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The Player Retention Plugin


Treshure
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1 minute ago, NotEvilAtAll said:


2: (this is a personal matter) Will new halflings have the option to be led to Bramblebury? I will be very mad if new halflings don't have that option and have to pick between cities full of races different from their persona.

There may not always be halflings in the village, but if you ping our @roleplay role on the halfling discord we can usually have a few folks show up. If it becomes a problem that new halfling players aren't getting integrated, you can give them a compass for Elvenesse AND Bramblebury if they pick Bramblebury so that if they don't get integrated in the village immediately, the Elves can give them some initial RP and have them come over to Bramblebury later if they want.

Hmm... maybe they could be given choices relating to their application? A bit more work, or just having portals for all the major settlements.

42 minutes ago, SoulReapingWolf said:

Can't wait for this to turn into more quests maybe some with vortex rewards?
Or allowing nations to have custom quest boards with activities for players to do :D
This update appeases the MMORPG aficionado in me. 
 

So. Much. Yes. I would very much like the quest idea to be expanded, maybe even with some basic RP items? Could just be some custom food or a cultural item, but that might be a nice way to introduce custom items to new players. I know I struggled (still do) with obtaining decent RP items and understanding how to edit/create my own. Overall, I feel a quest guide/info book in game would be a great help for new players with understanding the more confusing elements of our server.

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(Disclaimer: I don't mean to be offensive to anyone in this, I can come across rude in writing but if you felt I was being harsh in anyway to any group i'm not, i'm just trying to put my words in a way that makes it seem like a passive statement, I apologize if I offended you in anyway but I just want those who may feel targeted or like I was being negative or hating on a group to know I wasn’t , I just have a hard time with formatting ) 

 

I like that you all are listening to feedback and I very much so appreciate that. As for this proposal I feel that having a quest book is a good idea but notifying all within the region about a new player should be limited to those with RO and PRO as a notification to every person on the tile could cause annoyance and possible uproar amongst the community. I also feel as if (and I apologize because I don't refer to everyone, but I do know that it refers to everyone at certain times) certain staff members may see this as there duty but may opt to possibly put it off as having set small events with event actors may cause drawing away from the time they would like to use to enjoy themselves or plan for larger scale events. Which I think is why you made it optional to receive the broadcasts. I would like to say that I do like the fact you made it optional and not a mandatory clause for all the great members of the team. If I could though I'd like to suggest possibly having one set event line that all players must complete for what they would like to do on the server, such as finding a bandit camp near the warp or nation and having to go through to get started or gathering a resource and learning about how to do that. This would greatly help players with little to no CRP/RP experience and may give them a slight edge on having to learn basics on the server. Not everyone may be joining the server to engage in combat and seeing as the new Surge PVP is being implemented I can only see that its greatly advertising more so the combat portion of LOTC and not so much the roleplay aspect. I give all props to @nickrocky213as their work is exemplary and is appreciated by all, but I feel as if there’s not much interaction for those whom don't feel like they would want to engage in combat or grinding ore to make weapons and armor. I understand Vortex originally had other aspects but they are aspects we have been yet to see, and they are aspects that the new players who join should be able to at least grasp and enjoy. So if possible id like to recommend having a implemented choice for the new player when they join that asks them what type of rp are they looking for on there character, and i'm aware this may be a lot of work but you have to understand that the direction the server is going in is heavily balanced on Player Vs. Player combat. Possibly have just a short server questionnaire done with signs that ask simple questions like such. once clicked on that sign it could warp you to another level with a return sign incase a mis-click was made or with another set of questions that would portray to what they answered on the question before.

 

 

Such as:

What are you hoping to do on your first character:

A.Explore 

B.Become a warrior 

C.Merchant

D.Citizen occupation (ex. Baker, steward, government, barkeep, etc.)

E.Craftsmanship (Blacksmithing, construction, etc.)

 

If you picked A, what types of things are you hoping to explore?

A. Ruins

B. Cities

C. Caves and Caverns

D. The a-cult and mysterious (ex. creatures, mystical/ magical items and locations)

 

If you picked B, what type of warrior were you hoping to start as?

A. A guard for a city

B. A wondering warrior

C. A criminal or bandit of sorts

D. A mercenary 

 

If you picked C, what types of goods were you hoping to sell?

A. Aquatics (fish)

B. textiles (custom items, materials)

C. Weapons and armor

D. Building materials

 

If you picked D, it would lead you straight to the list of nations and settlements.

 

If you picked E, It would show you a list of places known for having good blacksmithing rp like urguan, Haense, norland, Krugmar etc.

 

after they pick those few things it could lead to a few warps that give you quests like, boar hunting, or material gathering, something along those lines that help guide the player in the direction they want to go.

 

 

Other than that good work! I do like the MMORPG directioning.

 

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12 minutes ago, Tainted_ace said:

I give all props to @nickrocky213as their work is exemplary and is appreciated by all, but I feel as if there’s not much interaction for those whom don't feel like they would want to engage in combat or grinding ore to make weapons and armor. I understand Vortex originally had other aspects but they are aspects we have been yet to see, and they are aspects that the new players who join should be able to at least grasp and enjoy.

I do agree that telling new players to start grinding Vortex probably isn't the best idea. Linking a new player to a full Vortex guide is probably likely to make a few quit when they can't figure out how everything operates. Probably best to let them learn hands-on and have someone experienced in Vortex show them the ropes instead.

Learning Vortex is hard enough when you're being guided through it by someone. I don't trust a plugin to do that, so I think we shouldn't have the Plugin touch upon Vortex much besides maybe getting stone tools (since up to stone is vanilla crafting which new players are muuuuch more likely to not get confused by).

If new players are given a quest to go hunt Vortex boars I don't think it'll end well.

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1. That's just the issue. "Server bureaucracy" is just too large and vague of a term to tackle. Don't get me wrong, it's still very much a real thing. It's reflective of our player-ran community. I firmly believe that the best experience a player can have is one they are not conscious of. When I think of bureaucracy, I think of having to constantly reimagine systems for the economy, war, and nation charters. I think of rules on top of rules that have to go through multiple channels of people. I think of bias, and a biased perspective on how successful one system was or was not in times prior. All of that is very conscious. All of that rips you out of your immersive experience and lays bare the crude mechanics behind our fictional world.

 

If this system were not a plugin, it would involve constant work of dozens of team members. That's bureaucracy. Complex systems behind roleplay, like War or our mina economy system, aren't bad. But they can be tiring to interact with. I personally think that plugins are the way out of dancing through litanies of rules and hoops. We ought to automate what we can to free ourselves up for more important things.

 

And, after coming onto three paragraphs of typing this response, I haven't scratched the surface to a solution on any of these aforementioned issues. This takes time. We need to take one step after the other, measure our success, make improvements, and keep on marching. Only that this time, we won't have to retrace our steps years down the line. It's a process, but it's all we can do.

 

2. I wanted to make sure that we were inclusive of non-racial settlements that had worked their way to stellar activity. We're still going to review our design and make sure the sheer selection of portals isn't overwhelming, but I will want to include every racial capital (Halflings included). But if it's activity you're worried about, I'm sure we can have the Halfling portal route to Elvenesse instead.

 

Quote

 

The broadcast about a new player is actually not an original idea. The broadcast used to be made server-wide every time a new player joined. This was in practice for all of LotC history up until a few years ago. It was great for having new players greeted and veterans reaching out to give them a helping hand. It was however removed because warring factions would camp Cloud Temple as a recruiting spot, irrespective of the new player's racial origin. 

I think that regional players can handle having some broadcasts made to them a few times a week. Besides, it's a relevant announcement that a newbie is trying to find them. Who could really hate that?

 

As to your second point, I feel that the depth that Vortex aims to achieve needs to be distilled into a consumable format. It's what the Quest Tome might be best at: gradually exposing the player to the complexity of Vortex by having them discover its elements through quests. I like where your head is at, but it's my personal opinion that the survey questions are 1) too obtrusive and 2) forcing choice. I'm a big fan of letting the world of LotC influence your character. Predetermination is a precursor for static roleplay and dissatisfaction with your character. 

 

if we're trying to use these questions to tailor parts of our server (or Vortex) to new players, we should make it easily consumable and leave the rest to the player. Video content is very easy to watch and requires little engagement on the part of the new player. Compacting our different experiences into easily digestible nuggets might be the way to go. Definitely something I plan to create in the future.

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A really good idea! Would love to see it come to life

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1 minute ago, Treshure said:

Vortex

This is also with the assumption that Vortex in and of itself wont be undergoing changes to ensure that it is far more streamlined and better polished. With a proper guide, wiki articles, and videos, Vortex will be a understandable plugin, the largest disconnect on its launch is due to the lack of proper material to teach players how to use the new system. I have my own ideas as well to allow for an integrated /vortex tutorial, where it will give the player information depending on the block they click. This as well as other measures have been taken to ease people into learning the plugin.

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This is amazing. +1

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If you don't get CT admin Treshure I would cry. Awesome work though!

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This looks great! Of course it doesn't solve every problem on the server (because that would be ludicrous), but it certainly is a step in the right direction. Even just a simple nudge in the right direction will go miles towards new player integration. Having a little more information about where the rp is happening will go a long way. 

 

I also think a side effect of this is a pressure for players to be online more often, as inactive regions will get little foot traffic, which is inadvertently kind of insidious (in the slightest of degrees) but funny nonetheless. 

 

Maybe there could be a bell at city gates (like the raid bell) that pings that discord for new player initiators (in case you really want one specific city but there is no one online or willing to rp) or smth along those lines. 

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16 minutes ago, Sorcerio said:

If you don't get CT admin Treshure I would cry. Awesome work though!

hate to break it to you....

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Grrr, my job is in danger.

 

Jokes aside, some feedback. I think it'd be neat if the CT folks also got a similar ping when a new player is en route to a settlement, so that we can come and help make sure they get a warm welcome and are integrated with the community, in case nobody else comes to take care of that.

 

Also, perhaps implement a webhook to the Discord of these settlements to notify offline players of an incoming new player? Something like the raid bell, just for new players instead of raiders.

 

All in all, lovely concept and I hope to see it implemented quickly.

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2 minutes ago, teawithbee said:

Grrr, my job is in danger.

 

Jokes aside, some feedback. I think it'd be neat if the CT folks also got a similar ping when a new player is en route to a settlement, so that we can come and help make sure they get a warm welcome and are integrated with the community, in case nobody else comes to take care of that.

 

Also, perhaps implement a webhook to the Discord of these settlements to notify offline players of an incoming new player? Something like the raid bell, just for new players instead of raiders.

 

All in all, lovely concept and I hope to see it implemented quickly.

I agree

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12 minutes ago, teawithbee said:

 

 

Feedback noted.

 

Jokes aside, good suggestions. I'll ask for CT members to get thrown into the ping, perhaps with a toggle command if the influx of new players becomes overwhelming. The Discord webhook is also a brilliant idea. I think that's what @NotEvilAtAll was alluding to as well. Perhaps a blanket role & channel can be created for new player pings across settlement discords. Nation Leaders would then be able to choose who they want to receive the notifications and how ping-y it would be for the average offline player. I'll pitch that idea as well.

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48 minutes ago, Treshure said:

We're still going to review our design and make sure the sheer selection of portals isn't overwhelming, but I will want to include every racial capital (Halflings included). But if it's activity you're worried about, I'm sure we can have the Halfling portal route to Elvenesse instead.

No, there's no problem having new halflings get integrated in with Bramblebury, I was just worried that this integration plugin would be nation-only and thus not accessible to halflings.

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3 hours ago, Treshure said:

Alongside Haense’s regional broadcast, Story Team Actors can also opt in to receive broadcasts about new players joining server-wide. Once receiving the broadcast, ST Actors can follow the new player and set up an encounter across the road. It may be things such as a creature encounter, or exploring a shimmering light in the forest. The events need not have depth; whilst a wolf hunt may be a tired cliche of veteran players, it’s the most exciting thing that can happen to a new player that has freshly joined the server. It's also a great way for new ST Actors to hone their craft. This feature will first be test-ran to make sure it is an effective use of ST resources.

 

NGL, as a super new player back in 2015 or so, a friend of mine and I literally had exactly this happen. We encountered an ST who spent time with us rping as a witch in the woods. It was a very small thing, but for us it made the server feel more alive and interesting. Given that I can still remember it to begin with is proof enough that this sort of thing can make an impact.

I would totally apply for ST and dedicate myself to doing those sorts of events for new players if this ever was implemented lol, it's a fantastic idea

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