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Give new players a check for 1 million gold

R

rwek

Guest
Not a pad idea for "young" players.


Get them that cruddy resists 100% lrc suit or a nice weapon to start off with.


Or they could make the haven quests give items a little more useful. Outside of the undead slayer mage book, the stuff is garbage.


Of course, if they just go to any decent bank people will probably just hand them gear/gold anyway considering what an awesome community UO has.

:p
 

Hemisphere

Always Present
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
If you consider inflation between now and the time when the 100gp standard was raised to 1000gp, a 1mil check would probably be appropriate.
 

Thunderz

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Oooo Bit TO steep thats 7mill a week just sarting a new account deleting the chars every week 7 more
With a 45day free code (i have loads) thats 42mill for FREE per account you have a code for or even the new KR free 14day codes would net you 7mill a week over infinate accounts you could open e.g 20 accounts that 140mill a week.

ROFLMFAO i think is apprapriate....!
 

Mistura

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Oooo Bit TO steep thats 7mill a week just sarting a new account deleting the chars every week 7 more
With a 45day free code (i have loads) thats 42mill for FREE per account you have a code for or even the new KR free 14day codes would net you 7mill a week over infinate accounts you could open e.g 20 accounts that 140mill a week.

ROFLMFAO i think is apprapriate....!
Doesn't matter. It isn't suggested for any logical reasons, just "to be nice" :)
 
N

Nestorius

Guest
New Players should be given nothing, no money, no items, and be placed in a random mainland town. New Haven should be leveled.
 

TheScoundrelRico

Stratics Legend
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Oooo Bit TO steep thats 7mill a week just sarting a new account deleting the chars every week 7 more
With a 45day free code (i have loads) thats 42mill for FREE per account you have a code for or even the new KR free 14day codes would net you 7mill a week over infinate accounts you could open e.g 20 accounts that 140mill a week.

ROFLMFAO i think is apprapriate....!
Why do you have to think ill of people. Everyone should be given gold to be able to use in the economy. Look at it as an Ultima Online bailout...la
 

TheScoundrelRico

Stratics Legend
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I don't have that much, but I hand gold out on siege all the time. If I see a new player who has not been added to the NEW guild, I usually cut them a check and give it to them...then stealth off.

Why do you want to hamper these new players. The devs hold the purse strings, they can just reprogram the starting gold amount. Why can't you agree with an idea that is meant to be nice to new players...la
 
K

Kimball

Guest
I look at this a couple of ways, first I enjoyed starting with nothing. My first day I had no idea what I was doing, got killed by a mongbat and had no idea that I just had to find a healer for a res. I enjoyed playing my way up, and the NewHaven escorts for 500gp worked for what I needed.

That being said there is a huge discrepancy in the gear for new players and it does limit them at the start. 1mil seems like a fair amount considering what items cost these days, but the problem I see (and yes I see the ill ways of people) when you start out you don't know what items are worth. If you start with 1mil people could swindle you out of that money easily. My playstyle warrants me working my way up collecting money for the things I want because I enjoy it. However, if you want to go out and pvp off the bat you better make generous friends quickly.

Maybe we could at least start out with some Mongbat repellent to start.
 

TheScoundrelRico

Stratics Legend
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
You can't look at the past (or so I've been told). The game needs love...and not tough love either. Be nice, be friendly, and maybe these new players will stay...la
 

Setnaffa

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I'm on the side of the fence that remembers UO is an Adventure Game. Where is the adventure when you start out with 1 million gold? I say you start the game with only the clothes on your back an a few gold in your pocket - nothing else.
 

TheScoundrelRico

Stratics Legend
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Why do you want to make the game so hard? You will lose players if you aren't nice to them...la
 

Scamper

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Just to be nice...la
How about war taxes. Have to pay all them True Brit Factioners you know to fight the shadowlords. Warriors don't work for food. Maybe for eye candy though. Mages on the other hand will work for food, or just about any other piece of rubble they can grab off the ground. So they don't need the gold anyway.

I figure if our new king keeps 99% of the war tax for infrastructure improvements, pays his NPC nobles with .9% to keep them fat and happy, and lets the factioners have like .00001% as pay we could make gold more valuable by having a lot less of it in the game.

Initially have the tax rate be set to 100% of our gold. That should just about pay for the war.

Of coarse you'll need lawyers and accountants to ferret out where you've hidden all your gold...

I shall take my leave now and don my asbestos underwear.
 
K

Kimball

Guest
You can't look at the past (or so I've been told). The game needs love...and not tough love either. Be nice, be friendly, and maybe these new players will stay...la

I don't really look into the past, I haven't even been around for two years. To me it does get frustrating attempting to compete against people full of uber-wear, but I just do my thing. Seeing the economy in UO I don't have much of a problem with the mil to start, but I am afraid that it will burn a hole in the pocket of these young players before the know which way is up (I am still trying to figure out which way is up now).

I think you are right in that we, as a community, look after new players, but I think this should be a community effort instead of just a mil. There are people who do go out of their way to help new players. I have no problem helping any player. I saw a character running around with no clothes after getting pkd and they had no idea what was going on. I spent a good amount of time rummaging through my collection of crap at my house to find some decent armour for this person. I don't have a lot...again I am by no means a power player, but if I can help I will. I think it is great that you give out money to new players when you see them (reminder to find Rico in game) that is what is needed. The players helping other players is what builds the community and this is what will make people want to stay.
 

TheScoundrelRico

Stratics Legend
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I know, after 30 days of game play, every new player is given a set of armor of their choice. Give them a vet reward gump and allow them to select from the various types of artis and armor so they can compete with everyone else. I know if I were a new player, I would love this idea...la
 
K

Kimball

Guest
I like the idea of being able to obtain a decent set of armour after 30 days. First, there is a period where you must play in game before you receive it, and second it does offer a little better chance to the new player. The items are a big issue for those who want to have a chance against other players. I do not pvp, but not because of the so-called hacks, it is because I know my equipment will not allow me to match up with others. I enjoy playing Seige and Fel on the prodo shards because there is a risk in being there. I just make sure I can escape (or have a chance at escaping). Getting people decent armour, or a choice of an arti at 30 days would help the young players along for sure.
 
S

Smokin

Guest
Why do you have to think ill of people. Everyone should be given gold to be able to use in the economy. Look at it as an Ultima Online bailout...la
If its a bailout then to follow suit to real life, it should only be given to the Rich people, let the poor people suffer. Sheesh haven't you learned anything from the government.
 
C

Capricious

Guest
Personally I think we should be fixing the economy rather than adding more gold into it. The economy needs to be fixed to bring player prices down for new players. We need gold sinks and have for a very long time. We have gold being moved around from player to player and more coming in everyday from PvM, Bods, Champ Spawns, etc. A really easy temporary fix... Make a "rares dealer" and change it out every month. This should be really easy. He could sell some dark pink jewelry for valentine's day, a black velvet box, etc and yes for large junks of gold. Trust me, there would be people that would buy it and it couldn't HURT anything and would take at least more gold completely out of the game.
 
C

Connor_Graham

Guest
Getting people decent armour, or a choice of an arti at 30 days would help the young players along for sure.
They can already get both of these with the Virtue armor set, and in less than 30 days too.
 

TheScoundrelRico

Stratics Legend
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
There is no way to "fix" the economy without wiping it out entirely and starting over...la
 
K

Kimball

Guest
They can already get both of these with the Virtue armor set, and in less than 30 days too.

Funny you should mention that, I use a virtue set on one of my chars (I get laughed at when I cruise fel). I like it because it is self repair and blessed all 70s. It is not too hard to get a virtue set for an experienced player, but for a new comer the amount of killing in those dungeons that is needed is much more than a new player can handle. When I started I trained in the virtue dungeons and enjoyed those drops quite a bit, but to get all of the right pieces is harder than it seems. I still go to the virtue dungeons and get a lot of these when doing champs, yet I still have not put together a 2nd complete set (still missing headgear). I am not against your suggestion, but I would also like to see some mage armour that drops the same way. With the virtue set, a mage can not really use it. If these pieces were expanded I would agree, even though it takes a while to get all of the pieces it is good training and decent armour.
 
C

Capricious

Guest
There is no way to "fix" the economy without wiping it out entirely and starting over...la
I respectfully disagree. It would take some gold sinks, changes and such, but it could be done. They need to make house customization cost something again, either get rid of lower LRC and a few other things they have done that haven't helped. However, all of it would be trivial if they don't do something to combat scripting.

Honestly, I can see what they were trying to do with all the resource changes, but in my opinion it had the opposite effect. Now if I am running low on valorite ingots, I can't just hit some runes and go mine some. My search is going to be entirely random and the chance of finding enough valorite even in an hour for 100 ingots is gonna be really difficult. So what will most people do? Go buy some. Now the scripters can run 24/7 for the most part and if they have a 10 runebook (or more) set of just random mining runes in their bag, well eventually those spots are bound to become colored. Sure it may take scripters longer to get 1k of valorite, but way less time than the average player. Now when these changes happened and the real player couldn't compete as they did before? Prices shot through the roof. So not only are some folks -most likely- having to pay the scripters, but its costing more gold. Same thing with lumberjacking. They need to make these skills viable again for the average player and do something to stop scripting itself.
 

phantus

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
hah!

:eyes:

I see what you are doing here! You just want young players to have money so you can steal from them when they buy stuff from vendors!

You have all these other people fooled but I can see through your plan Rico!

A new low!
:yell:













:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 

Duskofdead

Sage
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
New Players should be given nothing, no money, no items, and be placed in a random mainland town. New Haven should be leveled.
You're kidding right? If you are serious about this then it's clear you haven't visited a mainland town in the past year. They're all dead. Great, having new players running around lost in Britain having no clue other players exist in the game.
 

ElvishArcher

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I normally just read Rico's posts to get a laugh at other "boardies" that get their "panties in a bunch" over his comments... gotta admit when he starts a post it usually turns kinda humerus for the outsider to view.

BUT! Although a million may be a tad much for a new player to budget properly, he IS making a ton of sense! There are few rewards in the Newbie Quests that will truly assist an under 30day aged account (a true Newbie). I would rather see them incorporate a system were the experienced players AKA Vets, would be able to locate and "Sponsor" a Newb! Have new quests that are set up were said sponsor will get a minor reward like a sash etc at the end of, Blessed and only wearable by that character to prevent another overpowered item. The actually Newbie would receive an increased skill training speed during the "sponsorship period" and ONLY when said "Sponsor" is present, so as to at LEAST get the skills up to par to be able to hunt semi decent spawns that give worthwhile loot. Maybe at the end of sponsorship also give the Newb a check in his bank with a more tame amount of gold than a mil... maybe 100k or something. That would prevent the people who would otherwise make temp accts/free accounts merely to get a mil x 7chars... not worth the time since the quests could be skill based quests that take to much time to complete to make it "scammable".

These are just some really quick thoughts I had after reading this thread... needs a lot of work but honestly... for a TOTAL REAL Newbie, this game can get pretty complex without help. Couple that with trying to compete with the graphics in other games out there, SOMETHING needs to be done to enhance the TRUE NEWB experience here in UO. This would reward both sides in my opinion. Prepare/teach a Newb who otherwise may say to themselves "Man this sucks, and old graphics... see ya". You know the saying: "Give a man a fish they can eat for a night... Teach them to fish they can eat for life!" or however it is said lol.

Rico, don't let these others who only see your name and want to hijack your threads get to ya.... your "Idea Process" is in the right direction with your OP in this thread! But I will also say another thing we need to fix the economy you stated is unfixable... you have said it a ton of times and I fully agree... REMOVE INSURANCE!!! :D
 
P

Prince Caspian

Guest
Just what we need. More gold in the game.

Oohhh, use those 10 buddy codes to make myself rich! Cha-CHING!


You know, back in MAH DAY....
(Grampa Caspian starts to rock in his chair)

..we only had 100 gold in our bank box, and you had to go out and fight the termites to get enough money to by a thimble, or a velvet codpiece. And then you'd go out into the forest and 50 billion PKs would appear and Corp Por you back to the Triassic Age. And then they'd take your stuff, your mojo, and your precious bodily fluids.

Then they'd go off and sell it to buy crack... or scrimshaw... or whatever you damn kids do with money these days....
..
..ZZZZzzzzzzz
 

Cear Dallben Dragon

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
some times i pick up a genuine new player. take em for a joy ride, kill stuff, get books. then drop them a mil check and PK them just do they know what there in for. j/k on the pk
 

Maplestone

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
*decides to play*

There is a wonderful undergame that exists before people learn that Luna exists. I would not, for anything, trade the month I spent in and around Haven four years ago thinking ettins were the ultimate evil in the world and lumberjacking for coin.

Exploring, fumbling, slowly grasping the variety of skills, items and systems that exist is a vital part of the game. To be nice to a young player, leave them alone and let them discover the world they've joined alone or give simple pointers to help them around town. Put a low-end vendor with just a few empty runebooks, BOD books, and simple non-runic items or spellbooks beside a moongate if you want to "give" them something.

Innocence is the most precious thing a young player has - it's worth far more than gold.
 

ElvishArcher

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Maple, while I do wholeheartedly remember those old days myself, and agree with you... I am also trying to consider that a lot of true newbies will be comparing this game to several other MMORPG's on the market currently which have huge followings and way more modern graphics (even compared to KR/SA graphics). With that being what UO has to compete against, I feel we need to get these types of players hooked on the experience of a more wholesome community/social experience. That's of course just my opinion, but I have tried the other competitors games and nothing makes a game more playable than a social structure that is more advanced. People play MMORPG's just for that experience a lot of the time... otherwise they would be playing single player games and wouldn't have even looked at a MMORPG.

I just think we need to cater a little more to the new player experience to try to increase our REAL population which is currently skewed due to people owning multiple multiple accounts (I myself have had at one time upwards of 5 accts running lol).
 
W

Wilde1

Guest
If I could be sure it wasn't a vet with a red toon scamming for repair gold, it might not be a bad idea.

OTOH, I'd rather see veterans helping out new players with some starter armor, a weap and a runebook to the antivirtue dungeons. A new player can start killing harpies or earth eles right out of the box, the gold and antivirtue drops will follow from there.
 

QueenZen

Always Present
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Unless it is to possibly add more to the inflation ie I would go for newbies beginning at 2k or 5k.............nobody handed any of us gold on some silver or gold platter when we began..100gp was all we got, then they upped it to 1k........but a million, pfft !

Donated via some players to new arrivals is np, but institutionalised like from the get go, spoiling em rotten from uo chr. making newbie day one, when we all had to learn how to make gold from 100gp or 1k per new chr. WORKING to get ahead is also part of the game..not merely being handed everything on some golden parachutte, just for walkin into this pixel world.
 

Hemisphere

Always Present
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
There is a wonderful undergame that exists before people learn that Luna exists. I would not, for anything, trade the month I spent in and around Haven four years ago thinking ettins were the ultimate evil in the world and lumberjacking for coin.
I wish the whole game could be like that :( it's like childhood - one day you have to wake up and face the realities of the world :D
 
B

Bluebottle

Guest
There is no way to "fix" the economy without wiping it out entirely and starting over...la
Absolutely agree, - too true - we need to completely invalidate the old gold stocks let folks turn it in and replace it with say "platinum" - the devs could use the silver hued graphics to represent the new currency. Old gold would become just a collectible or something you turn in for reward tokens.
 
A

accessdenied

Guest
Just to be nice...la
I have only read your posts for a couple weeks now and I'm surprised that ppl here are taking you seriously. I can tell your posts border on just trolling (not that I care), but I am just surprised that you get that many real responses even though you will continue to respond back.... I can see the fun in it. Heck, I've done it before, but wow.... the amount of players that play into it is astonishing....
 

Maplestone

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Heck, I've done it before, but wow.... the amount of players that play into it is astonishing....
Even trolling needs to start with a nugget of a real issue if it's going to be effective - all you have to do is start with a little laugh at it and it can be good starting points for serious discussion :)
 
A

accessdenied

Guest
Even trolling needs to start with a nugget of a real issue if it's going to be effective - all you have to do is start with a little laugh at it and it can be good starting points for serious discussion :)

agreed
 

Harlequin

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
You can't look at the past (or so I've been told). The game needs love...and not tough love either. Be nice, be friendly, and maybe these new players will stay...la
Ah dude ricola...the original intent of your post seems to be an attempt to highlight the absurdity of the current UO economy and hitting the easy mode in UO etc. I am probably wrong, but that's what it feels like to me. While I think there are better ways to encourage discussion, I do realize methods such as this is most effective.

So I shall hijack your thread a wee bit.

Being nice and friendly to people, this I agree with. Newbies that had a positive experience will tend to stay longer instead of being turned off immediately.

However, just giving out 1 mil checks won't really help the new player experience (but it'll help me coz I'll be creating new chars like crazy heh). People tend to treasure things more if the ordeal in getting them is greater. Besides, even if the newbie blows the 1 mil on an arty / full LRC suit / all 70s suit, he is still likely to die from a mongbat and lose all his stuff :D

An increase to 5k to get starting equipment, regs and training is more logical.

Also, perhaps an animal/sprite companion to help, advise the newbie, including assisting in fights could be a good idea. Eg, rabbits will lure the attention of any hostiles targetting you, dogs will help attack, sprites will mini heal you etc. These functions stop working if the newbie enters a dungeon (like how the young player flag works), but they will continue to give advise.

eg "This is the Dungeon Deceit, I am afraid I can't help you in battle in here, but I can still provide advice"
"Dungeons are normaly dark places, to enable yourself to see better, you should light a torch. There are also other means of light sources, mages can cast the spell: Night Sight, alchemists can make a similar potion: Night Sight, also, there are magical equipment may randomly have the night sight power. Finally, if you are an elf, you have an innate ability to see in the dark and do not require such items at all."
"If you wish to understand more about these, selecting any of the keywords will bring you to the relevant section of the codex"

Of course, the companion will disappear after the player loses his/her newbie status.

Finally, I would like to see the perma newbie-fied stuff like clothes, tools, regs reinstated.
 

Harlequin

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Even trolling needs to start with a nugget of a real issue if it's going to be effective - all you have to do is start with a little laugh at it and it can be good starting points for serious discussion :)
*Nods head vigorously*

*looks innocently at teh ceiling while continuing to feed the troll*
 

Mistura

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
They can already get both of these with the Virtue armor set, and in less than 30 days too.
Not everyone can play server up to server down like you can Connor. You always forget that...
Bwuahahaha... QFT

I mean honestly Connor, what planet are you living on pal? A complete 100% newb gathering a full virtue set (with cloak, necessary to make it useful) in under 30 days.... Yeah, whatever.
 
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