How do I get accepted into rookie servers?
OnosFactory
New Zealand Join Date: 2008-07-16 Member: 64637Members
New Zealand Join Date: 2008-07-16 Member: 64637Members
Comments
These guys have never played ns2.
These guys had some minor practice before hand but almost all of them are total rookies.
In those videos you will see that rookies do indeed learn the game on their very own. Sure, they do not play the way we veterans expect them to but that is not the point. Rookies are very new to the game and they do not know what things are. Let them learn at their own pace so that they are more willing to continue learning when they get to regular servers. The OP mentioned that there was a single rookie playing on a server with only bots as if that was a problem. It IS NOT a problem. That rookie chose to do that. He could play on regular ns2 servers if he wanted to.
I think coaching would have incredibly low returns on retention for the amount of development time it would need to be done even half way. Various coaching or mentor programs have been tried before without much success. No they did not have the official UWE seal, but it was tried. Planetside 2 has a community group who coaches/mentors and it has had little success to my knowledge.
Rookies do not need veterans to teach them. Coaching and mentor programs have been tried before and have not had any success. This alone is enough to prove that veterans trying to teach rookies has little or no effect on player retention.
Coaching/mentoring would be unwanted by the majority of rookies. I know this because it already is. Go on any pub server with any amount of rookies and you will have a hard time finding even one that is willing to actually listen to you. These players only play the game for 2 hours and quit forever regardless of any training.
The people who would benefit the most from coaching are more intermediate players who are willing to seek it out already.
This.
It has been agreed upon by many of us who would and do enjoy helping rookies that it is in their best interest as a whole that we keep our grubby paws off of them for their first several hours. This includes the instances where it's just one guy in the game looking around. Collectively we veterans would do more harm than good in rookie only servers.
See Also, A full round on a rookie only server.
The way I see it now is how did many of us? (veterans) achieve the level of skill and teamplay today, a few of us drew upon our experience within NS1 but NS2 is still different in a lot of aspects, no one taught us and we still managed to do fine.
Rookies will work out the game in their own time in a safe and secure environment devoid of outside influences, when they are prepared to step up their game, they can join our servers and learn from the best.
I came late to the party and was taught by some awesome people after I joined my first game. Then a lot of it was ISE's videos (back when they were still current). But I think I would have prefered the option to play with only low levelers at first.
Remember there's nothing stopping them from joining regular servers (after they play through the tutorial).
Adventuring vs Lessons
In terms of game land, which one seems more fun and would cause you come back for more? Things you discover on your own, making them your own tend to be a lot more fun. Compared to being told the "how to do" and "what to do", based on some arbitrary reason you don't even know the meaning of yet. Games should inherently teach players while they discover and play on their own.
Now in term of NS2, it has violated the rule of learn by play for it's entire existence. Mostly because of hidden game mechanics and newbies being thrown into the mix with godlike players. These last few months have finally been focussed on that adventuring part for newbies. And once they get invested into the game, they can take the next step to actually learn all about the game. In which they are now invested due to fond memories of actually learning by playing the game, while not encountering lightspeed skulks/lerks/fades or bouncing marines that shoot your down so quickly you can even react.
Entice through gameplay
-> Adventuring through how to play on their own
-> Getting them invested (retention)
-> Learn more "NS2 things", once they are properly invested
--> Heck they might even stick to their casual pubplay and that is their right! No one is forcing them to be DIV1 competitive playas
-> More players stick around
If for one am a rule breaker in any game I play, mostly because I want to test the game or break the game to some extent. If a developer tells me through game rules I cannot do stuff, you can be sure as hell I will do stuff. Never tell me what I can and cannot do, even if it kills me I will try it until I either cause a funny bug or even get into trouble for more fun.
Gaming should be fun, enforced rules are only there to guide. Too many rules or polish can make a game stale/boring, games should have some chaos to them (devs fear that