Nv Sheng
Interstellar Archaeology
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Posted - 2012.02.20 05:31:00 -
[1] - Quote
I've done a lot of thinking about the New Player Experience in EVE for quite some time now. In fact, I recall giving a lot of feedback on the changes made previously (which were mostly ignored or lost in the plethora of responses) and I'm going to basically re-state them all here now.
First, as has been said may times already by others earlier; walls of text are BAD. Show me what I need to do in a video. For all of those non-English speakers out there, PLEASE make the videos in multiple languages. You already have localized clients so it shouldn't be too hard to have someone translate the text and to find an appropriate "Aura" to read it in the local language. Along with this, having more than one "Voice of Authority" in the tutorial is very bad. It confuses the one trying to learn, and distracts ones attention when it should be laser focused on the subject at hand. My suggestion here is to use your starting station as an actual school and use both the in station and in space aspects together. Have the new player go to a classroom where they are shown how to do something (like probing down an anomaly) then have to go out into space and perform the activity. Show them what to do, then have them actually do it. How do I pilot my ship. How do I target something. How do I configure my overview. How do I warp to something. You get the idea....
Second, the "Career Agents" aren't actually part of the tutorial. They are an introduction to the MISSION system. As such, they should NOT be trying to teach anything but simply show what kinds of things will be asked of a player IF you choose to pursue one of those mission agents. These are mostly fine as is, except the current "Scanning" and "Advanced Combat" agents should be folded correctly into the previously mentioned tutorials that they actually are. Also, they should check a pilot's skills to make sure they actually can do what is required of them, and if not instruct the pilot to "come back when you know how to..." whatever it is they need to do. Like "Come back when you know a little something about Industry (Industry skill to level 1)."
Third, EVERYTHING that is currently available in the help channel "Tutorial" section NEEDS to be covered in some way by an actual tutorial. Not all of it needs to be done right after creating your character and entering the game for the first time. For example, there needs to be a way for a player who wants to run a corporation to find an IN GAME Tutorial for running a corporation. Perhaps a "Class" offered by the many NPC corporations / Universities called "Corporation Management 101" or something that requires a smallish ISK fee to take like a real University would charge. You would then have to go to the correct station, decant from your pod, walk to the classroom and sit through the "Lecture" video showing you how to do what you want to do. (Note how I'm giving you something to make walking in stations actually useful here)
Fourth, again to re-iterate what others have already suggested, having some sort of "Ship Fitting" tutorial, with an EVE Fitting Tool like item IN GAME to try out various fits would be beneficial to everyone. As would the ability to sell and buy fits on the market. We can save them save them for personal and corporate use, why not allow us to make some ISK selling them??
Fifth, most new players leave the game because they get frustrated. Something happens, regardless of what that something is, that makes them think "This SUCKS" and they leave. Part of that is a feeling of "I can't do anything" or one of "No body cares what happens to me" which is totally part of the EVE experience the veterans grew up with. This is the #1 thing that needs to be fixed, but I don't think there is an answer to this that won't fundamentally alter the game. Simply forcing people to join player corporations WILL NOT SOLVE THIS. Creating a absolutely secure sector of space WILL NOT SOLVE THIS, simply delay it until they leave that super secure space. This goes way beyond the simple loss of a ship, or being podded. Having something early on that points out the many (and quite cleaver) scams, cons, ganks, etc. that can and will be purpatrated against the unwary may expose some of the hazards. There are so many out there that I fear a single tutorial about this topic would require a multi gigabyte download all of it's own though...
Sixth, and something not really related to the New Player Experience but I'm gonna say it anyway, you all truly NEED to re-do the entire missioning system. For years now you have been saying you know it's broken, but it would take too long to re-do all the missions to use better AI. Well, you might as well bite the bullet and decide one of the next expansions is going to be the one where you make PVE exactly the same as PVP. Start with the level one missions, and work your way up. Part of the problem with the combat mechanics in EVE is that PVE is sooooooo different from PVP that there is nothing that can bridge between the two. Make missioning a solo / small group PVP emulator and "BAM!" problem solved. You already have the AI to do it, you simply need the will to go ahead and implement the changes, and actually do it. It may take multiple updates, but afterward everyone will be better. No more people whining about "but I didn't have a PVP fit ship" because all fits will be PVP fits. If you have to simply delete all the current missions and make entirely new ones. That won't hurt me at all, at least not till I run out of ISK from replacing all my ships ;-)
OK, I'll hop off my soap box now, and hopefully someone at CCP will actuall listen this time :-) |