Helping New Players Follow the trail and other ideas.

[GoldyGopher]

The discussion on the Lammania forum concerning “Difficulty Scaling Discussion” has made me think more about DDO in the past 9 days as a whole than probably I have done the past two years combined. Considering how much time I spend talking about DDO that means I have spent way too much time over the past week on these issues.

DDO has a series of limitations that make it difficult for “new players” to adapt to the DDO environment. The idea of Difficulty Scaling is an attempt to ease new players into DDO without the need to rebuild or create new content. I unfortunately disagree with the assessment that this change will bring more players to DDO, or more specifically will bring more players to DDO who turn their 10-day trail into a paying account.

The question I posed to myself and others in guild and in game that I have played with, what challenges in game are hampering new players. So in thinking about it I would like to make a series of suggestions.

Upon completion of the Tutorial (Beach Shores/Grotto) you are currently teleported into the snow-side instance of Korthos Island. This is a major change from the experience player’s find in other MMOs, and I think sets a bad tone for players. Rather than teleporting them into the snow-side instance of Korthos Villiage they should be teleported directly into the Korthos Island Adventure Area. Probably somewhere near “Ves the Peddler”. Immediately upon teleporting the characters should be greeted by an NPC who tells them to put on their gear and make their way towards the Korthos Village.
It would be nice if there was an arrow on the mini map highlighting the direction of the Korthos Village.
The NPC would also let the new characters know they can talk to Ves about resupplying and getting other gear. In addition the NPC grants the first ‘follow the trail’ quests. The objective is to speak with the three quest givers in Korthos Village “Kaja Bauerdatter”, “Linus Weir”, and “Baldar the Bold”. Once you speak to each of them you get something small but noticeable for XP, maybe 100 XP. The follow the trail should continue with the other quests in Korthos Village/Adventure Area, including “Sigmund Bauerson”, “Handsome Wilm”, “Gunnar Bauerson”, “Ursa Jernsvald”, the Mayor “Viggie Storr” and finally “Amalgam”. Finally after completing all the quests in Korthos you get some nice XP bonus for a Level 2 character, say 2,500 XP and an okay weapon to use when you get to Stormreach. +1 Flaming _____ to replace you _____ of Ambers.
These follow the trail type quests are great at directing players, especially new players to where they should be moving.
When you step off the boat in Stormreach Mari Mosshand Directs you to “The Harbormaster Zin” who has a similar quest except it is all the Coin Lord Quests in Harbor. Than one in the Marketplace, One each of the Dragonmarked houses, one for the free agents, one for Zawabi’s Refuge, Restless Isles.

I know that these quests are the ones most “ridiculed” by the hard core players and they shouldn’t be soo much XP that you “have” to do them, rather enough XP that new players and casual players see a nice little bumb and know where they should be going.

You have done that in the past with quests like “Gone Missing” and “Making Your Presence Known” but I really think there needs to be some sort of XP or other reward for each of those.

Be nice to see that when you got your first action point a new quest appeared, find the trainer. Another simple 100 XP reward quest that moves the character to the people he needs to see.

[Impaqt]

I have a hard time coming to grips with polling people who have subscribed and are already established in game as to "Why wouldn't you subscribe to DDO"? Obviously, they do not see any problem.... They are Subscribed......

WHo knows how many players Turbine gets feedback from when they choose not to Subscribe after their 10 day trial? or when they cancel/Dont sub after that first month....

When you get to Korthos Villiage, You've already gone through the "Tutorial". THis is very similar to most other MMO's.

[GoldyGopher]

I have a hard time coming to grips with polling people who have subscribed and are already established in game as to "Why wouldn't you subscribe to DDO"? Obviously, they do not see any problem.... They are Subscribed......

WHo knows how many players Turbine gets feedback from when they choose not to Subscribe after their 10 day trial? or when they cancel/Dont sub after that first month....

When you get to Korthos Villiage, You've already gone through the "Tutorial". THis is very similar to most other MMO's.

For me I look at my experiences in other games and try to see how they would apply to ddo. Just tried another game so I know the frustration first hand.

Yes you have completed the Tutorial but you are just starting down the road. Many games are changing thier approach to new character introduction and the tutorials are becoming longer and more "quest" like. See the NPE. The problem in DDO as a new player exclaimed to me last week, great I just talked to Mari Mosshand, now what am I supposed to do? This same player spent two days in the snow-side because the game was not clear on what he needed to do and now he expected to do the same in the harbor.

[Borror0]

This is a major change from the experience player’s find in other MMOs, and I think sets a bad tone for players.

Not sure of what you mean here.

[...] an okay weapon to use when you get to Stormreach.

Why not actually gain the weapon within Stormreach from another quest? It would be a smoother progression, which is good (twice the "Yay!!" feeling).

Many games are changing thier approach to new character introduction and the tutorials are becoming longer and more "quest" like. See the NPE.

It's not a bad approach. Being told what to do helps a lot, as a new player.

It contributes to immersion and diminishes the feeling of being "lost" that a new game usually creates.

[branmakmuffin]

Finally after completing all the quests in Korthos you get some nice XP bonus for a Level 2 character, say 2,500 XP and an okay weapon to use when you get to Stormreach. +1 Flaming _____ to replace you _____ of Ambers.

Seriously? Korthos loot is already outrageously Monty Haul, and you want to make it even more so?

Seriously?

[hydra_ex]

Seriously? Korthos loot is already outrageously Monty Haul, and you want to make it even more so?

Seriously?

But remember, in order to compete with other MMOs, DDO has to be relatively monty haul as well.

[Borror0]

Seriously? Korthos loot is already outrageously Monty Haul, and you want to make it even more so?

The intent is to fight twinking.

[branmakmuffin]

The intent is to fight twinking.

So we fight twinking by pre-twinking? Do we fight murder by pre-killing?

But remember, in order to compete with other MMOs, DDO has to be relatively monty haul as well.

It already is outrageously Monty Haul since Korthos.

[Borror0]

So we fight twinking by pre-twinking? Do we fight murder by pre-killing?

Incorrect analogy.

The problem of twinking is not tweaking itself but rather the impact it has on the new players, or those who don't have the ability to twink. Like this, the gap between the haves and the have-nots is not is reduced, which allows the new player to feel like he is contributing rather than being a leech.

Note that this is not "dumbing down the game" because the challenge should also be increased because twinking made the game easier than intended.

[GoldyGopher]

Seriously? Korthos loot is already outrageously Monty Haul, and you want to make it even more so?

Seriously?

The answer here is yes.
If a character completes all the quests on Korthos (8 of them I think) they are going to have some good low level loot. The level of gear (if they understand how the sets work by the way) makes them fairly well equiped and not all that different from what we could pass down to a new lowbie to twink them. The one except is a weapon. A Flaming weapon vs. an Ember weapon is only a slight increase, but it gives the player a sense of accomplishment to receive a better weapon.

[eonfreon]

Seriously? Korthos loot is already outrageously Monty Haul, and you want to make it even more so?

Seriously?

LOL.

This is a video game as well.

Monty Haul is different in PnP and DDO.

To define how much Monty Haul is too much you would have to be the Dungeon Master.

Bran, my friend, sorrry, but you are not the Dungeon Master here.

[BattleCircle]

I think the ember weapon is an excellent low level weapon. It works just fine in harbor quests and until you reach STK, at which time you should have something a bit better.

I do like the idea of teleporting to the Korthos adventure area,