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« on: March 06, 2011, 06:03:19 PM »
Well I was going to post this exact topic with my idea, but it seems a great community is already on the subject. Rather than edit my post, I'll just let you guys read it. It has some interesting points that haven't been mentioned. I understand my idea would bring more work to the Dev Team, but it would also funnel many more players into the game. Players that will stay.
Yeah, so the discussion has gone around a ton and BattleMaster has tried different tacts at advertising - but it costs money.
The problem I see BattleMaster to have with new players is that the game is just so complex. Even for a new player, finding a "liege" setting up and "estate" with an "oath offer" etc. All these terms are new to some players and familiar to others, but they still have little knowledge of what to do.
Of course there's always the FAQ and newbie guide, but those take a while and doesn't everyone just want to start playing, anyways? Today, modern games are not text based so we already are trying to find a specific audience. Granted some who try BM are not looking for a text-based game with such a complex system and get hooked, but majority of the time we all see the "Noble has gone inactive" message on the announcements from a new player going inactive.
Another aspect to look at this is "the first impression", when you meet someone new and want them to stay, you try and make a good first impression in them. Make them feel comfortable and fit in. This isn't what happens to new players. Most of them are just overwhelmed by the options the game provides and most of them don't want to take the time to read the manual.
So what's the solution? I see it a little something like this. The player starts out with the least amount of options possible to get started:
1) Say hello to them realm.
- Basically the left hand tab would only have the option "Messages". Once the new player has completed this, they receive more options as if they passed a section of a test.
2) Accept/Offer an Oath.
After passing the first "section", the player has the "Politics" button appear below the "Messages" button.
3) Travel to the region and set up their estates.
The Travel button appears and once they arrive in their region, the Command button appears.
This process continues on until all the basic steps are complete. Meanwhile the whole time a window at the top gives instructions and tips to help the players along as well. For example, at the Travel section, the instructions should plainly lay out the facts that every turn is 12 hours and are at ______am and _______pm for you, depending on what they entered for their timezone. Explain the hours in the simplest form and that the player will arrive in the region of their estate in ____ hours.
With all this, I believe more players would stick with the game. It's just too hard to leave the job of teaching new players to those already playing. It's very disappointing for a new player to message someone and never receive a reply, especially on their first day. So rather than lay the first impression on the current players, give the game a smooth introduction so they are on somewhat of the same levels of knowledge about the function of the game once they start interacting with our armies and other aspects of the game.
Comments, questions, suggestions?
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