Making Tirnua more accessible
December 21st, 2009 by Tirnua Luc Leave a comment Share on FacebookAs you have probably noticed this week, we have decided to put more efforts into making Tirnua easier for new players.
I would like to ask you for your help again:
- What do you think we need to do to make it easier for new users to play and understand the game in the first few minutes?
- Most users from facebook will only give us a few minutes. What do we need to do to get the attention of the new users?
We have focused lately on the new user quests, they involve basic UI training. It is ok for you to create a new account to check the current new user experience.
Thank you in advance,
Luc
35 Responses to “Making Tirnua more accessible”
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December 21st, 2009 at 10:27 am
The other day a new player came in to my place, and his question was, what is there to do here. Thats not the first time I’ve been asked that.
I usually tell them, as I did this guy, that the quests are a good focus for new players because you can get free items to learn about the different game features without needing money. If you find something in the quests that interests you I explained the ways to get money, and mentioned the pros for being a resident, especially with the current deal.
I gave a quick overview of the good/bad footprint focus in the game, and mentioned more is updated weekly.
Later I noticed he was a resident.
So I think people seeing what they can do before having to spend money is a good thing, however thats possible. Maybe a pop up with the pictures and titles of the many things the quests do, or the game features, to attract their attention right away when they first sign in.
I recently opened a 2nd account and did try out the quests, altho I’m stuck at one that won’t open, but thats about all new ppl can do without asking someone anyway. I think many people from facebook and elsewhere I’m sure are looking for instant free gratification. Things here take time….like an investment.
December 21st, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Nothing will help them “in the first few minutes.” Forget about it, everyone will be lost for a little while.
I make an extra effort to keep my lot(s) open to the public while I am actually doing something like growing plants or making biofuel, so people can see what is possible, but it is really, really tempting to close it, because they are always poking their fingers in something. I need to go look, but I suspect many people close their lots to guests (if not everyone) before they do anything actually interesting because n00bs will just start watering or disconnecting batteries willy-nilly. A few access controls on individual objects might help.
December 21st, 2009 at 2:49 pm
The quests and tutorials help new players get around and give them a small introduction to game functions. However, I don’t believe there is anything in the game that actually explains what Tirnua is! Unless a user spends time reading back through all the old blogs, or searching the other pages of website outside of the game environment, I don’t believe anyone gets a concept of what is developing in this new world. A basic in game information/’introduction about Tirnua, with different features listed that work within this concept might help get players more interested. For that matter, those of us that have been around for a long time only have a small grasp of the concept and we’ve been paying attention.
December 21st, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Hang on, I’m writing an essay on the subject… lol
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:09 am
I agree with all of the above wholeheartedly - and to expand on what Qute said:
We really DO NOT have a CLUE which direction Tirnua is headed! Okay, well, we have an idea; but really, who’s to know?
I think it would help a TON if there was a ‘Mission Statement’ released explaining the direction Tirnua is headed, its goals as a game, what the gameplay will eventually involve, etc., etc.; one can only guess, and I know you Devs yourselves have only so much of an idea as to where this lovely world is going… But still! Flatter us.
Can’t wait to read the essay, Raisin! lol
December 22nd, 2009 at 6:54 am
Okay no essay really but here’s what I think should be done:
1. Like Gracie suggested - some sort of flashy intro to the game. That looks amazing and shows what the game is about.
2. New players should instantly be tossed into the “action” and get things to do.
3. There need to be social places where people are gathering and they can start talking to people and earning money.
Like Luc wrote in the blog entry above, they only give Tirnua a few minutes. So they need to get interested immediately.
Another thing to consider is that many people don’t read pop ups, they just click okay. That’s hard to understand for those of us who work with computers etc, we read every popup and see what it has to say - but many don’t! So the way information is presented to them needs to change.
So why do they leave?
In my opinion, the biggest problem is that the game seems “dead” to them. They don’t know what to do, and nothing seems to be going on. So they leave.
Compared to some other games, and how they introduce new players:
Tso:
When you were new, you logged in and there were hundreds of places you could visit, where chat was going on. Contests were being held, people were paying money for jams, people were playing minigames such as pizza, there were stores you could visit with people saying hello, you could go around trying on clothes. You could do money objects on lots and listen to everyone talking. So in a way you got thrown into the social aspect of the game immediately.
Wow:
You get an introduction movie when you log in, the movie tells you the story behind the class you have chosen. You “fly around” the world of your choice and it all feels exciting, like a big world to explore, full of dangers and magic. Then you land in your starting area and there is immediately a guy with a yellow exclamation mark over his head, and you get your first quest, which is easy and makes you want to do “just one more” before you go to bed. It’s easy to know what your next action will be. You are instantly tossed into the gameplay.
Tirnua:
You log into the game. You get a popup saying something and a lot of people don’t read popups. They just click okay.
You land in the Lobby, there’s a lot of bodies there, standing or sitting, all look the same, someone says something in a foreign language. You don’t know what to do. You try going to different lots, nobody is speaking. Someone is on a treadmill somewhere. You don’t get it. You log off.
Since Tirnua is a social game, they need to be tossed into some social action immediately.
Since Tirnua is also about the beginner quests, they need to really get started with the quests and the quests should be a bit more interesting to do. Something has to happen straight away.
Suggestion for the social action:
1. Welcome lots with players greeting you and helping you get started
2. A need for everyone to gather in the same place and not be afk
Suggestion for the quest action:
1. Change the way the quests are given to players
2. Change the Lobby so it’s a bit more interesting, with some games they can play
3. Change the lots along the guided tour, so it’s not just a bunch of lots you can go to, but you get a quest on every lot
Welcome lots:
Give the older players a reason to start Welcome lots. Maybe monetary compensation or a chance to have a bigger lot, or faster skilling there etc. Make the welcome lots listed first in the “Open lots” search, right after the Lobby.
Need to gather:
Fix the game so we actually have to gather to do things.
Make some objects that everyone wants to use, but that must be used together, the more people the better. So there are always social places to go for everyone. Let people earn money with these objects, but the money would come from other players (who would also have a chance of making money with them) like a game of chance that doesn’t always pay off etc.
Change the way quests are given:
It has to be more “in your face” than now. I’ve met a lot of new players who had no idea there were quests. They had clicked okay on something…
Make a “questgiver” object and place it in the Lobby.
The object would give them the first quest and also reset bugged quests so they can try again. It would also have a button “report bugged quest” or something.
Change the Lobby:
It’s a boring place. Put stuff the new players can do there. Good minigames, a Goto to the Job centre and a Goto to the Market place.
Change the lots along the guided tour:
The new players don’t understand why they should take the guided tour. It just seems like going from one empty lot to another. It’s pointless to them.
Make the guided tour a “hands-on” training and trying things in the game.
On every guided tour lot, put a Tour Guide (object).
When they talk to the tour guide, they get a quest to do on that lot. Once they have solved that quest, they are sent to the next lot.
Example:
Push the cubes lot. If you manage to push the cubes and get to the end, cross the finish line, your quest is done. Turn it in to the tour guide and go to the next lot.
Flower tutorial lot. When you talk to the tour guide, a dormant flower appears on the ground. You water and fertilize it until it’s fully grown. If you fail you can take it again. This way they would really learn not to water the plants to death.
Recycling lot. You recycle your flower and get trash, and extract plastic from it in the machine.
Replicator lot. You create a dice with the plastic you got.
Treadmill lot. You fill a battery and sell it.
Boiler lot. You burn some wood.
I know this isn’t THAT different from the way the quests are given now, but the idea is that they should get something to do on that lot. And they should be special lots that are created for the new players. These quests would be easier and more understandable for the newbies. I think some quests might be difficult for them, such as “Go to every Tirnua store” (especially if it’s bugged)…
Every time you create a new object for the game, also create a new quest lot with that object.
Also, make it so when a player logs off, their last position is saved. So if they log off during a guided tour, they will be back on that lot when they come back.
Make it more obvious how to get back there again, maybe the quest giver in the Lobby can send them to the lot they have a quest for.
My thought with this is to
- Throw the players right into the “action”
- Make busy lots where lots of old and new players gather
- Give us more mini games
- Give us more to do together
This doesn’t sound as good as I would want, it’s not a great revelation or anything… But maybe it can give someone some thoughts, I’ll post it now anyway. It sounded good this morning… But you get the idea, the game is dead to them, give them some sort of action.
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:53 am
I LIKE THE IDEA OF MORE GROUP OBJECTS IN GAME. THERE SHOULD BE CERTIAN GROUP OBJECTS THAT IS ONLY OWNED BY TIRNUA. PLACES IN SPOTS LIKE THE COMMUNITY CENTER OR THE FIRST GUIDED TOUR LOT WHERE PLAYERS OLD AND NEW CAN INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER WITHOUT THE FEAR OF GOING TO A PLAYERS LOT.
ALSO WITH IT BEING ON A COMMUNITY LOT IS THAT IT ALLOWS ALL PLAYERS TO GO AND USE. US OLDER PLAYERS DONT BUY THEM AND WE WONT LOCK OUR HOUSES SO NEW PLAYERS CANT USE SUCH OBJECTS. AND SINCE IT WOULD BE ON A COMMUNITY LOT ONLY IT WOULD BRING ALL PLAYERS TOGETHER TO USE SUCH ITEMS. PLAYERS WONT STAY IN THEIR OWN LOTS NOT VISITING OTHER PLAYERS.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE SOME OTHER OBJECTS ON THE FIRST GUIDED LOT. THAT WAY NEW PLAYERS ARE NOT STANDING AROUND ASKING EACH OTHER WHAT IS THERE TO DO IN TIRNUA. THEY CAN SEE IT WHEN THEY FIRST GO TO A LOT. STUFF LIKE THE POKER MACHINE, TREADMILL, AND MAYBE A LIARS DICE GAME ALSO.
December 22nd, 2009 at 9:16 am
Some great ideas, Raisin. I LOVE the idea for quests on the guided tour. I was like “Doh, why didn’t anyone think of that before!” Also something in the lobby to do, but that can get crowded and it might be unworkable with so many new players in one place pushing every button they can see.
Welcome lots, too. Many of the people who know what they are doing are locked in their houses. Some are just natural hermits, but also some because new players can mess up whatever they’re trying to do. I try to stay public, but sometimes it is just too much.
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:03 am
This is VERY GOOD. please keep them coming. There are more ideas out there.
thank you so much!
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:30 am
I’m totally loving what Raisin, Fugs, and Cherry have to say! I couldn’t agree more!
Perhaps, like others said, future “job objects” should be placed on community lots - rather than making it up to us players to have to ultimately deplete our wallets to purchase our own (although perhaps at a later date, we’ll be able to purchase our own - when our community is more… existent. lol), and force us all to cooperate, or at least be Negative Nancies elsewhere.
Ultimately, this game is still in BETA. I know it sucks, because you Devs need the money (not that any of us can blame you! Such is life! Life costs money, which is just dumb. But that’s an IRL issue, lol), and in order for you guys to get a substantial income, you have to charge us. Which is basic game economics, really.
Anyway, the fact that the game’s purposes are still being created just goes to show that we really need to figure out where the line is drawn in terms of:
-Multiplayer Activities
-New Features, such as the Recycling Center
Where does it become TOO MUCH to ask us to buy the newest device? Maybe we should discover them as a unit, as a team of Beta Players (dare I say Founders?), rather than crawling into our own lots and keeping the discovery to ourselves/select groups of players?
P.S., I love how this past week’s core objects were so… inexpensive. I dunno if they were meant to be that way, or you’re just lowering the prices, or what… But man! It makes the future look promising…!
Anyway, maybe, at the very least, there should be a community lot with each available feature the game possesses? Like treadmills at Tread Station A (infinite fruit set to a reasonably low price, of course), recycling stations at Recycle Station A, etc., etc. … That way, while it may discourage people from buying their own machine (which, really, it isn’t; as of now, we can easily rely on one of us in the community to buy the new object of the week and we can all share it at one another’s lots), it encourages the community to prosper.
I also agree with the quest concept - it’s FANTASTIC! We need more interconnectivity like that between lots. There’s just dead air sitting there! Why bother visiting any of the Guided Tour lots when, really, it just shows you practically nothing? I’m just assuming there, anyway, since I’ve actually never visited. I’m too lazy like that. I blame the bear.
I dunno, there’s a lot of things wonky with the current look of things.
I agree with Raisin about the whole ‘intro movie’ concept, too. The easiest way to catch someone’s eye is by movement and color! Maybe not easily interpreted into Tirnua’s current graphics, since the anims are still kind of odd, and I’m sure more persona/world edits are to come, but… Eventually, it’d be great to have this. Perhaps now, just a “slideshow” type of thing with image-after-image (with captions) explaining the World of TirNua, and just increasing the definition of what the heck this game is/stands for!!
Blah, I’ll probably think of more ideas tomorrow. I’ll have plenty of time on my hands in Study Hall, I’m sure!
All I do is think or attempt to take a nap.
I guess I can always nap after school.
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Great ideas Raisin! (as usual) I’d love to see your quest giver in action!
Personally I would like to have a sign object. I think people are more likely to click on a sign on the property and read it before reading the property description. Especially when they have no idea what they are doing…or supposed to be doing.
Plus you can’t get instructions to fit into a property description. I think that would help us players communicate better with new players, even when we aren’t on the property.
Also, maybe if someone there knows PHP, and there is time in the day, since none of us really used the create a game option ourselves, could help us write the code for games we think of…I have one that involves dice and checker chips, but I’m not at a PHP level to understand what I’m doing yet. I’m sure other games could be thought of…and we already have the pieces, code is all we’re missing.
Even the code for connect 4 would make the game more useful. People play mini games all the time, is it possible to create them this way?
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:30 pm
I came across this list of “10 Green Social Networks You Should Know”
I’m sure they don’t have applications, but what about advertising, or Tirnua creating a profile on these sites? If the focus is going green why not get people who already have that interest involved?
http://earth2tech.com/2008/04/11/10-green-social-networks-you-should-know/
I believe this game is accomplishing one thing for sure, making me aware of my choices. That has to be the first step to being greener…if I make one rl change because of Tirnua, and others do too, Tirnua is effecting the world in a positive way.
(Not that I’m against FB or anything lol)
December 22nd, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Qute Pi;
“Personally I would like to have a sign object.”
I thought of the exact same thing, it was in my “essay” but I didn’t put it in my text here.
I would also want a sign. It should be very inexpensive to buy, perhaps just 10 tau. It should have the option to only write text, or, put a picture with your text.
Right now I’m using Goto Arrows for this. It works pretty well, I just type my message and then =0 after, so it doesn’t go anywhere. But they are expensive.
Qute Pi;
“..could help us write the code for games we think of..”
Absolutely.
Maybe we could write pseudo code for the games and send them to someone in the Tirnua staff?
Some games I can think of would require the creation of objects as well. I’m thinking of the Game show object, the Save the world Pizza and all sorts of other minigames. I’d really like to write some pseudo code and give it to someone who can program it, in whatever language they’re using. They could look at it and modify the code if they want it in a different way, that would be fine. But then they wouldn’t have to invent the algorithms from scratch.
(I know you’re thinking of simpler games with the game pieces etc but I took it further)
December 22nd, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Oh another thing;
Is it possible to let the new players select their appearance at all, before they enter the game?
Now they all look exactly the same, so they don’t really “identify” with their character at all. It doesn’t feel like “themselves” so they have nothing invested in it.
The one thing that always prevents me from making a character in Second Life, is the stupid character you have to choose when you enter the game (there are a few stupid characters to choose from but none that I could live with). I go to the page, try to choose, and click cancel (again).
Okay here they can change their appearance a little bit after they have already created a character. But it’s not the same.
It would do a lot for the game if there were differences between the newbies too.
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Okay, I tried out the new user quests now.
It’s improved A LOT - I really like the changes, and I think these changes alone will give the new players more to do. I didn’t even know we could drop an item on someone’s face in the Visitors tab to get a msgbox that asks if we want to trade or gift it. That was cool.
Still I’m seeing a lot of new players in blue shirts (if they have the yellow shirt on I guess they have done that quest).
Some small changes that could be made;
1. One thing was slightly confusing, the “Dip kiss a Tirnuan”. Since it has a 10 minute delay and the gift was left on the home lot so you couldn’t see the timer on it. I would suggest removing the timer (or including the 10 minute delay time in the quest text).
2. First water a flower - it could say something about “You will get the well after 20 hours” so people won’t rush out and try to buy a well, if they’re quick. If they have already become residents they might have the cash for it. Also at First water a flower, the next quest is to fertilize the flower. It might be better if you got a bag of fertilizer instead of a bench at the previous quest.
3. When I harvested my first batch of apple trees I was thrown off the lot and - lo and behold - my lot doubled in size!
The dialog was still broken though so it’s cut off and doesn’t show the whole text.
After that I seemed to get the “First tree harvest” quest again, even though I had just finished it.
Anyway, I really like the changes. Much much better than before, and easier, and more interactive.
I would also like a message onscreen when I level up.
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:02 am
Right now, there is no real need to visit other people’s lots. Could there be a way that we are benefited for having a certain number of people on a lot? Lot owners get rewarded tirnua for having visitors on their lot. How about the more people on a lot using the treadmills, their physical abilities go up faster. Some owners are worried about newbies overwatering their plants. How about making it so that once something is watered, it cannot be watered again until the next best recommend time. Or how about setting permissions so that only lot owners can water their own plants?
I know a lot of us loved to make pizza. Can’t you create an object that requires certain resources to be gathered to make something like biofuel or something else? The 4 personas then put in the certain resource asked by the leader to put in to create the ultimate biofuel (or whatever you come up with). We just need something that encourages us to mingle with one another.
Bring teachers back. Make it so that there are freak accidents so that someone has to revive someone.
I just need a little bit more excitement.
Thanks so far for what you have already done. I just miss tso. lol
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:32 pm
O.K. Please don’t take this the wrong way, I like my persona :), However, thousands of people are looking for the ultimate cool look and not just what they can do, I considered the possibilty of a “make your own persona” after the login page as a way to make or modify your persona before actually joining the game, Please take this with a grain of salt.On this page “make your persona” could, I was thinking?, Have some very new and super cool looking persona’s that would attract people into the game, Not that i think this can be done with the snap of a finger, Developers,Have mercy on me lol,But I think it would be a new approach to the game, And lets face it, If Tirnua had the coolest looking Av’s or I mean persona’s, That in itself would make them want to learn on thier own accord the game play functions that now exist, And I believe future things as well, Because by then they would be hooked like me lol. Just an idea
December 23rd, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I know many would like new Persona’s or have Idea’s about what they would like to see.Hey FUGLY lol I know you want the old Repairman look omg
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
HA HA HA ROCK, JUST CUZ I LIKE THE BALD LOOK DOESNT MEAN I LIKE THE OLD REPAIR MAN LOOK. IT MAKES ME DIFFERENT ALSO, BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I CHANGE MY SIM AROUND, MAKE MYSELF LOOK DIFFERENT. I CHANGE MY SKIN COLOR AND EVERYTHING. I JUST MISS THE GENDER CHANGE, THAT WAS ALSO FUN IN THE GAME ROCK WHEN WE HAD THAT OPTION.
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Yes FUGLY it was, but shhhh I was alway’s a MAN lol
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:16 pm
OH I had something else.It would also be a good page to have as to where they could go IDK maybe Cherrystreetboutique for example or where to get a job hmmm any think of me often lol
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
If it were not for typos I’d have no type at all .Another thing I thought would have been here by now are dances interactive dances a plus
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
About Single job objects, What about the “Orange marmalade table” < I know that some of us would have like 40 on a lot lmao
December 23rd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
On second though maybe a Work object like “Fruit Salad maker” I don’y know. Mamma come take me home? lol
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I know that the Devs are working on something similar to your fruit salad/orange marmalade idea, Rock. Or so I’ve heard. :O!
Lawl, I’m so discreet… not really.
I’ve heard they’re working on a juice bar. And, I’ve also heard they’re working on a caffeine source, but I’ll make you guess what I mean by that.
Anyway, uh, where was I?
OH, and I’ve also heard news about a job object finally, but… well, like I said, nothing can be substantially claimed, since uh… Not sure what the whole development side of things holds. In other words, I dunno if they’ve rethought their concepts and changed them around, or when they’ll be releasing this stuff, etc., etc. …
Yeah, I think we need to start having a weekly blog about ‘Upcoming Features’!!! I feel like I have an unfair advantage on knowing this stuff because I’m too lazy to spread the word around.
It’s not my fault that Monkey smells and in order to cloak his stench I have to nag for the latest news on upcoming features!
But yeah, we need some uh, outlook on the future. It’s only fair, am I right?
I was thinking of something earlier, but now I forget.
Fugs, I’m coming over to steal your memory pills. Just a head’s up.
December 24th, 2009 at 4:44 am
Raisin threatened to write a book….I think I actually did.
My take on “How to hook ‘em in 2 minutes”.
The face of Tirnua or an NPC tale:
Newbies, visitors and media need a face/persona for the game. Something personable, appealing and highly identifiable with Tirnua.
A variation of the Green Man/Mother Earth/tree & earth spirit archetype, (the Green Man in mythology, is the spirit of renewal, rebirth and regeneration of the earth in the spring). It would create an easily identifiable image for the game, that would also neatly reflect our ‘green’ theme.
Right now, the game’s first impression, is not very warm and friendly. While I agree and understand what others are saying about Welcome houses, group objects and lots…even incentives for older players to interact and instruct newbies, with greater controls to prevent disastrous interference from them, this is unlikely to be functionally accessible, in the first 2 minutes someone views the game.
I took the guided tour a few months ago (it may have improved) and most of the stations on the guided tour, are totally static…why put up with the lag of landing, readjusting view and scrolling around, for what appears to be little more than open fields with various items placed randomly on them (without walls, windows, roofs and doors, it looks random). A slide show, would be less frustrating/time-consuming, while accomplishing virtually the same thing.
This is why I suggest that a personable, attractive Tirnuan NPC, that is available 24/7, focusing on interacting with prospective players and presenting a repository of answers for commonly asked questions… while speaking in all languages…. is far more likely to leave a positive impression on someone who is only giving the game 2 minutes to prove itself!
That is the first step, the second step is a highly interactive and fast moving tutorial with significant rewards, to actually hook someone into staying, long enough to start looking for groups or welcome houses, and making friends with other players. And that would be the third step, integrating and making new players feel welcomed into the community, the forums and eventually the blog and wiki, through some sort of Welcome house, a rewarded task for posting on the forums or mentoring system, like roomies.
About the open/locked house issues, brought up, I would like to share my experiences. I have two lots with fruit, fruit stands at one lot and a video poker game, treadmill and fruit/fruit stands at the other. I am usually at the beach lot using the treadmill and poker machine to keep my skills up, and only AFK about 20/25% of the time. Neither of my lots are locked. Interactions are set to Auto-accept. I never refuse a friendship request and I answer random email greetings, longer than “hi”…which is all just to point out that I am available to help newbies, in every passive way possible in this game.
I get a fair number of newbie drop-ins.
It is extremely frustrating for me, because they appear on my Visitor list, before they ever appear in person on my doorstep. I greet them when I see them in person, but most of the time they exit the lot before they ever become visible to me, and 80% of the ones that actually land and enter the lot, are mute. I usually exit the treadmill or poker machine, so they can try it out if they wish, and sometimes they do, I greet and shake hands or hug, but not many respond or accept. Of the few that do talk…about 1/3 of them don’t speak English….sometimes, the interaction labels are in a foreign language, so I am not sure what we are doing until it happens…thus the auto-accept! This is very frustrating, because even though I am not fond of meaningless small talk, I do want to help players when I can. However, with the best will in the world, I can not answer questions I am not asked, nor share information or enthusiasm with totally unresponsive or non-English speaking people, and I am pretty sure it is not leaving a very good impression of the game on them, either. Because of my experiences, I feel that a more controlled introduction to the game would leave a better impression on potential players than random exposure to players and lots…especial for players that do not speak English. It is my belief, that after learning how to walk, talk and interact with various controls and aspects of the game, the newbies would be more comfortable and less shy about trying to interact and communicate with other players.
My suggestion:
An iconic Tirnuan NPC ( an artistic variation of the many earth deities, Tree nymphs, Mother Earth, the Jolly Green Giant and the Green Man but with a warm, friendly modern look and persona) would be the first thing to greet newbies, with a slide show/video of the game and it’s goals (short, sharp and tantalizing, like a movie preview). Then s/he would offer an option to take a tutorial or explore the world on their own. If they took the tutorial, they would go through various interactive scenarios demonstrating the major game aspects & opportunities. As they complete each one, they would get seriously cool and helpful items (not chairs, potted flowers and non-functional beds that consume their tiny lots!). That would give them a jump start on the active parts of the game. The items would be rewards for mini-tasks, and would be newbie versions of the items they just learned about…but functional and easy to use, so they get a real feel for the game, and begin to be invested in the goals.
Items with limited life, limited use, and limited ownership. Possibly the items could be sold back to the game, if they bought a resident subscription, to give subscribers a small Tau boost toward acquiring the real items, after a long enough period to prevent mules and gold seller from taking advantage (3 months seems good)
Here are a few of the tasks/items I imagined.
*Discover the various tabs and such on the user interface ( a simple walk thru), successfully dressing, finding online lots, sending messages (not to Tirnuans, that would be annoying, but to the tutorial), etc. Would gain them the option to change the color of their hair….not style, just color.
*Successfully creating clothing (using just 3-5 basic colors or texture loaded in the tutorial by the devs) would gain them a choice of changing the color of their clothing one of the ones they just practiced on.
And that quickly they have learned some basics and created a more personal avatar.
*Learn the basics of interactions, chat, and changing views, would gain a ranking on a newbie leader board or a badge….and the ability to change the color of their chat.
*An interactive demonstration of the rise and fall of the skills, so they know exactly what will deplete or replete their bars. Successful conclusion of this would result in a 10 bar lock on one skill of choice for a limited time.
*Have an interactive demo of watering, fertilizing and harvesting fruit but instead of a whole tray, only one plant. The reward for this would be a single sapling (half grown) of the fruit of their choice and a well.
(I like the idea of grape vines used only in the tutorial, with a schedule/timetable for the real trees, so the speed of growth and harvest would not confuse them later)
*A game room, with simplistic versions of a push puzzles (job type), games like checkers or chess, as well as video poker and liars dice (along with extra NPC’s to demo a game), carefully laid out to explain and show how all the pieces are used. The reward would be a game starter set, including: one each matching electric pole, conveyor belt, on/off switches, control stand, electric door and game wall. A game cube, dice and a few game pieces.
*Exercise room with step machine and tread mill, to demo how to use the batteries…and why. The full task would show how to fill the battery and how to sell the charge. The treadmill needs a big battery and the Step machine uses a newbie small one…the reward for successful completion would be the small battery and a Step Machine.
*Successfully acquire a job and complete one workday, gets a bonus payout the same as a resident (one time only).
Continue like this until all aspects of the game have been explained.
The final task would be to enter a room with real people, rather than NPC’s and chat, interact and befriend real people, and get a choice on a stack of floor tiles, walls and plants for their lot.
Here are some images of art depicting Mother Earth, Green Man and tree spirits, as a starting place to create the Tirnuan representative.
Images found on Google
Green Man: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&um=1&q=Greenman&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=20
Green Man &Mother Earth (mature) as Earth~
http://www.cortesisland.com/tideline/gallery/gallery_75/Greenman1.jpg
http://images.elfwood.com/art/a/y/ayudovin/greenman1.jpg
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://paganplaces.com/habitat1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://paganplaces.com/earth_mother.htm&usg=__pI1-SqE4_OYGehwl8-FBks2JTSk=&h=300&w=400&sz=59&hl=en&start=124&um=1&tbnid=DqSxuA1QckvBBM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmother%2Bearth%2Bgoddess%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D108%26um%3D1
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Vmd0suflAnM/Se331nBNJgI/AAAAAAAABLY/eNHZVlajTxI/s400/MotherEarthNoText.jpg&imgrefurl=http://beinggreenonadime.blogspot.com/2009/04/earth-day-cometh.html&usg=__tufVm6Jfk9wSjFTRSvG2yuVJ9k4=&h=400&w=303&sz=43&hl=en&start=82&um=1&tbnid=POxHwzFeXMkXuM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmother%2Bearth%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D72%26um%3D1
Green Man & mother earth as trees~
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/3042704467_717471aa53.jpg?v=0
http://www.my-photoshop.com/imvu/bgs/mother-earth-tree.jpg
http://scibiliafam.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/tree-goddess.jpg (mature)
http://peterpound.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/carvings_017.5984100_std.jpg
http://whisperingcraneinstitute.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/dancin-tree.jpg
December 24th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Maybe if you can figure out what it is about this game that appeals to Turks.
I have played a lot of games with players spread out all over the world, and Turks are always in the thick of things, they are born gamers, I think. But they are all over this game for some reason, and I can’t figure it out. Is it just some critical mass of players with a common culture and language? This kind of question is the only reason I still play games at all. It is fascinating.
December 26th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I’m new and have read some of the comments. Great ideas here. What frustrated me the most, is the tutorial - grow a tree. I don’t like the idea of logging back on and finding the tree seedlings dead, I watered them before I logged off. They died when I wasn’t even logged on.
I agree with giving newbs something more appealing as far as hair, clothes, etc.
From what I’ve read there doesn’t sound like there’s alot of group activities.
I played tso for several years, and I liked the idea of coming online, and just building if I wanted to or joining in on different kinds of activities.
For now I’ll watch the blog and forum to see how Tirnua develops.
I do think the devs have done some incredible work this past year and keep it coming
I know this is in beta. This is
December 26th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
duh scratch that last line. lol
December 26th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
…wow… great ideas… i am impressed, as usual, with my fellow Tirnuans…
…i agree w/ Gracie… there needs to be a statement regarding what Tirnua is all about available to new players immediately… something which makes the point that TIRNUA IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT… that it is a community, and like all communities, you will get more out of it if you actively participate and express your opinion on the blog & forum….
…that said, there are players who do not want to have to be bothered with any of that, so whatever statements are made should not be worded so as to deter them from playing…
…i like most of the ideas mentioned here… i really like Raisin’s suggestion of a “sign object”… that would be very useful since it would give us a way of posting information on our lots which would be readily visible to anyone landing there… i know we can use lot messages… but those seem to get missed since “out of sight, out of mind”…
…group objects… and group skilling would be wonderful, as well as single job objects…
December 27th, 2009 at 4:53 am
A kind of “Welcome Island” with tutorials and tasks to complete before getting into the main world would take some effort, but might be worth looking into. I do like Gilly most of the time and keep my lot public for newbies, but have pretty much the same frustrations. With the tie-in to Facebook, we get a lot of people trying out the game for free, but most of them have absolutely zero interest in actually playing this kind of game. You might as well screen them out at the start by letting them know that this ain’t Farm Town, and it ain’t imvu.
December 27th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Speaking of the newbies first experiences.
I know people have already written about how items in the game should be “baby proofed”, but I just want to stress this even more.
I try to keep my place open for the newbies now, but it gets so annoying after a while that I just need a break. The Tirnua crew REALLY should put restrictions on items asap. We’re not gonna give the newbies a welcome with open arms as it is now.
Examples:
I was printing a large item. It was at 90% done. Some guy walks in and clicks “Abort printing”. Woosh there goes all the money I had already poured into that object, all the energy and materials.
The other day I was watering at the store. I had lined up like 30 plants. In walks a newbie and starts their killing spree. I have no chance to stop them with 30+ waterings in my action queue, but at least it was limited to 1 dead plant since I could block the well.
Whenever I’m working out, someone always comes along and disconnects my battery and unloads it, unless I’m behind walls. Several times a day I see them standing there waving their hands as they try to disconnect me but can’t get to the battery.
I’m not a very naive person, I knew all this could and probably would happen, so I took a calculated risk. From now on I won’t be risking it anymore, I’ll lock the store when watering (and forget it locked a couple times a week most likely) and I won’t allow anyone into the house while I’m doing anything whatsoever.
But what kind of impression will the newbies get from the game then?
It can’t be that hard to only let owners and roomies use wells and fertilizers.
It can’t be that hard to lock batteries that are in use.
It can’t be that hard to only let the person who started a printing session, abort the session and lose all the materials already used.
It can’t be that hard to only let the person who started a boiler session, to turn the boiler off and disconnect all the parts.
Same with the bio fuel machine and the garbage sorting machine, sewing machine etc.
At this moment Tirnua’s choice not to “baby proof” these machines, is what keeps us locking our doors to newbies.
It should be first priority to fix this if you want the newbies to get a better impression.
December 29th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Unfortunately for the newbies, Raisin is right….restrictions need to be placed on the lots so only owners and roomies can do certain functions.
Also. don’t know if this has been stated but the Tirnua map is as confusing as hell to me. I have never really used it or tried to figure it out due to the complexity - and now it has flashing stuff on it that makes it even more of a complicated thing.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:49 am
… not much to add… so many good ideas… i totally agree about being able to “baby proof” certain items & functions on our lots… i have several lots that are set to “public”… but i would set more of my lots to “public” if i could protect my flowers and trees from over watering, my batteries from being disconnected, etc…
…also… LOVE the new user Quests… MUCH IMPROVED… much more user friendly and they FLOW beautifully… YAY!!
February 12th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
I just bought a radio but can’t get the darn thing to work. What else do I need to do to make it work. I have typed in every radio station that I know of and it won’t work. Can you make the radio easier to work. I might have to sell the radio if it doesn’t apply. Everyone else has theirs working in their room.