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Forums / Questions and Answers / Keeping the new people

Keeping the new people
05:23:39 Nov 6th 12 - Mr. Sonjo:

What do you think is the best way to keep new players?


Personally, I think it is human interaction, encouragement, guidance, and forums.


Admins responding to suggestions and improvement forum and stop ignoring the players


10:06:49 Nov 6th 12 - Zephyr (Marquess Roland II):

But Admins do have a life too, we are all humans, and is hard to answer every question, 'cause RL happens you know.


To keep new players we must encourage them to stay the question is how and what will make them stay.


13:29:21 Nov 6th 12 - heroix (Mr. Heroix):

VU has all - human interaction, encouragement, guidance, and forums. What it doesn't have is something shiny that attracts people. A good content must catch an eye first and only then people realise how deep and interesting it is. The very first steps of the game has to be attractive.


There are a lot of games that are total crap, but tons of people play them because they looks nice visually and has an easy and catchy introduction.


18:00:13 Nov 6th 12 - Zephyr (Marquess Roland II):

Heroix would you please mind explaining me very detailed this one sentence:

The very first steps of the game has to be attractive.

What would you do as an individual to make the first steps in VU more attractive and catchy?


18:12:28 Nov 6th 12 - Mr. Farm Over Here Come Feed:

My idea of a giving a good first impression / good first steps:

Have a good, comprehensive tutorial with good explanations and some interactive "activities" that will let a new player learn the game quickly and appreciate its attractive points. That way, the player won't step out into the world like some lost child waiting to get run over by a truck (sorry for the sucky metaphor, but I think it is the most accurate description).

Such an endeavor (the tutorial) would require effort, patience and determination, but the payoff would be great. Bigger playerbase = bigger number of BT buyers = bigger income for Zeta.

But *shrug*... he hardly does anything nowadays (nowamonths?). So nothing ventured, nothing gained.


18:29:22 Nov 6th 12 - heroix (Mr. Heroix):

That is the tricky part. VU itself is not shiny or has a lot of great graphics. But I would start with creating a pretty login/registration screen, which has some screenshots, main features of the game pointed out so people could make assumptions what this game will be about and if it suits them. Example:


Visual-Utopia features:
  • Team strategy game
  • Interactive strategic map
  • Tick-based system
  • Multiple races and different strategies
  • Rounds lasting 2-3 months
I think the most important part would be making a decent and modern fantasy-style design, but that is either costly or someone talented from our community could put some effort in helping with that. But that's unlikely :(

That's just an idea that should be improved, but I don't think there is cheap and easy way to make this happen.


01:49:59 Nov 9th 12 - Ms. Hard And Rough Baby:

This game is dated and only appeals to a select crowd, which is diminishing as technology progresses. Similar to how you don't see swarms of people rushing to play text RPGs / 'roguelike' games, as they only appeal to a select crowd now (which is diminishing).

Give a kid the choice between DOOM and Call of Duty - which do you think he will choose to play?



01:52:48 Nov 9th 12 - Zond (General of Legend):

Kid better pick doom or ill kick his ass and rage him in some CoD and come knock on his door and beat shit out of him (saw on news someone did that lololol) 


02:07:41 Nov 9th 12 - Mr. Salazar:

Shogun total war, medieval total war 1 & 2, Rome total war, etc. 

 - there is a huge crowd for this kind of game, but this game needs to be ramped up a little more to tap into that crowd. 

This type of game will not succeed without an overhaul. I know Zeta seems to have lost faith in this game, but I think he needs to wake up from his slumber and recognize that he has something that is pure gold covered in dirt. If he would refine the gold he already has, it would shine. 

Maybe it's just me, but I think he could do it.


15:22:36 Nov 15th 12 - LukeTheDuke (Mr. Eddard Stark):

"I think he needs to wake up from his slumber and recognize that he has something that is pure gold covered in dirt. "



Exactly! This game has an amazing potential. I really wish some other game developer would come along and study this game, and make his own version of it. I would play it in a heart beat.


21:42:07 Nov 29th 12 - Ms. Szeph:

I honestly think the name needs to be changed, I dont mind it but some of the looks when i tell people what its called really makes me think a change wouldnt be so bad


23:00:16 Nov 29th 12 - Prince Chade:

I think that the real gamers do not really care about the name...a real gamer cares more about dynamics and visuals rather than name :)


02:43:00 Dec 17th 12 - Duke Darion The Child Slave Driver:

yes that might be true, but when the name of your online strategy game sounds like it belongs to a porn website we might be having a small issue lol. but ultimately  I agree with Chade: the name of the game doesnt/shouldnt really effect the retention rate of VU. 


honestly I think the reason most people dont play is because the amount of time you have to invest into the game isnt rewarded with immediate gratification. it can take easily over a month for you to win an era (or die trying - in which case new members might believe their time has just been wasted for having been killed off so quickly after weeks or more of building up)

im not sure what the solution to this problem is, but im sure it would help in almost every aspect if Zeta somehow earned money for the further development of this game through allowing side-bar ads, etc...


04:00:39 Dec 17th 12 - Electric (Electric Piro):

A name of a game is what sometimes pulls you into playing it.. I would be playing world of warcraft if it was called humans and orcs occasionally fight.


19:48:27 Dec 17th 12 - Endless (Ms. Archangel):

Maybe Zeta should sell VU to a gaming company and let them develop it? Uggh, please... you'd be paying for everything    


and I don't know why you'd want more people playing it other then you're bored with the current community... imagine millions of players, imagine millions of flaming threads :D... hmm maybe we do need more ;)


21:00:16 Dec 17th 12 - Mr. Dandelion:

 "but when the name of your online strategy game sounds like it belongs to a porn website we might be having a small issue lol"


This seems like a solution not a problem to me.  Visual Utopia has been spotted on my browser a few times and to be honest, I'm quite happy for my friends to think it's porn.  Rather that than an online game

Then again, that's just me.


23:58:27 Dec 17th 12 - Electric (Ms. Pink Warrior):

rather have your friends know your a perv then a geek :P


00:48:46 Dec 18th 12 - Mr. Dandelion:

You win some you lose some


03:41:34 Dec 18th 12 - Pure (Mr. Axwell):

04:48:27 Dec 18th 12 - Endless (Ms. Archangel):

Maybe Zeta should sell VU to a gaming company and let them develop it? Uggh, please... you'd be paying for everything   


He wants $100k for the game apparently. Doubt any gaming company can see any profit in that.


15:40:45 Dec 18th 12 - Mr. Redstick:

everyone knows how to figure what something is worth you take a salary how long would it take to make VU a single programmer about 4 months. so thats about 20K then add 2 years net profit and thats the value so maybe VU is worth 21k?


10:44:49 Dec 19th 12 - Stirlin (Dark Prince Stirlin):

the 5 new player worlds is the dumbest idea ever, its just a cesspit of new players who havnt got a clue, they need to be immersed into the vu experiance not thrown into a shallow pool with other retards.

the player base is spread far too thin, too many people are killing off the new guys, bring back the old system of just fant, the bred some of the best players, why change a system that worked?


23:08:35 Dec 31st 12 - Mr. Xanatos:

Stirlin, they get thrown into the VU experiance and get smoked by everyone, i mean whats the very first thing every one does usually? clean up the untaggeds, untagged= soloer or noob 
or they get into an oop war where the untaggeds stuck in the middle are forced onto a side or smushed.


23:26:34 Dec 31st 12 - Yukan (Mr. Grandline):

Honestly I like the lower worlds where I can actually survive alone.


The higher worlds are crowded and seem like a "My kingdom has more players... We win!" type world, but that is just from my experience on Zetamania (Only since era 19) :|

I played once on Fant and it looked like there was absolutely no way a small KD or a solo player could live on such a small map, which is why it seems so unappealing to me...


02:31:07 Jan 1st 13 - Pure (Pure Pure):

I have to agree with Heriox an TBL, we need  the game to have something eye catching, a welcome page like the old VU (except more appealing). As well as the interactive tutorial for new players, zeta said something somewhere though about the tutorial doesnt actually help keep players or something. (Ill try to track the comment down later)


00:12:03 Jul 26th 13 - Mr. Xen:

as a new player I say:

Take out the chat. 

Nobody responds on the chat ever, so new players feel alone

I know because when I first started playing I was asking for help on there (several times over the course of the day) and no responses :-(

But i found info I needed in the forums. 

So take out the chat, direct people to forums, GG


00:21:30 Jul 26th 13 - Binh (Mr. Binh The Orc Warrior):

Yeah, every 100 players that play vu maybe 1 of those actually use vu chats.... Most use Skype chats.


01:05:10 Jul 26th 13 - Struddles (Toaster Struddle):

The biggest issue is new players don't have a proper funnel into the game.  There used to be a homepage and a tutorial you could play before entering.  My tutorial videos (I'm working on new ones shut up!) are in the forums but new players have no idea to look there to find them.


It really comes down to there is no way for new players to get into the game and understand the mechanics beyond if they happen to come across a guide.  I've said many time's I'd be a guide and honestly I personally think there should be a mentor program that all players could apply to be a part of that would help out the guides.  If you think I'm crazy look at my 3 posts here http://visual-utopia.com/forum.asp?f=Suggestions+and+Improvements&t=Suggestion%20to%20keep%20new%20players&page=1

I basically will keep it short this is what needs to be done to be fixed:

1a. Get rid of multiple characters it has killed the interaction and drive behind the game and people just quit a character if they start losing on a world.  I've seen it too many times. There is now no intensity no fight for survival since fuck it I have two more characters I can play.

1b. On my tutorial account the one I am using to create the new tutorial videos I started about a week ago so I could show the difference between cities and how they should look when they get maxed out.  A guide found me and messaged me just yesterday.  I WAS PLAYING A FULL WEEK ON A NEWBIE ACCOUNT BEFORE I EVEN WAS MESSAGED WITH SOMEONE WANTING TO EXPLAIN THE GAME. That is way to long and honestly it's not their fault they can only be online so often and can only have so many eyes on the field but this is where my mentor idea comes into play.

1c. Veterans can sign up to help new players that enter the game by being able to see their cities and give advice and answer questions and tell them what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. This mentor program would be strictly for the "newbie world" and it would allow new players the chance for meeting knowledgeable players that would be able to not only help them but it would add more interaction and would help players find kingdoms that they can get into after they leave the newbie world.  Hell it would almost become a way for people to recruit people into their kingdoms and would virtually cause a "minor league" mentality all the while helping players get a feeling like the community is backing the game which we do attempt to do.

2. Get rid of about 70% of the worlds we have now and bring it back down to 3 worlds.  Fant/Mant/Zeta if you really want the new players to learn have one tutorial world where players can learn and practice before being thrown onto the main worlds.  Guides can run different kingdoms on these worlds and they can learn and fight each other in a controlled enviroment. Simplicity.

3. Balance the god damn HOH for fucks sake this is an issue that can make the game less appealing.  When a new player starts and see's nearly 80% of the players rolling as halfling it subconsciously reeks lack of diversity and when a monstrous portion of the HOH is controlled by one race regardless of how well others do you know there is a problem.

4. Implement the new map that has been so lovely designed for us in this thread. http://visual-utopia.com/forum.asp?f=Suggestions+and+Improvements&t=New%20map%20suggestion&page=1

Fix these things and you will not only help bring your current players back together on realms and you will allow proper education and funneling of players that join the game into proper worlds with a knowledge of how to play.  People ask the same god damn question and I've been giving the same god damn answer since the mass leavings of players.

BTW I lied this is not short at all sorry.


05:30:01 Jul 26th 13 - Mr. Smallfry:

How about we just integrate a skype chat with a KDs forum so that they can do both? Problem solved. 


06:23:53 Jul 26th 13 - Struddles (Toaster Struddle):

Because the issue isn't the chat necessarily most people straight out of the gate will try it for maybe a day and forget about it.  If there was a way that mentors/guides were informed in the same sense that leaders/vices are informed about kingdom apps they would be able to message a player right away.  Hell you could even have a list of race mentors when a player joins.


Race Mentors:

Players A/B/C/D are all experienced players with Halflings and if you would like them to message you about learning the race please select them from the drop down menu.

This could be done with every race and would allow players to get the information straight out of the gate.  As I said on my tutorial account I spent nearly a week if not more before I finally was messaged by a guide not because he didn't want to message me but because he was on the other side of the map.  Had I not been a veteran I would have never lasted that long.  I hate to make it seem simple and basic but the issue is not getting people to chat on skype its getting the to communicate in game.  Most kingdoms run skype and will give the info to you when you join a kingdom but getting them to that point where they have the information is what kills them.

I don't want it to seem like new players are idiots but they are new for a reason and you basically have to hold their hand through set up.  Think about it in terms of learning to walk.  Your parents didn't put you on two feet and tell you hey go pick up the newspaper outside you have to take baby steps and one of the biggest ones is helping the guides and if you ask them I'm sure they will tell you flat out they aren't able to reach every single player that starts the game.  This is another issue that would be resolved with my mentor idea since the player would jump in the game and would be able to actively choose a mentor that is online and would respond and answer questions.  These wouldn't be full blown guides but having the ability to look over what a new player is doing and say, "Hey you should be building like this it is better and will make the game a bit easier for you."

It's basically setting up building blocks that allow players to meet the community rather then feel like they've been dropped in the middle of the game and are completely on their own.  If you believe I'm wrong create an untagged character and drop them on the map and play like you normally would only don't message a single person and see how long before you actually receive a message from another player it's staggering the amount of time it takes before you receive a message.


14:59:23 Jul 30th 13 - King Charley Deallus:

The only reason I stayed was because I landed near Prince Sprout and he game me a mini tutorial on how to play, then he added me to his KD and we started killing other people.  Then I went straight to Fant ;D


09:54:45 Jul 31st 13 - Mr. Puesdopazuzu:

So can someone help me? I'm on latha and am sort of a new player. The controlling kd say there are a learning kd and they will take anyone up to 10 players. They have 9. The leader says they are voting on my app but keep on prepping on my cities. I have been teleporting him off since it seems to me he wouldn't be doing this if they were planning on taking me. He has a corp coming down here and am not quite ready. Is there anything that I can do? Not the best way to keep players on a training world. 


14:36:58 Jul 31st 13 - Stirlin (Prince Stirling):

not much you can do, seems the kd are noob stomping, their ploy in "voting" on your app is deceptive, its to buy them some time to kill you.

my advise,
raze your city, die, and join a kd in a higher world, then land with them


22:11:30 Jul 31st 13 - Zephyr (Marquess Esmeralda):

They are obviously staling to make time to send more armies to take your cities.  I demand you publicly announce this kingdom you speak of! :P


22:20:18 Jul 31st 13 - Dark Spawn (Lord Dark Spawn):

If its Plague Bringer Jugulate I must say its hard to believe that. I was new few eras ago, and I was asked to join that kingdom, I did and they taught me a lot about the game. They are indeed a learning kingdom, but I guess you need to go through a certain application form, as they need to make sure you are not one of the veteran players that made a new account?

I am sure if you write to them with respect, you will receive respect. Good luck.


23:36:06 Jul 31st 13 - Zond (The Gravitation):

PBJ helps new players, granted can only have 10 players in a kd there. We generally accept the first to apply.. ofc we check to see who you are.


07:31:22 Aug 1st 13 - Struddles (Toaster Struddle):

OverthereCity Info
Owner: Mr. Haru
Size: 1360 building(s).
Kingdom: Plague Bringer Jugulate
Race: Halfling
Gates: closed

This was his city earlier today he lost it just recently.


08:03:23 Aug 1st 13 - Azaruc (Mr. Azaruc The Wise):

Since I'm in PBJ, I can shed some light on this situation.

We are definitely NOT a noob-stomping kingdom (in fact, the only town I've taken belonged to an ex-kd member that went inactive).

The reason we did not accept Mr. Puesdopazuzu is because of his behaviour against our leader before he requested to join us. However, we still offered him help in this game.

Thirdly: the player that ook his town (Haru) is actually a new player.

 

Just to get the foul stench out of the air. Playing on the lower worlds leads to accusations of noob-stomping way too easily.


08:08:07 Aug 1st 13 - Struddles (Mr. Toast):

Not saying it was you that did it Azaruc but it does not look favorable when a player wants to learn and then gets killed for having the first people he meets be in a kingdom that is meant to teach players and you allow the members kill him.  Not a great situation.  But he's moving up to my corner and he's gonna hang out with me since I'm hoping you won't be messing around with me any time soon it should give me a chance to allow him to build up a bit and experience the game.


10:58:09 Aug 1st 13 - Azaruc (Mr. Azaruc The Wise):

Everyone in our kingdom is ordered not to touch you, so don't worry about that. Contact with him went through Shyers, so I don't know exactly what else was discussed, but I know he offered to help him out too.

Problem is that we need to teach our new players how warfare in this game works too, so we can't just accept everyone into the kingdom as it would leave them with no targets.


16:13:05 Aug 1st 13 - Struddles (Mr. Toast):

I whole heartedly agree but I am on the map and more then willing to be a bit of practice for your players hell I will even put together different sized armies for them to fight.  Honestly I wouldn't mind being used as a practice target rather then killing a new player.  This is really the issue with the game currently.  New players who do want a chance to learn are passed over because of kingdom cap or simply there aren't enough people for them to practice fighting as in this situation.


It's a crappy situation that isn't really positive for the player that gets left out and I realize you cant hold everyones hand but no one wants to feel like they are not only being told you can't join a kingdom that is meant to teach new players but you aren't even going to live because the kingdom you want to join to learn the game is now killing you.

This is a problem with having so many worlds.  The new players are spread so thin they don't get to experience any form of real war and it mostly becomes eating new players that wont fit in the kingdom because of cap.  It's something that should be looked at.  Think about it in terms of how the player that isn't in the kingdom feels especially when they are trying to learn the game.


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