Experiment successful. Discovery is not a good place for newbies.

[Jack_Henderson]

I don't understand why people feel the need to justify their actions and almost start arguments here, when then only real consequence that the experiment should create is the insight that...

... the current situation is not good.
... it should be improved.
... to improve it, every player should watch out a little more for players who need help.

That's it, imo.

It has been a good reminder. Mission accomplished.

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+ IMG| DISCORD: https://discord.gg/TWrGWjp
+ IMG| IS RECRUITING: Click to find out more!

[Anaximander]

But Karlotta also said something valuable. If we leave personal attacks out of it, it is true that a lot of us use the forum to stage ourselves in a manner that might not correspond exactly to how we act in-game.

I'd go as far as to say that 90-95% of those of us with 400-500+ posts are guilty of that, me included.

[Drakens]

It occurs to me that while the experiment was very interesting that you cannot count people that are actually newbies or 'lolwuts' (really dumb term) themselves to point out the mistake. I imagine the 22 people sample you built up is mostly comprised of those people which is sad in itself and an indicator of the same issue and others.

It might be more interesting to look at that actually, the sheer quantity of people that actually stick around despite not RPing and end up in the largest ships while somehow not violating the rules. I hail from a community on another gaming platform and we have similar issues but we call these people "script players". They obey the rules to the fullest and play to the law of the script that we use on the server. The same applies to the 'lolwuts' in capital ships. They play by the rules technically, they don't roleplay and they stick to what the mod tells them they can do.

These 'scriptplayers' or 'lolwuts', whatever you prefer, have a ripple effect. Much like on my roleplay server the people that tend to scriptplay end up being very well geared, cool looking. Here they have capital ships. So let’s say you're new to roleplay but you want to learn, you're new to Freelancer too perhaps. You join and you see people in capital ships and you think "Man, I want to be like that one day". It turns out that with a little research you work out its really not hard, you don’t need to RP and the allure of the awesome stuff has essentially dissolved that initial willingness to RP. By not putting RP as a requirement on these things this ripple effect is decidedly negative rather than positive. Let’s say instead you're not here to RP, you're new but you really want that awesome capital ship. Let’s also assume that instead of this system that you actually need to RP to get a capital ship or some such. Immediately you make a decision or you soon will "Do I stay and try this RP malarky out or do I just not bother and leave?" which is good in two ways. One, you may just make someone get into RP that wasn't previously even going to bother or two, that person that would likely have just been the subject of sanction after sanction decided it wasn't worth his time.

Naturally all this relies on people being communicative, more Angel support etcetera but even then, people do the research if they care enough and I think most of us can agree that you'd want them to find something that told them RP gets them somewhere. Right now I feel that the rewards from RPing well are not matching up to the rewards of just saying "screw it" and having a general blast, treating it like a PvP server with small barriers. You can argue that RP should be its own reward and that is true but not everyone will see it like that and some people need to be shown. Encourage them, give them incentives that work. Just some thoughts on what I feel is the real issue.

[Anaximander]

[...]like a PvP server with small barriers.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this IS what Disco is. A space shooter with a thin coating of RP - if you want the "pure" RP experience, pen & paper or forum/text-based RP is the way to go.

[...]just saying "screw it" and having a general blast

This is what you should do (within given limitations, naturally). If you work yourself up to believe Disco is more or just different than it is, you will get disappointed.

Also leave my caps alone! They've got nothing to do with the topic at hand, they just serve as big targets that are easy to recognize and target/stigmatize for the lazy mind.

[Combiseries]

What is the point in having a starting credit of 500c when you can ask for help and get 1 million. You might as well just start new players on 1 million straight away. You might as well do away with the cheaper ships altogether then, because new players who have asked for the cash advance will go straight to a good one.

I started from scratch, started exploring looking for the good trade routes, stuck to them and built my way up. Now I have a tidy ship and good profit in trading. This only took me around 5 hours game time (give or take a few), spread over a week or so.

Personally, I don`t like to `give` a load of money to someone new. It`s not RP, and the RP server is an RP server. You don`t get that sort of thing in the real world.

There is a way to help new starters and if you let me, I propose this :

A Buddy System

You could have a few volunteers from different time zones acting as buddies to new starters. These `buddies` would seek a new starter and offer help. Not in the form of cash, but in the form of `showing the ropes`. The buddies could accompany the new flyers and give advice on what to do first, wether it be in the form of trading or doing missions. They could help with the missions, so the new flyer does not get frustrated in getting blown up in the first few and then giving up and not playing anymore.

If giving help in trading, offer to accompany them where ever they want to go to look for a good trade route. Asking them where they might think there may be a good route. And if their choice isn`t a good one, point out one that would benefit them in the short term.

While on route, you could go chat one on one in private mode and discuss the RP requirements of the server and the rules governing ID, ship type, etc. When the new player feels comfortable building on their trade route, you could offer them a little more advice and then send them on their way, giving them the option of getting in touch with you whenever they may need help again.

I know you`ve got the Angels, but they are more or less just `stewards` of the server. You could have these stewards and then have the buddies as well.

Or, just be a buddy to someone new. Most people, me included who come to play multiplayer, are just looking to make new friends.

The first person to actually talk to me in RP was when I made my couple of million, bought an Armoured Transport and then they demanded I pay them 800k to be let go. That was my first contact with anyone else who was human, and it was a pirate. I put it to you, that this might be the first contact of another human that any new player has..... a pirate, demanding cash... Not really a good thing, but not a bad thing either.

Incidentally, I gave him my last 555k. I told him it was all I had, and that he cleaned me out (all in RP mind). Five minutes later, he gave my 600k back and apologised saying he didn`t know I was that short of money. I wouldn`t have minded if he kept it, because after I sold my goods, I made 1.5 mil.

I for one, having been a freelancer player for years and years. Been on the server before, and maybe new, but not new. I`m going to be a `buddy` to someone who has never played here before and we can learn together.....

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In actual life every great enterprise begins with and takes its first forward step in faith...

Friedrich von Schlegel

[(ツ)]

Thumbs up, Spazzy. Hittin the nail on the head of whats wrong here But there are exceptions. Some persons you encounter are actually quite helpfull (especially angels) Maybe they need to recruit more angels to deal with all the new players.
I guess all that ppl next to Manhattan were busy talking or afking... Screw NY big time.

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That biplane just shot down my jet!

[MacAulay]

I have always maintained that disco is one of the most un-newb friendly games I have played. I Find the vast majority of players are disinterested in encouraging new players and far more interested in reporting their mistakes to the admin team instead. Most of you have played for some time, you know what you know. Your average fresh start newbie knows bugger all and it is unrealistic to imagine that they will come to the forums and absorb the vast amount of information here in one sitting before they play. There are so many things to learn, it's best to get them down with the basics before chucking all the other stuff at them too.
Yes, we have the Angels but they are too few. And not a constant enough presence during the different time zones. So recruitment is needed their. I have made an application which has been completely over looked it seems but never the less, I was prepared to make the offer of my time. I have spent hours in game helping anyone who asks, at the expense of my own game time. Now maybe it's just a personal thing but I wouldn't expect any other long time member of this community to do any less. The situation that Spazzy describes is not unfixable if members are just willing to show a little more tolerance and patience with new players. It's beneficial to all. You reap what you sow.

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This really isn't something that needs to be taken super seriously because it's a game and most of us are just here to have fun. You should try smiling, you'll feel better about things (honest).

[meoshi]

If you want noobs to get help the join the angels, simple as that.

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[MacAulay]

If you want noobs to get help the join the angels, simple as that.

I did try, you ignored my app

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This really isn't something that needs to be taken super seriously because it's a game and most of us are just here to have fun. You should try smiling, you'll feel better about things (honest).

[meoshi]

If you want noobs to get help the join the angels, simple as that.

I did try, you ignored my app

No u applied during a closed period, Its open now.

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