Production: New Player Experience (NPE)

[philu]

Reference point already exists, blaah - the basic trader bits, which are terrible but still better than nothing.

First and most important thing that Nevrax could do NOW to improve the Experience for New Players, is to make sure the downloadable game installer comes FULLY PATCHED.

*cough* Sorry, please excuse me?

I agree, how hard can it be to update the installer to the full patch within a couple of weeks of a patch going live?!

[dazman76]

I agree, how hard can it be to update the installer to the full patch within a couple of weeks of a patch going live?!

Difficulty doesn't come into it, paranoia does. This is a problem for developers of all kinds of software, but MMOs multiply the risk due to how new patches are applied - MMO files are messy as hell, to allow a special form of patching called 'delta'. Basically, the files are modified, not replaced - new data is injected into specific areas of specific files, creating an updated version of the software. If any of that happens to go wrong, you have unusable data files.

A fresh release has to go through a lot of testing, and that's another reason why they haven't been updated. The release is just an installation zipped up, so you need to be 110% sure the install isn't contaminated, hasn't been tweaked by testers, all settings are default, no developer/tester specific files have snook in. It's actually a straightforward task, but one that takes time and care - releasing a client that will no longer patch/update after install is the ultimate evil you're trying to avoid. With Nevrax' team size, asking people to patch is the best option - the testing of a new install could take a week, if not longer.

These are the same reasons you see less updates for smaller common programs, and more versions that simply uninstall the previous one before continuing - merging to create a new 'updated' version is nasty full stop, and best avoided. For an example of why, you could look at hand-creating an MSI (microsoft installer) file, which merges updates to an installation. It's not nice. Microsoft had to beat these problems with Windows Update - when they first tested it, unbootable Win98 installations (no bad thing) were the first and nastiest problem to tackle.

[pr0ger]

*skip the 6 pages*

thumbs up for the NPE !

let's overcrowd it when patched

[iphdrunk]

These are the same reasons you see less updates for smaller common programs, and more versions that simply uninstall the previous one before continuing - merging to create a new 'updated' version is nasty full stop, and best avoided. For an example of why, you could look at hand-creating an MSI (microsoft installer) file, which merges updates to an installation. It's not nice. Microsoft had to beat these problems with Windows Update - when they first tested it, unbootable Win98 installations (no bad thing) were the first and nastiest problem to tackle.

I beg to disagree. I simply tend to think this is not a priority for Nevrax, who may update it from time to time. Although you are right in several aspects, with all due respect I think you are on one hand mixing patch management in itself -- versioning, downloading, resuming, integrity checking, file patching, applying deltas etc -- with the installation process itself and on the other hand over estimating the complexity of keeping an up-to-date downloadable client (this to be considered within the relative complexities of tasks in a MMRPG development scenario) which, as you stated, could simply remove the existing install and replace it with a new one, eventually managing the permanent files as client configs etc, where a working Ryzom client is just a checkpoint, an associating of file versions.

Although I concede that creating installers and MSI modules is not a trivial task, for one-shot installs and given Ryzom installation requirements, installs are pretty much strightforward. Bear in mind that Ryzom client installs with own not shared DLLs, no side-to-side installs, no manifests, minimal registry entries, has no showstopping client modifiable files, and other than the save/screenshots/etc. files most can safely be considered read-only.

True, there are several checks to be performed, but nothing that could not be automated, just not a priority IMHO, and I understand why players are raising this issue as an convenable/important/urgent action point to work on in order to streamline New Player Experience fulfilling the requirements given by today player expectations and standards (see, I can use PR words too )

[marct]

I thought they just updated the installer a couple of weeks ago. The problem is that the versions that are out on the net all over the place are not under Nevrax control.

[iphdrunk]

I thought they just updated the installer a couple of weeks ago. The problem is that the versions that are out on the net all over the place are not under Nevrax control.

Yes they did, but iirc, there were some (valid) complaints of players that downloaded from a valid official link and had to patch after -before nevrax released the updated installer-; installer updates have not been released often, and philu (afaik) suggested to keep them on sync with current patches (I would dare to say to the point that no announcement is required, a link leads you to an up to date installer).

[Marjo]

What will happen to the characters some have invested time in just for the sake of helping out new players on the old refugee islands? Will they be transfered to the new island or will they be incompatible and thus deleted?

They will remain on the current newbie islands until you decide to move on the mainland. They won't be transferred to the new newbie island.

Why was the desert ecosystem not included? Seems a bit unfair to leave out one of the unique lands.

The whole land is only a Forest ecosystem. It was an aesthetic and coherent choice not to make a "patchwork" mixing all the ecosystems. The water and the Kitins' jungle (or the Goo) may remind you of the Lake or Jungle ecosystems, although "technically" they are not.

I'm concerned that the specialization and racial trainers will present an impression of a class system.
There should be something on character creation that explains what the specialization means and clarifies that it does not limit what you can do, and that you get all the other skills automatically as well.

Chiang the Strong, the Ranger welcomer, explains this to the newcomer, and uses himself as an example: he is Zoraï, but is a mighty melee fighter who's not using much magic, and also wears a Tryker armour instead of Zoraï clothes.

Will, say, a Zoraï be able to visit the Matis camp and learn crafting? If so, will they be learning Zoraï crafting or Matis crafting?

The Matis NPC, teaching craft plans, will automatically propose the plans corresponding to the character's race. So, our apprentice Zoraï should only see Zoraï craft plans, and no Matis plan.

The effect of the racial trainers might be interesting...*wonders if we'll see an increase in Matis newbies specializing in crafting etc, and whether we'll see newbies coming to the mainland with only their race's skill because they thought that was all they were allowed to train*

This might be interesting indeed. But the newcomer is free to choose what he wants do to, and can try everything; the trainers aren't xenophobes and teach everyone.

What skill does the Tryker trainer teach? Foraging?

Well, yep.

One thing I did not see addressed was the transfer to the mainland. Will a new player automatically transfer to his/her race's continent, or will they get to choose which 'porter to use?

The transfer to a continent should work as follow: the newcomer speaks with Chiang (who redirects), a Kami or a Karavan welcomer, then when he accepts, he is teleported to the capital city corresponding to his race (if he is Matis, he'll appear near the Karavan TP of Yrkanis).

And what about Choice mats being used in crafting plans? I hope there will be all land types (except PR ) of all mats available to forage? If you're introducing a few named mobs then perhaps they should drop Choice PR to make their mats available to all racial crafts.

There will be only basic and fine mats, purposely to avoid the racial limitation of choice mats.

Are there any plans to include any PvP type element now that everyone will be on the same island?

There will be an arena, working like the Matis arena on the mainland. But the land itself is not supporting PvP.

Can new players do anything with their fame whilst on the island?

The few missions given by the Karavan and the Kamis should grant fame as a reward. But, as they are "one time" missions, the new player won't be able to do much with his fame on the newbie island.

The Karavan/Kami mission giver will explain how to get more fame on the mainland through missions, and what are the advantages of having a good fame with a faction.

Actualy that's really bad if anyone remembers it, great if it covers one Land but it just gets spammed with rubbish if all Lands + NPE are connected, if you do connect it all plz give me the option to disable it as I won't be going there

There won't be a universe tab: the only way to talk on this chat would be by switching the chat button, or by typing /universe <text here>. Moreover, you should be able to disable that chat by right-clicking in your user chat tab (what opens the same menu as currently).

Will you (persay) be able to get to the "kitin jungle"

Yes...

I can't see clearly do to overlapping words I see "karavan Embassy" is that above it "Kami Enclave"?

Yep. *looks at the screenshot again* True, the words are rather small... Well, I'm not an expert in making screenshots.

Can we take it that this is some of the new content that was created "more quickly than before" using some kind of Ring-esque dev-tools?

No; the NPE is created with the same tools as those used to create Ryzom. Xavier tells more about this in the recent R² Q&A (question 5).

It is not hard to get 10 of something and trade it for a useful item with decent stats. Imo this would be much more educational to players. Foraging, hunting for materials and crafting is a major part of Atys life, so why hide that from new players?

This system is not hidden at all. the crafter mission giver explains this process, the fact that the player must gather mats himself to craft items.

Actually, it's a good idea to give out equipment thru missions that way newcomer gets a reference point which player crafted equipment is good.
BUT only if it's choice quality, stats around 50% max (or something like that).
100 speed/dmg on weapons, 80+ in amps, should be left to player crafters.

To give you an idea, the best rewards are amps q35 and a Medium armour set q45. The stats of the amps are similar to what you obtain with a mix of choice & excellent mats and the skin is medium quality (plan 2). Some pieces of this armour have special double bonus (such as 20 HP, 20 Stamina for example).
The other rewards can be compared to fine or choice crafted items.

All the items are designed to not be "uber" items. Moreover, as they are rather low level, the new player will quickly need items of higher quality, and thus need your services.

[rushin]

What will happen to the characters some have invested time in just for the sake of helping out new players on the old refugee islands? Will they be transfered to the new island or will they be incompatible and thus deleted?

They will remain on the current newbie islands until you decide to move on the mainland. They won't be transferred to the new newbie island.

*sheds a tear for SmithofAris*

my poor old Smith, she has been on the island since December 2004, rudely got a name change when the servers merged, seen many generations of refugees pounce on her under priced and over powered axes

looks like i need a name change to HermitofAris, soon to be last inhabitant of the Zorai island

[acridiel]

Thanks Marjo for explaining

Acridiel

[khyle]

They will remain on the current newbie islands until you decide to move on the mainland. They won't be transferred to the new newbie island.

Are you considering to keep the current "islands", making them accessible from the mainlands via tunnels, as an expansion of the current continents? Imho that would be a nice element, think of them as "holiday resorts"
I have grown very fond of any of the beautifully designed original "islands" and would think it a shame if they were to simply disappear - not to speak of the inhabitants of the villages there! Many of them are relatives, maybe there would be a time I could go and visit them again after so many years