Way to help noobies on launch

Hunter.S.T.Hunter.S.T. Join Date: 2012-05-26 Member: 152596Members
edited September 2012 in Ideas and Suggestions
<div class="IPBDescription">500+ playhours, mark players for questioning!</div>Hi, i know that release is coming up soon, and that we were looking of ways to make the game easier to get into for the swarm of new players who will be joining us.

Newb only / learning servers have been talked about, as has marking a player who is very new, although some new players might not like that.

I thought of another system i would recomend. We could give players with over xhours of play time on the beta, a checkable/uncheckable option on their client, which would mark them as a player who is happy to help newbies.

In game it could be represented as a question mark appearing over players heads, and/or a question mark next to their names on the score board, with a tool tip that appears informing new players, that if they see this, they can feel free to ask questions, as the person has allready marked themselvse as willing to help noobies out.

I for one would use this option when the game comes out if it were available, it seems nicer to me to mark a player as "experienced but willing to help" rather than to mark players as "noobie, assume im rubbish".

Comments

  • Laosh'RaLaosh'Ra Join Date: 2011-12-09 Member: 137232Members
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->although some new players might not like that<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    they can always turn it off if they don't like it.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I thought of another system i would recomend<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    why not have both? we'll be having so many new players at release, every bit might help. the only possible downside i can think of is clutter in the UI.
  • SopsSops Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17894Members, Constellation
    Why? If you have a question just ask your team, 95% of the time you will get an answer. This system would add nothing.
  • DarkScytheDarkScythe Join Date: 2012-08-30 Member: 156876Members
    It sounds like the idea is to link up newbies to specific people, sort of like a mentor program thing.
    Maybe a newbie would be afraid to ask a question to the team in general chat or something, I don't know.

    In my experience, simply asking your team will net you a response most of the time. However, being the internet, you will always get a handful of troll responses along the lines of "get good", "l2p" etc. The latter could dissuade newbies from wanting to ask anything else.

    It's all about making newbies feel welcome.
  • GORGEousGORGEous Join Date: 2012-02-19 Member: 146762Members, NS2 Map Tester
    My only tip is v + 1 to votekick commanders.
  • RedDragonRedDragon Join Date: 2003-01-13 Member: 12240Members, NS2 Map Tester
    I actually like this idea quite a lot, and I don't see any reason not to add in a few features that are noob friendly. I know I would certainly take advantage of this, although I dont have the 500+ hours necessary yet. ;-)
  • SopsSops Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17894Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1977293:date=Sep 13 2012, 07:06 PM:name=DarkScythe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DarkScythe @ Sep 13 2012, 07:06 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1977293"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It sounds like the idea is to link up newbies to specific people, sort of like a mentor program thing.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    But this isn't an MMO where you can just take someone aside and show them around.
  • DarkScytheDarkScythe Join Date: 2012-08-30 Member: 156876Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1977332:date=Sep 13 2012, 09:17 PM:name=Sops)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sops @ Sep 13 2012, 09:17 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1977332"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->But this isn't an MMO where you can just take someone aside and show them around.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    No, but what it is, is that you would be actively displaying to newbies that you are an experienced person, and you would gladly help them with any questions they have.
    As you said, this can be accomplished by simply asking your team as well, but my only concern is (and probably because I'm extremely cynical of human behavior here) is that newbies who ask the team in general will also get some snide or elitist remarks, which may put them off from wanting to ask any more questions.

    Basically, having an indication that someone is here to help makes it more friendly than blindly asking and getting a couple hostile responses.
  • {GGs} Chicken{GGs} Chicken Join Date: 2011-11-22 Member: 134663Members, NS2 Map Tester
    They could also just play the game and learn themselves without hand holding. But I guess that's just crazy thinking.
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    The original mod had this, except instead of just giving tags to people who had played a bunch, it was a volunteer system: anyone who was willing to help newbies out put [NSLearn] in their name so that people knew they could get help. This is better than guiding newbies towards people who have lots of hours because those people might be jerks.
  • KhyronKhyron Join Date: 2012-02-02 Member: 143308Members
    There's definitely something worth thinking about in this idea. I'm not too interested in the 500h cutoff, it seems too much like a bragging rights/"worship me" (I'm at 600 hours myself, so I'm not biased on that).

    Where I think it would be particularly useful is if we have dedicated newbie servers. Newbies are less inclined to seek answers from their peers than somebody who is labelled/identified as help. It would also be helpful for veterans who join a newbie server to work out who needs help and who is already there to help.

    I can say from past experience that saying on voice chat "hey does anybody have any questions" does solicit questions.
  • Laosh'RaLaosh'Ra Join Date: 2011-12-09 Member: 137232Members
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->here I think it would be particularly useful is if we have dedicated newbie servers.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    as i understood it, veterans will not be allowed to play on newbie servers. this makes sense as certain veterans would certainly take advantage of the situation, recklessly dominating the enemy team which could heavily distract the newbies from learning the basics at their own pace.
    newbies are allowed to play on mixed servers though.

    anyway, the newbie mark will only last for very few hours (they mentioned 3 but that's not final afaik) so there will still be a lot of questions for them to ask after that.
  • IeptBarakatIeptBarakat The most difficult name to speak ingame. Join Date: 2009-07-10 Member: 68107Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1977445:date=Sep 14 2012, 05:04 AM:name=Laosh'Ra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Laosh'Ra @ Sep 14 2012, 05:04 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1977445"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->as i understood it, veterans will not be allowed to play on newbie servers. this makes sense as certain veterans would certainly take advantage of the situation, recklessly dominating the enemy team which could heavily distract the newbies from learning the basics at their own pace.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Darn, there goes my chance to make it look like I'm actually good at the game.

    Anyways, you can be sure us black armored people will be questioned a lot after the game is released.
  • spellman23spellman23 NS1 Theorycraft Expert Join Date: 2007-05-17 Member: 60920Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1977366:date=Sep 13 2012, 08:05 PM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TychoCelchuuu @ Sep 13 2012, 08:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1977366"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The original mod had this, except instead of just giving tags to people who had played a bunch, it was a volunteer system: anyone who was willing to help newbies out put [NSLearn] in their name so that people knew they could get help. This is better than guiding newbies towards people who have lots of hours because those people might be jerks.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Oh man, the memories. Then there was that Dojo thing for a while too.


    But yeah. In general people are pretty helpful, so hopefully they just start asking. # of hours isn't a good metric for helpfulness.
  • BurdockBurdock Join Date: 2012-08-27 Member: 156553Members
    As a heads up, for at-least release day there will be 10(and counting) "noob" servers, all with admin's and teachers....

    Over all I think the idea is sound, but only as a 1 on 1 mentoring. Once you get out side that, it get's pretty lackluster.

    anywho that's my 2 cents.
  • AurOn2AurOn2 COOKIES&#33; FREEDOM, AND BISCUITS&#33; Australia Join Date: 2012-01-13 Member: 140224Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Forum staff
    bad idea, terrible trolls like me would corrupt the n ewbies into uncouth playstyles.
  • RobustPenguinRobustPenguin Join Date: 2012-08-17 Member: 155719Members
    When I command I recognise names so Ill just try tell people to stick with other people.
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