Shattered Kingdoms

The first thing the mud needs, in my opinion, is a channel for newbies. People could roleplay some but would be mostly ooc, to ask and answer any question, but this shouldn't be such a problem, because most communication with new players has to be ooc anyhow, to explain mechanics. Apart from many other things, it would help new players to get in contact with each other, that is, to make friends.

- To say when they are lost.
- To say when they are dead.
- To say when they are stuck.
- To hear other people talk and learn from what they say, or ask, or answer.


I can see some people are pointing to making the game easier. Anything that makes the game easier will be good for attracting people, and people attract more people, because that gives something to do other than bashing. A mud is never going to be easy, and things can be unbearably difficult and frustrating for someone who has never played a mud before, and even for those of us who have.

The biggest reason for this is because the majority of the player base aren't teens any more. Most of us don't have the time to really solo explore and really learn the game like the guys who've been doing it since they were in middle school.

One last thing before I'm finished. End game content is sorely needed here, other than RP and the good vs evil pvp combat. I'm sure many will have good ideas for this.

I used to think grep's suggestions were ludicrous but I've really been nodding my head in agreement now, especially the New Game+ idea. What is happening!

Why are you trying to explore solo? Most of the higher level areas require a group, so if you are attempting to go it alone - you are forcing a square peg into a round hole. Out of curiosity, how long do you think it takes to explore the Outer Planes or Temple of Murder?

You don't have three to fours hours to devote to that? That's about how long it took Vedic and my character to do it when the zones were added to the game. There are still plenty of "secrets" and zones that I have never explored and I have played for many years. You don't need to know all the "secrets" and have extensive knowledge of every zone to be competitive or have fun.



I really hope that never happens. I am already ambivalent about global cabal/tribunal channels.



This sort of dove tails into what Maxman was arguing. I recall the first time I did the quests to get the jade icon and tryptich, and I think it took a few hours and my character died once to aggro NPCs. You don't have a few hours to devote to exploration over the lifetime of a character?

Why?


You don't have to be in it.


I hardly understand what people talk about most of the time. In contact with other new players, we would at least know there are others like us, with similar interests and knowledge.

[GOSSIP] sup ya'll - how do I get to the outpost?

[GOSSIP] hey, any sorcs or priests that can enchant a sick dagger for me? thx!

That is why I never want to see a global channel on SK. The amount of useless crap-o-la I see on tribunal and cabal channels discussing game mechanics, equipment, leveling and pretty much everything and anything but RP is disturbing enough.

If Dulrik decides to go this route, I hope he has at least one staff member to police that channel at all times.

Well, I have not seen any of those channels (I have seen none), but you have to understand that if some players need ooc communication (and they and the ones that help them communicate ooc a lot) are the new players.

That in fact could help if you join there with an alt when you feel like helping, and your real character communicates with them only more in character.

So if you mean there can't be a newbie channel because there are already too many ooc channels... I don't like ooc channels myself, but the ones who need such a channel are the new players.

Example: You make a new character and go to the necropolis and do the quests, because you did it on a previous character and know how to do it without getting lost or dying to traps, and you know where keys are. That is accepted as completely fine for the game.

Why is that better than me following a guide with my new character because I didn't have a previous character that did the quests? Replace the necroplolis with the 10 best leveling zones and where to get an adamantite weapon if that example isn't working for you.

Actually, it is exactly the opposite. There are currently NO out-of-character channels: tribunal and cabal chat are considered in character, but you will still see all sorts of borderline chats about mechanics, equipment and leveling on a channel that ostensibly for RP.

A newbie channel would be both the first real global and OOC channel at the same time.