Community Input: Starting Location

[Teerin]

For a very long time, the starting location has been on Planet Erie in Pennsylvania. This was a change away from Planet Manhattan in New York, due to a wide variety of reasons (such as large amounts of new players, current server rules regarding engagements, status as one of the House capitals, etc.) and the system has seen some evolution since then, but not an incredible amount in some time due to a large stigma from a number of staff about adversely affecting the starting system. Yet there are various problems with that - for one, stagnation for Pennsylvania has been a result. Liberty has also remained at the forefront of new player experience, and consequentially exposure to other regions is gradual.

It is my opinion that having the starting location within or between the Houses is important (hard part being in deciding which House(s)), as is the level of detail in topographic design for the system, plus an easy way for new players to make money. Pennsylvania succeeds with the last two, being an expansive system with much to explore, and the helium mining field out behind Erie. However, the first part cannot be easily remedied for that system, nor (again) would meaningful storyline changes be seen beneficial.

Disclaimer: I am entirely open to being dissuaded from this as a poor idea.

Cortez sits between two Houses, another Nation-state, and is accessible to a third House. Bretonia, Liberty, Crayter, and Gallia (respectively) all are active in the region. Heading up to the Taus through Baffin positions it not too far from warring Kusari, peculiar Zoners, regular Zoners, and the Outcasts. Of course there remain some which are less accessible, such as Rheinland, the Corsairs, GMG, plus factions deeper in the Omicrons and Omegas, however in placing the starting location on Planet Curacao, more immediate exposure to multiple sovereign factions might still help those more distant, albeit in a rather roundabout way.

As a system, Cortez will have to undergo some changes, keeping in mind the new players, while still being structured in a way to support storyline advancements and progression. A mineable Helium cloud (or similar) would be placed in 2 E/F, new planets could be generated, and a plethora of discoverable wrecks added - among other changes. Indeed, these are large alterations to a Vanilla system (which some are reticent about), but it's for the experience and opportunities presented to new players.

Note: I have considered other systems or methods of starting players, and Cortez has the best present perch. Having a randomization process that includes Curacao in Cortez, Ames in Kepler, and Atka in Hudson would be preferred in some ways, yet we are currently not able to implement such. Similarly, a selection process in character creation would be an interesting change that is beyond our means at the moment. Creating a beginner-only system with outgoing JHs only is feasible, though draw and give cash commands, plus being outside of the main roleplay environment, would be detrimental. Also, other systems like Sigma-17 and Tau-29 deserve an honorable mention here; I am bringing up all of this so that you are all aware that we have considered more options than just Cortez. That in mind, please keep this thread on topic to the merits of Cortez and Pennsylvania. Compare, contrast, and give us your opinion on whether you think either, both, or neither are good starting locations.

Thank you for your time and contributions. We will consider all constructive feedback provided.

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"You see what your knowledge tells you you're seeing. ... how, what you think the universe is, and how you react to that in everything you do, depends on what you know. And when that knowledge changes, for you, the universe changes. And that is as true for the whole of society as that is for the individual. We all are what we know, today. What we knew yesterday, was different; and so were we."
- James Burke, The Day the Universe Changed (1985)

[Corile]

I never actually considered Cortez as a starting system but I think it's an interesting idea on paper, without thinking about it too much.

I'm curious what other people have to say about it.

Also, if this were implemented, would it mean Pennsylvania gets shrunk down?

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Reflections on the Revolution in Gallia
Custodi // High City of Heraklion // The Cult of Archangels
Log Filter // Post Creator // Manhattan

[Shelco]

Why not Tau-23? It is next to Bretonia, Kusari and Gallia, 3 places that are not Liberty. Make new players mine there with whatever improvements needed.

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[Tunicle]

A dedicated system for new people to explore and cut their teeth outside of the houses, then one way jump holes to the House Capitals and Outer rim.

Otherwise Penn with its jump holes (add more?) is probably more interesting and diverse than Cortez.

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[Skorak]

I would very much like to keep Pennsylvania but make it into even more of a starter system. Even more stuff to do and not two lanes to Manhattan.

I get that people want to get it away from Liberty but that is kinda also why it works. There you get active players that also poke into the starter system then.

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[Shiki]

I think if move it, then move it to NY. Rest of the places are not quite fitting, not actually centred and having lover population. New player shall see some people around to get interested. Liberty that is. Besides penny is having all needed newbie infrastructure, many tutorials are explaining how to start exactly from there.

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[Thyrzul]

A dedicated system for new people to explore and cut their teeth outside of the houses, then one way jump holes to the House Capitals and Outer rim.

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[Sombs]

Pennsylvania is the perfect starting system, to be honest. However, remove the JH to Kansas and put it somewhere else. Connect Penny with Hudson and Magellan, if necessary bring Humboldt back and get Puerto Rico back to where it was. Cortez is a system protected by the Treaty of Cortez, which restricts certain ships in that system. I really don't want to see all the bimbos showing up with their lolwut-named capitals and weirdos silent engaging anything. It's already stupid enough to have Gallia going for Cortez instead of California, while Cortez is protected by Liberty, Bretonia, Crayter, Hellfire and smaller groups. You don't need to pester that system with noobs additional to that.

An alternative would be an extra system, a hub, so to say, with one-way jump holes to the capitals of each house and some bigger factions. Place a fat station in the center of the system, something like Durban Station with parts of Cayman's station models and make it the beginner station. No way leads back to that station.

Otherwise, Pennsylvania worked well. I don't think there is a need to change it, especially not to Cortez.

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[Enkidu]

A dedicated system for new people to explore and cut their teeth outside of the houses, then one way jump holes to the House Capitals and Outer rim.

Yes, this works.

[Omicron]

Pennsylvannia already has advantage of being sheltered and posesses all neccesary infrastructure instead of leaving very likely opportunity of first hostile NPC's encountered being very much hostile GRN vessels (in Cortez's sake) in major warzone just right next to the system. Letting newbs into outer rim / Nomad worlds is also terrible idea. Perma-hostile aliens and rather impressively territorial rogue states & factions out there to make things hell.

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