Helping Us Help Newbies!
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All the way.
Depriving true newbies of their trip to the Fulcrux area followed by the "Uhh, where am I?" question...
Also, if I were in-charge, I'd put a lot of effort into making a new mobile for the newbie area. We'll call him Morrdun, and say he's Morrund's brother.
I'd place him right outside of Newton, along Newton road. Morrund can point out that he's there and will talk about the world beyond Newton if they're interested in that.
Morrdun can talk about different things when he's greeted, such as what the aetherplex is and where it is located (a lot of newbies don't know how to reach newton without portals). If the newbie uses the key word "aetherplex", Morrdun could also give a full explanation of using the PORTAL commands from the aetherplex.
Morrdun could talk about where roughly each org is located along the highways, and how to reach the Kiakoda Reserve, Toronada Flats, and Tolborolla Valley from where he is with some general directions. Then he could talk more about these places when they are said (as keywords), and explain they are generally safe places to go for people who feel they're starting to outgrow newton.
If you really want, you might also let him mention bards/scholars/pilgrims, and point out that there's a pathway down Avechna's Peak along the north face into the northern mountains.
This could give some extra direction to directionless newbies, as well as prep them for talking to mobs in general, which is necessary for a lot of questing in Lusternia.
A lot of these things can be explained to newbies by players, but it is always good to have an extra means available. Especially if that extra means is super patient, and doesn't mind repeating the same things over and over until they sink in, and is always available to them.
The first time I tried Lusternia, I drowned in the tidal flats and didn't come back for a couple of weeks. I tried some other games, and none were as interesting as Lusternia. I came back for more of what I'd seen and read about the quest stuff. That's what happened to appeal to me and my explorer-puzzle solver nature. I actually wasn't expecting to find such an involved quest as there is, in the newbie area, so it wasn't the first place I looked. Maybe one of the gnomes or finks could yell out, or send a tell, "Hey Jane, get over here! I've got an important mission for you!"
To apply that concept more broadly, consider presenting clear options to the four archetypes outlined in the Bartle Test (explorer, achiever, killer, socializer), with simple, ground level tasks that can be completed as an intro to getting involved. Achievers can easily be pointed to the low-level tasks in their orgs (collegium power quests), killers to the arenas and sparring (the first thing you need are cures, so you're going to have to learn to use your skills, so you can bash to get gold). Socializers can be pointed towards the forums, to the newbie channel (which could probably do with slightly more chatter in general, so people feel more encouraged to ask questions. I asked a question on newbie the other day, and didn't realize for like 2 hours that I hadn't turned it off), to their org and collegium channels, and to the aetherplex, or nexuses, where people loiter hang out.
It's a fine line between overwhelming people, and letting them know that the world IS vast and engaging in basically any way they want to be engaged.
I realize that some people got impatient with the extended opening, but for newbies, particularly ones coming to an IRE game for the first time, or a first time MUDer, it was really good. I have had people that couldn't figure out the basics on their own (like getting items from packs, probing, etc.). It would be cool to get this back from an opt-in standpoint. I also think it's unfortunate to sacrifice that little splash of world history - again, engaging.
On my second first day in Lusternia, I was a newbie shadowdancer on a new moon in Glom, and Marina hosted a ritual, including me straight away, explaining things to me, and questioning me right away. I was immediately hooked. That's not something the admin can do (except maybe to continue their work in fleshing out and promoting the guilds whose rp is not clearly established), but it's something that all the players who care enough to read and comment in this thread can. It was just kismet for me, but yeah. Make a point of greeting newbs. I've met a couple in Halli in the last week who seem cool.
Vive l'apostrophe!
If the frustration is long pray times for newbies getting into the game, relying on immolates might be rough. Small populations only make that worse for some cities, and I think most people go 'Eh, it's a newbie, they didn't lose much' when they see them die.
It's nice for them too, especially when immolations are free so there is no fear of a pesky Power Minister scolding you.
(It's also why I would like to just see that construct benefit made permanent for everyone instead of being a construct effect, it's something that is nothing but good really)
Newbie-conglut might be beneficial though. It could be a 10s thing with a short message from the Fates to acclimate them to longer sequences later, too.
Vive l'apostrophe!
Yeah, I'm pretty skeptical that 'free immolation' is going to fix the problem (not to pick on anyone, but I suspect large swathes of the population just don't care enough to go get newbie corpses to rezz them, some orgs more than others), and only worsens it in low population orgs.
It also doesn't help if they die in Newton or Lolliprin, or on a higher plane and the only people around are warriors without 'orgbix', etc.
I think a newbie-variant of conglute addresses that particular problem (newbies dying and having to endure long pray sequences).
I also don't think this is the venue for 'free immolate for everyone!', Xenthos. *eye*
I'm sure free immolations isn't going to solve the problem. But I believe it will help. There's a rez achievement for the achievers who feel like running for newbie corpses. For those who don't care about achievements, some will still make the occassional effort if they see a newbie die in an out-of-newton area. Certainly they will make MORE effort than they do now. As it stands, pretty much no one except those who are trying to get the achievement even bother, because as has been said, the effort and cost does not match the penalty the newbie will suffer, from the perspective of an experienced player.
Just as only making a new mob will not instantly solve our retention problems, neither will free immolations alone make newbies suddenly feel this game is great. But a little extra immolation here and there, plus a bit of extra automated advice/information that isn't intrusive, plus a little extra engagement from players, will all add together to help. Whether or not it should be restricted to newbies only, or given to all players can be argued - afterall, retention problems don't just suddenly disappear with the advent of level 21 or Innocence rejection, and some newbies stay newbies for decidedly long times, depending on their learning rate (the learning curve of IRE games isn't exactly super gentle, too).
- If someone has Grace of Innocence and changes guilds, they should get the starter weapon/instrument from the fates that they'd normally receive if they went through the portal as that guild in the first place (claymore/mandolin or whatever).
But beyond that... it's hard to come up with things that can be coded. Lusternia's game culture has shifted, and it has become less social and more achievement oriented. It's going to be harder for newbies to get attention if everyone is constantly grinding for more quest curios/ikons/whatever, and there is a near limitless number available to collect or too much difficulty in getting what you need.
I come across a lot of people, especially low might/low level people, complaining that they have nothing to do, but I think what they really mean is that they feel like they can do nothing meaningful or have no useful way to contribute. It's not that there is a lack of things to do - it's that there's a lack of things they can do which matter at all. And I feel like the prevalence of this feeling's only grown with time.
This is one of the reasons I refuse to do the bard/scholar/pilgrim/power achievements. I feel like they should actually be there for the people who need them.
-Newbie-Conglut, like Eventru suggested. This stops newbies from getting put off by long pray times if they end up dying repeatedly.
-Give freshmen novices the starter claymore/lute upon joining a warrior/bard guild respectively. This eliminates the need for them to find a weapon/instrument themselves.
-Make newbies spawn with their tunic/trousers already worn. No more awkward, "Ok, first off, you're naked so you'll want to check your backpack..." during novice introductions!
-Expand Innocence to allow hunting in newbie-friendly non-Newton areas. I recomend Nexus Worlds, the Tidal Flats and the Nature Reserve, personally. Achaea has like four newbie areas, which goes a long ways towards eliminating the boring initial grind where you start getting sick of killing finks.
-Also, portal exits to those areas if they get added. Maybe not for the nexus world one, though.
-This one is a bit out of the "small tweak" range, but how about accelerated lesson learning for people at level 1? I know that I've had novices get sick of learning 15 of this, then 15 more, then 7 of that, blah, blah and beg to go do something else instead. Maybe let them go at mentor speed without requiring that they get a mentor? Or even faster?
-Uhh, I guess I'll add more as I think of them.
I still think that having that achievement-like system for advancement could help a lot, both for new players, and old players. It would give novices something to learn/work on, even if nobody is around to tell them.
If I had a list of tasks when I first started that prompted me to do it, rather than reading a scroll, I know I would have been a lot happier.
Just copy the achievement system for it, and you'd be able to do like TASK VIALS and it will give you more details.
Also include the manual tasks option, which gives guilds a chance for interaction and such.