Consultation: new player onboarding, popup tutorials

[jammi]

Staff have recently been thinking a lot about how to onboard new players to Discovery, and making the whole server environment more accessible.

As well as work on demystifying the techcompat system, we're also looking at ways to make information more accessible about NPC groups and how IDs function.

One idea is to trigger a popup text window (similar to that used by /help) when a non-OF ID is mounted. This screen would provide a quick explanation of what the faction is and does, what a ZoI is, and the tech the ID is capable of using.

Doing this for every ID would be a fairly big job, so I thought it'd be prudent to open the idea of new player onboarding up to the community at large. Would this help? What should it look like? What information is most important to present?

If you have thoughts on this, or other things we could do to ease new players into the game and community, let us know here.

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News article library, feedback and content requests.

[Fab]

no need for every ID, unless you want to point specifics such as diplomacy, lore and ZOI

a popup on character creation would already cover 90% of the concepts

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ARES / Faction Information / Feedback

[Lemon]

Honestly, I didn't read any of that when I first started, it was straight to the omicrons for me because it was straight from single player - where I did learn were other players I met who explained stuff, I doubt more text would make much difference. Funnily enough most people seemed to have ignored the Pennsylvania mega text even


What would help is Angels group doing work again, explaining stuff, and by far the best is other players helping any explaining, but I am not sure how you'd give incentives for that

[Lemon]

no need for every ID, unless you want to point specifics such as diplomacy, lore and ZOI

a popup on character creation would already cover 90% of the concepts

Yeah a popup when you make a character you can turn off in launcher options - but is that even possible?

[Fab]

Yeah a popup when you make a character you can turn off in launcher options - but is that even possible?

just need "Would you like to take the tutorial?" buttons or a /tutorial exit command

the tutorial would be comprised of many parts, starting by interacting with the tutorial itself and using the chat to navigate. after the player learns how to use "console" commands such as /restart or /renameme, the tutorial can then move into the unique concepts of discovery freelancer's multiplayer such as ZOI, engagement rules, techcompat, etc

a /tutorial chat command would give the player this very simple (for new players) and step by step course
/help would be a "cheat sheet" with commands and straight forward explanations for new players and veterans alike.

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ARES / Faction Information / Feedback

[Serpentis]

I mean, a tutorial on the forums would be better to start with, but I enjoy that you'll be able to have a pop up in game with relevant information on the ID limitations (I feel that is most important.), maybe as Fab said, a in game tutorial would be awesome for new players that managed to ignore the forums.
Is it even possible? Through FLhook I am guessing if so?

I'd say the most important things to know should be;

• Basic Lore of the faction (Short and to the point)
  
• Limitations of ID
  
• Examples of activities for said ID
  

Maybe add a link or address to the forums and explain they can find more detailed information there.

I'll think on this some more and edit if I got more ideas.

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Abadan and the Arcadia | Sergei, The lost | Feedback Thread

[Demonic]

The issue is there are people who avoid forum / discord. Either cause they miss it or cause they get information overload. There's a lot of reading needed. When I started all those years ago, the main reason I got hooked and learned the ropes were other players, expecially in faction, who helped me and explaind stuff for me.

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Links
Characters and feedback | Freelancer's Woes | MacRory's Irregulars

[Lemon]

I meant actually a popup when you hit on new character button in freelancer
that'd tell you basics of what you need to pay attention to (rules, ID, Allies/Enemies/online navmap)

[Lemon]

The issue is there are people who avoid forum / discord. Either cause they miss it or cause they get information overload. There's a lot of reading needed. When I started all those years ago, the main reason I got hooked and learned the ropes were other players, expecially in faction, who helped me and explaind stuff for me.

This tbh - I ran into @Venkman and @Dark.Star and they taught me stuff, so did guys in [R] and ALG - I am not sure how but incentivising players and factions to actually help somehow would go a long way.

[Demonic]

Oh well... yeah that could help. But still, players and staff will always be the best source of info. We're RP server with complicated systems. And people don't read. Trust me I'm a hosting's company customer saport for 6 years now. People are too lazy to read a single paragraph, hell a single sentence.

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Links
Characters and feedback | Freelancer's Woes | MacRory's Irregulars