I would like to make this post to follow up on something, Wurmhole brought up in his thread: https://forum.wurmonline.com/index.php?/topic/154981-a-new-player-experience/
I've been playing this game for just about a month now, and I have had quite the journey. I started based on the recommendation of a close friend, and decided to drop a deed in the middle of nowhere because I like my privacy while getting to used to a game's mechanics. My friend sponsored the deed for me, so I could go into the entire experience with 20 Silvers for my deed creation and things didn't seem too bad. I started with mining, and when I couldn't find iron for a long time I asked in CA HELP what I could do and learned about rummaging from 3 different people. Later, a developer himself messaged and explained how rummaging works for getting iron in the beginning. Additionally, I was contacted in private by two more people who asked where I was at and offered to get me started with some iron and basic things for free. Unfortunately I was too isolated to accept this offer, but I was amazed at how much support the community provided.
When buying premium time, or trying to, I was unable to do so and kept getting an error when trying to pay. Again, my friend jumped in and got premium time for me.
At that point I decided I should try to get to know this community a little better and applied to be part of a deed with a new alt I created so I could be social with one and hermit with the other. Again, buying premium did not work so my friend got it for me. (Yes, I have provided the funds for her afterwards.) I applied to join a village that seemed promising with RP aspects and a lot to offer, and got accepted, so I went to the closest starter town and began my march to that location about an hour's walk (mostly on roads) away. I got there and contacted the mayor through forums, as he was unavailable in-game. After waiting a few days without being able to catch the person, I started getting a little impatient. After about two weeks I finally managed to get one of his villagers in local, who explained he isn't playing a lot at the moment, and also described having the very role I had been accepted for as well. Two days after that I became frustrated and asked the friend who brought me to the game for an invite to her deed and made my way over there.
At the same time, I discovered that the spot I had chosen and spent a few days getting to for my own deed was miles and miles away from any clay, and too far out to get anyone there for a mailbox cast. After a few weeks of struggling, I have disbanded the deed two days ago. Fortunately my friend willingly accepted the both of my characters into her deed and I am living with her now. On the way there, I got hopelessly lost a fair number of times, a few times finding my own way again, but mostly being supported by random people who saw me in Local and immediately said hello and offered guidance. I was provided location information, a link to the community map for Xanadu, and even a free ride over to Newspring Island where my friend is located. All of this by complete strangers with no obligation at all to aid me. Some gave me free meals, others offered advise, and a few just provided encouragement but all of them were friendly and immediately willing to help out a new player.
I discovered a passion for mining, so my friend gave me an enchanted pickaxe (teaching me about enchanting at the same time), and when I tried to buy a fast pickaxe to make my life a little easier, I got a 33% discount from the seller just because. This way I was able to afford a really nice pickaxe and didn't even lose the entirety of the 2 Silvers I was gifted when first buying premium time.
People from my new alliance have since answered every single question I have had, making CA HELP almost obsolete, and the village I have joined provides anything I could possibly need.
In my opinion, Wurm Online is a very difficult game to start with, and 16 euros every 2 months for every character seems like a lot of money and definitely makes you think twice. Spread out over two characters (and I have been told most people play more than that!!), that equals a fee of 16 euros every month just for playing the game and all its features, not including any deed maintenance or in-game currency. I have read debates about the cost for premium time here on the forums, and my opinion is clearly: It is expensive. Is it too expensive? I do not feel qualified to tell. In the end, I bought it and I will most likely continue to do so for as long as I enjoy the game.
Back to the original point, it is a tough game to get into, the tutorial provides very little guidance as to what to do and I actually accidentally skipped a large part of it because I didn't realize I had to trigger the actual parts of it by walking near it, making it a less than ideal scenario for such a challenging game.
Nevertheless, with almost constant support of the players, I was able to accept the quick loss of my first deed (it was just too challenging to be out there all by myself) and find something I truly like doing. For less than a month's playtime, that seems acceptable.
Have I fallen in love with Wurm Online already? Perhaps. But one thing that is certain is that I have definitely fallen in love with the generous staff and the amazingly supportive players the game has to offer. Of course there are things, such as the tutorial, that I think aren't quite inviting, but in the end what kept me interested through my first month was the continued assistance and encouragement I received from almost everyone I met.
Due to this, I can not say that I agree with the new player experience being unfriendly. If anything, it is very warm and welcoming in most cases, I dare say. Certainly, Wurm Online is not the most "new player friendly" game I have ever encountered but after looking at the game mechanics and the kind of people who play it, I am not sure whether that might not just be a good thing.
