Too Much of a Good Thing

Discussion in 'New Player Experience Feedback' started by Cobra101, Apr 18, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Cobra101

    Cobra101 Avatar

    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    186
    Trophy Points:
    8
    I had a chance today to talk to someone I persuaded to try the free trial weekend.

    I was most concerned by their answer.
    "I gave up because I couldn't handle all the spam from players. I might try again offline"

    She said that her chatbox was scrolling too fast for her to read one offer of assistance before the next rolled it out of sight. And this for a new player still trying to figure out the peculiarities of the communications interface!

    We are blessed with the most supportive community I've ever found in an MMO. You all believe so strongly in this game that your will to encourage possibly at times exceeds the capacity of the recipient.

    The last thing I want to do is seem to criticise but perhaps this feedback could help in future occasions to suggest a more organised approach.
     
  2. Alley Oop

    Alley Oop Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

    Messages:
    15,679
    Likes Received:
    19,469
    Trophy Points:
    153
    have her sign in friends only and make a party with her so you two have party chat and can share scenes without the mob.
     
  3. mass

    mass Avatar

    Messages:
    1,223
    Likes Received:
    2,513
    Trophy Points:
    113
    This is really funny. I'd be put off by it too. A few sessions in FO should fix it.
     
    Time Lord likes this.
  4. Stryker Sparhawk

    Stryker Sparhawk Avatar

    Messages:
    2,115
    Likes Received:
    4,770
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Peaks of White Hart
    A quick study of the filter system and the use of extra tabs can also assist in clearing the air of too much dialogue.
     
  5. Cobra101

    Cobra101 Avatar

    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    186
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Yes that would work. But you're missing the point.

    I'm not concerned about my friend but about an aspect of the New User Experience.
    If people with the Visitor tag were being "helped" like this then a percentage will have had the same reaction.
    The fact that there are solutions like FO or chat filtering - if you know about them - isn't relevant.

    I had a much diluted version of the same problem when I started but because it was diluted I had time to figure out adding tabs and separating what went where.
    The game could help with this by indicating new chat in a hidden tab by the way.
    Perhaps it could help more by starting with multiple tabs and explaining why?
    The single chat box is almost impossible unless you are standing still in a deserted space anyway.
    With a big screen it would be nice to separate the boxes entirely so they were all visible at once. Back in the days when I raided it was common to have 5 or 6 separate windows in different chat channels. However its not as important a point as many other developments that need doing first so I can wait for that one.:)
     
  6. majoria70

    majoria70 Avatar

    Messages:
    10,347
    Likes Received:
    24,869
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    United States
    Yes that is the plan to be able to drag chat Windows and resize them. The feature was pushed due to the team had to work on something else, but it will happen;)
     
  7. Lord_Darkmoon

    Lord_Darkmoon Avatar

    Messages:
    4,350
    Likes Received:
    14,680
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Basically the game should start with the absolute minimum in terms of UI. No screen clutter, no distracting chat, so that the player can just concentrate on learning how to play. Then step by step he can add more windows, bars, nameplates, chat tabs etc. to accomodate his playstyle. But starting with screen clutter, being overwhelmed by all the windows, bars, options and a chat that is flying by might be too much for many new players.
     
  8. Lord Andernut

    Lord Andernut Avatar

    Messages:
    3,340
    Likes Received:
    10,087
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    New Britannian Market
    If outlanders didn't all have to filter through Soltown then there would be less newbie camping. I think it can be useful for players, but at the same time I started 3 new characters on the same day and had the same few people arming them with written guides and trying to recruit me into their guilds. This was months ago and it may be different now, but I bet during a trial period that gets ramped up a little.

    It's wonderful assistance but I kind of just wanted to be left alone to play through the starting experience. Hopefully the new outskirts areas do a good job of easing the new players in the game without being exposed quite so early to people whispering them with advice and recruiting.

    I was curious about a "newbiechat" type channel and I checked out ESO as a somewhat recent MMO just to see what their global channels were and saw they have just /yell, /zone, /guild for far reaching conversations, so we are not unique in that regard.

    I think it is best if we can give new players an idea of how to get help when they need it, as opposed to having people contact them offering them help. Or perhaps make it clear that their title of outlander identifies them as someone new who may want offers of assistance - but they can turn off that title fairly easily.

    It could even be part of exiting the outskirts:




    .....Or you know, however the thees thous and wouldsts fit best.
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2017
    Time Lord and Moiseyev Trueden like this.
  9. LiquidBlaze

    LiquidBlaze Avatar

    Messages:
    204
    Likes Received:
    276
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    NW Georgia
    Perhaps multiple tabs should be present when a new player logs in instead of 1 spam box that I think we all end up changing. (at the least one box for actual chat and one for the rest, combat etc.) Also the transparent background I feel should start with the black background option as transparent makes it even harder to see depending on your current background.
     
    Time Lord and Moiseyev Trueden like this.
  10. Astrobia

    Astrobia Avatar

    Messages:
    519
    Likes Received:
    1,137
    Trophy Points:
    63
    As long as I've been playing I can't go to any town with 3-5 people running up to me and asking me if I'm looking to join a guild. That's the problem with everything being telegraphed in the name tag. Can visitors toggle off the "(visitor)" title? Because if they want to be left alone to explore the game unharassed it would help... Until people notice they don't have a guild tag either. Then they get the same sort of spam as me. :p
     
  11. Ravicus Domdred

    Ravicus Domdred Avatar

    Messages:
    3,708
    Likes Received:
    9,037
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Location:
    Get In MY BELLY!
    This is the point I was trying to make long ago. This game is not supposed to be a hand holding game but every tom, ****, and harry want to swarm new players. I think its more about the competition of guild building than actually helping.
     
  12. Solazur

    Solazur Avatar

    Messages:
    1,429
    Likes Received:
    3,477
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Pacific NW
    we need a DND title :)

    I remember a friend in another game made their own guild and called it "don't bug me"

    methinks you've hit el nail on the head.
     
  13. Vladamir Begemot

    Vladamir Begemot Avatar

    Messages:
    6,194
    Likes Received:
    12,076
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Gender:
    Male
    One person has too much help, another sees no one. Strange times.
     
    Time Lord, monkeysmack and Kabalyero like this.
  14. Duke William of Serenite

    Duke William of Serenite Avatar

    Messages:
    1,993
    Likes Received:
    4,429
    Trophy Points:
    153
    Location:
    Grunvald
    Some guilds are very aggressive, I have found that if you approach a new player and offer them help VS asking to join the guild. You have a better chance of that person wanting to join your guild. Thats basically what I do. I stand there and wait for questions and or offer help. Then I drag them to my town for free gear and once they see Serenite there is no turning back to go to Soltown. Heck its like dragging someone out of the ghetto and taking them to the Ritz LOL!
     
    Time Lord and Moiseyev Trueden like this.
  15. Time Lord

    Time Lord Avatar

    Messages:
    8,336
    Likes Received:
    28,405
    Trophy Points:
    165
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    ~SOTA Monk~ ~Monastery~ ~Thailand~
    ~"Beware of the Guardian"~

    "Flash Guilds Bad :( Helping Good" :D

    [​IMG]
    What was your name? Do I know you o_O?'

    ~Be the Master of Your Own Discontent~

    "Flash Guilds are what they are and can be quite a helpful vehicle for players helping players, so I wouldn't bad them for it at all" :)...
    There's quite a bit which can be accomplished through such guilds like bringing fresh ideas from a fresh majority group of players, which is something I think that will be quite healthy in the long run. Flash guilds always have their internal political struggles and drama, yet when they fail they do tend to become a whirlpool of stagnated energy leading nowhere within their slow death spirals which do provide a new meaning to arise from their ashes which can again rise to greatness having their sheep slowly syphoned away. Yet with and through that cleansing such guilds can "find there way and greater social purpose", whether to remain a small tight nit group or to expand once more to seek out another flock of sheep or a true hunt for likeminded players who would better fit their way of life.

    Within my gaming lifespan I've created 3 such flash guilds, 2 of which still survive in UO, yet know little of their original founder (a certain guy I see in the mirror every morning o_O). But the other was intentionally killed off by design, because it was always set up to expect it's final and glorious doom to fade back into the obscurity of Ultima's history. It was the largest PvP guild of the first year of UO's SP Shard.

    So it really comes down to the central leadership and finally to the one who holds the mastership as to where any guild would wish to look themselves in the mirror and wish to see within it's future. As for the Flash Guilds, "they find their greater social purpose", where as a more refined guild's vision can remain within it's goals and someday possibly achieve them through being a bit more choosy as to who they allow to enter into the guild.

    But I do assure everyone of one thing... and that's, that some guilds fool themselves because there's a fool in charge who's only focus is to become great as an individual in controlling power through numbers and discounting any central greater social purpose.

    @Duke William of Serenite & @Vladamir Begemot <---<<< Between these great players true words lay great wisdom that many should attend in finding their way...
    So to the new player I say seek it through seeing all the water before ever diving in, or take your cloths off and seek the brave by embracing the new ;)~Time Lord~
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2017
    Vox Aquila and Vladamir Begemot like this.
  16. Razimus

    Razimus Avatar

    Messages:
    1,523
    Likes Received:
    3,220
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Last I played the game I too considered the info in the chat box to be spam, wanted to minimize it, close it, set some default to, do not open for worthless info, would be nice to have that as a feature, it is obtrusive and has been since it was implemented but like many things in this game, I'm guessing it's a favorite feature for those that played M.U.D.s back in the day or something.
     
    Time Lord likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.