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+--- Thread: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania (/showthread.php?tid=199522)
Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - Avalanche - 10-15-2023
We are now pushing for more new players to join Discovery than ever.
Starting them on an unknown planet in an unknown system is a bad first experience. Discovery, as a mod to Freelancer, instantly comes off as unfamiliar.
This is not how you capture attention from a small core audience of players who have played the campaign. Give them what they're used to. They are more likely to stick around.
Pennsylvania was created for new players to be separated from veterans. To free up Manhattan space. But now player numbers are lower.
It would be wise to reverse the change. Make Manhattan populated again. Give newcomers what they're expecting and let them Discover the unknown on their own terms, not be forced into it and potentially pushed away.
I've added a poll. Please vote your opinion.
- - -
Edit: To visualise. Imagine you just finished the Vanilla campaign as Trent and you give Discovery a try. Which is more inviting?
Current:
![[Image: MeJhr8o.png]](https://i.imgur.com/MeJhr8o.png)
![[Image: lDdgurn.png]](https://i.imgur.com/lDdgurn.png)
Suggested:
![[Image: 70yyDve.png]](https://i.imgur.com/70yyDve.png)
![[Image: C1SUxHG.png]](https://i.imgur.com/C1SUxHG.png)
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - JadeTornado - 10-15-2023
I disagree. Appearing in a new place often stimulates a player to search for information, and while doing so, most likely he'll check the rules and tutorial page on forums. If a player doesn't have a motivation to figure out what is going on around him... well, he'll have a hard time on Disco whatever planet he starts on.
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - Avalanche - 10-15-2023
(10-15-2023, 04:03 PM)JadeTornado Wrote: I disagree. Appearing in a new place often stimulates a player to search for information, and while doing so, most likely he'll check the rules and tutorial page on forums. If a player doesn't have a motivation to figure out what is going on around him... well, he'll have a hard time on Disco whatever planet he starts on.
I appreciate the good reply JadeTornado.
So in your eyes, Pennsylvania is a effective filter in keeping only/mostly players around that have the motivation to give Discovery a real try? Am I understanding your correctly?
I don't believe we have the luxury of only wanting those gamers who have real motivation for Discovery.
With such an old game, we need to lower barriers to entry and allow players who are more curious than indeed motivated, to stick around longer.
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - Genocide Jill - 10-15-2023
That was not a problem for years and now it suddenly is? Seems like wasted effort when developers have a bunch of other, frankly more important matters to attend to.
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - jammi - 10-15-2023
I think Penn is probably fine as a starting area, however if we are going to keep it, we should probably enhance its tutorial capabilities further. More demonstrations of mechanics and gameplay options, and more varied tutorials than just mining.
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - Avalanche - 10-15-2023
(10-15-2023, 04:11 PM)Genocide Jill Wrote: That was not a problem for years and now it suddenly is? Seems like wasted effort when developers have a bunch of other, frankly more important matters to attend to.
It could be said that starting players in an unknown area, has affected the population of the mod for many years. I'm simply just bringing it to the attention of this forum today.
I believe dev time for potentially such an important shift is justified. Population is key.
To expand further, I stopped playing Discovery many years ago. Maybe 5. I did the vanilla campaign some months ago for the first time in maybe 8 years.
I downloaded the mod today, from my own YouTube tutorial instructions, and logged on. Undocked Pennsylvania and instantly realised it is different. What I felt? Unfamiliarity. Questioning whether I have time to try and learn everything again.
I logged off and made this post. That sequence of events is likely for a majority of old Freelancer players and Veterans.
My question is simple, why get in the way of what people expect? They know Manhattan, we used to start in Manhattan, why keep Pennsylvania with now population not being what it once was.
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - Chxlls - 10-15-2023
(10-15-2023, 03:50 PM)Avalanche Wrote: We are now pushing for more new players to join Discovery than ever.
Starting them on an unknown planet in an unknown system is a bad first experience. Discovery, as a mod to Freelancer, instantly comes off as unfamiliar.
I would disagree on this point. The whole idea of joining Discovery (presumably) is to get a post/different Freelancer experience. If unfamiliar was bad, why would they come to the mod in the first place?
I’m all for keeping new players around, I just don’t think this makes much of a difference. Certainly makes for an interesting discussion.
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - TheSauron - 10-15-2023
Having a peaceful corner right next to a major activity hub that contains everything a new player needs to figure out the basics is a pretty good idea that, honestly, all houses should have, not just Liberty. If anything, these should be added to other houses, even if as a dead end to not overcomplicate the jump network.
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - Penthrite - 10-15-2023
(10-15-2023, 03:50 PM)Avalanche Wrote: We are now pushing for more new players to join Discovery than ever.
Starting them on an unknown planet in an unknown system is a bad first experience. Discovery, as a mod to Freelancer, instantly comes off as unfamiliar.
This is not how you capture attention from a small core audience of players who have played the campaign. Give them what they're used to. They are more likely to stick around.
Pennsylvania was created for new players to be separated from veterans. To free up Manhattan space. But now player numbers are lower.
It would be wise to reverse the change. Make Manhattan populated again. Give newcomers what they're expecting and let them Discover the unknown on their own terms, not be forced into it and potentially pushed away.
I've added a poll. Please vote your opinion.
/restart civilianli
RE: Return new players to Manhattan, Not Pennslyvania - Toaster - 10-15-2023
Pennsylvania has been neglected as a tutorial system for years. The first thing a new player sees upon undocking are two completely out-of-date tutorial buoys that apparently have not been touched since 4.87. Apparently the buoys differ between singleplayer and multiplayer. Regardless, they are not up to date.
Pennsylvania as a starting system is fine if it gets updated for the purpose.