eniac
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Posts: 83
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Post by eniac on Jan 8, 2009 9:52:38 GMT -5
What do *you* think it will take for more of old retired players to return to the game? I know some are lost causes but I also know of some that have retired because of select reasons.
~e
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Mal
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Post by Mal on Jan 8, 2009 14:12:29 GMT -5
Things to come back too: 1. Old mud friends 2. Class Revisions 3. General changes (Ex: Happy Hour) 4. New Zones 5. Mini Quests 6. New Post-Perfect Remort Options Things to not come back too: 1. Mud void of all your old mud friends 2. Stagnation (whatever that made you leave is still waiting for you when you come back) 3. Site ban of your mud friends (and your eq) 4. Kleening of your chars
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Post by Tarbal on Jan 9, 2009 8:11:02 GMT -5
ya know....i dont know if a lot of the older players will come back...many of them may have outgrown playing games or have just moved on to other things....maybe instead of looking for how to bring back the old players, we should figure out how to advertise for new players...but to get new players we have to ensure that we are n00bie friendly enough that they can 1) learn the game 2) be interested and 3) want to come back.....a buddy of mine logged on for the first time this week and died SEVERAL times before Inesh and myself picked him up and started to help him out....it seems that a true newbie, if he has NO clue of what is going on or how to play....will get discouraged and just not want to come back....but anyways......that is my 2% of a dollar....
mike
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Post by Dank on Jan 10, 2009 3:03:03 GMT -5
I like lists, so here's another list:
1. For three months, hold a promotion that gives 10+ remort returning player characters a remort shopkeeper in Arcadia, along with three items.
2. I can't think of #2 right now.
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Post by Tarbal on Jan 11, 2009 6:40:43 GMT -5
how do you define 'returning player' though? someone could just log back in for maybe a week or 2...get their new mob....and then leave again....
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Post by phaylas on Jan 11, 2009 12:20:55 GMT -5
Like Tarbal said, I am his "buddy" that came, back. Since my leave from Jedimud, I have forgotten much of what I have learned about the mud a decade ago or so. I reached Level 30 and IMM, them remorted as a bard, then after reaching level two as a bard, I decided to leave the mud. I looked for more continuity in Mud's that and I was also getting into paper and dice, in between other activities with friends in high school. But enough about me. I have come back, after some help, which was great to have people help me out after such a long break. But the thing about Jedimud is that it is a mixture of the mud, the aspects. other more popular muds like Achea and other over populated muds, have their pros and cons, but also have continuity. Things that I like about Jedimud, and why it will keep me playing.
Pros 1) Star wars oriented / area 2) Fantasy, as far as Mages, Sohie, Warrior, thief, Etc... 3) The world is big enough to have fun exploring 4) Tight Knit community.
Cons. 1) Minimal players at times, Mudconnector has Jedimud, as a 10 player (small) population. 2) it is player friendly, but some of the newbie areas are still a bit of a challenge.
There are pros and cons to attracting more people, in this game, and to any MUD. It changes the Dimension of the game completely, you can attract jerks. More aggressive players. Younger crowds. But also a better sense of community, better players, more knowledgable coders (not knocking the ones we have, but there is always someone better) Plus attracting more people would take a lot of "manpower". Or volunteer work, to push implementation of code. Areas, quests that could orient newbies better so they do not have to kill things to gain experience, other aspects such as crafting items, to make them personal.
Suggestions: A revamp is not necessary, but it would help. Some of the things, about Jedimud I like, but probably deter other players from trying to play Jedimud. the Main one that comes to mind is continuity. There is no one set theme, or if there is I have yet to grasp it. We have Sesame street, Cheers, and Star wars packed into one mud. Camelot, Fairgrounds, and many other areas. It is like smorgus board of things to kill, and explore. Which is great, but some people want continuity. If one were to revamp Jedimud, make it more Star Wars oriented, since the name of the mud, or rename the mud, and take out certain aspects, of the mud.
Other ways to "revamp" would be to implement factions, or guilds. Not so much clans, but guilds that can help build the three separate cities, Midgaard, New Thalos, and Skarabrae. Or fight for Dominancy to temporarily "Own" the city for discounts on eq, general goods, or other bonuses.
That or new classes, like Tera Kasi (Teräs Käsi, or "steel hand" in Basic, was an unarmed combat discipline. It was created on the planet Bunduki by the Followers of Palawa, refugees of the planet Palawa, which was devastated earlier in a war somehow involving the Jedi Council.
The Followers of Palawa created Teräs Käsi to keep the Jedi in check, and presumably, ensure that another world would never be destroyed by the actions of the Council. The Followers of Palawa are believed to be somewhat Force-sensitive, as they studied The Force and Midi-chlorians.
However, Teräs Käsi drew upon their own internal force power, whereas the Jedi draw from everything around them. Some lightsaber duelists used Teräs Käsi techniques in combat, most notably Darth Maul. Jedi Master Anoon Bondara was also a master of Teräs Käsi techniques, which he coupled with his lightsaber ability to duel. Jedi Knight Joclad Danva was also a Teräs Käsi practitioner. Jedi Master Plo Koon was believed to be a Teräs Käsi practitioner as well, since he was a master at hand-to-hand combat. It is not known how Jedi could have been trained in Teräs Käsi, as the Followers of Palawa did not appear to be on friendly terms with the Jedi.
Phow Ji was a Teräs Käsi champion who once defeated Joclad Danva. Arden Lyn was also a follower of this combat style. Nova Stihl had been a practitioner of Teräs Käsi for twelve years.)
"The art of Teräs Käsi is about control and mastery of one's self" Joclad Danva (Thanks Wookipedia)
These are just suggestions, nothing I am saying Jedimud needs, but what I see the mud can move, but the Mud can move in any direction, the main question at hand is do we have the Manpower??? Not only from Higher ups, but the players to to keep the population up, to know who is new, and to help out when there is no IMM to equip the newbs. There are many ways to improve population, to increase player activity, but it takes a little bit of "heart" (dedication), and a bit of motivation. I suggest guilds, because they are more "family" oriented as far as group cohesion.
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rheum
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Post by rheum on Jan 11, 2009 12:52:42 GMT -5
I returned because I wanted something fun to do I could pick up and put down and found the players to be overwhelmingly kinder than they ever have been in all the previous years I was around.
One thing I noted when installing was that the default MUDs that come up upon install pay Zuggsoft for a listing. I wonder how much the charge is. If it were reasonable, perhaps it would be worth paying?
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Post by Tarbal on Jan 11, 2009 13:09:29 GMT -5
Phaylas, just a couple notes on your post....first....i see what you are saying about 'continuity'...however....i like the fact that i can choose to do/be whatever i want on jedi...ie: do i want to fight romans? do i want to fight thieves? how about dragons? or even stormtroopers....we can do ALL of that here because of the random diversity of the mud...i really think that is a pro to our little world.....
as far as the new class....one problem that i see that would come up is the copyright issue....we cannont add any new zones that might in any way infringe on a copyright somewhere....so it would be difficult to add a new zone that focuses on...oh...say...batman or the X-men ( i know...out of theme....but just an example) however.....i do like the fact that you have been back for a week or 2 and you are already starting to give some input...keep it up...all input is welcome....(and gives me a chance to up my post count!!!!)
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Post by Dank on Jan 11, 2009 13:46:59 GMT -5
I returned because I wanted something fun to do I could pick up and put down and found the players to be overwhelmingly kinder than they ever have been in all the previous years I was around. One thing I noted when installing was that the default MUDs that come up upon install pay Zuggsoft for a listing. I wonder how much the charge is. If it were reasonable, perhaps it would be worth paying? Stephen [Sugg] is an acquaintance of mine and an accomplished photographer. I could ask him.
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Post by phaylas on Jan 11, 2009 18:24:49 GMT -5
Granted we could just point out the things that Jedi has as a mud, but either way as a community it is man power that we should focus on, I have some skills in HTML, and Java. I could submit forum design, and web design, as well, as kind of try and help update jedimud so people, can get free copies of cmud, which is like zmud. But one thing that needs some improvement or tweaking, would be the not so newbie friendly areas, I did die about 7 times, before getting some help, to stimulate the process of getting back into mudding. anyways Noob rant...... I designed this forum on a seperate proboards, for some old friends It was for a modded, version of jedi academy. So instead of lightsabers it was oriented toward samurai, I actually used to map for the game as well. But that is a side note. /end burningdawn.proboards44.com/index.cgi
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Simba
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Post by Simba on Jan 15, 2009 4:32:23 GMT -5
I don't know if we'll ever get them back but I can give you reasons I know of people leaving. In no specific order... 1. Zones they submitted were approved and then lost. 2. Upset with admin because of changes. 3. Upset with admin because no matter how much they offered to do they hit the glass ceiling with promotions. 4. Broke up with significant other that mudded here as well and one or both were lost. Memories, avoiding the other, etc. 5. Real life got in the way...jobs, kids, etc. 6. Stagnation! There was nothing new really added here so people got bored and/or fed up. Moved on to something new like Evercrack, WoW, or other muds. And it's hard to compete with all the possible gaming out there.
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eniac
Junior Member
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Post by eniac on Jan 15, 2009 11:05:39 GMT -5
I think anyone that has played this game for any extended amount of time can easily fall back into the addiction.
I agree that Jedi was in a long period of being stale but we are working hard to fix that. So please tell those people that did quit things are different and I assure you they are. Come back visit Puff, say hi to General Quagar and slay the ancient firedragon.
~e
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Post by Aneyou on Jan 16, 2009 22:18:30 GMT -5
Okay I really totally agree with what Tarbal said, and these are things I have been pushing for a long time. The mud is really newbie unfriendly and newbies are the grounds for rebuilding the playerbase. So, AGAIN, the high cliff and other DT's that are less than 10 rooms out of a main town need to be removed..its not that hard to do. Secondly, I am currently writing a zone for levels 8-15 average, with some nice eq that newbies can pick up as a great jump from the newbie zones. I'm really trying to get it in fast but I am waiting on help/response from the higher ups. I know Tam was working on a newbie school of some sort a while back, but I dont know what happened to it. Anyway there are ways to help. Why not write a low level zone and have it placed close to towns somewhere?
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Tam
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Post by Tam on Jan 17, 2009 1:52:20 GMT -5
Quite honestly, one of the worst things (imho) that could have happened with respect to newbies was the transporter. Whenever I had my GOD and could actually snoop people, I would sometimes see someone who seemed new, just sitting in the transporter room. I would snoop and see them reading the room over and over, typing stuff in and trying to figure it out. New folks understand simple things like n for north, s for south, etc. Devices, however, aren't as intuitive - not by a long shot. I know people like to get whiney about my mentioning the past but I'm really desensitized to it by now. If people weren't there and are somehow offended by my bringing this up, that's their problem - not mine. Anyhow, in days past, the zoo was south of the dump. Not the most environmentally friendly place, I'm sure but it was in a nice place that newbies could get to easily. They could wander into that section of town, see a bunch of mobs and kill them. In Midgaard, proper, there is a nice selection of mobs but the rangers (or imperial stormtroopers as they were once) always seemed to present problems with their banzaii. Now that's gone (thank goodness). The long story short is that there were some close-by opportunities for newbies. The -best- strategy and what should be the first lesson for anyone who builds is that the deeper you go, the more difficult it should become. Valhalla is (no offense to Gordo) quite silly in this way. It starts out with this uber-lethal area (for some classes) then gets abundantly easy. Sometimes people need to test the waters. They try a couple of rooms and move into a zone gradually. Rhyoden doesn't have Andrus sitting at the front door. It has the guardian. This principle can be applied to the mud as a whole. The home towns should be completely newbie-friendly. That's the first place they start to wander around. After that, we should have surrounding low level zones - like the shire. That allows them to build themselves slowly. Finally you can go way out of the way for zones like Drake. This idea is so important and yet its eluded the game for so many years. Since the very first day that the greza went live, we had new folks wander into it and die - same with sieged. As was previously mentioned, how many times must the high cliff be hit before someones says "hmm.. this is pretty close". Finally, there's the AFD. Not only is it a bad place with respect to squadding but its also horrible for people just trying to explore. If the AFD wanted to dominate some town, slaughter its people at random and collect riches beyond its wildest dreams, why not just pick a nice mountain to the east of sanc city? You get a better view and there's less chance that someone will wander into your lair and steal your stuff! So all of that being said, I think the unfriendlyness of the mud's layout for newbies is a VERY important piece to consider! I'll put up another post to seperate another idea. -Tam
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Tam
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Post by Tam on Jan 17, 2009 2:54:29 GMT -5
So... I was talking to a mom (for the life of me, I cant remember who it was), who made a passing comment along the lines of this. "I spend 50 bucks to buy my kids this toy and what do they do? They set it aside in favor of a plastic cup, a cardboard box and some markers. Hey, as long as they're happy with each other, they can play with anything they like."
I sat there thinking about it and ya know, it's true. One of the coolest things as a kid was having friendly neighbors. I'd go over to their house, play basketball (even though I was horrible) and we'd all have a nice time. It required a ball and a net. Likewise, at one point we built a fort with some scraps of wood we found, old drywall and other misc. stuff. We loved it.
People can spend quality time just about anywhere as long as the company is friendly. They can sit on a bumper in their driveway. They can sip a few beers in the alley. They can be anywhere. Yes, it might be nice to have an optimal setting - maybe a cosy den with a big-screen tv but when it comes down to it, as long as the company is good, people are happy.
On here, this need has been reflected. Granted, it's been quite subdued because not everyone is comfortable being vocal. That doesn't mean the sentiment that Jedi has a certain level of unfriendliness in some areas isn't there.
Once again tapping into days past, how many newbie trains exist now? How many xp trains? How many people will rush to log in a cleric whenever someone quest-says "help! Im dying!" How much chatter is there on gossip? How many people will greet a newly created character not only with a newbie kit but with a nice tell that says "hi? are you new to the mud?" How many people say "oh, you want to run a quest? I've done that. would you like some help?" No. Instead they say "oh. well what do you want to do and what do you want me to approve?"
If Jedimud is to survive, people seriously need to change how they present themselves and how they present the game. Yes, it can be more efficient if your eq group only has 4 people. What's really the harm in adding more people in? You might be able to kill mobs faster and load things you wouldnt have normally. What's the harm in saying to some random Joe, "hey, would you like some help getting some better gear?" These things go a long way.
You can have all the zones, all the classy code, all the bells and whistles you want and -nothing-, NOTHING will trump good old-fashioned kindness. Someone could log in to the crappiest mud on earth, finding a whole 3 classes, 5 zones and 100 mobs. If the company is enjoyable and they get some sort of stimulation from the game, they'll stay.
How many people have taken on their own personal goals, in lieu of what the game offers? Have you "duoed honorius"? Have you dropped your ac below -250? Have you acquired a large god statue item collection? When you provide a solid environment for people, they will go to these lengths to amuse themselves and stay within this environment.
So all that being said, I think the single key to retaining returning players and newbies is quite simple -- offer a kind, welcoming, warm environment. Go vis once in a while to chat. Treat people with the same courtesy you'd expect them to give you. Show them that you don't simply feel Jedimud is a game but instead a home -- and treat it as such. You don't hide in your room all day when people visit your home. You don't tell them to go make their own dinner because you're too busy knitting. You don't leave your house completely cluttered and disorganized then scold them for tripping over something. You don't follow them into the bathroom and check to see if they remembered to zip their zipper afterwards.
Think about it guys. This really isnt a hard thing to do. It applies to the mud, sure, but it also applies to life. Jedimud might be "only a game" but because it has real people and real interactions in it, it becomes much more. It allows you to learn life-lessons and it allows you to learn a lot about the person you really are.
Just my .02, for what it's worth. Take it or leave it. -Tam
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Post by Dank on Jan 17, 2009 16:09:10 GMT -5
I'd start NH'ing again if we had some N's to H.
I think that to truly solve this issue would be to have a pool of JediMENTORs that would be available to help true newbies. In order to play the game, new players could optionally indicate their interest in the mentor (buddy) program via a quick entry survey.
Tam could head the MENTOR team. I'd certain help out. Otherwise, this is all BS. The road to HELL (Asmodeus) is paved with good intentions. You need to implement a system to see change.
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Tam
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Post by Tam on Jan 17, 2009 18:44:51 GMT -5
No offense, but I disagree.
First of all, we do get true newbies and returning players. If it comforts anyone I'll throw out a few names: Amar, Osmium and um... something with T and has 2 a's? The thing is that we lose many of them a the gate because they're not welcomed in the slightest. They don't see chatter on gossip. Nobody says hi, etc.
Second, we're talking about a general attitude. This is something that it seems people don't understand. Why simply be nice to someone who is a true newbie and offer to hang out with them only in that situation? If we want to retain people, we're talking about people being friendly and promoting a better environment as a whole. You can help all the newbies in the world but the minute they feel "cut loose", they'll still leave. If they feel welcome at any level or at any skill level, they'll stay. Run xp groups instead of sitting around idling. Participate on gossip instead of sitting there silent. Do whatever you can to encourage comradery. If you're immortal and you see a newbie created out of nowhere (ie: not a change of characters), greet them and ask if they are new and need a hand.
People like to talk about NH as it needs to be some organized thing. It doesnt and quite honestly, it never has been. The concept is quite simple, though. If you see someone who stays conspicuously at a low level for a while, seems to be sitting in the newbie meeting room for a long time or has corpses littered all over the zoo, ask them if they're new or need help. The worst thing that can happen is that they say they're not new or they don't want help. Keep extra gear around on storage characters for new folks or people who DT. Converse, converse, converse! Gossip is there for a reason and the more people chatter, the more newer folks will feel comfortable chiming in.
So all that being said, none of this is BS if it promotes a better environment for the game. No, not everyone in the world is nice and not everyone in the world is social either. On the other hand, if you all want to promote this game as a place that people -should- come to and should remain at, it's -you- who might have to adjust your normal habits to facilitate that. Say to yourself "Is popping another stasis more important than helping this guy out who is obviously having trouble? How many other people might this guy invite if I can show him this is a nice place to hang out?"
In my one recent imm-board post, I took a poke at the people who see "promotions now!" and come out of the woodwork, throwing trivia "quests" and so forth. My question is, "why don't they do this on a regular basis?" Furthermore, why do they typically sit invis Imm and only discuss things with that group? The underlying thought here applies to newbies and returning people as well. Don't just be nice in certain instances. Be nice all the time and people will remember it. They'll remember you and they'll remember that Jedimud is a nice place to hang out. That's how you retain players.
-Tam
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Post by Dank on Jan 17, 2009 20:09:30 GMT -5
A buddy program targets a specific need for newbie assistance at entry. Returners would most likely not require this kind of attention, but it would be available to them as well.
Without a set of protocols in place you have what we have now: a lot of platitudes and cheerleading but zero direction.
Of course, I still don't see enough newbie entry to make any of this relevant. You're reaching again, Tam, as is your wont: over the years of JediDecline, you and others have alternatively pointed to things like hostile GOS environment, proximate DTs, lack of newbie equipment and difficult-to-find newbie zones.
BS.
I think that like the way the new administration will deal with the faltering U.S. economy, the administrators of this game need to pump a massive infusion of motivation into the experience... new tiers of skills, classes, spells, and equpiment that just cannot be borne by a single volunteer coder and a clueless admin alone. If that were to happen, the word would be out and new players (from other muds) might look in.
I'm talking big lures like fully decked characters and player keeps and one million gold offered in lotteries or given to a returning player every week. I'm talking big motivation... not a bunch of lipstick painted on the same old bacon. Go nuts.
In 1992, before the Renaissance of the Internet and console gaming, the university community discoverd a little-known AD&D variant that appealed to their dice-wielding jones. Those days are gone. The droves of new university student have other distractions to deal with. You'll never see those kinds of numbers again without some sort of marketing.
Most of us aren't too interested in those kinds of numbers anyway. We like our company, and when a quest is up, we see some 30+s once-in-awhile. I don't think anyone wants to go back to the 100 player days. If you do, go play WOW. There are plenty of teen boneheads choking down bandwith over there. I should think that fifty players would be a ceiling target.
The Perennial Quest Idea is a good start. Nobody has said anything about that. I go into some detail elsewhere about it. Having in-game theme-driven quests (like Morgoth returning to Aman with his host of Balrogs) would be a breeze, and as they'd be changed every few months or so, a chance to breath another layer of interest in this dusty old thing. The boost you'd get in numbers from the existing player base alone would suffice to raise us out of the 10+ to 30+ at non-quest peaks.
Don't nit-pick newbie stuff. Think big. Maybe the admin will do likewise.
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Mal
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Post by Mal on Jan 17, 2009 20:59:21 GMT -5
I am somewhere inbetween Tam and Dank. I have thankfully had the opportunity to help some newbies out who have joined the jedi community. Will they last? I don't know, With a little direction (where to solo xp as a level 8-9 character?) I think they'll manage fine.
Not very many mudders help newbies, or perhaps, even bother looking for newbies because they hardly exist, but they DO exist. To answer your question about stasis or newbie, who exactly are you going to sell your stasis too? What fun is there on a mud if there is no competition? As annoying as MGM was, his legend has lived on and he will be remembered more then any of us. How many players left are 'friendly' Tam? I just had a nice reminder of how 'unfriendly' some old bs players are on here. That, and most of us are bitter with what happened to our home.
The gossip channel is always dead. Where did Themyth's mom go?! Unlike Dank, I'd love to have 100+ players on Jedi, with auction and gossip channels blasting away, constant influx of newbies, and new friends to be made. Great times. Sure, we oft had 11 year olds playing, but those 11 year olds are now 24 year olds and still playing.
I also agree with Dank too, I asked someone yesterday, do you have any chars that you'd like to run xp with? The answer in affect was, no - why bother. Simple and to the point. Jedi is stale - our coder is doing what he can - but it still needs admin to step in and get the gears moving. Does anyone want to pull up Ego's post from 4-6 years ago and comment on what has been done since then, he made a nice 10 point list if I remember correctly. Some of the changes have been made which might surprise some of you, but most haven't -- over the course of YEARS.
Jedi needs to work to keep its current players happy - and then worry about expanding the player base. I for one, am waiting for some admin feedback on some posts on here - if I don't see change from up there, I don't see a reason to play here anymore and I will go back to graphical games.
Not to point fingers, but the only admin that I know of that is > AVTR that I see mort, is Ching. That scares me. Since your posting about this Tam, I honestly haven't seen you run xp, or well, mort aside from maybe after a crash or to help someone. I see players wandering around doom or playing in quests - but many not the slightest interested in running xp, which is the backbone of our home, if we can't give them reasons to do so, it does not bode well for Jedi at all. Sitting at temp altar instead of invis imm is hardly any different in my mind.
Aaron
PS: I don't consider Eniac admin, I consider him crazy - and our best hope.
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Post by Sereena on Jan 17, 2009 22:26:13 GMT -5
IMHO - the connection issues here lately might become an issue the the returning Vets. I for one and getting quiet disgruntled about not being able to play all weekend, only to have to return to work Mon - Fri. With that being said we can only get New players to join if the game is stable and running.
As far as Dank's comment of bringing back [NH] I am all for it. I don't mind helping anyone at anytime. Personally i place making a new friend that might be there to talk to every night over Ranger camping X number of mobs in a run i did just the night before, or grinding out that umpteenth remort.
Another thing that might be an idea would be a new newbie zone that a Mid level char can go in ... kinda make it with a Max level 20 so that someone can escort their newbie around. As opposed to ... " You tell noobie, go up, 2 north, look description, trans zoo. "
Just a few things that i was thinking about. Take them with a grain of salt or as a ranting session if you must, but i have now added my 2 cents.
Mike
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Tam
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Post by Tam on Jan 18, 2009 1:48:43 GMT -5
Of course, I still don't see enough newbie entry to make any of this relevant. You're reaching again, Tam, as is your wont: over the years of JediDecline, you and others have alternatively pointed to things like hostile GOS environment, proximate DTs, lack of newbie equipment and difficult-to-find newbie zones. BS. The suggestion is to focus on things like "player keeps, million-dollar lotteries, tiers, classes, spells, equipment and a mentor system". My suggestion was to be nice, friendly and invite new folks to do things with you. In that first, crucial week that a newbie or returning player starts, which of these suggestions areas will new/returning folks definately experience? Yes, the mentor idea could be useful. Still, nothing keeps people hanging around like good old-fashioned friendly folks. I'm not sure that a newbie/returning player is even going to be in a position to experience some of the other suggestions. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for just about all the suggestions for upgrades that people have made. Any upgrades to the game would be nice, imho. The thing is that if we're talking about retaining newbies and returning players, shouldn't we focus on things that -they'll- experience? That's not to say veterans should be forgotten but the topic of this thread was about retaining new/returning players. Since your posting about this Tam, I honestly haven't seen you run xp, or well, mort aside from maybe after a crash or to help someone. I fully admit that for the last few months my level of morting has sucked. Why? Frankly, my job. You've actually experienced the same thing, as I remember. On the other hand, any time I've logged in, I've participated. I've conversed with people, I've tested, I've answered questions from folks who had them and tried to help whenever I could. When I've morted, I've mostly been running around in a couple of my unknowns. Why? Because sometimes you just want to be "another player". How many players left are 'friendly' Tam? Unfortunately, in running around unknown I've gotten some first-hand knowledge of this. When you're trying to get back to your 3 corpses and someone runs right through the room with you then the room with the corpses but never bothers to ask if you need help getting them back from the aggro room, it can be a little disheartening. When multiple people do it, it's far worse. Still, your question is a good one but only one you can answer for yourself. There are plenty of ways you can find out. Log in an unknown and play a bit. Ask questions on gossip to see who answers. Say hi on gossip and see how many people bother to respond. Ask if anyone can help with a corpse. Ask if you can get a summon. Cheer your level gain and see if you get any grats. Heck, start a conversation about it being your birthday or something and see how many people cheer vs how many simply ignore you. Finally, see how many people see you wandering around and ask you if you'd like to join their group for whatever purpose. Even as an Imm you can see some of this. I was working on the new newbie kits and started polling players for ideas. Out of the 20 or so people who were on, maybe 4 participated in the discussion. On a different note... I'm completely in the "more the merrier" camp. For those who remember at least 100 unique people logged in at any given time, it's probably a fond memory. You could always find a group to jump into. Whenever there was a quest, there were usually several large teams and there were also enough imms to pilot several mobs at once. It was not only a blast but it also presented the game with a lot of manpower to help expand the game. I don't think those days are beyond our reach, in spite of things like WoW. Look at Aardwolf. Look at Achea (or however you spell it). Jedimud could attract a lot more people but, as I tried to point out in my last post, it really needs that friendly environment back. If people enjoy being together, they're more likely to enjoy collaborating on projects and the more likely things are going to get accomplished. Just my .02 -Tam
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Post by Sereena on Jan 18, 2009 2:54:01 GMT -5
WoW isnt the devil Tam .... i play WoW all the time also and i am in a top end raiding guild. Only think that WoW really has over Jedi IMO is Voice, Music. Jedi needs a Vent Server set up. Get a Music Channel on there for people just to listen to ... and have the Clan channels, ( although clans are not jedi endorsed or recognised ) and also have channels like Happy Hour, Questing, XP running, EQ Group ... ect.
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Post by Tarbal on Jan 18, 2009 6:00:09 GMT -5
hmmm.....yeah...it is kinda rare to see too many of the admin playing...gotta defend a couple of them anyways.....i can't count the number of times that i have seen eniac mort'ing....ching is almost always running around do something....
and then like tam said....i am sure more of the admin mort on characters that we just dont know about....remember the movie dogma? when god would inhabit the body of a bum just so he could enjoy earth without being pestered? i am sure some of our admin do the same....so dont be surprised when you are grouping with one of those 'unknowns' that it turns out you actually have ciara or kailyn...or heck...maybe even onivel or doc in your midst.....
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Post by Tarbal on Jan 18, 2009 6:03:50 GMT -5
hmmm....an area that a mid level character can go into....with a max level of like 20....hmmm....that sounds familiar.....oh yeah....like the owlery? or maybe like valhalla? is the kind of zones you are talking about?
sorry for being so snippish....wife is making me quit smoking...have not had a cig in about 3 days now......
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Simba
Full Member
Posts: 129
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Post by Simba on Jan 18, 2009 7:03:39 GMT -5
Re: Friendly environment... When the hell has jedi ever been friendly? It must have been way before I started. There used to be rnbls mocking and abusing people, power players not letting you in eq groups or logging on eq just so you couldn't load it, people bashing newbies on gos twink & tater all over, admin putting in a chest you couldn't open full of gear ...I think now IS the best time. Yes, there were some good people back then that I miss and helped made me love this place, but I have also made some new great friends as the mud has changed. I hate to say it but I think we need to forget about recruiting the old players that have left and concentrate on recruiting some new blood. If some of the old ones come back great, I just think the effort is better spent elsewhere. Plus most of the people I knew that mudded rl crap got in the way or else they just got really bitter and quit. I love the game play and most of the people here and this place could be rockin'. As for the exp train Tam, it will leave the station once again. Speaking of that...It would be nice to have a good "leveling tunnel" to offset UW for some more evil groups. I think everyone plays for fun to steal a phrase, but some people are more social like me and some aren't...to each their own. But I think once people get hooked here they set goals for themselves which involve eq, gold, exp. Those are the keys to the mud. What happens if you have 1 billion gold? What happens if you have the perfect gear? What happens if you have 80 remorts? What if you've explored everywhere? Answer: you get bored and move on. I came to jedi because I had some cousins that played here and they talked me into playing. I made some good friends and stayed as they are long gone. I bet some of you have similar stories...so think back as to how you came to be here...who helped you out? how did they help you? did they make the game fun for you, excited to play? maybe pay it forward. And avtrs+ keep running those quests, F the players that whine...they don't have to quest. (will answer trivia for 10k and give poop to uki for free!) btw blame Eniac for my posts he has given me hope that this place will change for the better. If not I wouldn't have even bothered and kept on just playing. Oh and Mal, Themyth's mom is right here...under me!
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