Helping New Players Get Started.......

Post by **Havok** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:24 pm

FLETCH wrote:This line of discussion seems to have gone quiet.......

Is it safe to say we wouldn't have enough experienced players keen to be paired up with relative noobs?

I wouldn't say that.

The forums have been a little slow the last 3 or 4 days thats all.

Some people also just tend to reply to topics that they see updated on the home page. Not many scan the whole forum like some of us

Cherek · Post by **Cherek** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:18 pm

Havok wrote:I wouldn't say that.

The forums have been a little slow the last 3 or 4 days thats all.

Some people also just tend to reply to topics that they see updated on the home page. Not many scan the whole forum like some of us

For me, for some reason, I didn't see any messages posted until today.

Cherek · Post by **Cherek** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:21 pm

You and Zap are in a unique situation, seeing how you both are in the same house. Like you said, he proof read your turns in your first game. Think about explaining your moves to him in an email or in IM with him if you where still living in Florida and he wasn't. For the experience players to help the new players, we have to know that they are new. When I’m plowing through someone territory, that isn’t the time for them to say, “Hey, I’m new to this game”.

The best advice I can give any new player who might be reading this, is to signup for the vanilla (No Frills) games to learn the basics, ask questions (I think the forums would be a good place) and the first race you see (not come in connect with), send them an email or in game message asking if they are willing to be your ally. There response could be one of several answers 1) Sure, we can be allies, 2) No, but I won’t attack you if you don’t attack me, 3) You get no reply, which could be mean the other player has figured out that you as easy pickings or doesn’t understand your language. Unfortunately, we all know that there are people out there who look at new players as easy way to get more points, MCs, and planets.

As I said earlier, I’m willing to have a new player as an ally just let me know so that I can offer some suggestions. I think for the most part, most players will help other player if they ask. I may turn them down, not because they are new but because I don't like to have more than 1 ally per game.

Gilgamesh · Post by **Gilgamesh** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:33 pm

I think this is a great idea and I'd be willing to help if the training games don't go too long. I've set up games like this for friends to get a newbie familiar with the game, and we cut them off at around turn 25 or 30 - enough to get their feet wet but the drawback is that it doesn't go all the way to endgame strategy.

The game was set up rich in a fairly tight circle to get the action started quickly. Just a suggestion.

Cheers

Gilgamesh

hennef · Post by **hennef** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:11 am

yep. i try to give advice to everyone who asks. what about a "tutorial" game?

i only play for 1.5a now, but i think i got the basics

Sinner · Post by **Sinner** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:36 am

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:33 am Post subject:

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I think this is a great idea and I'd be willing to help if the training games don't go too long. I've set up games like this for friends to get a newbie familiar with the game, and we cut them off at around turn 25 or 30 - enough to get their feet wet

Hi All

I will go out on a limb here i have only been on the circuit VGAP about 12 mnths so in my opinion i am still at Newby status, as i am sure Cherek would probably agree (i have asked him for quite alot of assistance).

I agree with Gilgamesh i think a Tutorial type setp would work well setup a basic game with a regularly close map and high resources so that the New comers can get a basic principles of the game.

I am no guru by any stretch of the imagination and probably not one to give too much advice but i did a similar thing with my wife as Zap did with Trillian and went threw the basics with her and the basics of the races that i had read and now shes loving it aswell and is in 5 games on this site and a few on other sites,but i also had some freinds close by to goto directly for help which made life easier.

I also setup a LAN weekend and we got a couple New players and just went threw all that needed doing whilst not telling him do this or to do that but gave him the start as to put this many factories this Many mines on this planet or that depending on Natives and Temp of the Planet, but let him do all is own theorys and tactics and now he is quite Keen. I know the LAN option may not be the best in some cases unless you are trying to get a workmate/neigbour into the game.

It is another possibility though.

Regards Sinner

hennef · Post by **hennef** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:21 am

hehe, long time no LAN-session....

i am constantly trying to introduce the game to some friends, but they are always shocked, because nearly all my games are very big and fast.

the idea of a very basic game without any add-ons and some kind of tutor lasting for 30 turns is quite interesting. lets do that. but we will need the peeps that wanna be tought..... any interested ppl at hand?

Sinner · Post by **Sinner** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:20 am

hennef wrote:hehe, long time no LAN-session....

i am constantly trying to introduce the game to some friends, but they are always shocked, because nearly all my games are very big and fast.

the idea of a very basic game without any add-ons and some kind of tutor lasting for 30 turns is quite interesting. lets do that. but we will need the peeps that wanna be tought..... any interested ppl at hand?

Hi Hennef

I found it is alot harder for someone to look at game turns that have been going on for a wile. When i first Showed the wife i showed her a game that was 30-40 turns in and she just got confused and overwhelmed.

I was explaining stuff to fast for to fully comprehend especially when she had no exposure to the game i started to mention cloaking and mine/laying/sweeping building ship factories and mines,defence posts and it went straight over the top of her head.

So i just set up a game and took her threw turn by turn for 10turns or so and then just asked what she was doing and with what, and it made alot more sense to her in that scenario than just watching my turns and me giving her all this info at once, she got it in the end and as i i mentioned before now really enjoys the game.

Refards Sinner

Rimstalker · Post by **Rimstalker** » Tue May 02, 2006 6:28 pm

I have trained new players in the past, do so right now (Mika even plays a few games here and was my partner in the "All the marbles" game) and would not mind doing so for some other new players.

However, I have learned that quite a lot of players are not at all interested in stepping up their game. Some not even seem to grasp the idea that things in the hostrun (have to) happen in a certain order and that taxing your colonists at a steady 7 % is not a good idea.

Cardno · Post by **Cardno** » Tue May 02, 2006 6:57 pm

hennef wrote:hehe, long time no LAN-session....

i am constantly trying to introduce the game to some friends, but they are always shocked, because nearly all my games are very big and fast.

the idea of a very basic game without any add-ons and some kind of tutor lasting for 30 turns is quite interesting. lets do that. but we will need the peeps that wanna be tought..... any interested ppl at hand?

I agree - in order for this idea to go any further, we would need to test the waters to see if any newer players wanted a hand or not..

FLETCH · Post by **FLETCH** » Tue May 02, 2006 7:56 pm

I'd probably be keen to put my hand up for this. You can always learn new stuff no matter what player level you are at. The idea of a basic game with a modest time limit gets you through all the basics and into some combat. Should be enough time to learn how to get yourself on your way.

FLETCH · Post by **FLETCH** » Thu May 04, 2006 6:45 am

Hmmm, no one else out there honest enough to admit they are not an expert?

Kid Khan · Post by **Kid Khan** » Thu May 04, 2006 6:55 am

I guess its more a question to find a more public place to announce it. It seems to me these forums, as nice as they are, are just visited by a handful of registered players. Especially newbies tend to try and handle the game alone first before they become aware of forums and different other ways to gather information. So, if we want to find people for it, we should announce it somewhat different than deep in heart of an ongoing thread. Perhaps having an article on the Homepage for starters?

Post by **Havok** » Thu May 04, 2006 8:43 am

Kid Khan wrote:I guess its more a question to find a more public place to announce it. It seems to me these forums, as nice as they are, are just visited by a handful of registered players. Especially newbies tend to try and handle the game alone first before they become aware of forums and different other ways to gather information. So, if we want to find people for it, we should announce it somewhat different than deep in heart of an ongoing thread. Perhaps having an article on the Homepage for starters?

Forums can be a bit intimidating as well. I think lots of times people think they're gonna get jumped for asking a question.

Cherek · Post by **Cherek** » Thu May 04, 2006 10:16 am

Havok wrote:Forums can be a bit intimidating as well. I think lots of times people thing they're gonna get jumped for asking a question.

I think that Havok hit on the main reason why a lot of new players don't ask questions in the forum. I think another reason is that they think that if they say they are new, that they will become an easy target for the experienced players in the game.