• Hail Guest!
    We're looking for Community Content Contribuitors to Stratics. If you would like to write articles, fan fiction, do guild or shard event recaps, it's simple. Find out how in this thread: Community Contributions
  • Greetings Guest, Having Login Issues? Check this thread!
  • Hail Guest!,
    Please take a moment to read this post reminding you all of the importance of Account Security.
  • Hail Guest!
    Please read the new announcement concerning the upcoming addition to Stratics. You can find the announcement Here!

EM Event Oh To Be Young Again! Wednesday 8th January at 5pm GMT

EM Gotan

UO Event Moderator
UO Event Moderator
Stratics Veteran
Note, this is more of an EM supported community action; if you want to help out please do, but there will be no rewards or wider story being told


What you will need:


A spare character, or a Trial Account set up if you have no character slots free.

What we will do:


All make newbies and go through the New Player Quests and Haven. Pretend you don't know anything, and make notes of where newbies would likely get stuck, or confused. If you have video recording software please record your adventures and point out spots you think an EM could add something to help keep people feeling engaged with the game or avoid feeling lost.

Do I have to do it at this time?:


No, but EM Gotan will be there at that time, as will the HLP and RAA guilds to try and collect information. But you can do it any time and provide feedback on this thread as to how we can improve the New Player experience.

Will I get Royal Archivist credit and TEH PHAT LEWT for doing it?:


Yes reports will count for the Archivist system, although only if sent in to the correct page at uoem.net here;

http://europa.uoem.net/em-event-oh-to-be-young-again/

Keeping them together allows me to pass them on easier to Higher Powers. But discuss your thoughts in general and sketch suggestions here at Stratics of course.

Will everything we suggest be changed?:


No, but if we can find places where as an EM I can add an item that would help guide new players, or there's an easy code fix to a bug discovered, it might be. The point is to try, and keep new blood coming in...
 
Last edited:

Minerva Foxglove

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Interesting indeed. I created a trial account today. This will be my very first time as young, thought about trying it for years but never got to it. Everyone isnt keen on messing with the master account for this, so good a normal fresh char will do as well.
I was surprised when after creating my char I just entered the game, no tutorial at all, didnt it use to be atleast something?? Is it when you download the game for the first time you get some info? Pity I cant check that part out and learn what new players are told .. Is this totally focused at the quests and if so, will there be a part 2, 3 and 4 with the other pieces new people need a hand with? I think of basic info not covered by quests, useful equipment fitting new players and how to start a "transit guld" or other new player guild. We had Saor in the past and when it disapered it left a void and its still there.
Also It would be interesting to have a discussion between veterans and new-ish people that remember how it was . As it is now vets all have different wiews upon what a new player need. Everything from "Dont give them a thing, I started with 100 gp with no Trammel and I did well, they will get spoiled".. To "I have loads of junk arties and 10 of this or that ill drown them in a pile of stuff good for them. Im leaning a bit towards the first group , help first char with the essentials , teach them and let them discover the rest without being too discouraged. When we started there were not much choices, now we can lose players to other games both by ignoring new players and not encourage them to strive to acomplish things and by ower spoil them so they have nothing to strive for long before they are hit by our addiction.. Sotty this topic always gets me going:scholar:
 

EM Gotan

UO Event Moderator
UO Event Moderator
Stratics Veteran
My understanding is similar to yours; someone coming to UO is likely to download the client, make an account and go straight in game, so what you see is what they will see... and if as Veterans you're confused, that's good feedback to collect!

You should always have the choice to go to the docks on Haven when starting as a new character, but choosing any other town skips the tutorial; I just tested that by making a newbie and choosing Trinsic. And skipping any of the gumps on the quest takes you out of the starter zone and moves you to Haven proper. I'll go to the Councillors Hall and gate anyone in who isn't there on Wednesday so we can all be newbies all the same!

The quest itself only lasts maybe 5 minutes; the Auction is later but we've an hour or two before then so I was hoping we could wander about and brainstorm ways either Mythic or individual EMs can help.
 

Minerva Foxglove

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Strange, I chosed Haven but got no gump. I must be blind. And yes it was a huge step back when youngs were allowed to start in other cities than Haven. Esp with so few people in some towns they feel the game is dead.
 

Tokot

Visitor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Here is a video of our meeting and brainstorm
If someone actually wants my opinion... that "favouritism" is the stupidiest thing i ever heard. If someone puts her efforts to help UO get new players, why shouldn't EA help this player in her mission? It sounds like "Bees agains Honey". EA should be first and best interested in getting new players and making them stay for long...
 

Minerva Foxglove

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I think the devs in the past have been accused for favouritism so many times and raging players have complainted and accused them so they finally draw a line and said no teleporters no books advertiseing for anything made by players. I dont think they really want it that way and its the players that have caused this. I was close to get a teleporter from Haven once but policy changed right then, and I must say I understand why. Both the accusations..(I do sell needful things in the house..to a loss but still) and the fact that player run things most often are short lived but the things created around them stays . What I think would be the best is to use the library in New Haven , even if a little small, to hold books with basic info and some display items .. Also better tutorial upon first log in and deacent equippment for the first character.
 

Minerva Foxglove

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
As I totally missed what info the new players get from this quest, and I cant read the text in the video if it is there, could someone explain for me?

I had hoped before you made the first character that you would get a short explanation what UO is and what makes it different. Voice text and video.
Also some advice about creating the first character. Then some info how to move, dress, use tools, bank, interface and chat.

Now you create the char and get info where in Haven the library with short clear info about the basics is located. If possible in English and a couple of inportant languages for other than Am shards. We have no way to help the newcomers who speak only Russian or Spanish on Europa so we often fail there. This wonderful library is a place to get back to when you get stuck. I run such library at Trinsic moongate with small books about things as how to find guides on the net, dieing, armour repairs , insurance, how to use the crystal teleporters in there ..pets..slayers..atleast 50 books and also displayed items. My message board is full of thanks for the books and I get told all the time how important this have been. But every shard should benefit from having this in the Haven Library. I have been interacting with new players often for hours every day since they let us into Haven. I know the typical new player. He is so eager to explore and kill something, he cant stand still and listen for 20 sec. He think he can just rush out and conquer the world and isnt motivated to listen at all. He needs the library for when he returns shred in pieces and alot more humble , full of questions.

Also some things about the starter equippment. I remember Mesanna telling in the future the starters will get better armour and some other items. But that was many publisces ago. The meaning was to give an LRC suit for the mages. I hope it will have something more like mana and good resists. The set I make for youngs have LRC and full resist , rest is put in stats. Everyting is made for chars below 25 str. Warriors get full resist and some DI and stats, training with low dex or low mana is very slow. Also that way I dont give them a suit they will wear forever and put other crafters out of business. Warriors get fast weapon and mages full spellbook. I think that was mentioned by Mesanna plus a runebook . Sounds good. I give runebooks to warriors, as mages soon enough can mark their own.
Some backpack mount was mentioned as well. Good if it doesnt get abused by ppl making trials to get free ethys. But you can only make one trial acc on any email adress and not at all if you have a master acc on the adress. I dont have an answer how it would work.
Think a boat was mentioned and thats fine. The last thing I remember was an advanced char token and that I didnt like at all. If the youngs have an armour that makes training effective thats a good help. It would make jealous ppl sour. It would make greedy people doing all they can to scam that token off the youngs and the young clueless ppl would use it on the first char with a template they will find useless after some days. Most totally new ppl(and they are not as few as some thinks..at all) start with magery, mace, fishing, taming t-hunter or similar. Better to keep the tokens in the store for veterans that already trained so much skills its getting boring.

Some think this would spoil new people as we didnt have anything from start long ago. That they wont learn the hard way. But this is the first char, they soon enough start second and third and will learn what it is like .The first char will help them to get a home and some equippment and more people will be hit by addiction rather than give up.
 
Top