What i dont understand...

oMe

With steam there is big potential for an indie game.
Most of those steam buyers go to the steam forum to see if the game is worth it and if they have trouble.
Now why are there no sticky threads in the ns2 steam forum?
Yes uwe have their own forum, but at least 2-3 sticky threads with important information would have helped sales for sure.
Like a link to this forum here, some youtube channels, a faq and a common issues/fixes thread.

And now u make an free weekend the same week a major patch is released with big changes to engine and stuff...

I hope in the future they do this kind of stuff a better way.

KwisatzHaderach

I have been mentioning the abandoned Steam forums a few times and how noone seems to care about the unchanneled missinformation going rampant over there. All I ever got was "who cares about the steam forums?"

I really don't understand this attitude. Going on the steam forums as a potential buyer is quite sobering atm, because of all the whining. As you mentioned, a few stickies to more "informed" sources would really help.

tarquinbb

i think a big problem with ns2 player retention is the lack of communication though, not lack of stickies on steam forum.

if people actually do their bit and talk, get other people involved, they will enjoy their time more. granted, it's hard to keep a cool tone when your team is mega newb and don't listen.

Zaggy

I concur, a link to this forum from the steampowered forums would go a long way, a lot of the NS(2) core players only check these forums.

SteveRock

Hmm this is a pretty good idea. Will look into it soon.

ezekel

tarquinbb wrote: »

i think a big problem with ns2 player retention is the lack of communication though, not lack of stickies on steam forum.

if people actually do their bit and talk, get other people involved, they will enjoy their time more. granted, it's hard to keep a cool tone when your team is mega newb and don't listen.

more like impossible, every time you try and teach someone something they go rampant about how they're the god of call of duty and don't need any help learning the game, then proceed to sit in spawn welding everything

It's like you're being whipped while trying to teach a class room

I think it'd require a group of us to command both sides, then have a few of us as field players on the floor (to make sure the direction of the game doesn't go nowhere, and to have someone strategizing on the ground)

Maybe a few of us can agree to join a server that seems filled and help some new players out? cause doing it alone makes you want to beat yourself with a keyboard

Zinkey

I agree with @tarquinbb but @ezekel does have a point. I got into NS2 during beta having not been an NS1 player and the amount of players that actively used the in game voice chat was far more common at that time in my experience, and this probably was the biggest factor for me with regards to what kept me playing. People were helpful on voice, and because it was a majority thing the whole experience was far smoother, I've always felt that better use of the voice system by experienced players would really help new player retention.

That being said, its really difficult to not get stressed out by new players and keep the voice chat as something that gives players a positive experience. In fact one of the biggest problems I have faced with regards to this is new players just full on ignoring voice chat. I am yet to give the new tutorial a go so I'm unsure if in game voice is mentioned at all, but I think definitely making new players aware of this functionality and how much it can help your team and yourself to use it would be a really valuable addition to the tutorial content available.

Alongside this it would really help if the experienced players used it more as well and encouraged it, when (as I found) the majority of players are all working together on in game voice its far easier to jump in and get involved as a new player. But thats a really difficult thing to change/incentivize.

_Necro_

@ezekel: Maybe bad luck? I just played one round as aliens and lead an attack on the final base. I found the greens listening more to orders (despite not knowing where what room is) than pseudo-pros. Just give them the time they need and be nice. It works for me.

Vetinari

The problem I usually face with greenies is that they ignore their environment. I try to help them, but they ignore both chat and voice chat. It's just frustrating.

But anybody who listens can be influenced, and if you have a bunch of greenies listens and tries to do their best, it's usually fun.