Korthos Greeter

[LeadHero5]

Helped someone with a resolution vs. UI problem, no one had an answer for him so referred to forums, very interested in crunchy bits of the game so we talked a bit. Ultimately he was not able to fix his resolution issue, the game resolution did not go up to a level that he wanted and there was no switch where you can increase the size of UI windows combined with a super high screen resolution.

This is a quote that I remembered from DDO Gamer.

[09:50:08] <%SteelStar> As far as I'm aware, the DDO UI elements cannot be resized by any means right now
[09:50:57] <%SteelStar> Pretty sure the long and short answer is "Devs did not anticipate 4k resolutions in 2005, when the average was still 800x600"

[TitusOvid]

Didn't have much luck the last 2 weeks. Most of my maills are returning and/or the toon doesn't exist anymore.
I hope it is because of the good weather.

[Grandern_Marn]

This is a quote that I remembered from DDO Gamer.

[09:50:08] <%SteelStar> As far as I'm aware, the DDO UI elements cannot be resized by any means right now
[09:50:57] <%SteelStar> Pretty sure the long and short answer is "Devs did not anticipate 4k resolutions in 2005, when the average was still 800x600"

Yeah, I just saw the DDO in 4K! thread. With the speed that computer technology develops, more and more players will have higher resolution set ups. Interestingly, it's becoming an issue for game play where new players will come and immediately discount the game due to noncompliance with contemporary screen resolutions.

Didn't have much luck the last 2 weeks. Most of my maills are returning and/or the toon doesn't exist anymore.
I hope it is because of the good weather.

Yeah, I noticed the second half of August numbers were down on all servers I checked. There has been more activity into September.

Here is a log of notable activity over the past week couple weeks:

8/30 - Not a lot of chatter in Korthos but some activity in Harbor.
8/31 - There was a group of about 5 people speaking French but were also speaking English fine so I let them do their thing, as of 9/2 one of them had joined a non French guild.
9/2 - Helped someone in chat who was looking for people who spoke French, helped them out a bit.
9/3 - Got in a good conversation with a new person who was interested in the expansion packs and I explained leveling as F2P etc. Someone spoke French in chat so I reached out and explained how to find guilds.
9/5 - Answered some questions on in game abbreviations and on selling stuff. Had a good chat with members of the Titan chat group about guild recruiting techniques and how to help out new people etc. (no guys, the grease spell is not a party buff!) Answered a question about mounts in DDO.
9/6 - Gabreone was back in force asking and answering a lot of questions from new players today with an active recruitment drive for his guild, Sky Warriors - kudos!
9/7 - Nice message from Eightteen: 'Yes I read the bio', 'you two are really kindhearted' - thanks! Helped a group get set up but they were not able to actually quest together, 2 were in Korthos wilderness, 2 were in 2 different quests and 1 was at the tavern - gave up on trying to get them together.
9/9 - Helped someone find a quest and explained how to find stuff through the DDO Wiki. Explained to someone how to reset a wilderness instance. Answered a question about what negative spell power is.
9/10 - Spent a LOT of time explaining Snowy/Sunny Korthos to people but could not get them grouped together. -_-

[Rykka]

Yeah, I just saw the DDO in 4K! thread. With the speed that computer technology develops, more and more players will have higher resolution set ups. Interestingly, it's becoming an issue for game play where new players will come and immediately discount the game due to noncompliance with contemporary screen resolutions.

Yes this. The game looks great on a 40" 4k monitor. but it's unplayable on a highend laptop with a UHD display, unless you have reading glasses on.

We've found the other side; the fixed sized hotbars and text that was obnoxiously oversized in 2008 on a 1280x720 res is now microsopic.

[Grandern_Marn]

Generally lots of activity and plenty of people out in Korthos helping new players out. Here are some notable contacts over the last few days:


9/10 - One player is having real trouble figuring out how to switch to party chat. Everyone in Korthos is trying to walk him through how to make the switch. Had a good talk with Priiam who's back to the game after 6 or 7 years and didn't know what the difference between Sunny and Snowy Korthos was. Explained a few things, pointed them towards the Titan chat channel and welcomed them back. Received a very nice comment "Very happy to find this amazing mmo still alive and well!"
9/11 - Someone asking how to increase the game UI in the chat. Bobbitus, Alciia and Katalissa doing a lot of work helping out new people.
9/12 - Gabreone was in there answering a lot of questions for people today - kudos! A couple players were having an extensive conversation in Turkish in the chat, looking for friend but looks like one was on Sunny and the other on Snowy, one said they would download another game, both left. Helped a couple separate Portuguese speakers with guilds - one of them joined a guild!
9/14 - Nice message from Merlingh 'really appreciate all your tips for new players , continue ! =D'. Mermystica has been helping a lot of people over the last few days.
9/15 - Gabrien stopped by again and said hi, good work with the guild recruiting in Korthos! Vilapy stopped by... to taunt! D:
9/17 - Welcomed some people who were chatting in Korthos Village and helped them with selling stuff, making an LFM and other questions. Someone was asking how to increase the UI size in chat.
9/18 - Someone asked about the use of gems in game and lamented the amount of support new players got to the game. I assaulted him with information - and he was thankful.
9/19 - Encountered a griefer in chat (all caps yelling), told everyone how to ignore.
9/20 - Joybarb asking if anyone has any questions, good on ya!
9/22 - Someone was looking for players from South America in chat, I told them a bit about how to find a guild. Nice comment from Vargot - "Dude, that is freaking awesome! Anything i can do to help or donate?" - haha! No donations necessary.
9/24 - Answered some questions about Exotic Weapon feats and directed them to the DDO Wiki for further details. Another question was asked about where to buy and sell weapons.
9/25 - Nusara was spending a lot of time answering peoples questions in chat - kudos!

[Grandern_Marn]

Here is some of the recent notable activity in Korthos:

9/27 - Explained feats to someone so they could use Bastard Swords. Later again the same player asked about rare spawns and resetting instances and they were happy for the help! Someone was tired of running solo, I sent out a message and a couple people joined their group. Yay!
9/29 - Helped a player who wasn't able to get the rares to spawn. Another player sent a nice compliment 'this is the best most enjoyable mmo played with friends'.
9/30 - A 'thanks you rock' message received in general chat from Mystrem so I jui-jitsued that compliment with another compliment to Farmiah who had just answered another players question about what to do with gems.
10/1 - Helped one player on Snowy side find her boyfriend who was on Sunny side, they were both very happy. Helped someone who wanted to know what a Kulkri was. Helped another person who wanted to sheath their weapon.
10/2 - Was talking to someone who was looking for ways to heal themselves. Helped some others who were looking for groups. Someone else didn't know how to swim. Helped someone with turning, directed them to DDO Wiki. Another person was looking for their trainer.
10/5 - Noticing an increase in guild recruiting in Korthos, good to see!
10/7 - Helped someone looking for an armory.
10/9 - Kind compliment from Quorias - 'nice bio'
10/11 - Had a good long chat with Drholiday, he left a couple nice messages 'Hello', 'I came here to do what you are doing until my party starts up lol', 'Yeah, I seen your bio and stuff and said Hey! that's pretty cool' thanks for that!
10/13 - Helped some people with grouping and how to locate people in game.
10/15 - Very nice comment from Gryben: "hey Velcome, keep up the good work. one of the reason I chose this server" Wow thanks! That's a great compliment.
10/16 Revillia stopped by to say hi with an alternate character. Quorias stopped by again to say that he got VIP, kudos to him, now he will be helping other people instead of being helped! Pimping orange hair to people with the DDO store special of the week. Spent a good amount of time explaining Sunny and Snowy Korthos and how it would be impossible for some people to form groups.



Thinking about the chat with Drholiday on 10/11, we covered a few points. One thing we discussed was how Turbine improves the game by tweaking content to improve player interactions. When I started playing in 2011 I was playing a Cleric and I remember how intense heal requests were in game at the time. By increasing self healing methods Turbine effectively resolved this in game tension making for a more enjoyable play experience overall. I do understand the perspective that self healing strays from the core D&D rules but the fact that DDO is a game BASED on D&D ultimately something that we need to accept as a part of the game. Ultimately creating a stress free game experience is an important part of getting people interested in the game and keeping long term players around, and coming back.

Drholiday and I were talking about the learning curve for new players and difficulties in learning about the game. A couple of days ago I ran through Korthos content with an alt forming a full group with 3 new players and 2 veterans who were on a TR run. The group filled as normally, the vets joined later so after my first explanation that this was a training run for new players. I didn't repeat myself so they were running without too much regard for others in group (in retrospect I should have posted 'training run' clearly in the LFM, and will next time, but that's besides the point). I was trying to keep the new players up to speed with things and also wanted the vets to get their run in so would wait at meeting points for the new players. I remember there was one point where there was palpable tension in the group when one of the new players opened a chest before another person entered. 'Why did you open that chest' was the comment that came up in chat. For experienced players we know community norms are to wait for all to enter before opening a chest. New people learn this rule by making a mistake. I jumped in and explained that this was a training run and the new players don't really know the game yet. In the grand scheme of things losing a random loot chest in Korthos is not a big deal at all but it's the gaming experience for new players and in group tension that is an issue here.

A new player spends the first month or two in the game making mistakes. This is why I believe joining a big, small or any guild is so essential. It will shield a new player from some 'sensitive puggers' and as the game is now guilds are the only way for players to learn in a protective environment. I don't really have an answer for how Turbine can soften this landing for new players. A reworking of the antiquated tool tips could be a start but expansion beyond this could help a lot too. I believe the Snowy/Sunny Korthos division handicaps learning and more information on how to level would help too.

As we went along in the group I spoke about above the veterans caught on that we were helping some new players through the Korthos content and one of the new players let everyone know she was mute so couldn't use voice chat. From there the guys were very helpful and one of the vets brought her to the crafting hall to craft her some items. She joined his guild also so happy to see that the training run turned out well.

[Grandern_Marn]

Going strong in Korthos, here is some recent notable activity:

10/16 - Xarva helped players out a lot in Korthos today, running quests and answered many questions - kudos!
10/17 - Someone was speaking Polish in the chat about Polish guilds so I sent a message to them about the Polish guild I knew on Orien. He did join a guild, way to go!
10/19 - Helping people with the orange hair DDO Store freebies. Alaystus was pretty upset that they were not able to sheathe a weapon.
10/22 - Helped someone with how to find their favor in the UI. Assisted a few people on how to form a group and post an LFM. Very kind words from Alyanthia 'Thanks for sharing your passion, time, and valuable information <3'
10/24 - Helped someone who put in a ticket and had been waiting for 2.5 hours. They vented in chat about the wait and I asked what the problem was. They said all their characters had been erased and I said they may be on the wrong server. They went offline immediately without a word...
10/25 - Nice compliment from Difer 'you are a nice man my friend', thanks!!, Helped someone with a question on dex as str damage. Pointed someone to the DDO Wiki with questions about Misery's peak.
10/28 - Helped someone with a question about how to get the enemy health bar back. They got it worked out through the UI I think.
11/1 - Got into a conversation helping someone who wanted to get Open Lock skills with an non trapper type, got some info wrong and said 'sorry!' then quickly removed myself from the conversation. >,<;
11/3 - Nice compliment from Tuvs 'lol ty for yur bio love it nice for noobs', 'now hopefully waont have 2 go step by step with em' - Thanks man! Well, they are getting along.

[Grandern_Marn]

11/8 - Helped explain BB to someone, directed them to DDO Wiki for further details. Helped someone find Kaja Bauerdatter.
11/10 - Tuvac tells you, 'Nice welcoming, but must be boring.' Well, I guess it is for the greeters but I'm usually sleeping or working when the greeters are standing around greeting. It's all good in the hood.
11/13 - Vilapy TRed and taunted me again D:
11/15 - Helped someone with the Redemption quest, pointed them to the DDO Wiki and Youtube
11/16 - Someone was looking for Brazilian guilds, helped them out there.
11/18 - Helped someone who was looking for all level 1 players on server - about 50 at the moment.
11/21 - Put a message out for anyone who had questions, said welcome to a lot of new players and answered questions on how to level quickly in game.
11/23 - Helped someone with questions about opening secret doors and needing a trapper to complete quests.
11/26 - Helped get 2 people on Snowy/Sunny Korthos get together so they could form a group.
11/28 - Helped someone out with what to do when they go down in a quest.
11/30 - Answered a question on the advantages of guilds in DDO. I gave an exhaustive answer.
12/1 - Nice comment from Hellsminion, 'Excellent BIO. Hope more new players gets to see it....' Answered someone having difficulties with healing and working the beams in Miserys Peak.

[Ravenwolf1]

Such a great idea Grandern Marn, I just saw this today! So I started up one on an alt acct for Thelanis, StormReach Greeters Guild!! So far helped one person today, with the social panel and putting up an LFM for questing. I also like the pots idea Titus, will probably start doing that as well. What a very proactive way to try to help the Game and the New DDO Gamers!!

[Six_Gun]

Such a great idea Grandern Marn, I just saw this today! So I started up one on an alt acct for Thelanis, StormReach Greeters Guild!! So far helped one person today, with the social panel and putting up an LFM for questing. I also like the pots idea Titus, will probably start doing that as well. What a very proactive way to try to help the Game and the New DDO Gamers!!

Good intentions, but you'll be a pretty lonely guy waiting to greet new players on Thelanis. The only time I've ever seen more then two people in Korthos at the same time is when a static group of vets all TR at the same time.

[Tscheuss]

Good intentions, but you'll be a pretty lonely guy waiting to greet new players on Thelanis. The only time I've ever seen more then two people in Korthos at the same time is when a static group of vets all TR at the same time.

[Grandern_Marn]

Such a great idea Grandern Marn, I just saw this today! So I started up one on an alt acct for Thelanis, StormReach Greeters Guild!! So far helped one person today, with the social panel and putting up an LFM for questing. I also like the pots idea Titus, will probably start doing that as well. What a very proactive way to try to help the Game and the New DDO Gamers!!

Great to see you out there Ravenwolf1! If you build it they will come. I have seen a lot of new players running around and I'm sure you will enjoy Korthos yourself and help others enjoy as well.

I went out to Thelanis to salute Ravenwolf1 and here is a photo of the moment:

[Grandern_Marn]

Been keeping things going, have hit a good rhythm, here are some notable moments from the past couple weeks:

12/11 - Tried to get 2 people together and spent a lot of time explaining the complexities of Snowy and Sunny Korthos. Ultimately they did not form a group as one was in quest in Sunny and the other was in quest in Snowy.
12/14 - Helped someone who was asking about what level stat tomes came into effect.
12/15 - Answered some questions on how to get the bastard sword feat. Someone else asked about how to make capes visible.
12/18 - Answered some questions on whether its necessary to finish Korthos slayers.
12/19 - I saw the first gold seller I've EVER seen in DDO!! I don't know if that's a good thing or not but I reported the critter. C'mon, the least you can do is sell plat!
12/20 - Vilapy taunted me again. **** you Vilapy.
12/23 - It's been a while since I got a message of support, Banson stopped by and said: 'hi five, dude. keep fighting the good fight'. Thanks man, playing the long game here!!


I am going to be heading home for the holidays until 1/11 so I'm just going to leave the greeters where they are for now. They will come down at the next server reset so they wont be around from that time until 1/11.

Happy holidays everyone!!

[Grandern_Marn]

After a couple weeks home for the holidays the greeters have been back in action. Overall its been pretty busy at times in Korthos. I usually add pointers in chat if there's not a lot of conversation but at times there has been a lot of conversation so I would let the conversation go. Sometimes I'd jump in if I had anything to add. Here are some of the more notable occurrences over the last couple weeks.

1/11 - Helped someone find the Spell Tab. I saluted someone and they saluted me back, a rather rare occurrence! Answered some questions on guilds from a returning player and got a nice thank you: 'thanx you are verry informative and helpful ... wish i had that kinda help the first time... ' yay! Answered questions about where to buy pets and how to use voice chat.
1/12 - Helped someone with a question about the limit to gold that can be carried.
1/14 - Answered a question regarding using Discord in game and how to set up mic chat. Pointed someone to the DDO Wiki who was having problems with a quest.
1/15 - Helped someone out with where to buy spell components. Chatted with Oltham about greeter activities and received a nice compliment. 'Just thought you deserve to hear that what you are doing is appreciated. ' '\O/' Helped someone who wanted to switch between weapons. Answered a question on how to swim. Helped a paladin who didn't know about the bug when reading a bio.
1/17 - Answered a question regarding uses for gems.
1/18 - Answered a question about how long the Wednesday server reset lasts.
1/19 - Helped someone figure out how to take levels.
1/20 - Answered another question on how to take levels.
1/21 - Met someone who was looking for French speakers, pointed him in the right direction.
1/22 - Helped someone with a specific quest question about a turn in.
1/23 - Welcomed back someone who played the game years back. Confirmed some questions on Ravenloft coming out.
1/25 - Answered a question about what to do with gems. Helped someone with assessing enhancement points and gaining levels.
1/26 - Nice compliminet from Allaesin, 'You're awesome for that.' Thanks! Chatted for a while, always good to hear from someone interested in the project!
1/27 - Kind words from Galabanfour, 'awesome to do for new players kudos' Thank you!
1/28 - A regular guild recruiter was out in Korthos and we looked for broccoli together. He was actively helping new players with questions and explaining the Snowy/Sunny Korthos matter. Kudos!
1/29 - Helped people with Sunny/Snowy Korthos issues. Another person asked about how to use spells as a Wizard. Kwillen stopped by, said hi and was helping out a lot of people, way to go! Tough to see people try to help new players but not be able to because they are in snowy. Got a nice compliment from Thorenjomp, cheers!
1/30 - Very lively chat today in Korthos, lots of people helping out! Helped someone with a question about the nearest mailbox.
2/1 - Helped someone with questions about how to get pets in game.

[Chuck_Roast]

I've said it in game when I've stopped by, but I'll say it again: thanks for taking this on! It's been a boon to Orien while we've had the default, and you've helped a tremendous number of new players learn some of the basic ropes.

I'm usually popping in and out when I can, recruiting, helping some new players through elite korthos, and occasionally looking for broccoli with you (I know you'll have it, one day!) , but you're doing it right for sure. I don't doubt you've convinced some new players to stick around for a while longer than they might have otherwise.

+1!

Thanks again, see you around Korthos!

-Gabrien

[Grandern_Marn]

I've said it in game when I've stopped by, but I'll say it again: thanks for taking this on! It's been a boon to Orien while we've had the default, and you've helped a tremendous number of new players learn some of the basic ropes.

I'm usually popping in and out when I can, recruiting, helping some new players through elite korthos, and occasionally looking for broccoli with you (I know you'll have it, one day!) , but you're doing it right for sure. I don't doubt you've convinced some new players to stick around for a while longer than they might have otherwise.

+1!

Thanks again, see you around Korthos!

-Gabrien

Hey Gabrien, thanks! Always good to see you around. You've got a good perch on the building across the village square!

It's good to see a lot of people in helping out when they have the time.

Here are some random notes from the past couple weeks:

2/1 - A new player sent me a tell: 'will I mess up my favor if I leave Korthos too early?' I didn't get a chance to respond to them but why do we have this complicated system anyway...
2/2 - Pointed someone to the DDO Wiki who had questions about a quest they were in.
2/7 - Tried to set up a couple people in a group in sunny and snowy Korthos, didn't work out. It was too complicated and they didn't seem to believe it was so complex to be in a starter area.
2/8 - Answered a question about the location of the spirit binder. Nice compliment from Aeea: 'thank you for your service !!' Helped someone who couldn't figure out how to get out of the quest, they were very happy.
2/9 - Helped someone with a question about weapon non proficiency. Someone was asking about server playablility and playing from Vietnam. Another quest NPC location question, told them to check the wiki.
2/10 - Had a long conversation with a person from Brazil, pointed them in the direction of Portuguese speaking guilds for further help. Nice message from Issandor 'Hey Velcome, awesome to see you're still here for the newbies after all this time! keep up the good work'. Thanks!! Helped someone who was stuck. Good comment from another player: 'thats really useful advice. i got stuck yesterday and ended up dead'. The /stuck command is something that people should really learn about early on. Helped someone who was returning after 3 years and couldn't see their characters.
2/12 - Helped someone who was wondering about how to cast a spell from a scroll.
2/13 - Answered a question about how to increase the number of hotbars on their screen. Someone asked about how to get DDO Points, told them a bit about favor.
2/14 - Ildorm TRed and was helping new people out with runs through Korthos, kudos!
2/15 - Answered questions on how to cast spells from scrolls. The same person was asking about hotbar usage.
2/17 - Helped someone with a question about whether crafting is worth it.
2/20 - Welcomed someone back who had played a long time ago. Helped them with some questions on the UI and turning off the narrators voice.
2/22 - Someone had questions about how to use spells through the hotbars.
2/23 - Answered a question about the use of gems. Ildorm stopped by and said hi again, said they were working on the "Where am I" thread image location and checked Korthos. I gave my first in chat hint to a "Where am I" thread post!
2/26 - Question in chat: "Why can't another person and i party with each other? i partied with people before but it saying about going to stormreach", sorry man, that is a very difficult question that you ask. Welcome to DDO. Amacurem and Yawitat were in there helping new players out, kudos! Someone was looking for their friend in Korthos, they were standing in the same place but couldn't see each other. It looks like no one was able to help them, welcome to multiple reality Korthos.
2/27 - Maveon and Kagetsuki were out answering some questions in Korthos, good job!!
2/28 - Got a salute from Dovahkinz, cheers! Titansmight was offering help to anyone who needs it, kudos! Myroko was helping answer some questions in chat, nice!

[KomradKillMachine]

That reminds me, why do we even need the snowy side anymore.
I'd prefer they removed it altogether. I see how newbies are getting confused. Vets never stay in there anyways.

[Tscheuss]

That reminds me, why do we even need the snowy side anymore.
I'd prefer they removed it altogether. I see how newbies are getting confused. Vets never stay in there anyways.

It is part of the story. I can understand how the story may be perceived as irrelevant by some vets, but I really liked it when I played through it the first few times.

[Grandern_Marn]

That reminds me, why do we even need the snowy side anymore.
I'd prefer they removed it altogether. I see how newbies are getting confused. Vets never stay in there anyways.

From what I understand the double instance Korthos setup was partially implemented to ward off gold sellers. Back in the day they were a real annoyance from what I've heard on the very early DDOCast podcasts in 2007, 2008.

That being said, as long as I have been doing greeting activities in Korthos I have only seen someone selling gold in chat once so whatever was done, it had a positive effect.

Consternation regarding the artificial barrier in Korthos goes back years, I found a thread from someone talking about how annoying it was from 2009:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...-Snowy-Korthos

It is part of the story. I can understand how the story may be perceived as irrelevant by some vets, but I really liked it when I played through it the first few times.

Like Tscheuss says above, there is the story line aspect too. I did not really see the story line when I was first playing through or I think my first reaction to any game is explore the city as far as possible before leaving for the wilderness so I think I jumped to harbor before the wilderness. I wasn't really dedicated to the story part of it although I enjoy the lore overall and want to respect those who do want to do the story line.

So, this snowy/sunny Korthos thing, 'it's complicated'. I think through this documentation of contact with new players in this thread, one thing I want to show is that it's an issue that people encounter. The players opinions we hear in the game are those who have committed to playing and have found their place. But what about those who haven't found that place yet? They have little to no voice. Quite often they may leave the game after a quick look, encountered a weird barrier and drop it without saying a word. Another potential player may then be lost due to a clunky in game obstacle.

I haven't finished with collecting information so am not ready to say much more on the subject, but I would venture to say that with multiple servers new players are befuddled by the snowy/sunny Korthos barrier on a daily basis.

[TitusOvid]

I was very pleased to see this is still going. There is even a new greeter in the harbor. But just german speakers will recognize her.
I am back for 2 days now and I picked up my gift mails again yesterday. So far I got about 30% responses.
I was pondering about sending out medium collectable bags because of a conversation I had in the harbor. There are pro and con arguments for it. I haven't decided yet.
Keep it going, ladies and gents.