General Player-base "Feelings"

[Mister E]

Word of mouth is the best way to get people IMO. Advertising works, I do not dispute that and it is based on a numbers game. Somehow though I feel quality over quantity is what FL is about. I try to get people to play but it is hard. I have played text based games since 1994 or earlier, most haven't.

One thing I would like to suggest for the creation process is to somehow have it not interfere with character creation. I had a friend I met from playing LoL roll something up. I was on skype with him at the time and I sorta walked him through creation, he is a clever kid but I felt like he sorta needed pushing to try it out...Anyway before he could finish creation (he actually was taking each decision very seriously) I noticed the world was shifting. He had reached the point where he was choosing ascpects of his appearance when I told him he had less than 3 minutes to finish up. He decided he would just close his client and roll again later, and I'm not sure if he ever did. I knew a shift was coming because I had logged in a low level ogre ranger to help him out.

I know that the Imms might very well say it is illegal to be on a character, grouped with someone else who I am also talking to on skype but it was the only way I could actually get someone who never mudded before but who likes gaming to try FL out. They know zero commands or really anything else about a MUD for that matter. FL has great help files but it is incredibly complex and overwhelming at first. This makes me think that FL needs an entirely updated creation process as well as a new introductory area for someone who has not played before.

Just to be clear, I never broke character in game despite being in live chat with a beginner. I also very much encouraged them to RP in game while I was expediting their initiation.

This sort of turned into a huge ramble but to elaborate on my idea for a new introductory area for first timers I think we need a gauntlet they can run that will quickly teach them all the important commands and skills they will need throughout their FL careers.

[Liadon Xiloscient]

Actually? Truth be told?

My friend actually came over to my house, stole my laptop from me (I was role-playing in a forum) and said, no you need to put your skills into a real game.

Loaded a client for me to use, set it back down, and walked me through the entire process. If only by a struck of luck an immortal also witnessed a new character struggling along and rolled a Dwarven Cleric which turned into a healer later down the road. He (Dwarf named Pwint) didn't bother showing us EQ but just wandered us through the lands knowing full well neither of us had a clue what was going on. The first real town I visited was the cannibal village.

Then for the most part we hung out in Rheydin, the Red Dragon Inn was the spot to hang out, and then eventually we where lead to the academy where Liadon, Pwint, Forlan and the Elven Princess's advisor (forget her name...) role-played for nearly two hours. The entire time everyone was teaching me how to emote, smote and say. Within that two hours I learned basically all I know now how to RP within this world.

But it was THAT two hours that got me hook line and sinker. I could feel a story, a world, and people all around me. I could sign into Aabahran and sign out of real-life and become a new person.

That is one of the few reasons I am here still today instead of simply getting frustrated and quitting all that time ago.

[F-3000]

Sometimes I wish I could just quit, but I can't. I'm already having dreams about this game because I haven't been able to properly play within nearly a week.

Plus, I have duties, dammit! I want to go home, so that I can play!