Flamespar
Woof Club
267
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Posted - 2012.02.20 00:46:00 -
[1] - Quote
Rather than focus on what knowledge we need to impart to new players. I thought I would talk about how the NPE should make players feel. You will find that the way players feel (excited, terrified, confused) is far more important for getting them to invest in the game than the quality of the knowledge we seek to impart.
Generally the new player experience should begin in a simple environment with which a player is already familiar (avatar) and then guide and acclimatise then to their new environment (flying in space).
My suggested approach is to use different environments to acclimatise players. Hence the first environment they encounter (clone vat room) should be about movement and meeting Aura. Beginning the game in the clone room helps to teach players the most important lesson of EVE, which is: you are going to die. Death is such an important part of EVE that you want new players to understand that it is a normal part of game play from day one.
Another way of making this point could be to begin the game with the players first death, when they discard their original body and join the ranks of the immortal capsuleers. You could do this with a video (similar to the awakenings video) after the player has created their character. Perhaps you could show a Caldari character shooting themselves in the head as a test of military resolve and as a display of their dedication to the state. An Amarr character may sip poisoned water as part of an religious ceremony. A Gallente character may die in a laboratory at the end of a needle. A Minmatar character may die to escape a prison.
Showing this 'first death' in this manner, is an opportunity to establish the 'feel' of EVE, and also to begin to show how the four empires differ in their attitudes.
Once players have exited the clone room, they then learn how to connect to other players and NPC corporations in the captains quarters (or in a multiplayer establishment once they are implemented). This is important for two reasons. Firstly because player are more likely remain subscribed if they are part of a social group, secondly because EVE is about social interactions (even when conducted down the barrel of a gun). They key concept to convey to new players, is that if they want to be successful, they need to connect to other players.
The next step is to get them into space. Getting their first ship should feel like an exciting moment. DonGÇÖt just have it sitting in the hanger already. Have it granted to them by an NPC as the final part of their induction into the ranks of the capsuleers. The player is about to exit from the safe confines of the station into the limitless expanse of space. It should feel like a big exciting moment. They should feel like the world is starting to really open up before them.
Players first space based missions should be about instilling a sense of wonder. A sense that there is already something else to discover. Have them unexpectedly come across a wormhole during a seemingly routine mission. Have them encounter the Sansha during a courier mission to a customs office. Introduce them to the pirate factions by a note slipped under their door in the CQ.
What is most important, is that you don't want them to finish the NPE and think 'is this it?'
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