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Thread: New player experience... Make them feel a part of AO!

  1. #1

    New player experience... Make them feel a part of AO!

    This is not a whine post about needing new players, it's already been said there will be an advertising drive as soon as the new player experience hits. Instead, I'd like to suggest Funcom reverse a previous decision...

    Open the forums up to Free2Play players again.

    Here's my reasoning (these are just my opinions, not hard facts);

    1. New free to play players are not able to communicate via the forums, introduce themselves or interact with the subscribing players of the game.
    2. New players have to search for other places to get advice which means they turn to 3rd party forums. Not all new players will do this, opting to give up and perceiving AO as being unwelcoming to new players.
    3. Registering for the game but being unable to interact with the community does not make new players feel welcome.
    4. The low activity on the forums, in particular the "New Arrivals" area of the board, reflects poorly on the activity that there actually is. Sure there are a few posts, but nowhere near enough.
    5. The forums give the impression, rightly or wrongly, that very few new players try AO or stick with it. (please don't let this thread get into an "AO is dead" debate, that's not the point)
    6. The forums should be in integral part of any new player experience, we are the community they need to get to know.

    When I previously played as a Froob the forums were invaluable in getting to grips with the game, getting advice on my class, finding an org, finding market deals, even just getting involved in general threads.

    I recently came back as a Froob on a new account to see if I would enjoy the game to find myself locked out of the forums and unable to post. I could only get in on my original account. If this made me feel unwelcome, I wonder how the genuinely new player might feel.

    Please FC, re-open these forums. Yes you will need to moderate more as a result (more players, potential credit sellers, etc.) but the benefits to the new player should not be ignored. It is the new player you will need to attract and retain in the coming years.

    Please feel free to rip the above to bits, it's just my opinion as a relatively new AO player (well, new again) but I don't feel keeping new Froobs out of the forums does AO or FC any justice.

    Cheers

  2. #2
    ^^ this.

    That's all I can say. Absolutely agree with the OP.

  3. #3
    A hearty second.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Le-Quack View Post
    i might be a troll

  4. #4
    On one hand, locking out the free players from the main "offline" comunication channel, at least as far as two-way communication goes, is indeed a bad thing.

    On the other, since you don't need any "proof of identity" to register a free account and receive a forum account with it, it would allow (paid) players to create as many forum alts as they feel like for trolling, and also non-players to create spam accounts to post unrelated things, such as advertisements, malicious links and whatnot, on the official forums.

    Both things considered, it's not as simple a decision as one would think.

    "All things point to that they didn't play to win, but for the game itself and to play well. ... Later in their evolution, they forgot all about playing and having fun. When their corrupted minds only cared for what new ways they could gain power, there was no room for the simple things in life."
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  5. #5
    I don't know about you, but this forum account is linked to a froob account, and I've been able to post ever since my join date.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Hardcore View Post
    I don't know about you, but this forum account is linked to a froob account, and I've been able to post ever since my join date.
    Same here. And kinda fun cause its my paid acc who has no access to forums.
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  7. #7
    But the forums are...?
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  8. #8
    I wholeheartedly support this. Froobs aren't illiterate bums you know, I can't believe they're still being segregated like this.

    There is of course the possible spammer problem though. People would be able to reg countless accounts and come here asking you to buy their viagra or credits. Get some captchas or something ^^
    Dat Nanomage posterior

  9. #9
    Make them feel a part of AO!
    by repeatingly stabbing them with a rusty spork.
    Last edited by Otansaanpas; Jun 11th, 2012 at 17:37:42.
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  10. #10
    Even if Froobs don't have access to THIS forum, they have created their own forum and it's well used. I think if there is an idea that froobs don't feel like they are part of AO because of restricted access to this forum, they certainly make up for it through their own efforts.
    Awwww muffin, need a tissue?

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Honorbound View Post
    On the other, since you don't need any "proof of identity" to register a free account and receive a forum account with it, it would allow (paid) players to create as many forum alts as they feel like for trolling, and also non-players to create spam accounts to post unrelated things, such as advertisements, malicious links and whatnot, on the official forums.
    This is true, but other forums manage where no separate account is needed whatsoever. It means moderators will need to be on the ball.

    Quote Originally Posted by Obtena View Post
    Even if Froobs don't have access to THIS forum, they have created their own forum and it's well used. I think if there is an idea that froobs don't feel like they are part of AO because of restricted access to this forum, they certainly make up for it through their own efforts.
    Some will do this, no doubt. Others will just leave. New players can be just as much a part of a community as veteran players, if given the chance.

    Glad to see my ramblings were not all shot down in flames.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Solidocz View Post
    Some will do this, no doubt. Others will just leave. New players can be just as much a part of a community as veteran players, if given the chance.

    Glad to see my ramblings were not all shot down in flames.
    In all honesty, the number of people on the forums is only a small part of the community so allowing froobs access is probably not going to have the impact that people might think it would. Feeling part of the community with veteran players comes from playing the game, not trolling forums. Froobs aren't really missing much. I doubt anyone quits a game they play for free because they can't read a forum. The fact they have created their own little online community is testament to the dedication of the froob community of AO.
    Awwww muffin, need a tissue?

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Hardcore View Post
    I don't know about you, but this forum account is linked to a froob account, and I've been able to post ever since my join date.
    That's because you got yours during a small window when FC oopsied.

    http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...8&postcount=14

    Quote Originally Posted by Obtena View Post
    Even if Froobs don't have access to THIS forum, they have created their own forum and it's well used. I think if there is an idea that froobs don't feel like they are part of AO because of restricted access to this forum, they certainly make up for it through their own efforts.
    AOfroobs is dead as dead can be. It's even deader than the official forums here.
    Last edited by Phixalicious; Jun 11th, 2012 at 20:18:20.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Obtena View Post
    In all honesty, the number of people on the forums is only a small part of the community so allowing froobs access is probably not going to have the impact that people might think it would. Feeling part of the community with veteran players comes from playing the game, not trolling forums. Froobs aren't really missing much. I doubt anyone quits a game they play for free because they can't read a forum. The fact they have created their own little online community is testament to the dedication of the froob community of AO.
    I disagree completely, I'm not unique in my fondness of getting involved in the forums. I'm not saying this is a "one size fits all" fix because it most certainly is not, but being unable to join the forums when you seek to is almost like having a door closed in your face... You can stay on my land but don't bring your dirty hide inside my house!

    Creating their own community is a good sign that they would have used this one. Instead of one moderately busy forum (I say moderate as I don't think it would ever be bustling, not at the moment anyway) there are two very dead ones.

    That said, aside from the potential for more moderation being needed (every forum should be prepared for this anyway) are there any downsides to my suggestion or are these semantics? (not a dig, honest question)
    Last edited by Solidocz; Jun 11th, 2012 at 21:58:33.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Phixalicious View Post
    AOfroobs is dead as dead can be. It's even deader than the official forums here.
    Pretty much.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Solidocz View Post
    Open the forums up to Free2Play players again.
    Bump, open up the forums to froobs!
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  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Solidocz View Post
    That said, aside from the potential for more moderation being needed (every forum should be prepared for this anyway) are there any downsides to my suggestion or are these semantics? (not a dig, honest question)
    I don't see harm in opening up the official AO forums to froobs. It would come at a cost in time and effort and I believe the cost benefit is very low. I wouldn't support the idea unless I understood what compromises would be made to grant them access.
    Last edited by Obtena; Jun 18th, 2012 at 18:21:55.
    Awwww muffin, need a tissue?

  18. #18
    For Froobs to feel more accepted, it has nothing to do with forum access or activity. The two BIGGEST problems are in game. Teaming and chat activity, teaming above chat. There is FAR FAR too many multi-box teaming...been that way for YEARS and THAT is the killer above all. People may claim graphics or PvP balance but neither are the case. It truly is the lack of an actual community inside the game where players work with each other and help each other.

    I have been here off and on since 2004, which is far longer then most of the dev staff currently working on AO. This is also longer then a number of the current players...but the case with players is alot of them are here for a few months, then gone and back again, just a cycle. AO is unique, nothing else out is like it, no MMO or Single player matches it and NONE have tried. That is the ONLY thing keeping it going.

    Now giving access to the GMS would go alot farther to helping froobs with what AO devs can do. Also it would stablize the in game economy to real numbers, not the prices set by the maxed out levels only.
    Been around for 9 years since 2004...FC is a little stalled on in game content corrections.

  19. #19
    debump for letting the unwashed froob masses into the elitist paid account circlejerk that is the ao forums.

    imo froobs are like children: they should be seen and not heard.


    Quote Originally Posted by jandraelune View Post
    For Froobs to feel more accepted, it has nothing to do with forum access or activity. The two BIGGEST problems are in game. Teaming and chat activity, teaming above chat. There is FAR FAR too many multi-box teaming...been that way for YEARS and THAT is the killer above all. People may claim graphics or PvP balance but neither are the case. It truly is the lack of an actual community inside the game where players work with each other and help each other.
    wat? the teaming community is fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. last night my friend helped me kill Aquarius cuz i need gloves for my fixer. then we went and killed alba keeper with a third friend and none of us even multiboxed. i have no idea what you're talking about when you claim "lack of community" and "everyone multiboxes". maybe you should go out and make some friends instead of complaining on the forums that there's no one to team with?



    froobs don't feel accepted for the same reason people on welfare aren't feeling accepted by romney.
    Last edited by Lazy; Oct 15th, 2012 at 13:07:15.

  20. #20
    Froobs don't feel accepted because there is little to no meaningful in-game interaction they can have with paid players (which are the bulk of the population) and so they are generally ignored and forced to stick to their own kind. There's little in the way of a "froob community" because the froob population is much too small, transient and fragmented by factions, timezones, etc. Allowing froobs full access to the forums is not going to change that in any meaningful way.

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