Please lower barriers of entry

[Nolana 4]

I haven't looked at WURM in years and was surprised it was still available. Congratulations!

 

Then I tried to play the game.

Here are the stumbling blocks I encountered:

 

- I have to download the right version of Java?

I make my living coding Java, but for a game, all I want is a download button and a login screen.

I don't care if it is Java or not. Please stop using JNLP and provide a simple launcher like so many other games do.

The current launcher is very technical and already a distraction and source of confusion.

 

Also, I unknowingly downloaded the 32-bit JRE and even after installing the 64-bit one, I got this warning message about a wrong Java version.

You probably don't know how many potential players you have lost at this point.

 

- This ain't on Steam?

Something to consider if you have the resources and server bandwidth to welcome many new players.

 

- I have to create an account on the web page?

Why can't I do it right there in the launcher? The launcher has all kinds of buttons, but creating an account isn't one of them. I think.

 

- I have a 1024x768 window initially?

Ok, I was able to fix that, but why do I have to? Who wants to play this in a 1024x768 window nowadays?

Provide decent default settings.

 

- Finally in the game, I learned that I need to move the view with the left mouse button.

Not the best choice for your typical WoW player.

I tried to change it: I couldn't. Or at least there wasn't an option I could find.

 

- I can't change mouse sensitivity?

Changing the camera view with the mouse is accelerated somehow.

I was unable to find any setting that would help that.

Now we are getting close to a point where the game becomes unplayable.

 

- I can't jump?

And that is probably the reason I won't play this along with the lack of mouse control.

You can change the terrain, build stuff, but you can't jump?

Maybe you can, but I couldn't find a button for it?

 

Please keep in mind, this is the newbie user experience I'm describing here.

If I would invest more time in it, I could probably find solutions for these. I guess?

But there are soo many games out there.

 

Please consider having at very least:

- An easy installation and initial launch experience (people don't care if it is Java or not. Bundle it or compile it down to an exe)

- Decent default settings and more mouse-related settings.

 

I understand that adding a jumping mechanism adds significant complexity, but open world means freedom of movement to me. I like the climbing mechanism, but if a simple 4 foot high chain can block my movement, it feels off

 

Thanks and good luck with Wurm!

Edited September 1, 2015 by Nolana

[Kadore 926]

I agree with quite a lot of this, I always prefer a game I click play and go, using the console to set up keybinds is cumbersome, after all these years I'm used to it, but it was a turn off when started.

 

 I still dont use the correct Java and I hate having to read on tech support to figure out how to correct it.

[Tuanta 484]

- I can't jump?

And that is probably the reason I won't play this along with the lack of mouse control.

You can change the terrain, build stuff, but you can't jump?

Maybe you can, but I couldn't find a button for it?

 

 

Whoa now! We don't want any of your new-fangled advanced techno moves here. The good lord gave us two feet and meant for us to keep em firmly planted on the ground.

Next you know, you're going to start suggesting dancing and singing!

You've gone too far! Too far I tell ya!

 

Edit: Seriously though, all been suggested many times in the past. I don't think they have any interest in going that direction. Otherwise, they would have done something about it by now... I love the game and want them to be as successful as possible, but we can't twist their arm. /shrug

Edited September 1, 2015 by Tuanta

[McGarnicle 1,463]

This is some very good feedback from a new player's perspective. I would highly recommend that the devs take a serious look at this post and take some actions towards addressing these concerns. It would make a big difference in player retention. I know there was a blitz last year with a bunch of updates geared towards helping the newbie experience, but I think it might need to be looked at a bit more.
 

[Aeris 3,764]

I generally agree with your post, very good suggestions, though I disagree with some of your points:
 

- This ain't on Steam?

This game is far from ready for Steam - It's way too buggy still (you'll notice once you get back into it). Putting it on Steam would be like asking to put  the nail in the coffin once and for all.

 

- I can't jump?

Would be far too abusable in the game. They failed to make the collision detection decent and forced a half-assed kind of wall-jumping onto us which is very abusable and offers too many griefing opportunities. Even if they managed to get the jumping part to work on its own it would still be associated with far too much unwanted behaviour and abusable functionality. No thanks.

[Scar 43]

+1 on a new launch pad, (working in progress upcoming update in fact)

-1 on jump not needed for anything collision fixes these issues a stack of logs is not going to stop you. And as far as fences go their put there for a reason

QWEASD movement and looking around along with mouse is very common in most MMO's.

1024x768 is a normal setting for most games that do not automatically detect your settings. There is a ton of settings to make the game more customizable on your machine, at the start of every game I have played getting these setting right has always been a priority don't see an issue here this is common.

Java auto detects your version and even tells you what version your using, moat people forget to look at what bit version their currently using, yes java website can be a bit confusing to new users but most of it is user error. I myself have to manually download 64bit but I knew my old version was 64bit took me awhile to find it but the website has been updated since 2007.

Alot of great suggestions here but most are avoidable but gettibg what your wanting in one hand and shitting in another you will see which 1 fill up first. For some things here noted.

[Brynden 69]

some of what you say realy would make tings better but this things are ######.

- Finally in the game, I learned that I need to move the view with the left mouse button.

Not the best choice for your typical WoW player.

I tried to change it: I couldn't. Or at least there wasn't an option I could find.

well by default you can use the arrow keys to look around too,but more important than that if they tried to change wurm enough to atract the average wow player all current players would leave.

 

- I can't jump?

And that is probably the reason I won't play this along with the lack of mouse control.

You can change the terrain, build stuff, but you can't jump?

Maybe you can, but I couldn't find a button for it?

if seeing you cant jump makes you want to quit without even bothering to figure out if there is a good reason for it,you would never play wurm for long anyway even if it was posible.

[topkos 504]

I agree with you on the installation and making it an exe file.

I agree with you on the 1024 x 768 window. Lol.

The rest, well, people looking for most of that stuff won't last too long in Wurm anyways.

The game is ready for Steam Greenlight in Alpha stage with a F2P server just for steamers. 

I paid for other games that are more glitchy than Wurm. (The Repop, Planet Explorers , Sota, etc), so yeah.

[Propheteer 7,139]

I could agree with all of this, changing most if wouldn't bother me, but for new players it would be nice.

 

What i REALLY want to see is the ability to turn off acceleration and modify my sensitivity.

[Nolana 4]

I should have been more precise:

I want to look around with the RIGHT mouse button pressed.

Is that possible?

 

Again: Java installation. Why? Why the hassle?

I just want to play a game, not dealing with a technology I really don't give a rats ass about.

It is like asking the player to install DirectX! Remember those times?
No game does that anymore. It just comes with it.

It's not hard to bundle a minimal JRE. It is not hard to compile your downloader into an exe.

This is a small change that WILL have an affect on gamers being curious about Wurm.

 

Stream Greenlight seems like a good place.

It has brought in much needed cash for many games.

 

About the jumping: Probably too hard to implement that late in this game's cycle, but will keep people from playing it.

 

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Really appreciate it.

I'm really not trying to troll here.

 

If someone can point me to how to switch mouse buttons and adjust mouse sensitivy, I'll be all over the tutorial!

[Tipper 260]

On jumping:

 

A while back it was added that your character would bounce after falling from a great height

 

This was hugely controversial (and not for not valid reasons)

 

So, maybe next decade.

 

But welcome and please stay long enough to get infected with the wurm!

[Cecci 1,612]

Q and E helps look around.

[Wurmhole 3,650]

You are absolutely right on the initial experience.  Most new players have some kind of hassle just getting started.  Setting this up for Steam access would be fantastic in eliminating many of those issues I believe.

 

Using wurm is like using linux.  Sure, people use linux, but only if they like tweaking stuff all the time.  Most users want either Windows or Mac, because you just turn it on and it works (mostly).  Wurm has never been designed for a user friendly experience.  We can hope a new launcher and (some day) and new account management system gets put in place.

[Marlon 303]

I think the tweakability is sweet!

What we can use is a "well thought out set of defaults", and then from there, have the ability to tune and modify the configs.

 

But I am not really much of a fan of the "barrier of entry" stuff. It acts as a filter for individuals that are not compatible with this type of game or style in any case.

 

But again, then I think, yes, make the defaults simpler to new players, while leaving the complexity options for the advanced players. 

 

As long as jumping stays out of this, other than have a 'ballet' skill, there is no point, stupid, not made for it, and not necessary.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Marlon

[KyleBooze 451]

(I've only read the first couple of replies).

 

- I have to download the right version of Java?

I make my living coding Java, but for a game, all I want is a download button and a login screen.

I don't care if it is Java or not. Please stop using JNLP and provide a simple launcher like so many other games do.

The current launcher is very technical and already a distraction and source of confusion.

 

Also, I unknowingly downloaded the 32-bit JRE and even after installing the 64-bit one, I got this warning message about a wrong Java version.

You probably don't know how many potential players you have lost at this point.

 

 

 

This is pretty annoying, it should check for which version you need and automatically update it for you imo...

 

- This ain't on Steam?

Something to consider if you have the resources and server bandwidth to welcome many new players.

I can't say this game wouldn't benefit from being on Steam, but Rolf must be against it for some reason.

 

 

- I have to create an account on the web page?

Why can't I do it right there in the launcher? The launcher has all kinds of buttons, but creating an account isn't

one of them. I think.

I don't see the problem here...

 

- I have a 1024x768 window initially?

Ok, I was able to fix that, but why do I have to? Who wants to play this in a 1024x768 window nowadays?

Provide decent default settings.

Would you rather have default in full screen?

 

- Finally in the game, I learned that I need to move the view with the left mouse button.

Not the best choice for your typical WoW player.

I tried to change it: I couldn't. Or at least there wasn't an option I could find.

 

I don't see a problem here, just like any other game it will take a bit of getting used to it... I think part of the reason is because it's in first person unlike WoW which is in third-person allowing you to see behind/above/below... I play back and forth between Guild Wars 2 and Wurm, I have no problems.

 

- I can't change mouse sensitivity?

Changing the camera view with the mouse is accelerated somehow.

I was unable to find any setting that would help that.

Now we are getting close to a point where the game becomes unplayable.

 

Not sure what you mean here... unless your mouse has high sensitivity already.

 

- I can't jump?

And that is probably the reason I won't play this along with the lack of mouse control.

You can change the terrain, build stuff, but you can't jump?

Maybe you can, but I couldn't find a button for it?

 

There's really no need to jump... I mean, what would you do? jumping over someone's fences would only cause more problems with the rules.
 

Please consider having at very least:

- An easy installation and initial launch experience (people don't care if it is Java or not. Bundle it or compile it down to an exe)

- Decent default settings and more mouse-related settings.

 

I understand that adding a jumping mechanism adds significant complexity, but open world means freedom of movement to me. I like the climbing mechanism, but if a simple 4 foot high chain can block my movement, it feels off

 

I'm gonna skip this one...

[Warlander 2,730]

- I have to download the right version of Java?

I make my living coding Java, but for a game, all I want is a download button and a login screen.

I don't care if it is Java or not. Please stop using JNLP and provide a simple launcher like so many other games do.

The current launcher is very technical and already a distraction and source of confusion.

I have to agree that it would be best for game to stop using JNLP completely and just switch to "normal" client with built-in JRE - Java applets/JNLP are deprecated for a reason, let them die.

When it comes to launcher, I am not sure if you know, but there is new one which hides most useless technical stuff from the old launcher in development.

 

Also, I unknowingly downloaded the 32-bit JRE and even after installing the 64-bit one, I got this warning message about a wrong Java version.

You probably don't know how many potential players you have lost at this point.

Switch to normal client from JNLP would fix that as well.

 

- This ain't on Steam?

Something to consider if you have the resources and server bandwidth to welcome many new players.

Steam release is planned in an indeterminate future.

 

- I have to create an account on the web page?

Why can't I do it right there in the launcher? The launcher has all kinds of buttons, but creating an account isn't one of them. I think.

Hmm... This is good idea, surely something I will have to discuss with another devs.

 

- I have a 1024x768 window initially?

Ok, I was able to fix that, but why do I have to? Who wants to play this in a 1024x768 window nowadays?

Provide decent default settings.

Agreed, game should start in maximized window on default at least.

 

- Finally in the game, I learned that I need to move the view with the left mouse button.

Not the best choice for your typical WoW player.

I tried to change it: I couldn't. Or at least there wasn't an option I could find.

Wurm is a rather slow game, so you usually play it while having multiple clients open or doing something else in the background - this is probably the reason why you need left mouse button to look around.

 

- I can't change mouse sensitivity?

Changing the camera view with the mouse is accelerated somehow.

I was unable to find any setting that would help that.

Now we are getting close to a point where the game becomes unplayable.

I will take a look at that.

 

- I can't jump?

And that is probably the reason I won't play this along with the lack of mouse control.

You can change the terrain, build stuff, but you can't jump?

Maybe you can, but I couldn't find a button for it?

Jumping is fine, but I don't really see reason to add it in case of Wurm world - fences should stay impossible to jump over to prevent griefing, while the whole Wurm terrain is "smooth", without any sharp edges you would need to climp or jump over.

[Clatius 455]

 

Jumping is fine, but I don't really see reason to add it in case of Wurm world - fences should stay impossible to jump over to prevent griefing, while the whole Wurm terrain is "smooth", without any sharp edges you would need to climp or jump over.

[Kianga 219]

If you go to console (there is a choice for that in the top menu-bar) you can type at the bottom of that window. Type sensitivity 5 (5 being a good medium, but you can choose anything between 1 and 20 afaik) to regulate mouse-sensitivity.

[Nolana 4]

Thank you for the feedback.

Greatly appreciated.

[Etherdrifter 2,518]

- Finally in the game, I learned that I need to move the view with the left mouse button.

Not the best choice for your typical WoW player.

I tried

 

Something of a thought here, why not have 2 camera modes?  One which is locked in look around, might make getting around a more fun and intuative experience, and the one we currently have.  Just a simple key to press to swtich between the two, I believe quite a few mmos use this (tab is a popular key) and it has proven to be successful in its field at making a game feel more immersive.

[joedobo 1,187]

On Jumping and fences.

Players use fences to secure or deny access to areas. Letting players jump over them defeats the whole purpose of having them.

 

I don't want people on my deed so if players can jump or climb over walls that would mean Wurm would have to add some kind of invisible barrier like thing to block entry. That is just as unrealistic as not being able to jump or climb over a fence.

 

The idea that players can alter and claim any part of the landscape adds complexities that aren't seen in many other games. 

 

Lastly...

Nolana, what kind of thing would not annoy you that clearly communicates "you can not enter this area as it is controlled by another player".

[Tipper 260]

Yesterday's debut of Mortal Online on Steam is a cautionary tale for Wurm.

 

Mixed reviews thanks to technical hiccups and "THIS IS ALL CWAP" people

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/287920/#app_reviews_hash

 

My feelings with Wurm and Steam I would compare to:

 

1) I have a cousin who is sort of brilliant in a special way but reclusive and fun to be around and a little awkward and overall one of my favorite people in the world

 

2) He/she finally wants to get into dating

 

3) Goes on Tinder

Edited September 2, 2015 by Tipper

[MrGARY 12,421]

Something of a thought here, why not have 2 camera modes?  One which is locked in look around, might make getting around a more fun and intuative experience, and the one we currently have.  Just a simple key to press to swtich between the two, I believe quite a few mmos use this (tab is a popular key) and it has proven to be successful in its field at making a game feel more immersive.

 

bind key "toggle mouselook"

 

clicking at all stops it, just have to hit bind again

[Oreo 5,793]

Why even mention WoW?  This game does not compare even remotely.

Also, man I wish I had that nifty jump feature to jump well.. never.

Don't you have to make an account on like.. every game from the webpage?

Everyone has recommended steam, but to be honest, it'd kill the game.

 

Game /unplayable/ because mouse sensitivity.  Q and E.  Also, that made me laugh.

So god damned whiny.  ;~;

Takes getting used to, but you're not just going to walk into Wurm and learn it right away.

 

It's posts like these I wish I could down vote.

Edited September 2, 2015 by Oreo

[SmeJack 5,807]

Sensitivity is a console command, type it (sensitivity) and it will tell you that you need a number 0-9