The Welcome Program

[d3ik]

I posted a thread on the "Mentor Program" awhile ago, but that would require coding on KK's part and they have a lot on their plate. I think I have come up with an interim fix, but I need some volunteers (as mentioned in another thread):

Lately I was bored, so I decided to use my last free character slot on Saturn and create a character called 'Welcome". Welcome has a very easy job, he just sits in MC5 in the spawn area... when someone spawns he says:
"Hello $name"
"Welcome to Neocron"
"Do you have any questions?"

I started doing this just a couple hours a day while I did my notes for the following days lecture. Someone pops up about every 15 minutes, I give them the schpeel and get one of three responses:

"I'm an alt, fux0r" (actually they're usually nice)
"Thank you, I think I'll just look around a little bit" (they usually come back in about 5 minutes and say "WTF is this place and how do I leave")
"I have four thousand questions, number one...."

I have kept quite a few people from quitting the game just due to the "None of this makes sense, this is boring, I quit" factor that MC5 brings to the table. I tell them about the game, I answer simple questions, I show them how to GR out of that horrific place. Everyone is always saying how much they want to get new people into the game, well now you can do your part. I only mainly play on Saturn, and obviously I can only be on one server at a time (and keep up with the questions)... so I need some volunteers. I would like to have at least one person on each server, preferably someone who speaks English and German (as we get quite a few deutschlanders). Keep in mind that if you do want to help your character can never leave MC5, and you must be civil and represent the game well (although sometimes civility doesn't really represent this game too well:)). If you are interested in assisting or have suggestions for this program please post here and we can formulate some type of game plan. Thanks!

[SuperGonser]

Theres already like 2 dozen bots that will answer/help new people with tools and the such. As well as the 4 emails you get in the begining.

[d3ik]

Originally posted by SuperGonser
Theres already like 2 dozen bots that will answer/help new people with tools and the such. As well as the 4 emails you get in the begining.

You are correct... there are bots that people don't realize they need to talk to because they think that they are in 'Neocron' and they look for other players to talk to and there are e-mails that you can't read until you GR to your apartment and get to your Hometerm station, but most people quit before then.

[Edit] - You sound like an intelligent person, but not everyone that joins the game is as resourceful or self-starting as some of the rest of us. Some people just need a little help getting started.

[sparrowtm]

Nah, you know how incredibly hard it is to place a citicom into MC5 codewise ? o_O :rolleyes:

Not talking about popups which are almost impossible to implement ... :)

[d3ik]

sparrowtm, actually KK has said they are placing a citycom station into the MC5 Command Base, but it won't be implemented for a little while (next patch, i believe). Even then the e-mails are very general and leave a number of questions unanswered.

[sparrowtm]

Shame on me then, sorry.

And yes, the starter e-mails are

1. too generic to be really useful
2. too old - in no way do they take account of what has happened since they were written. Like the manual. Or the city-com guide.

*sigh* I want more newbies. :(

[QuantumDelta]

TOTD Popups aren't hard to put in.
Proximity triggered popups aren't _insanely_ hard to put in, but generally it is needed :p

btw, we probably lose as many newbies to the Patch 160 / 186(?) bug as we do to MC5...

[Nidhogg]

I think it's a good idea and I applaud you for spending your time helping newbies into the game. :)

N

[Syntax-Error]

Actually placeing a citycom is a piece of piss. its an item thats spawned and placed just like a chair. it has the code writen into the object. ive had citycoms spawned before. also i would LOVE to do that kinda thing. but im not willing to re-roll my single char slot to do it 24/7

and apparently they wont let us go there bcos we might scare off the newbies.. yet .. isnt it exactly the same with a re-roll...

[Alex Mars]

Originally posted by SuperGonser
Theres already like 2 dozen bots that will answer/help new people with tools and the such. As well as the 4 emails you get in the begining.

How would a new player find out about these bots?

[Benjie]

Well either kk needs to do somthing or they can wave Neeocron goodbye, coz I aint sticking around in 2004 when FOM, DE, and WOW are realeased, im buggering off to one of those. Ooh The choice!

*Starts saying goodbye to npc's in Neocron*
*hopes that noobies will come to replace me*