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Player Features and Ideas Discussion

 
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How to make EVE more accessible to new players?
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Chihiro Chugakusei
Fortune Hunters - Navy Operations
#1 - 2014-02-24 23:19:59 UTC
I really have no idea, but I'm sure that some of you have some great ones.

Bear in mind that the major obstacles facing new players are:
1. Acquiring skill-points and skills
2. Acquiring ISK and gear
3. Acquiring experience and knowledge
4. Finding a direction and goals. Since the game is sand box, not much is spelt out for new players.
5. Finding friends
6. and doing all this before the new player loses interest or becomes broke from subscription costs.

There may be more obstacles, but that's just a prompt. I hope to hear some great ideas! If I have any myself I will include them.

Keep it up, +1
Chihiro Chugakusei
Fortune Hunters - Navy Operations
#2 - 2014-02-24 23:23:25 UTC  |  Edited by: Chihiro Chugakusei
With regards to 6, interest and subscription costs, I think that it might help if new players (not alts or sidekicks) get +1 month of free game-play with their first subscription. The line of thinking being that the longer you can keep them around, the more opportunity there is for them to decide that they like the game.

So the would get, the trial days, and the month they pay for, and then +1 month on top of that.

Keep it up, +1
Chihiro Chugakusei
Fortune Hunters - Navy Operations
#3 - 2014-02-24 23:25:31 UTC  |  Edited by: Chihiro Chugakusei
With regards to 4, finding direction and goals. More 1 time quests, and perhaps epic arcs, could help get new players started. If it can take them through all the ropes, it will give them some direction until they can figure out what to do on their own.

Keep it up, +1
Little Dragon Khamez
Guardians of the Underworld
#4 - 2014-02-24 23:35:04 UTC
I've played other games and think that on balance eve does points 1 to 6 really well. I think you're trying to solve a problem that does not exist.

Every new game is difficult to get into, some are worse than others, but to be fair to ccp they've done a good job of overhauling the new player experience. It's currently the best it's ever been, apart from a bit of dumbing down, but that's unavoidable.

Dumbing down of Eve Online will result in it's destruction...
Ines Tegator
Serious Business Inc. Ltd. LLC. etc.
#5 - 2014-02-24 23:37:22 UTC
Chihiro Chugakusei
Fortune Hunters - Navy Operations
#6 - 2014-02-24 23:40:42 UTC
Ines Tegator wrote:
I strongly suggest this solution:

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=4238442


That's a good one.

Keep it up, +1
Anhenka
The New Federation
Sigma Grindset
#7 - 2014-02-24 23:43:34 UTC
Chihiro Chugakusei wrote:
With regards to 6, interest and subscription costs, I think that it might help if new players (not alts or sidekicks) get +1 month of free game-play with their first subscription. The line of thinking being that the longer you can keep them around, the more opportunity there is for them to decide that they like the game.

So the would get, the trial days, and the month they pay for, and then +1 month on top of that.



CCP does not keep track of what character belongs to which person, except as they need to in the course of an RMT investigation.

As such, any attempt to create a system where new players could get a month of free time would likely be greatly abused by the older players who would continuously roll new characters to take advantage of the offer, subscribing the new account under a newly made Email.

Player A sends invite to self on throwaway email -> Starts the trial, subscribes for one month on alt.

Player A's main account gets a month of gametime for the cost of one month of gametime, AND he gets 81 days of a fully paid alt to do whatever he wants with. Rinse and repeat every month for having one main account and an average of 8 slots of disposable characters he can use to gank, run FW plexes, or awox with that are going to disappear within 81 days.

CCP long ago gave up on restricting this or attempting to forbid even the current use of buddy invite + plex = Free 51 day trial.
Chihiro Chugakusei
Fortune Hunters - Navy Operations
#8 - 2014-02-28 15:48:53 UTC
I think survey skills at lvl 1, should be provided with new characters as well.

Keep it up, +1
Chihiro Chugakusei
Fortune Hunters - Navy Operations
#9 - 2014-02-28 15:50:51 UTC  |  Edited by: Chihiro Chugakusei
Little Dragon Khamez wrote:
I've played other games and think that on balance eve does points 1 to 6 really well. I think you're trying to solve a problem that does not exist.

Every new game is difficult to get into, some are worse than others, but to be fair to ccp they've done a good job of overhauling the new player experience. It's currently the best it's ever been, apart from a bit of dumbing down, but that's unavoidable.


Granted I haven't been a new character in quite some time, so I don't know what the current state of the tutorials is. I do however know that it can be particularly difficult to get into this game. As my case study I will point out that I got my cousin to join, and he basically doesnt know what to do if Im not on. So there is still some more work to do.

Keep it up, +1
Daichi Yamato
Jabbersnarks and Wonderglass
#10 - 2014-02-28 17:47:04 UTC  |  Edited by: Daichi Yamato
1) seems ok. takes a while to perfect things, but the vast majority of starter skills are very quick to train.

2) tutorials give u good money and a crap load of free stuff, including skills like survey (lol)

3) This ones important but already covered. u are strongly encouraged to find a player corp and go out and do.

4) same as 3. giving them more stuff to do with quests and epic arcs kinda just delays the moment they think 'right. now if done everything. now what?' embrace eve as a sandbox from day one, get together with friends and make ur own content, own goals. u will be happier.

5) same as 3

6) not really sure what can be done. new content keeps the ADHD crowd happy for a while, but they arent the type to really like eve's delayed gratification anyways. cant just continuously spew infinite new content. If a player finds his purpose in eve (look at 4), he'll stay.

players already get a free trial, which can be almost a month long if they are brought in by an existing eve player. there was once even a period where existing eve players could give u a 60 day free trial.

EVE FAQ "7.2 CAN I AVOID PVP COMPLETELY? No; there are no systems or locations in New Eden where PvP may be completely avoided"

Daichi Yamato's version of structure based decs
Daichi Yamato
Jabbersnarks and Wonderglass
#11 - 2014-02-28 17:56:42 UTC
Chihiro Chugakusei wrote:
As my case study I will point out that I got my cousin to join, and he basically doesnt know what to do if Im not on. So there is still some more work to do.


tell him what he can do in ur absence? is there no one else in the corp?

does he need to grind standing to get to later missions? are u guys miners trying to build things? no one else he can pew along side? what are ur current goals? can he not help and u pay him? what are the corps current goals?

EVE FAQ "7.2 CAN I AVOID PVP COMPLETELY? No; there are no systems or locations in New Eden where PvP may be completely avoided"

Daichi Yamato's version of structure based decs
Seliah
Red Cloud Vigil
#12 - 2014-02-28 18:00:41 UTC
Ines Tegator wrote:
I strongly suggest this solution:

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=4238442


This is a pretty good idea indeed.

I've also proposed another solution here, if you wanna have a look and tell me what you think, OP :

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=325189&find=unread