soloman
02-28-2010, 11:13 AM
My intent on writing this post is to cover some ground on issues that inspire thought, appreciation and concerns within myself. It is mostly to encourage veterans players to get back out there as far as pugging goes and also to give homage to those who have made a difference in my life as an online gamer.
I am hoping to make a difference.
As I look back at my time on this server, the things I have learned and the people I have "met", I find myself full of insight on the ways of this game and the turns that people make as they develope both socially and skill wise.
Now when I began playing there was an obvious class system (as there is with any social stucture) that seperated the newb (me) from those who founded the game and had already learned the "ins" and "outs" of character building, instance manipulation and gaming tactics. Back then, it was very hard for me and other newbs to learn higher end content as; if you didnt already know the quests or raids, it was very difficult to get into a group that would be willing to take a clueless newb to show him how to do it right.
As the population grew on our server and the conent increased, things began to take turns as far as the way veterans saw the wide eyed newb standing in the harbor. The DDO vets began seeing guys that I came up with like DrSin and Roc go from total newbs to become two of the most popular raid leaders on the server and they began to understand that if given time, some of these other new players could develope into excellent additions to the Thelanis populace. This was a fine time for gaming and while it lasted I learned alot about the game and inproved myself as a player well enough to gain respect from alot of people in our online community.
Now I will never be a great raid leader or Stormreach legend but I worked my way up well enough that I no longer had too much trouble coattailing a raid here and there and from time to time I have been called upon to help peeps get through difficult situations. It was this state of the game that made the biggest change in me as far as a player and I am greatful for it.
Unfortuantely state did not last long as the FTP system came onboard and our server become soo over-run with new players (some of them very, very aweful) that the vets grew even more weary of taking pug newbs into their groups and teaching them the ropes. Their patience and tolerance went from thin to nil and I sense a great loss for many new players joining our game.
I truly hope that things change as far as this mindset goes but having quite a few bad pug experiences myself, I can understand the thought process that leads one to that state of mind.
I dont blame those who have taken this position but still it saddens me to see the regression. Personally I have been lucky enough to meet and run with some super-special players that despite being the best our server has to offer as far as talent goes, they are some of the coolest peeps you will ever meet online, Petey, Ay, Sem, Cersiv and Shortribs just to name a few and from them I leanred alot about the kind of player I wanted to be and the way I wanted to carry myself.
I will continue to drudge on in my development and would consider myself blessed to ever be able to call any them a freind. Now most those names just mentioned eventually moved their way over to the "darkside" :D to follow their ambitions of playing with and becoming even better players that they already were but despite that and their change in demeanor or DDO bedside manner, I will always appreciate the role they played in making me the player I am today.
Now I am aware of the attempts that some of my community has made to help new players and I applaud them for their efforts but I challenge all of you to take stride with them, take a newb under your wing and help guide them to be the kind of player they can be. Many others have started threads about this very topic so I am aware that I am not saying anything that has not been said before but I suppose I felt the obligation within myself to say something.
This is simply my attemt to make a difference.....tc peeps~Solo
I am hoping to make a difference.
As I look back at my time on this server, the things I have learned and the people I have "met", I find myself full of insight on the ways of this game and the turns that people make as they develope both socially and skill wise.
Now when I began playing there was an obvious class system (as there is with any social stucture) that seperated the newb (me) from those who founded the game and had already learned the "ins" and "outs" of character building, instance manipulation and gaming tactics. Back then, it was very hard for me and other newbs to learn higher end content as; if you didnt already know the quests or raids, it was very difficult to get into a group that would be willing to take a clueless newb to show him how to do it right.
As the population grew on our server and the conent increased, things began to take turns as far as the way veterans saw the wide eyed newb standing in the harbor. The DDO vets began seeing guys that I came up with like DrSin and Roc go from total newbs to become two of the most popular raid leaders on the server and they began to understand that if given time, some of these other new players could develope into excellent additions to the Thelanis populace. This was a fine time for gaming and while it lasted I learned alot about the game and inproved myself as a player well enough to gain respect from alot of people in our online community.
Now I will never be a great raid leader or Stormreach legend but I worked my way up well enough that I no longer had too much trouble coattailing a raid here and there and from time to time I have been called upon to help peeps get through difficult situations. It was this state of the game that made the biggest change in me as far as a player and I am greatful for it.
Unfortuantely state did not last long as the FTP system came onboard and our server become soo over-run with new players (some of them very, very aweful) that the vets grew even more weary of taking pug newbs into their groups and teaching them the ropes. Their patience and tolerance went from thin to nil and I sense a great loss for many new players joining our game.
I truly hope that things change as far as this mindset goes but having quite a few bad pug experiences myself, I can understand the thought process that leads one to that state of mind.
I dont blame those who have taken this position but still it saddens me to see the regression. Personally I have been lucky enough to meet and run with some super-special players that despite being the best our server has to offer as far as talent goes, they are some of the coolest peeps you will ever meet online, Petey, Ay, Sem, Cersiv and Shortribs just to name a few and from them I leanred alot about the kind of player I wanted to be and the way I wanted to carry myself.
I will continue to drudge on in my development and would consider myself blessed to ever be able to call any them a freind. Now most those names just mentioned eventually moved their way over to the "darkside" :D to follow their ambitions of playing with and becoming even better players that they already were but despite that and their change in demeanor or DDO bedside manner, I will always appreciate the role they played in making me the player I am today.
Now I am aware of the attempts that some of my community has made to help new players and I applaud them for their efforts but I challenge all of you to take stride with them, take a newb under your wing and help guide them to be the kind of player they can be. Many others have started threads about this very topic so I am aware that I am not saying anything that has not been said before but I suppose I felt the obligation within myself to say something.
This is simply my attemt to make a difference.....tc peeps~Solo