their character as well as to the world itself. Many builders think only world-centrically and not player-centrically as well.
Good job, and good insight.
My first quest to kill the zombie-rat thingies felt level appropriate in both risk and reward in such away that it was immersive and realistic, without being overwhelming and frustrating.
I was killing low level stuff and picking up low level stuff that was detailed and beautifully fit the environment I was in. I was taking damage, but it was damage that was 'doable' for a 1st level character with a little forethought and use of the starting medicinals I was giving.
On that note, I was giving enough capital up front that I didn't feel like I was starting from a place of scarcity even though my impact in the world is pretty nominal as a 1st level character.
So many builders and PWs just can't get that right. They try to 'negatively reinforce' the RP environment with harsh penalties and rigor. That might have worked when the game was just a couple of years old, and most servers were sporting 30 plus players at all times. But with a title that is over a decade old and with most PWs having less then 10 players on at any given time, that thinking won't work.
You're taking the right approach with middle of the road thinking in regards to risk vs. reward.
Don't let anyone ever talk you out of it when they've been here a few years and have their epic level characters and start with the "things should be tougher and more realistic" speeches.
Keep doing what you're doing with finding ways to positively encourage the kind of game play and RP environment you're promoting.
For all I know you already have it in-game, but if you don't have some kind of RP XP script, I would highly suggest it.
I remember reading about the group XP. A great example of positively reinforcing the group experience without trying to 'punish' people to get them to play the game the way you want it played.
You've hit the sweet spot just right. At least for the 1st level character...
Again, I've just started playing so for all I know by the time I hit 3rd level, I'll hate the place and be playing elsewhere. My intuition tells me that won't be the case, though.
I'll be telling my friends about this server. They've all moved on to other games years ago, but this might be the kind of PW that gets them to take a second look.
I don't know if there is one already or not, but if not, I would highly suggest some kind of fancy-shmancy splash page that lists the server's features and has super-cool PDFs and the like. Of course with a link to these forms. I wouldn't rely solely on the vault for exposure.
Sincerely
Geoffreys de Perran
I've only just started (and I mean literally just started. I've felled a few less-than-living rats and that's about it), but I am very impressed with the new player experience.
The Character customization options in the front end rival the best I've seen anywhere. (Ravenloft PotM comes to mind).
You've also made it a point to make reasonable visual customization, as accessible as possible instead of trying to use Customization as a gold sink.
I haven't tried yet, but I hope you've made that same wise choice with weapons too. So long as the available customization fits the immersion and the setting, it should be as accessible as possible.
For Players, their PC is a form of expression that ensures emotional attachment to their character as well as to the world itself. Many builders think only world-centrically and not player-centrically as well.
Good job, and good insight.
My first quest to kill the zombie-rat thingies felt level appropriate in both risk and reward in such away that it was immersive and realistic, without being overwhelming and frustrating.
I was killing low level stuff and picking up low level stuff that was detailed and beautifully fit the environment I was in. I was taking damage, but it was damage that was 'doable' for a 1st level character with a little forethought and use of the starting medicinals I was giving.
On that note, I was giving enough capital up front that I didn't feel like I was starting from a place of scarcity even though my impact in the world is pretty nominal as a 1st level character.
So many builders and PWs just can't get that right. They try to 'negatively reinforce' the RP environment with harsh penalties and rigor. That might have worked when the game was just a couple of years old, and most servers were sporting 30 plus players at all times. But with a title that is over a decade old and with most PWs having less then 10 players on at any given time, that thinking won't work.
You're taking the right approach with middle of the road thinking in regards to risk vs. reward.
Don't let anyone ever talk you out of it when they've been here a few years and have their epic level characters and start with the "things should be tougher and more realistic" speeches.
Keep doing what you're doing with finding ways to positively encourage the kind of game play and RP environment you're promoting.
For all I know you already have it in-game, but if you don't have some kind of RP XP script, I would highly suggest it.
I remember reading about the group XP. A great example of positively reinforcing the group experience without trying to 'punish' people to get them to play the game the way you want it played.
You've hit the sweet spot just right. At least for the 1st level character...
Again, I've just started playing so for all I know by the time I hit 3rd level, I'll hate the place and be playing elsewhere. My intuition tells me that won't be the case, though.
I'll be telling my friends about this server. They've all moved on to other games years ago, but this might be the kind of PW that gets them to take a second look.
I don't know if there is one already or not, but if not, I would highly suggest some kind of fancy-shmancy splash page that lists the server's features and has super-cool PDFs and the like. Of course with a link to these forms. I wouldn't rely solely on the vault for exposure.
Sincerely
Geoffreys de Perran
