Newbie Help

[Hokuten]

So after helping out a lost newbie, I decided that I should post the following idea ^_^

When you first leave the academy, you see Bolo right? He should tell you about recall scrolls, splints, and bandages. Maybe he could sell them, or tell you about the shops where they can be purchased. To me, newbies don't intuitively know about these items and it's a bit unfair to expect them to. This would go a long way towards helping out the lower levels and encouraging a bit of exploration. Normally this job would fall on the Newbie Guild, but they can't always be online (and can't always help when they are).

Just a thought...^_^

[Zeraphin]

Someone should write up a tutorial or series of help commands.

Ie, help newbie, with a list of further topics of interest

[Hokuten]

Something like that already exists, but it needs to be more all-encompassing. Further, at some point (during character creation or via an NPC) it needs to be obviously referenced so that people can't make excuses for not knowing. We can't assume that every lv. 1 knows what's going on, and I fear that many people do.

[Isabelle]

i believe i set this all up in newbie island

but then newbie island was shut down before it's completion.. (something about not being up to code by the safety inspector)

but yeah, i guess i can do something for the old newbie area

[Nellwyn]

Someone should write up a tutorial or series of help commands.

Ie, help newbie, with a list of further topics of interest

There is one at my website: "Are you new to Dark-Legacy?" Some told me it's really good. shrug. If it helps, that's all that matters =P If not, ignore it =)

http://www.freewebs.com/kingdomofcargon ... legacy.htm

[Zidane]

the best way is to make a noteboard for them to read in the newbie areas. (just ideas noteboard, books, signs etc...)

[Isabelle]

there are classifications of players, and new players.

1) new player, brand new, probably never seen a mud before.
joins mud, skips tutorial
-this player will not read a noteboard for a very long time.

2) new player, brand new, probably never seen a mud before.
joins mud, does the tutorial, asks questions, and is somewhat intelligent.
- this player may see a noteboard, and figure out how to use it.. maybe

3) new player, knows what a noteboard is, has played on muds before.
joins mud, plays
- this player will notice the noteboard, and may or may not be bothered with reading it.


there are many other 'classifications' that players can fall under, but these are the main ones. The trick is for us to actively throw information at them, without smothering them in the information.
Difficult to do, considering how much information is relevant.

Many players will not go out of their way to read a noteboard (effectively buried information) or read a helpfile for that matter.
Some even remove room descriptions from showing up, because they think they don't need them.

these types of players can be spotted instantly.

So whats my point of all this? There is no best way to handle new players, aside from mailing them a starters book in the mail, and hoping they read it

Webpages, helpfiles, room descriptions, programs popping up telling them information, ingame coded information forcing them to do things to learn on their own, newbie guides who volunteer their time to explain to new players what needs to be done, and how to communicate, all these things have to be in place to teach new players.

[Vogar Eol]

I like handing them one or two black potions in a bag of red ones. Thats one way of handing them information. No?

Oh, and the old joke about "Here is a resurrection potion, in case you die."

Unless of course they are a newbie dwarf. In that case they get a good weapon, some liquid explosives to dip it in, and a cute little "powerful" ring of sanctuary.