MassivelyTV: Anarchy Online Edition!

[Tikra]

I guess that depends...does he plan on doing Hecklers in Ado?

Clan side doesnt need any swimming at all and is easy to reach for both factions

[Fawnspawn]

As long as it's not camped.....again.....



Anywho, when I started playing AO 3 years ago, when I got to N00b Island I had the pop-up tips. Now though I can see how they are helpful, it was kind of annoying as well. I understand the whole "immersion" in the game from the first discussion with Brandon Thorn but a) would love to have graphics of the crash forced by the alien ship during the "loading" time from character/prof choice to the island, or just right after loading; b) when you get your maps/travel key from your choice of faction NPC to get to the mainland they could mention that you will need to purchase maps to other areas in order to see them on the mini-map once on the mainland and that you need to put IP in your map navigation skill in order to use some of them; c) definitely make Brandon Thorn more noticeable, either by moving him closer or post a sign hologram over that crate of his stating that all new arrivals must see Dr. Brandon Thorn for fitness testing or some such - that way you know he's the first one you have to talk to once you arrive on the beach. Actually having the characters swimming to the beach would be cool too, you know, you are crashing and the captain of the shuttle says "Hey, we're going down in the water, swim for shore!!" and have a hatch open up and suck you out into the water.

Ok, so maybe a little overboard on that but it would still be cool.

Mission markers - absolutely highlight the active one. Nothing more frustrating then to have more than one in the same area and realize you're trying to complete #3 instead of #1 and so on.

Umm....forgot what else I was gonna say but there ya go. That's what I get for being in l33t form too often....

I remembered! Character marking when you're in a building would be helpful! When I log in shop areas sometimes I have a tendency to forget which city I'm actually in and have to walk outside in order to find out. Though it's not really a big issue, an actual GPS-type thing would show you the address of your location, or at least the city!

[Tikra]

Camped Ado Heck spots these days? No way! ^^

Apart this, Fawn, your noob experience was ecactly like mine, almost 4 yrs ago.
But i have to admit: It wasnt "too hard" to recognize Brandon Thorn as a NPC and just right click this dude is something.. well, natural. He's got a blue name. That makes curious anyway.

I think newbie experience needs some revamp. But the way it is (and was) isnt too hard when you use a lill bit of your brain. And to me, AO never was some easymode game at all. It needed some brain right from strart. I wouldnt want to miss it.

Yet, i agree totally to a bit more explanation of skill tree. Specially in ways of Prof specific Nano reqs and weapon choices... Maybe some showroom of low / mid / end level options and their reqs?
Wouldnt mind this.

[alfora]

Why is this video online?

That guy has absolutely no clue how the game works but makes a video about it?

• He doesn't know how to use the user interface but fumbles around until he finds the skill window.
• He doesn't know WHAT PROFESSION he is playing? I mean, shouldn't he try to find out about himself BEFORE he starts recording the video?
• He doesn't know how to read his missions.
• He runs around aimlessly in search of his mission but never uses the map. Instead he talks about how great this game is and how difficult the quests are.

This video is NOT helpful for AO in my opinion.

[ArienSky]

Why is this video online?

That guy has absolutely no clue how the game works but makes a video about it?

• He doesn't know how to use the user interface but fumbles around until he finds the skill window.
• He doesn't know WHAT PROFESSION he is playing? I mean, shouldn't he try to find out about himself BEFORE he starts recording the video?
• He doesn't know how to read his missions.
• He runs around aimlessly in search of his mission but never uses the map. Instead he talks about how great this game is and how difficult the quests are.

This video is NOT helpful for AO in my opinion.

It is not _meant_ to be helpful, it is to show how someone new to the game experiences it..

[-Klod-]

Why is this video online?

That guy has absolutely no clue how the game works but makes a video about it?

• He doesn't know how to use the user interface but fumbles around until he finds the skill window.
• He doesn't know WHAT PROFESSION he is playing? I mean, shouldn't he try to find out about himself BEFORE he starts recording the video?
• He doesn't know how to read his missions.
• He runs around aimlessly in search of his mission but never uses the map. Instead he talks about how great this game is and how difficult the quests are.

This video is NOT helpful for AO in my opinion.

LOL "Join Date: Jan 2009"

Oh, wait...

[alfora]

LOL "Join Date: Jan 2009"

Oh, wait...

-Klod-

Oh, wait...

[alfora]

Actually having the characters swimming to the beach would be cool too, you know, you are crashing and the captain of the shuttle says "Hey, we're going down in the water, swim for shore!!" and have a hatch open up and suck you out into the water.

From what I remember from my first experience in AO (@Klod, before my "join date" in the forums because froobs could not have forum logins in 2004) you started in a huge arrival hall. You could go around and talk to the NPCs and they told you things about Rubi-Ka and the factions.

They also pointed you to the shuttle that would bring you down to the planet. And that shuttle really crashed! It was not shown on the screen but you found yourself on a small rock in the sea in front of an NPC that started to talk to you. There was a (lengthy) description that told you that your shuttle just crashed and that you should swim to the beach (which took ages) and talk to Brandon.

Unfortunately Funcom decided against the arrival hall and thus you are literally stranded on the beach without any background information why you got there.

[alfora]

It is not _meant_ to be helpful, it is to show how someone new to the game experiences it..

Well, in my opinion it doesn't show how the game experience is but only shows that Beau hasn't prepared himself for this video. I mean, he doesn't even know how old AO is ("10 years old? Will be 10 years old?"). And he also says in the video that he had played AO before. He brags about how great the user interface is, finds the preferences to adjust the music volume almost instantly, but doesn't know how to open the planet map or use the PF map?

I really asked myself, "What is the target audience for this video?"
Old players? New guys who never heard about AO? Do you want to scare them away with this video?

If you want to show the game experience for new players, why not start on noob island and show the first steps? Show how the IP distribution works when you level up.

Then you could show the missions system, the daily missions, and some outdoor areas but please don't run around aimlessly.

[ArienSky]

alfora, it is free press, we can not decide what we want to allow or not.. if someone makes a video, they are allowed to.

no need for you to think it is without meaning and that everyone making a video -should- prepare first.
They can do as they like

Also from the perspective of someone new playing the game (or not having played for years) I do not think they would prepare, looking up how old the game is etc. before playing..

At least I don't prepare for a game, I don't even read the manual, I just go play.
and I think AO should be like that too..
Present the possibilities on the website, but let players pick up the game and play without preparations.

This video is a view into how one player does it, and I think it is nice to see, as it normally is hidden what happens to new players.

If FC redesigns the start of the game, they -could- offer an ingame item if people video their first try. that would be valuable feedback indeed.

Feedback on how to get things better to me is worth more than a falsely positive review.
but alfora, you are entitled to your opinion of not having people upload unprepared gameplay videos on the internet I just think it is a lost cause..

I will take your question
"Do you want to scare them away with this video?"
I want a society where people are allowed to do (almost) whatever they want.
I can disagree with them, but it is OK with me that people present the game as it is, I do have problems with people lieing about the game and/or misrepresent it, but I see nothing of that from the video, just some confusion.
A confusion I think is valid for a new player.
If we can make that confusion less, that is something good coming out of this video
If he had prepared and not made a single error as you suggest, we would have learned nothing.

That is my take on it
Kind Regards
-Ariensky

[alfora]

alfora, it is free press, we can not decide what we want to allow or not.. if someone makes a video, they are allowed to.

All fine and true and I don't say anything against that.

My criticism is aimed at the way the video is made. (I think we all agree about how new players feel when they start to play AO. There are numerous threads about a new Arrival Hall or Noob Island on this forum.)

Even if you want to upload a video on YouTube you should be very clear about it what you want to show. You want people to click on that link. You want people to refer to your video and tell friends to watch it. You want people to come back for more videos by you.

And this is the reason why I don't understand why Massively puts such a video on their site. I have to admit that this video was the first one I have seen on MassivelyTV. But why should I go back for more? Massively gave me no reason to browse for more videos on their site.

[raw_fox]

Great video - Well done everyone who helped him along. Too bad I missed it :S

Too bad he was trying to find the wrong mission pointer for the longest time

np, this game is all about learning and experience
but it was awesome to see, how a "new" player reports about the fresh experience, that was really very nice to watch.

[-Klod-]

-Klod-

Oh, wait...

You just didn't get it.

[SoapTarder]

From what I remember from my first experience in AO (@Klod, before my "join date" in the forums because froobs could not have forum logins in 2004) you started in a huge arrival hall. You could go around and talk to the NPCs and they told you things about Rubi-Ka and the factions.

They also pointed you to the shuttle that would bring you down to the planet. And that shuttle really crashed! It was not shown on the screen but you found yourself on a small rock in the sea in front of an NPC that started to talk to you. There was a (lengthy) description that told you that your shuttle just crashed and that you should swim to the beach (which took ages) and talk to Brandon.

Unfortunately Funcom decided against the arrival hall and thus you are literally stranded on the beach without any background information why you got there.

removing this whole sequence was a big mistake. i started playing when the froob program (or very shortly after, somewhere in late 2004 or early 2005) came into affect, before the term froob was coined. that whole sequence of the arrival hall, the shuttle crash and the swim to shore was a great opener for an mmo. sadly, they removed the whole thing instead of just adding an option to skip it. very unfortunate.

newbie isle was great and i never had trouble finding anything... until you reached the mainland. if the transition into the real world (so to speak) doesnt get fixed then good luck having new player retention after rebalance or engine.

*edit* if devs ever get around to new startup experience, there definitely has to be a "run to the left" sign or poster somewhere as an inside joke.

[dustbunny]

All fine and true and I don't say anything against that.

My criticism is aimed at the way the video is made. (I think we all agree about how new players feel when they start to play AO. There are numerous threads about a new Arrival Hall or Noob Island on this forum.)

Even if you want to upload a video on YouTube you should be very clear about it what you want to show. You want people to click on that link. You want people to refer to your video and tell friends to watch it. You want people to come back for more videos by you.

And this is the reason why I don't understand why Massively puts such a video on their site. I have to admit that this video was the first one I have seen on MassivelyTV. But why should I go back for more? Massively gave me no reason to browse for more videos on their site.

Maybe you should do your own homework and check out what Beaus' "1 week of..." column is all about before complaining about it?

If it's not to your liking, then don't go back. His STO re-review video got me to renew my old sub, though, so first hand experience says his videos work. He was also very positive about AO; I think that's much more of a draw than a polished presentation - or knowing EXACTLY how old AO is (who gives a flying thingy?)

[alfora]

You just didn't get it.

You never explained it.

[-Klod-]

You never explained it.

TBH, I never thought I would need to.

[Memphisraves]

I started in 01 (Didn't get into Forums until a year later) where you began in a chamber where you watched your character being created, and then walked through different science labs as you choose your hair and height etc. Afterward you arrived in the famous "Arrival Hall" I never remembered a crash landing on a shore back then, all that happened was you stepped through 1 of 3 lines leading to either OT / Neutral / Clan backyards in the major cities. I started as Neutral and ended up in Newland BY7 (Yes I still remember the BY #). I found myself killing mutants for a good hour then not realizing there was more to the game than just the backyard, I didn't know where the exit was. Then I kept seeing OCC chat and people talking about how big and great cities were, and I thought to myself "Cities, I wonder if they are anything like Deus Ex" (That was the major Sci-Fi SP game at the time I was playing). However, I found the old fashion Science Lab Avatar Maker > Arrival Hall > Backyard MUCH more appealing than this current dreadful Newbie Island, I make new alts constantly now, and I can't see how this island helps a new player but rather makes them feel stuck even worse than I did so many years ago.

As for the Massively guy and people bashing him, you do realize what his column is all about right? As klod said, it's free publicity, something AO gets NONE of usually. If you don't like it, then don't, but plenty of others do. I enjoy seeing other random games I don't know about and see them from a perspective of a newbie, don't get mad simply because he chose to do our game out of his MANY selections.

[BeauHindman]

I get this quite a bit when I play a game. "You're not playing it correctly!" -- I hear that more often than not.

The point of the column was originally to find a random game and play it with readers. Since I was streaming live before working at Massively, I continued to stream for this column. "Rise and Shiny" was the original name of the streaming "show." (I originally was going to do it every morning.)

Now, as far as HOW I made the video: to have an issue with how I streamed it is sort of...well, uneducated about how I write my columns. I start on a Saturday with the new game (although at this point almost no game is new) and by Tuesday (the day I am streaming live for our channel, part of a line-up of "shows") I am already in mid-experience. Was I expected to go back and stream the very first moments on the island, despite already passing those moments days before?

In other words, it might help those that criticize how I write the column to remember WHY and HOW I write the columns.

Also, I am not sure where someone thinks I did not know how to open the planet map. If it seems that way in the video, that is only because I was being slammed by Tweets, FB messages, emails, instant messages and help in game. I might have been confused, but I definitely knew how the map worked.

Remember, the column is about how the game plays for me, at that particular time.

Not how I might play it after a year, or even after a month. Definitely not after how I would play it after SEVERAL years. Seriously...it's all explained in the column every month.

Beau

[Mastablasta]

Hey you're on the internet, you have to realise noone reads anything but will critique it at leisure ^^