Huge QOL suggestion - Newcomer's Alliance chat

[elentari 2,660]

One of the most perennial issues of wurm is the new player experience where a player logs in for the first time in a starter town but he doesn't find any player in local to help or chat with. This is actually more common than you think. New players are actually pretty rare in wurm sadly, and many end up quitting in a short amount of time because they see no players around thus assume it is a dead game, a ghost town. 

 

To counteract this effect I propose a very simple update: New players are automatically ascribed an alliance called: <Insert server name here> Newcomer's alliance.

 

For example let's assume a new guy starts off on Deliverance, he will automatically have the "Deliverance newcomer's alliance" chat opened when he logs in and there he can see all the players within this alliance. 

 

This way it alleviates the feeling it's a ghost town, he finds other newbies to chat with and share knowledge and resources and it's also pretty easy to join a different alliance if that player so chooses to do so. 

 

Seriously this should be super easy to code and it would help solve one of wurm's most critical issues: player numbers and retention within the first 7 days of wurm. 

[Locath 533]

Sounds a bit like Freedom and GL-Freedom chats minus experienced players to answer any questions? Is there anything else past additional chat tab to add to the already overwhelming number of tabs when a new person starts?

[elentari 2,660]

The main difference is that you actually see the names of the players logged in, same as with any alliance so you know you aren't alone. There are days where 2 people talk on the deliverance freedom chat and that's it. And other days where someone asks a question and somebody else replies 1 hour later. Does that give you a "massively multiplayer online" vibe? The ghost town experience is one of the key factor that drives people from low pop games. 

[Locath 533]

Got it, makes sense.

 

Someone will probably mention people who do not want to be included in such lists and don't join alliances for that exact reason but opt-out option or automatic removal from that alliance when they join or create a settlement could solve that.

 

What criteria would be managing when they are removed from that alliance?

If it's creating own settlement then the list will likely be a total of 3 people in peak. Very few people live undeeded.

If it's time spent online or time since character was created then an opt-out option will be needed. Easy to find too (perhaps MOTD style "Welcome to new player chat, type /imavetnow to close this tab"

 

Better yet, allow everyone to rejoin that chat in which case people who don't want to expose their names and online status don't join it but those who aren't new but want to help newbies can join such chat and answer questions and create a "crowd" in the players list.

[elentari 2,660]

11 minutes ago, Locath said:

What criteria would be managing when they are removed from that alliance?

 

Can always leave the alliance and always join a new one or be reinvited to this alliance by an existing ally. 

 

12 minutes ago, Locath said:

If it's creating own settlement then the list will likely be a total of 3 people in peak. Very few people live undeeded.

 

Devs can code a "player flag" so even if new people make their own deed they can still remain in the newcomer's alliance. This "flag" can be a series of simple "if statements" to code. 

 

13 minutes ago, Locath said:

Better yet, allow everyone to rejoin that chat in which case people who don't want to expose their names and online status don't join it but those who aren't new but want to help newbies can join such chat and answer questions and create a "crowd" in the players list.

We can make some colour codes for vets so they show up in pink or purple names and they can be invited to this alliance. Again this is coded as a "flag" rather than the current code for "X deed must be a member of alliance in order to open an alliance chat". This "flag" basically works as any other flag in any game, it's simply a status.

[AlexeySt 132]

Not a bad idea that other mmos have. It is better to make this chat available for 30 days or until the player reaches a certain number of skill points. Or 100+ hours of play time.

Edited November 9, 2023 by AlexeySt

[elentari 2,660]

9 hours ago, AlexeySt said:

Not a bad idea that other mmos have. It is better to make this chat available for 30 days or until the player reaches a certain number of skill points. Or 100+ hours of play time.

Not sure why have a limitation of days since a player can log in 2-3 times a week, being kicked off from a starting alliance wouldn't be very productive. Should be a volunteer choice to leave alliance or not at the end to make sure people don't feel pressured.

[Finnn 3,322]

1 problem.. channels for chat are a bit confusing.. local/freedom/gl-freedom, ca-help is oddly.. ca-..;

 

in other games this is local/region/global/help, self-explanatory... what's what in wurm takes a little bit of holding hands and lecturing about the great meaning of all things in detail, but times change and nobody have time for all that, whoever have the nerve to get used to it, great;

 

idk.. I don't think putting people together is the best you can do, especially in a sandbox, this type of games is not about community projects, normally people already feel like exploring and trying something new and figuring what's possible in the game;

 

If you can figure a 2-3minute video or series to pull out at any time.. get non-annoying voice to explain common things, might help more.. it's non-intrusive, I know I'd hate 10 people waving hi/hello at me .. as new person in a game.. and all starting to ask me random stuff.. LET ME PLAY THE GAME... I'll get back to you later, is that just me?

 

I don't mind the idea.. I just don't see the benefit.

[Gwiz 151]

4 hours ago, Finnn said:

I know I'd hate 10 people waving hi/hello at me .. as new person in a game.. and all starting to ask me random stuff.. LET ME PLAY THE GAME... I'll get back to you later, is that just me?

 

Nope, that was me when I first started.  Didn't really want to chat with anyone until I learned more about the game and had a better idea of what questions to ask that were not lazy newbie questions which could be looked up on Wurmpedia with a 10 second search.