Newbie help flag

[RaVaN]

Idea:  Opt_Help Newbie

Creates: A Help Newbie tag on Players willing to help in the Who list

Reason: To allow new/returning people an easy way to see who is willing to help

Other: When the New Player option is selected, A Help message telling them to type who and look for the Help Newbie tag appears at some point.

Extra:  This could be toggled on/off while zoning so they don't get a notell message while zoning.
 
           Restrict it to below level 30

           Make it vetted by immortals so it can't be abused...thus scaring the crap out of newbies and making them flee.

           Allow this to work through notell (I think this isn't the best idea for obvious reasons)

Problems:  I know, somehow, someway, someone will turn this to evil so don't!

[Alecto]

I think the flag should be an option, but make it only visible to 31+

I would also suggest that anyone who selects "yes" to "new to arctic" automatically be flagged with opt_newbiehelp as well.  Then the people who are not really new to arctic can toggle it off.  A real newbie might be overwhelmed with all the option commands

[RaVaN]

  Why only visible to 31+ if I might ask?  I can see it only being visible to 31+ and new players.  I can also see it being used to seek out unknowns as well if visible to all, but really anyone helping a new player can be fooled by a fake new player trying to find alts with or without a tag such as this.    On a personal note, I generally could care less if someone is trying to play pretend new player...generally will help out regardess/don't care if they find out and anyone willing to toggle that option on should feel the same.

  I considered the flagging the new player when thinking about this as well, but the issue in my eyes is that flagging a new player like that will most likely be abused as to have no meaning by alt hiding as well as creating a hostile environment for the new player by telling the world that is what he is, possibly limiting in some aspect his ability to group with people.

  My specific thought process on this is to create as easy a way for a new player/returning to easily spot and communicate with those players who are willing to help, not just 31+ helping who aren't always around.   

[gulca]

  My specific thought process on this is to create as easy a way for a new player/returning to easily spot and communicate with those players who are willing to help, not just 31+ helping who aren't always around.   

If you put out the words you are wiling to take in new/returning players, you will find the players coming to you. We did that a few wipes back, (aka AFK Kings) and it worked quite well. People dropping in for a period of time, get what they need to speed-start. and off they go into their respective ways/clan.

Of course it helps to have others joining your cause and helping out when you aren't log on.

Heroes (lvl 31s) are a bad choice to count on when helping out new players due to restrictions put on them. Players must help themselves.

[Alecto]

I thought it might give heroes something to do...heroes can goto the newbie and give them advice, but really can't help in any other capacity, so I think it would be difficult to abuse

[Dagda]

Players as helpers is a great idea, especially if the staff had a way of 'vetting' those helpers.  A tag on a player advocate would allow newbies to know that this player is here to help.  I would certainly volunteer to do that and give some pointers to a new player when I'm on.

[snax]

this is a pretty stupid thread.  sorry, but if you see someone asking retarded questions they *might* be new, at which point in time you can either humor them, troll them, or ignore them.  there probably isn't a need for code level changes for this, nor giving too much love, as usually they're fake new players.

I've done the fake newbie route at least 3 times over the last 18+ years with a few chars....It's always amusing to see how less than 5% of the playerbase is actually amenable to me.  I try to pay it forward and be amenable to the next person just in case they're truly new.

[Dagda]

this is a pretty stupid thread.  sorry, but if you see someone asking retarded questions they *might* be new, at which point in time you can either humor them, troll them, or ignore them.  there probably isn't a need for code level changes for this, nor giving too much love, as usually they're fake new players.

I've done the fake newbie route at least 3 times over the last 18+ years with a few chars....It's always amusing to see how less than 5% of the playerbase is actually amenable to me.  I try to pay it forward and be amenable to the next person just in case they're truly new.

While it may be stupid, being 'newbie unfriendly' is a reputation we have.  Some things need to be changed to help that and player advocates is something that may help.  Nothing heavy that I can imagine with the code on this, just a little bit of vetting of the player advocates by the staff to give them that tag.  It gives you no extra power and may even make you a target for some douchebags, but it may help the reputation of the game we all keep coming back to play but complain about the playerbase dying.

[snax]

I'm just concerned about <LFG> <NEWBIE> <Blah> <Blah> <CLAN> Douchebag the Titled Meglomaniac is standing here <invisible> <aggressor> style spamming up of the who list and LOOK commands that is so common in other muds.  I don't wanna see the game become a vomitorium of random colors and stupidarse tags.

[Dagda]

I'm just concerned about <LFG> <NEWBIE> <Blah> <Blah> <CLAN> Douchebag the Titled Meglomaniac is standing here <invisible> <aggressor> style spamming up of the who list and LOOK commands that is so common in other muds.  I don't wanna see the game become a vomitorium of random colors and stupidarse tags.

I'm with you on that.  Perhaps, some other way to identify 'newbie helpers' like a help newbie command or something.  Or just have the tag display for people who have chosen Y at new to the game.

[Stride]

I like the idea of creating a tour guide for each city.  It should be auto and show them how to read their map, where the stores are in each town.  Remind them to eat/drink as it affects their health and maybe to their first zone.  Maybe even something like help me collect *.* items and return to so and so.  Then Congratulations on completing your first quest type thing.