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Steam Launch

This is a game for roleplayers. We want your ideas how how to build the better game. Post your suggestions here.
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Uthanatos
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Steam Launch

Post by Uthanatos »

With the pending steam launch we are going to be dealing with a lot of newlies, most of whom won't stick around, and that I get. Dealing with one newly is a thing, it's doable and whispers for OOC are a bit annoying, but sufficient, with two or three, it becomes a process, repeating yourself over and over in OOC whispers. Can we set up an OOC room like the unknown in the unknown, except somewhere on the plane of threshold so that we can just rally them in there to explain things like keybindings (most common OOC topic I've run into) I realize this goes against the core of the game being entirely IC, but given the....aged nature of the controls, they are remarkably difficult to get used to and not entirely intuitive in the keybind listings. I'm sure there are other topics that cannot be resolved IC, but that one sticks out to me pretty heavily.
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Koi-Cricket
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Koi-Cricket »

This is an interesting suggestion, and thank you for thinking of the newlies that we will hopefully gain from the launch of Steam. This is definitely something to think about, because even though the interface seems easy to use, a new unfamiliar person with Underlight may think different. I at one point had thought about the Courtyard being such a place, but I am not sure how we could work that in.
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-Lacie-
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by -Lacie- »

I respectfully disagree with this suggestion. 97% of the aspects of Underlight can, and has been, taken care of in-game and in-character. When you take the aspects of the game and reduce them to ooc statements, you detract from the essence of Underlight.

This is why too many people have come to UL, played a while, and quit. Boredom. When you don't stay in character and require everyone else to do the same, you lower the experience for us all. This is NOT a hack-n-slash, this is a role-playing game and if the simplest of aspects of the City can't be explained in-game and in-character by people wearing halos, claiming to be Teachers, why are these people teachers ????

Lace uses these aspects of the City to teach the student how to roleplay and stay in character. It IS one of the three rules we agree to follow. Most sincerely don't know how to roleplay. This way, they learn what they ask about AND how to roleplay. And... if we do it aloud where other people can listen, she might not have to repeat herself so many times. I think this is what Wish meant when he said he wanted volunteers to help with the newlies, instead of ... well this.

Mebbe I'm going overboard, I've been known to look at the extremes sometimes. Uthy? Can you give like 5 examples of things that need to be explained OOC that can't be easily explained in character? Mebbe we can look at it that way?

I said 97%, so one example might be how to configure a keyboard. That's something that is truly difficult to talk about ingame. So for a resolution for that one, a short, sticky post in the forums would fix that. So, mebbe if Uthy (or someone else) can bring up some examples, we can handle this, case by case and avoid an OOC room.

~Lacie~
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Koi-Cricket »

Thanks Lace, your opinion makes a lot of sense. I think we were leaning solely towards the ooc aspects such as keybindings, etc. We don't want anything to take away from their IC gaming experience, so I do appreciate your opinion.

I am thinking more along the lines of how on most games that you play, you automatically do a training on your first launch, some sort of screen flashes with some captions or something may be nice. But, I have actually working on a small side project that includes learning all of the ooc things that the new dreamers will need to know, not sure how it will turn out, but I think it would be helpful.
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by -Lacie- »

That sounds both exciting and interesting, Cricket. I look forward to seeing how it works!

~Lacie~
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Uthanatos »

Honestly the keybindings and keyboard layout are the biggest thing, most other things can be explained IC...with rare exceptions because some people just can't make the connections. This is a huge thing though, since two handed keyboard is a lost art and I'm willing to bet very very few in the city use the native keybindings, even fewer among combatants. It's easy enough to say Turn to your left while stepping to your right when teaching how to use the circling technique, but have you tried strafing while turning and stepping backwards periodically using the native keybindings? I know that I, for one, was completely ineffectual until Arnaya's controller helped me with finding a keyboard setting that worked for me OOC in whispers.
“Sometimes it isn't easy to be sane, smart, and responsible. Sometimes it sucks. Sucks wang. Camel wang. But that doesn't turn wrong into right or stupid into smart.”
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by -Lacie- »

What about making a short YouTube video about it? That would really help and put our face out there too some more. I think we're in total agreement about the key bindings.

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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Tary »

Literally everything needs OOC explaining when you're new.

Think back, if you can, to when you were a totally green Underlight player. There were so many different times when you had to break character to ask how to do something. More generally, you had NO IDEA you had to even remain in character, so you broke character until someone said you shouldn't. We can't afford to be pedantic about "oh don't say AFK, say trance" with new players. We very much need a safe place where they can be trained and I don't see why this detracts at all from gameplay. Take them to one of these three places:

1) Provenance
2) Welcome Center
3) Library

And teach them, and drill into them that this is an OOC place for learning about the game ONLY. Everything else is in-character as it always was. Those places, incidentally, are not to discuss where they're from, what they do, their A/S/L, how the Jets are doing or whatever. It's JUST FOR LEARNING THE MECHANICS OF UNDERLIGHT. And it does so interactively and makes the person feel welcomed by our community - by the humans in our community, not some boring YouTube video where someone clicks around and talks to the screen for 30 minutes.

Yes, the draw of Underlight is its IC nature, but what turns so many people off is the insular community. Being pedantically IC is a turn-off because it makes the community harder to crack. Let's make this easy and sweet and say that sometimes it's ok to break character if it's for the purpose of teaching someone how to play the game.
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Uthanatos »

^ What he said
“Sometimes it isn't easy to be sane, smart, and responsible. Sometimes it sucks. Sucks wang. Camel wang. But that doesn't turn wrong into right or stupid into smart.”
― Jim Butcher, Cold Days
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PKChrisChan
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by PKChrisChan »

I could see OOC rooms for training being useful however I do see a potential problem in which these rooms become OOC chat rooms in game.

"Oh, this room is OOC. I'll show you the hotkeys and I'll bring up other things too"

However....
Macobas' statement is absolutely correct. Don't be pedantically IC that it turns people away. There's always the potential for non-conventional roleplayers like Hael, Vistael, Zsa Zsa Nmoto or a hundred Lu Chaoses or Harkyns. Be prepared for whatever may come and open minded enough to help them out. They haven't played the same game you do (lyrans) so don't force them to roleplay the way you do. Hear their ideas out and work with them to help them feel they can make an impact on the game.

EDIT: If there ARE ooc rooms I would prefer that they be one way entries....with no exits. Wake out. With lots of words telling them THIS ROOM IS OOC!
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Dakkoth »

Mechanics aside, what sold me on UL was the roleplaying. That’s why I still play the game. Other RPGs just don’t cut it. They aren’t TRUE RPG like UL is. We are in a sense hardcore RPG considering most games slap “RPG” on their genre and talk about the Jets (I like Patriots personally).

Seeing our veteran players role play is awesome. Especially the in depth role plays. For me, I had the privilege of Ladybug helping me on my first dream as well as a IRL friend to show me some things. But there were so many others who helped (Purple Lace, Cianne, Elektra, Rathis Tarn, +100 others etc etc). And while I was standing around with my character as a newly awakened dreamer, watching others role play about the content of the game...the story we all write cohesively together... I became hooked. And if the new players don’t get hooked on the RP of the RPG, then...well like Lace said “this isn’t some hack n slash”.

FYI...I will gladly volunteer to thresh sit and assist the newlies. It would be an honor. Can’t wait to see them chalk bodies and weird names enter.

Mike
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Tary »

My point is that they won't even know to stay In Character in the beginning. Let's not lambast them for them or be all, "A KAHM-PYOO-TURR YOU SAY?! WHATEVER IS THAT FOR?!?" Recognize that HotCockDude6969 really has no idea what roleplaying is, but something about our retro graphics drew him in anyway, so there's definitely hope. We just gotta ease em into it.
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Arnaya »

I agree. From what I've heard, things during the Mplayer days (apparently the time that had the most active playerbase) wern't nearly as elitist about roleplaying. It was still roleplay enforced apparently... but people could "Lol" and whatever. We're going to need to adopt some of that mentality if we're going to keep pretty much Any new players.
The most important lesson I've learned over this past year, is not to let anyone make you cruel. No matter how badly you want to give the world a taste of it's own bitter medicine, it is never worth losing yourself.
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Dina »

I love Uthy's original idea and most of the others. I remember being a newly and not knowing CRAP about this game. Luckily I lived near Moondust and she taught me the basics. It took OOC explaining for me to get it. With all these new people, you can't expect them to have a slightest clue. If you see them talking ooc in game, kindly whisper to them that this is all to be IC and to go ((OOC only in whispers)). Don't blast them, don't bother the GM's unless there is a player that is just out of control. You know we will get these types. Give them a chance and yes, I believe there should be a way to talk OOC with them, as long as they know it is just to help them get acquainted with the game. If I didn't have Moondust, I would have given up.

Just remember to be there and HELP them.

I also like Lace's idea too about YouTube. Have it near the download button "CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE TERRITORIAL" or just on the home page but a big area that catches their attention. Have one that shows the game and then how to set up keybindings and the other aspects of it. People like pictures/videos more than reading.
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Re: Steam Launch

Post by Kelos »

When UL went to Mplaquer it was insane.....1000's entered the dream....100s joined houses.....rooms became unstable..storage rooms stormed horribly....Planes crashed...We will all have to have patience...Now that questing for spheres and arts are necessary, I think alot of the new ones will get bored and leave. This will be a test of all the old players and elders alike....But guess what....It's gonna be fun!
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