Monday 28 May 2012

Of New Players & Trial Accounts

Frequently in low-sec space one happens upon a helpless noobie. They can be doing anything really, I have learned not to try and rationalise what they are doing when I find them as it inevitably doesn't make sense!

Some typical and more normal examples:

  • Sitting at a planet.
  • Mining in their Navitas/Catalyst, Vexor etc.
  • Pewing the rats.
In practically all cases their ships will be poorly fit. I know many of us started this way and have found our way to where we are today but there surely must be a better way to help people learn how to fit their ships and to open their eyes to the dangers of certain areas of space.

The new player experience must be the answer to this and also therefore be the way to overcome this blight that is afflicted upon those poor hulls. God knows how CCP should do it though, I wish I had the answer.

Perhaps the answer is a far more in depth tutorial system that goes into much more detail, something like the way the film Starship Troopers goes, "Would you like to know more? Asking that question once you've completed your current tutorial step and giving you further options of what you can choose to learn about.

It almost could be simplified to a follow a flow chart structure.

Given that new starters are asked on the EVE website what type of character persona they want, maybe this could lead the type and makeup of the tutorial they receive?

This deserves much more thought than I can give it here anyways.

So, back to topic. What do I do with these lost and blighted ships? Well I'm a pirate so I explode them of course. So now I have a wreck with loads of random modules in it and typically a noobie Pod under the grasp of my point.

What to do with the Pod now?

Many of my corpmates at this point will release said Pod for a comedy ransom of some description, after all trial accounts can't pay isk ransoms as they can't give money. I on the other hand explode them out of hand if they are under two weeks old, always keen to add to my collection of frozen corpses.

Many say that I'm making these new players leave the game by my actions. I'm not sure I do, what would you do and what's your opinion?

4 comments:

  1. In some cases, yes your actions drive poor nooblets to not subscribe. In some cases, no, you are informing them. It all depends on the player behind the computer. However I am inclined to think that most of the time blowing up their hard-earned ship and pod is cruel, considering how hard it is to earn isk during the starting stages while trying to figure everything out, thus their shimmering new ship getting exploded might be that tipping point. I know when I tried to start out a few years back, this happened to me, but i have now gained a change of mindset.

    Yes, they are not very smart to be in low-sec in the first place. Yes, CCP should have some more informative guides in-game to warn players. But you should really give the starting players a break. Because really, what are YOU earning out of the deal? Not any good amount of Isk. Not a impressive kill; "Check out this killmail I got out of killing a 1 week old player. I'm so pro" Perhaps you are gaining an hours entertainment, but that can be gained without completely destroying a few days work of a new player. Even pirates should show a little kindness, at least until their two weeks expire :)

    Just my two cents.

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  2. I go for comeday ransoms. If they are a good sport about it and tell a good joke I'll even send them some ISK.

    Random acts of violence mixed with random acts of kindness.

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  3. I think I wouldn't pod the newbie just to not scare him away (too much) from low-sec.
    It is great that he dared to enter low-sec and he should come back.
    Or I would talk to him and base the decision on his behavior, hehe.

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  4. Sorry for the delayed replies chaps.

    @ Spifomie. Thanks for your honesty, frequently I'll attempt to speak with them. Generally though most immediately block me.

    @ Naoru, doesn't help that I'm really tough to amuse I guess :P

    @Ssal. Trying to speak with them is generally a no go as with above they tend to block me.

    Generally though when i speak to them afterwards I give them isk and some advice too.

    Cheers for the comments readers

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