Newbie Character Count

[Tom]

I have had something on my mind for a long time that has never been fleshed out: Family goals.

Maybe we could use it for new players. Roll up three random goals and tell them that their family would be really happy if ... things like "accumulate 200 gold" or "get a region lordship", etc.

[Chenier]

I've got two adventurers on Belluaterra that don't interact at all, and had two on Dwilight (that were going to interact slightly, but one couldn't get payed for general scouting or skulldudgery).

So I'm going to have an adventurer and a noble on Dwilight in the same realm. Fortunately they don't like each other, so any meta-gaming will be in the negative for each character, not the positive. It will be interesting to see how they go at it really.

I've enjoyed having 2 characters on the same island. In a way, it immerses you more deeply in your environment. As long as you don't try exploiting the hell out of it, or overusing your meta-knowledge of things, I think it's a good idea really. Your characters don't really have to like each other, or even know of another's existance. A little meta-gaming is understandable (I will probably never waste time messaging myself completely un-important details), but as long as the characters are seperate entities, not screwing the system, and remain true to how you've played that character's personality, I think it's good. Especially when you're new, it really lets you see the world a little more clearly and gives you an idea of what you can do, and what you shouldn't do. There's no need to buddy-up with yourself. That's boring. There's hundreds of other players to do that with. At least you don't know exactly what they'll do, and that's half the fun.

For experienced players, it's fine. I just think that dumping characters in the same spot is very risky for people who don't know the game and the realms, as it favors making an opinion out of a very restricted sample.

[Poliorketes]

I have had something on my mind for a long time that has never been fleshed out: Family goals.

Maybe we could use it for new players. Roll up three random goals and tell them that their family would be really happy if ... things like "accumulate 200 gold" or "get a region lordship", etc.

This could work, beginners can get 'lost' in this kind of game... this way they will have an objective! Maybe give some kind of award when reached.
Some games had some kind of 'missions' to be made for the beginners, usually in increasing difficulty... a kind of tutorial... BM could use something like that.... kill some monsters, get gold, a lordship, a unique item, a Duchy, get much more gold, become ruler, with x duels, etc...

It's an interesting idea.

[Tom]

I think that is better. A "first steps" kind of guide with small rewards.

• recruit a unit
• get an estate
• fight a battle
• become lord of a region

That should be about it. Maybe add a few optionals such as joining a guild or religion or something.

[Chenier]

I think that is better. A "first steps" kind of guide with small rewards.

• recruit a unit
• get an estate
• fight a battle
• become lord of a region

That should be about it. Maybe add a few optionals such as joining a guild or religion or something.

Joining a religion and getting a government office sound like good additions. Maybe win a battle, instead of just fighting one?

[Anaris]

Becoming lord of a region and obtaining a government office can, especially if you're in realms of a certain type, take multiple RL years. If those are presented as "new player goals" on par with "get an estate" and "fight a battle", you could very well end up with lots of new players feeling very frustrated that they can't achieve them.

[Tom]

true

[DamnTaffer]

Most of all, I think that newbies should be disallowed from dumping their characters in the same place. Having four characters is no better than two if they dump them together into the same two realms instead of all on different continents.

Already exists, If you create a character in a realm then try to create a second as a new account your forced to wait a week

I think that is better. A "first steps" kind of guide with small rewards.

• recruit a unit
• get an estate
• fight a battle
• become lord of a region

That should be about it. Maybe add a few optionals such as joining a guild or religion or something.

What would be the benefits for doing so? This seems basically like an achivements system as you see in modern games where your only reward is a little emblem in a list and perhaps some xbox gamer score, unless you gain something at the end of that it seems pretty worthless. Perhaps;

Objective - Get a swordskill of 30 and an honour of 50
Reward - Your character can now become a hero

[Tom]

Purpose: Give new players a bit of guidance.

But I like your last idea there. We could integrate existing limitations into the system this way. Tell people that if they reach X prestige, options A, B and C as well as a few others will open up.

[Poliorketes]

Right now the family send gold to the new nobles, maybe we could change this to be rewards for this small missions.

send a message of presentation: 10 gold.
recruit a unit: 25 gold.
get a state: 30 gold.
fight a monster horde/Battle?
get assigned to an army?
visit a temple or something about religions or guilds?

[DamnTaffer]

Purpose: Give new players a bit of guidance.

But I like your last idea there. We could integrate existing limitations into the system this way. Tell people that if they reach X prestige, options A, B and C as well as a few others will open up.

How about triggered guidance, rather than having a quest for things like recruit a unit or fight some monsters for example:

**Your men havn't been paid in seven days**

Game - Your men need paying you should pay them, you can pay them through the orders screen, you can also set standing orders for your men to be paid every X days

**You pay your men**

Game - As a new noble your trustworthness needs to be proved, you have proved you are an honest man by paying your men this helps your prestige

[Chenier]

Becoming lord of a region and obtaining a government office can, especially if you're in realms of a certain type, take multiple RL years. If those are presented as "new player goals" on par with "get an estate" and "fight a battle", you could very well end up with lots of new players feeling very frustrated that they can't achieve them.

On the other hand, giving only objectives that can really quickly be achieved can leave him wondering what's left to do in the game. I don't see how a long-term objective, among many easier ones, would be all that bad. By then, he'd have figured out the game better. The point of these things should be to hook on newbies long enough for them to get a proper understanding of the game.

[Anaris]

On the other hand, giving only objectives that can really quickly be achieved can leave him wondering what's left to do in the game. I don't see how a long-term objective, among many easier ones, would be all that bad. By then, he'd have figured out the game better. The point of these things should be to hook on newbies long enough for them to get a proper understanding of the game.

This is true, too.

A lot depends on how it's all presented. If the goals all appear to be similar—with an impression of "do this stuff to learn the ropes, before you get fully into the game"—then having higher positions there is a bad idea.

If, however, it's presented as more along the lines of "beginner," "intermediate," and "advanced" goals, then we can definitely throw higher-level stuff in there.

[vonGenf]

What would be the benefits for doing so? This seems basically like an achivements system as you see in modern games where your only reward is a little emblem in a list and perhaps some xbox gamer score, unless you gain something at the end of that it seems pretty worthless.

Hey! I resent that! I like my fame points!

Perhaps;

Objective - Get a swordskill of 30 and an honour of 50
Reward - Your character can now become a hero

Some classes are already restricted by honour and prestige, so this would only be a matter of adding some game text to make it more obvious to beginners.

[DamnTaffer]

This is true, too.

A lot depends on how it's all presented. If the goals all appear to be similar—with an impression of "do this stuff to learn the ropes, before you get fully into the game"—then having higher positions there is a bad idea.

If, however, it's presented as more along the lines of "beginner," "intermediate," and "advanced" goals, then we can definitely throw higher-level stuff in there.

If you have difficult goals that take IRL years to achive atleast let them be hidden, having objectives that I can't hope to complete stare at me constantly would just be annoying