Richter2005-07-11 21:15:34
I was a novice in Aetolia two years ago. You can't start MUDding and know everything.
Daganev2005-07-11 21:20:32
Ahh thats true... in that case I was a novice in Dragonrealms, in 1994... except we weren't called novices 
But I thought you were refering to Lusternia, not muds in general.
But I thought you were refering to Lusternia, not muds in general.
Galatae2005-07-11 22:00:07
I'm all for novice-related events. Heck, I'd love to organize one! The only problem I can see is that in my guild, there never seems to be more than two novices around at any given time... and even when we hit numbers like two, that's amazing to me.
Richter2005-07-11 22:08:36
Heck, do a newbie quiz. I did that the other day, it was a lot of fun, and an excuse to give novices free things.
I don't think they fed the donkey prizes though.
I don't think they fed the donkey prizes though.
tarik2005-07-14 14:29:51
I just wanted to thank everyone for their replies, and it has been interesting reading the different opinions on my original post. It has also given me more of an insight into how things work in regards to new players in Lusternia, and made me realise that perhaps my initial expectations were unrealistic.
Rhysus best summed up my expectations with his comments that it is the leadership's responsibility to:
However the reality I have found in Glomdoring is almost exactly how Nyla described it here:
I can understand this attitude to a certain extent, but you have to see things from the point of view of a new player who may have selected a starting city/guild based on very little information. It's very difficult to show an interest in things when one is genuinely new to the game, because it's tough to know where to start or even how to act. It's also hard to get a handle on Glomdoring's rp when everyone is so quiet all the time. For example, I have learned far more about the rp in Glomdoring from this bb than I have from playing my character in game, and that is just wrong.
Perhaps if you didn't treat Glomdoring as an exclusive club and focused more energy on recruiting and retaining competent and dedicated members then you wouldn't keep getting the smack down put on you and have to beg for less conflict in the lands.
Not one single person has attempted to rp with me since I started this game, or even initiated any basic conversation beyond the banal such as 'are you doing ok, have you read this helpfile, have you learned this skill, etc.' I find this really odd, as everywhere I read how rp is sooooo important in Lusternia. My character has deliberately kept a low profile, and I am certain more people would respond if I were to take the initiative, but I do think the onus should be on the senior players to promote rp within their organisation. After reading the thread about emotes on channels and how people were worried about Lusternia becoming a glorified chat room, I had this really strange thought that maybe it's so quiet because people are worried about being OOC or saying the wrong thing but aren't quite sure how to actually roleplay? Nah, silly me, couldn't possibly be true.
The comments from Nine Breaker and others who almost seemed to resent new players wanting assistance are very enlightening. Perhaps I have misunderstood, but Lusternia is not supposed to be a single player game. I would have thought interacting with other people is one of the main reasons for playing. I would also have thought that it was in your interest to make sure your fellow guildmembers and citizens are competent, productive and dedicated to your cause.
As a new player I don't want someone to just give me a list of helpfiles to read, or even a load of free equipment (although both of those may be helpful). What I would really like is someone to take the time to rp with me, to inspire and include me, and ultimately to take an interest in me becoming a successful member of their organisation.
Once again thank you to all those that replied.
Rhysus best summed up my expectations with his comments that it is the leadership's responsibility to:
QUOTE
...specifically go out of their way to ensure that novices are shown everything they need to know to be a productive member of their city/commune...
However the reality I have found in Glomdoring is almost exactly how Nyla described it here:
QUOTE
I find its more of a two way street. If you show more interest in the commune and ask questions, you are more likely to recieve more help because you are actually showing you want to be there.
I can understand this attitude to a certain extent, but you have to see things from the point of view of a new player who may have selected a starting city/guild based on very little information. It's very difficult to show an interest in things when one is genuinely new to the game, because it's tough to know where to start or even how to act. It's also hard to get a handle on Glomdoring's rp when everyone is so quiet all the time. For example, I have learned far more about the rp in Glomdoring from this bb than I have from playing my character in game, and that is just wrong.
Perhaps if you didn't treat Glomdoring as an exclusive club and focused more energy on recruiting and retaining competent and dedicated members then you wouldn't keep getting the smack down put on you and have to beg for less conflict in the lands.
Not one single person has attempted to rp with me since I started this game, or even initiated any basic conversation beyond the banal such as 'are you doing ok, have you read this helpfile, have you learned this skill, etc.' I find this really odd, as everywhere I read how rp is sooooo important in Lusternia. My character has deliberately kept a low profile, and I am certain more people would respond if I were to take the initiative, but I do think the onus should be on the senior players to promote rp within their organisation. After reading the thread about emotes on channels and how people were worried about Lusternia becoming a glorified chat room, I had this really strange thought that maybe it's so quiet because people are worried about being OOC or saying the wrong thing but aren't quite sure how to actually roleplay? Nah, silly me, couldn't possibly be true.
The comments from Nine Breaker and others who almost seemed to resent new players wanting assistance are very enlightening. Perhaps I have misunderstood, but Lusternia is not supposed to be a single player game. I would have thought interacting with other people is one of the main reasons for playing. I would also have thought that it was in your interest to make sure your fellow guildmembers and citizens are competent, productive and dedicated to your cause.
As a new player I don't want someone to just give me a list of helpfiles to read, or even a load of free equipment (although both of those may be helpful). What I would really like is someone to take the time to rp with me, to inspire and include me, and ultimately to take an interest in me becoming a successful member of their organisation.
Once again thank you to all those that replied.
Iridiel2005-07-14 15:53:30
You want to be talked to and helped and guided.
Other novices want to be left alone.
Other novices want to be given free things, or taken on powerleveling.
Other novices want a date with the trainer.
Other novices just want to be pointed to the right ghelp scrolls and their questions answered.
You see, it's very difficult to keep everybody happy. I was quite a bit of time helping novices and controlling people helped novices in my guild, and really, it's a difficult job, rewarding, but difficult. Sometimes a novice complained that trainer1 was oversnuggling him and acting like she was the novice's mother. The next novice would say trainer1 was a wonderful person and recomend her for gfs. Luckily trainer1 usually didn't know all of this unless it was a repeated complaint, because she would have got confused about what to do, or developed split personality.
But usually, the very least you can expect is that if you adress a guild officer asking for help he stops what he's doing unless is very important and goes train you, as that's the work of undersecretaries and even some secretaries.
On the RP aspect, you cannot expect people to just pick you up from among the multitude and start rping with you just out of the blue. Unless you're rping talking about the weather, of course, that sometimes happens.
Other novices want to be left alone.
Other novices want to be given free things, or taken on powerleveling.
Other novices want a date with the trainer.
Other novices just want to be pointed to the right ghelp scrolls and their questions answered.
You see, it's very difficult to keep everybody happy. I was quite a bit of time helping novices and controlling people helped novices in my guild, and really, it's a difficult job, rewarding, but difficult. Sometimes a novice complained that trainer1 was oversnuggling him and acting like she was the novice's mother. The next novice would say trainer1 was a wonderful person and recomend her for gfs. Luckily trainer1 usually didn't know all of this unless it was a repeated complaint, because she would have got confused about what to do, or developed split personality.
But usually, the very least you can expect is that if you adress a guild officer asking for help he stops what he's doing unless is very important and goes train you, as that's the work of undersecretaries and even some secretaries.
On the RP aspect, you cannot expect people to just pick you up from among the multitude and start rping with you just out of the blue. Unless you're rping talking about the weather, of course, that sometimes happens.
