Is the chat policy driving people away?

[katriell]

EDIT: Deleted. Instead, I am going to spontaneously distribute a wave of free huggles.

*huggles*

[mithur]

Do you honestly think a new players is going to bother contacting a CSR? No, they will just say the hell with it and move to another game.

Why do we even have a help channel at all? If people with lore questions get told to go read the website, then why shouldn't people with game mechanic questions get told to read the manual?

The more I play this game again, the more I realize why I left before.

The main problem of newbies (And I'm a newbie, 1 day in mainland, 1 month in RoS, so I know it) is the complex rules system, far from be explained in the manual. The lore is much more ambiguous and subjective.

I've been in chat and forum for a long time, and there are always items that are flame-starters (Like Windows vs. Linux in geek forums, or rigth vs. left in politicals), and supringsinly, Kamy vs. Kara, and all their lore, are flame-starters here, and must be controlled in a global chat.

Moreover, the rules questions use to have a quick answer (Yes, the medium and light set armours haven't helmet), while the lore questions, to get a good answer, take a lot more.

So if a newbie ask about, you can kindly redirect to a website with all the neccesary text to understand the item.

And, while it's a hardest job, it looks fine 2 me if you could redirect a player with a complex game mecanics question to a thread in the forums about the item. That made me to me one time, and it was of great help.

My point is: for the newbie, the most problematic item is the game mechanics, and the How-will-be questions, not the lore. Don't mind if you love the background of the game, if you can't make a good play cos you haven't understand a pair of rules that are neccesary. And if the gobal channel is full of flames about k*-it's-the-better-faction, proselitism of faction and guild, you'll understand nothing of all and you'll throw the damn game out.

I've learned a lot about the game mechanics simply reading the universe channel. In the start, i.e., I learned that the quality of your weapong is relative to your melee skill, and need to be upgraded, a not-so-obvious questiong not explained in any place. I was lvl 22 melee and fighting with my q10 two handed sword; when I buy a better quality, it was much better. But, in a game with so many details, nothing is so obvious.

[sidusar]

Now it turns out my guild happens to have a reverse policy (all chat is IC in every channel including tells unless otherwise labelled), and I respect that, but it's not normal for most RP guilds I have ever seen in other games, and it's the first time I've ever encountered it. The far more normal condition is that non-local chat is OOC...

But if every chat except around is OOC, how do you ever get characters together?

On a common day the members of a guild will be spread all over Atys. Now imagine you want to say "Who's up for hunting together?" or "Can an officer get some cats out of the hall for me?" or "Dyron is under attack by kitin, everyone get here quick!".

You can say it in the guild channel OOC, but if anyone else reacts to it by coming to join you, that would mean their characters are using OOC knowledge in their actions. Isn't that more immersion-breaking than considering guild chat to be some IC psychic link?

[rothimar]

Certain methods of chat are obviously not inline with realism in communication, but are necessary to allow for people to play together in a social environment. I wouldn't mind if there was a seperate OOC channel for general "nationwide" chat, but I am not too sure about a global chat option. Might get out of hand with the factional frictions which so often slather themselves on the forums.

In the meantime, I will continue to follow the rules and use the channels available to me in the manner intended.

[mindelyn]

I"m sure that this has probably been answered to death...but oh well, I'm usually a wee bit behind anyway.

My thoughts and opinions on a Universe style IC/RP channel (now this is coming from someone who is for all intents and purposes...a newbie).

I can understand having one for co'ordinating Rp events...only. Otherwise if it were for "in-character moments", then the same thing would happen that's happened on every game I've seen this done to date. The same people go there, usually they're already in a group, and there's really no "true" roleplaying there. Just alot of joking about, and though joking about is fun and I would encourage it for any group...it's just not something I would want to have to filter out.

I can understand the other channels being IC to some sort. Usually if I'm answering a question for someone, I use the same tones and inflections that I use for my character. When the problem I know to be very involved to answer, I will switch to tells and try to talk them through what they need to know. I continue to do this every night that I'm on....cause someone once took that same time to help me when I was in need of answers.

Though the one action I see repeated time and again, and this is fostered usually from other MMO's is that some will rush through the text of the quest, so to get "back to the action". Hey, I can't fault that...I've done it....and then I felt foolish because I didn't realize I was supposed to make 3 amps..not 1.
If people take the time to answer some of these questions, they would find some really great people behind those chars in need. Because when you take the time out, you can meet some really nice folks.

So in a very verbose way I guess what I'm saying is this:
A Co'ordination for RP event channels would be nice...but not a global IC chat style. I agree with what Sandaara stated earlier. I can understand having a link to certain people....but not to everyone. In truth it's easier to do that in Region if your wanting to do it at all.

Thank you for your time...and please understand, I haven't been playing more than perhaps a month. I found roleplaying the minute I stepped on the island. Granted it wasn't as prevailent as it has been on the mainland...but to find it almost every nite that I've signed on...that's a blessing.

Sincerely
Suryi

[ashling]

Why do we even have a help channel at all? If people with lore questions get told to go read the website, then why shouldn't people with game mechanic questions get told to read the manual?

Because a mechanical question has a correct answer that can be given and useally in a sentence or two. Lore will be biased by the person giving the answer and the lore is pretty extensive and hard to sum up accuratly and quickly in universe. The website is really the best place for learning it. If instead they are looking for roleplaying being taught about the factions well then universe isn't the place for it. That possibley makes it harder for them to roleplay that but then seeking out kami and karavan roleplayers to learn off sounds more reward to me .... although I'm not a roleplayer so I could be way off there!

[sidusar]

In the meantime, I will continue to follow the rules and use the channels available to me in the manner intended.

Oh, my post shouldn't be interpreted as an argument in favor of allowing RP chat in universe channel. That's for questions about Ryzom and the answers to those questions, and those should stick to the facts.

I was just curious how you would ever get information from character to character in a timely fashion, if you consider anything other than around chat to be OOC?

Edit - I wasn't sure if it was directed at me or not, but in any case it made me realise I could've been more clear

[rothimar]

I'm sorry if that seemed directed at you... I have a habit of doing that. My last little bit was more directed at the "general audience".

Oh, my post shouldn't be interpreted as an argument in favor of allowing RP chat in universe channel. That's for questions about Ryzom and the answers to those questions, and those should stick to the facts.

I was just curious how you would ever get information from character to character in a timely fashion, if anything other than around chat is considered OOC?

[johntf]

Wow another whining raynes post, I'm really glad to see one of these well thought through and constructed peices of...

If a person didn't get the answer they want in universe they either asked the wrong question or quite simply the people who used to and can answer gave up on the channel because it ends up full of fools.

If people want to get involved in role play its easy they can come check out the forums, if a persons a die hard role player they are never just casala nd usually research things like forums and website lure on their own first.

Either that or they can try speaking out loud near stables ic and someone will respsond or point them in the right direction.

A global help channel thats strictly for help is hard enough to control, a gobal rp channel would just invite sooo many morons ro ruin it.

[xeraphim]

*pokes sol to see if his cynic hat will fall off*

Nope its glued on...