How to scare away new players.

[Prototech]

45 minutes ago, ShardWarrior said:

No lie - I've seen chat channels that actually require members to post "trigger warnings" before discussing certain topics. 

Ironically often full of privileged wimps.

 

It's super counter intuitive but the best way to avoid trigger warnings and outrage is to find a hardcore LGBTQ group that does not give a F**K, it's like gaming with a bunch of frat boys in the 90s the way the conversation goes sometimes. Of course you have to be able to handle conquest stories not just involving women but I got used to that pretty quick haha.

[ShardWarrior]

2 minutes ago, Prototech said:

It's super counter intuitive but the best way to avoid trigger warnings and outrage is to find a hardcore LGBTQ group that does not give a F**K, it's like gaming with a bunch of frat boys in the 90s the way the conversation goes sometimes. Of course you have to be able to handle conquest stories not just involving women but I got used to that pretty quick haha.

^ Totally!  Some of the absolute best times I had playing CoH back in the day were with my game friends who were in the LGBTQ community back in the day.  I still keep in touch with many of them to this day.  🙂

[Without_Pause]

2 hours ago, Troo said:

Some of that trouble seems to stem from a newbie 50 needing 200 million before they can play their toon.

This was pretty much my only gripe with the OP. If a build doesn't work for you, dumping influ into it likely won't either. Maybe the build just simply isn't right for you. Roll another and try it out. From live and HC I have rolled 70+ characters. I have 1 level 50 on HC although I will have another one this week. I currently have 3-4 builds I want to invest in once they hit 50. Anything else so far has been merely getting it to 50 and calling it good. 

[Insomm]

Well, this kinda blew up...

There have been a lot of posts, some very nice stories, and a bit of discussion on the side.

Firstly, let me thank you guys who decided to send me inboxes or post here.
Don't worry, I am not ripping my hair out because of this chat interaction, and I am not quitting CoH because of it.
Your messages were well received.

A couple of you mentioned how I basically fed into it, or how I was in the wrong much like the other player.
I agree, 100%.
I am not proud of it, and I didn't post it here to do that.
I also did not post it here to shame this person, hence I censored the chat as much as I could.

The thing is, this player was not the first person to say something. It wasn't just a couple either.

I could have simply chosen to ignore this player, instead I decided to reply.
I attempted to make a point, but like I said earlier, there are no winners in internet arguments.

A situation like this can result in a few different outcomes, ranging from a pleasant interaction, all the way to an ignore or a discussion.
The outcome depends on how you approach the topic.
I would have loved advice if he/she had approached it in a different manner.
For example, I would have jumped at the opportunity if that player had offered to walk me through something new in the game.

Here's my issue:

This player only told me how I was wrong.
I was wrong to ask to door sit to level a secondary character after my first one.
I was wrong for getting to 50 and not having enough infamy to do what I wanted.
I was wrong for not finding groups. (this happened near peak time, try logging in at around 11am-1pm GMT to see how many people are online)
and lastly, I was wrong to insist that a farmer was what I wanted to do after my first level 50.

Was I wrong in the way I interacted with him/her? Yes, I was.

At several points this could have turned into a conversation that was mutually beneficial.
However, I was frustrated.
This wasn't the first message like this, and I have already been struggling to pick up the game.

When we have years and years worth of experience in a game it is hard to remember how it was when we first started:
You have no idea how long I went without proper enhancements (either red or entirely missing) because I didn't understand them.
You have no idea how much money I spent buying DOs instead of crafting IOs.
You have no idea how many times I wound up on the floor because I stood on a -end patch while fighting freakshows.
You have no idea how many times I face planted and had to open combat logs only to find out I strolled too close to another Pylon.

New players are like little kids:
They will make lots of mistakes.
If you just reprimand them whenever they pick up a toy, they will drop that toy and go play with something else.

 

My point is, don't approach someone who is new to the game and show them just their mistakes.
You are welcome to point out problems, but bring solutions with them.

And if someone says that solution has not worked for them, either find out why, or suggest another one.

None of this is CoH exclusive, this happens in too many games.
However, CoH is a lot more complex than it seems on the surface, and the advice available is either too much, too little, too simple, or too advanced (I haven't figured out which yet).

[Insomm]

6 hours ago, Murcielago said:

I was hoping OP was soliciting ways to scare away new players. /s

We can start a new topic to discuss that. 😉
 

5 hours ago, Oubliette_Red said:

Same here. I figure if this doesn't...

 

...nothing will.

Nevermind, that does it.

I am leaving CoH never to return, good bye! /s

[jubakumbi]

4 minutes ago, Insomm said:

Well, this kinda blew up...

There have been a lot of posts, some very nice stories, and a bit of discussion on the side.

Firstly, let me thank you guys who decided to send me inboxes or post here.
Don't worry, I am not ripping my hair out because of this chat interaction, and I am not quitting CoH because of it.
Your messages were well received.

A couple of you mentioned how I basically fed into it, or how I was in the wrong much like the other player.
I agree, 100%.
I am not proud of it, and I didn't post it here to do that.
I also did not post it here to shame this person, hence I censored the chat as much as I could.

The thing is, this player was not the first person to say something. It wasn't just a couple either.

I could have simply chosen to ignore this player, instead I decided to reply.
I attempted to make a point, but like I said earlier, there are no winners in internet arguments.

A situation like this can result in a few different outcomes, ranging from a pleasant interaction, all the way to an ignore or a discussion.
The outcome depends on how you approach the topic.
I would have loved advice if he/she had approached it in a different manner.
For example, I would have jumped at the opportunity if that player had offered to walk me through something new in the game.

Here's my issue:

This player only told me how I was wrong.
I was wrong to ask to door sit to level a secondary character after my first one.
I was wrong for getting to 50 and not having enough infamy to do what I wanted.
I was wrong for not finding groups. (this happened near peak time, try logging in at around 11am-1pm GMT to see how many people are online)
and lastly, I was wrong to insist that a farmer was what I wanted to do after my first level 50.

Was I wrong in the way I interacted with him/her? Yes, I was.

At several points this could have turned into a conversation that was mutually beneficial.
However, I was frustrated.
This wasn't the first message like this, and I have already been struggling to pick up the game.

When we have years and years worth of experience in a game it is hard to remember how it was when we first started:
You have no idea how long I went without proper enhancements (either red or entirely missing) because I didn't understand them.
You have no idea how much money I spent buying DOs instead of crafting IOs.
You have no idea how many times I wound up on the floor because I stood on a -end patch while fighting freakshows.
You have no idea how many times I face planted and had to open combat logs only to find out I strolled too close to another Pylon.

New players are like little kids:
They will make lots of mistakes.
If you just reprimand them whenever they pick up a toy, they will drop that toy and go play with something else.

 

My point is, don't approach someone who is new to the game and show them just their mistakes.
You are welcome to point out problems, but bring solutions with them.

And if someone says that solution has not worked for them, either find out why, or suggest another one.

None of this is CoH exclusive, this happens in too many games.
However, CoH is a lot more complex than it seems on the surface, and the advice available is either too much, too little, too simple, or too advanced (I haven't figured out which yet).

Just another PoV...please take it as the light-hearted devils-advocate it is intended to be...it is aimed at the general 'you', not You.

 

IMO, asking anyone in-game for anything that can be found on the Internet is rude.

Really.

Once you get in the game, IMO, it's time to play.

Builds, learning things, finding out how to farm, etc., all of those things, IMO, are out of game activities.

Most all of the questions people ask in-game can be answered if they bothered to look over the menus and options and hover over powers.

 

So really, IMO, it's like walking on to a basketball court in the middle of the game and asking 'how many points do I get if I make a hoop?', forcing everyone to stop what they are doing to address the question.

 

I totaaly get that there are fans on the sidelines happy to engage the questions...along with the arm-chair it coaching involves...

 

Also, IMO, when you enter the game, you enter the public square.

You are no longer the King, you are just a peasant like the rest of us.

Your opinion and your outlook are no more less valid than the next player, period.

In the public square, you cannot dicktate what every pixel does or does not do on the screen.

You do not have the right to not be offended.

 

So, taking the ramblings of players that choose to be loud in the public square like crazy people in Times Sqare that spout off BS, as sound advice on how to play the game, is, IMO, simply the completely and entirely wrong way to learn how to play a game and is doomed to fail.

 

Finally, IMO, adding all this up it leads me to the conclusion that most people play MMOs for very different reasons and in very different ways than I do...

🙂

 

[biostem]

I think the first mistake the OP made was thinking that playing the AH/farming/focusing so heavily on IO sets was "the game".  They're undoubtedly part of CoH, but to focus so much on them, seemingly to the detriment of everything else, is, well, self-destructive.  If there's an aspect of the game you don't like, then don't play it, (or minimize it as much as possible).  For instance, I dislike having to worry about my enhancements turning red, so I'll generally not bother slotting anything until I can craft level 25 IOs, then just stick with them until 50 or so.  It may not be ideal, but it's a big headache that I no longer have to deal with.  I dislike running out of end while playing, so I'll either take sets that have additional ways of recovering end, or I'll slot a few red redux enhs.  My DPS may suffer, but to me it's more fun to have no downtime than to top the charts.  Similarly, while I, as a general rule, won't abandon a team mid-mission, I will excuse myself from said team after it is complete, if one or more members is "toxic" or otherwise diminishing my play experience.  If you insist on participating in a system that makes you miserable, (and let's keep this to games for this thread), then whose fault is it if you come away from the experience, miserable?

Edited September 23, 2019 by biostem

[Lines]

31 minutes ago, Insomm said:

However, CoH is a lot more complex than it seems on the surface, and the advice available is either too much, too little, too simple, or too advanced (I haven't figured out which yet).

On more than one occasion I've seen folks ask for help over something and be met with a cascading torrent of information. The AH, enhancements and crafting tend to be the biggest culprits here.

 

The trouble (or the really great thing) is that everyone approaches these things in different ways or engage with it to different depths, so a lot of the advice that you get is dramatically different. Some folks, as you've seen, are a little more zealous about their approach than others.

 

So you'll get guides that give a quick overview of a subject that makes whatever it is you're trying to learn seem simple, or you'll get a guide that talks about the same thing buts scrutinises it down to, like, hexadecimal memory addresses. You'll see all sorts if you look through the builds here on the forums.

 

16 minutes ago, jubakumbi said:

Just another PoV...please take it as the light-hearted devils-advocate it is intended to be...it is aimed at the general 'you', not You.

 

IMO, asking anyone in-game for anything that can be found on the Internet is rude.

Really.

Once you get in the game, IMO, it's time to play.

Builds, learning things, finding out how to farm, etc., all of those things, IMO, are out of game activities.

I dunno how Devil's Avocado you're being, but I can't agree with this at all.

 

There are topics that are too in-depth to go into in game and need a good solid guide, but if you don't know how in-depth the question is you're asking I don't see the harm in asking the help channel. Besides, it's always a good conversation starter if nothing else.

 

I get more angry at those 'lmgtfy' links. They're just so snide and dismissive.

[subbacultchas]

3 hours ago, PaxArcana said:

Point of clarification:

(a) Welfare is lifetime-limited to 3 years, and has been since the mid-90's.  Therefor, your family must be on either SSI, or even full Social Security Disability.

(b) you cannot get SSI or SSDI just because you don't want to work.  You have to have a medically-proven disability, that prevents you from earning a set amount (called "Substantial Gainful Activity", which in 2019 is $1,220/month gross).

 

(c) you cannot stay on SSI or SSDI, unless your disability continues to prevent you from working.

 

Just because you don't see their disability, doesn't mean it isn't real.

(I myself am on permanent disability, but my disability isn't obvious to people who haven't known me for years, so I get that same kind of "you just don't WANT to work" attitude all the time.)

I've got friends and family in the same spot, and my heart goes out to you. This is good information, and reminds us that not all disabilities are as visible as others.

[jubakumbi]

2 minutes ago, Lines said:

On more than one occasion I've seen folks ask for help over something and be met with a cascading torrent of information. The AH, enhancements and crafting tend to be the biggest culprits here.

 

The trouble (or the really great thing) is that everyone approaches these things in different ways or engage with it to different depths, so a lot of the advice that you get is dramatically different. Some folks, as you've seen, are a little more zealous about their approach than others.

 

So you'll get guides that give a quick overview of a subject that makes whatever it is you're trying to learn seem simple, or you'll get a guide that talks about the same thing buts scrutinises it down to, like, hexadecimal memory addresses. You'll see all sorts if you look through the builds here on the forums.

 

I dunno how Devil's Avocado you're being, but I can't agree with this at all.

 

There are topics that are too in-depth to go into in game and need a good solid guide, but if you don't know how in-depth the question is you're asking I don't see the harm in asking the help channel. Besides, it's always a good conversation starter if nothing else.

 

I get more angry at those 'lmgtfy' links. They're just so snide and dismissive.

I totally agree there are many players ready and waiting to answer questions in game.

 

If they answer with a link to an external source, I don't find that to be snide or dismissive, it just means they have a link and they don't feel like typing out what someone else already has, for someone that could find it themsleves if they looked...

Thinking someone is snide or dissmissive simply because they won't drop what they are doing to chat is exactly what I am talking about...they took the time to respond, is that not enough? Other players have to take time out of thier playtime for you, or they are 'bad'?

That's how this sounds to me...

 

IMO, there is, however, plenty of harm in asking the questions, just as the thread starter points out...asking a single question can somehow 'trigger' a whole slew of people to come out and do everything in thier power to invalidate the very way others play the game...that's kind of harmful, IMO.

 

Again, I realize I am in an extreme minority here on this topic, so no worries, I expect few people to see it the same way.

 

However, I stand by the thought that anyone just waiting to tell you how the game works is, IME, in CoH, also trying to tell you 'how to play', complete with nasty biases and false information, and that doing your own research should yield more neutral information.

 

Why should there be a social contract that demands other players stop what they are doing in-game to explain the game to new players?

Why?

[Insomm]

24 minutes ago, jubakumbi said:

Just another PoV...please take it as the light-hearted devils-advocate it is intended to be...it is aimed at the general 'you', not You.

While I think there's always a place for someone to be devil's advocate, I think the analogy picked was not that great for the situation at hand.

This was more akin to someone sitting in the bench and asking for someone to play with, when a stranger sits beside them and starts telling them that before they find someone to play with in the court, they need to learn how to dribble.

Keeping it within the topic of games; A better devil's advocate point could have been that there's hundreds of other methods of going about the issue rather than creating a farmer and asking to door sit.
That I can definitely agree with.

As for the in-game/out-of-game activity thing... I think there is a Help channel in most games for a reason.
No one is ever forced to give advice.
There will always be those looking for advice, and someone might be willing to give some of their time.
 

29 minutes ago, biostem said:

I think the first mistake the OP made was thinking that playing the AH/farming/focusing so heavily on IO sets was "the game".  They're undoubtedly part of CoH, but to focus so much on them, seemingly to the detriment of everything else, is, well, self-destructive.  [...] If you insist on participating in a system that makes you miserable, (and let's keep this to games for this thread), then whose fault is it if you come away from the experience, miserable?

This I believe is a big part of the issue/mistake I have committed when it comes to my personal enjoyment.
Due to timezone restraints, I can't always get groups for the content I want, and I can't solo what I want either.

My go-to solution was trying a method that I did not enjoy: playing the AH.
I then switched to farming, which I have found a lot more enjoyable in comparison, but still not quite what I wanted.

Finding your enjoyment in something is sometimes a process as well, and I am working towards that process for CoH.
From here I will either make more characters to grind to 50 and only play CoH whenever I am able to play close to peak time (which I greatly enjoyed).
Or I will attempt to get one of my characters to a spot I can do some content by myself (currently what I am attempting).

I might just find out that I can only get enjoyment out of the game during certain times of the day/week.
 

13 minutes ago, jubakumbi said:

Why should there be a social contract that demands other players stop what they are doing in-game to explain the game to new players?

There isn't, and there shouldn't be one.

But why is it that some people are willing to stop what they are doing to criticize someone's choices in the game rather than take the time to talk to them?

Either ignore the cries for help, or be helpful.

[PaxArcana]

1 hour ago, Insomm said:

The thing is, this player was not the first person to say something. It wasn't just a couple either.

It used to be pandemic back on Live ... and with slightly more justification, especially before the Incarnate system, and double so before Invention Origin enhancements were a thing.  Also, before the Architect Edition happened, and so, PLing required using a few exploits to keep a particularly enemy-laden mission incompleted.  At 95% done, everyone would be told to leave, so the mission could be reset and done all over.

 

Back then, people would (as other MMOs trained them to do) race for the level cap ASAP, and only then look around to find out "so where's the game I'm supposed to play?"

 

And we would, most of us, answer: "the game is all the stuff you skipped, getting powerlevelled".  Those people would whine and complain that there was "no endgame" so teh whole game was just a waste of time and money; eventually they would quit, and badmouth the game elsewhere .... hurting the financial future of it all.

...

 

But now?  None of that matters.  There IS post-level-cap content.  And there's no financial future to harm.

So if someone wants to get PLed?  Bully for them, it's no sweat off my back.

[jubakumbi]

2 minutes ago, Insomm said:

But why is it that some people are willing to stop what they are doing to criticize someone's choices in the game rather than take the time to talk to them?

Either ignore the cries for help, or be helpful.

That's a simple answer - some people are just mean.

It is not more complicated than that.

Some people just like to be mean.

[biostem]

1 minute ago, Insomm said:

This I believe is a big part of the issue/mistake I have committed when it comes to my personal enjoyment.
Due to timezone restraints, I can't always get groups for the content I want, and I can't solo what I want either.

My go-to solution was trying a method that I did not enjoy: playing the AH.
I then switched to farming, which I have found a lot more enjoyable in comparison, but still not quite what I wanted.

Finding your enjoyment in something is sometimes a process as well, and I am working towards that process for CoH.
From here I will either make more characters to grind to 50 and only play CoH whenever I am able to play close to peak time (which I greatly enjoyed).
Or I will attempt to get one of my characters to a spot I can do some content by myself (currently what I am attempting).

I might just find out that I can only get enjoyment out of the game during certain times of the day/week.

Here's a process I've tried a few times, and it's worked rather well;  Since CoH is a fairly old game at this point, and if you either have a powerful computer or a second computer that can run the game at all, then create a "farming" account.  Basically, just create something like a brute or scrapper, with some fast-recharging low level powers, (I find a claws/bio brute works great for this), athen have them team up with a character from your main account, and run tunnel missions in the AE.  That'll allow you to get some quick levels, to get out of those "pre-key-powers" time in your character's career, so you can focus on the higher levels or those periods of your character's career that you find more enjoyable.

[Lines]

5 minutes ago, jubakumbi said:

I totally agree there are many players ready and waiting to answer questions in game.

 

If they answer with a link to an external source, I don't find that to be snide or dismissive, it just means they have a link and they don't feel like typing out what someone else already has, for someone that could find it themsleves if they looked...

Thinking someone is snide or dissmissive simply because they won't drop what they are doing to chat is exactly what I am talking about...they took the time to respond, is that not enough? Other players have to take time out of thier playtime for you, or they are 'bad'?

That's how this sounds to me...

 

IMO, there is, however, plenty of harm in asking the questions, just as the thread starter points out...asking a single question can somehow 'trigger' a whole slew of people to come out and do everything in thier power to invalidate the very way others play the game...that's kind of harmful, IMO.

 

Again, I realize I am in an extreme minority here on this topic, so no worries, I expect few people to see it the same way.

 

However, I stand by the thought that anyone just waiting to tell you how the game works is, IME, in CoH, also trying to tell you 'how to play', complete with nasty biases and false information, and that doing your own research should yield more neutral information.

 

Why should there be a social contract that demands other players stop what they are doing in-game to explain the game to new players?

Why?

I'm talking about those actual lmgtfy links that you see now and then. Maybe it's just me, but they've got a patronising tone to them. Pointing someone to the right wiki article is no bad thing, especially when there's a lot of information to devour.

 

There are definitely other wrong ways to deliver information too and as you say, some topics are significantly hot. DfB for instance brought out the worst in people for the first few weeks of HC and that was rife with new players or players trying to refamiliarise themselves with the game. But there's degrees of the issue here - a discussion like this one of two different opinions is fine (until it clogs up the help chat, then maybe it just needs to go to tells) but when it gets to childish name calling then there's a whole new problem.

 

Usually the questions asked don't have space for differing opinions ("How do I get to Peregrine Isle?") or they might be questions that can't be found online or just need confirmation ("Can I unlock patron powers blueside" (You can't))

 

I'd not advocate that someone who doesn't want to stop and hand-hold a new player be forced to take the time to do so in any way. But I like to feel helpful.

[PaxArcana]

4 minutes ago, jubakumbi said:

That's a simple answer - some people are just mean.

It is not more complicated than that.

Some people just like to be mean.

"Some people, Master Bruce, just want to watch the world burn."

[jubakumbi]

5 minutes ago, Lines said:

I'm talking about those actual lmgtfy links that you see now and then. Maybe it's just me, but they've got a patronising tone to them. Pointing someone to the right wiki article is no bad thing, especially when there's a lot of information to devour.

 

There are definitely other wrong ways to deliver information too and as you say, some topics are significantly hot. DfB for instance brought out the worst in people for the first few weeks of HC and that was rife with new players or players trying to refamiliarise themselves with the game. But there's degrees of the issue here - a discussion like this one of two different opinions is fine (until it clogs up the help chat, then maybe it just needs to go to tells) but when it gets to childish name calling then there's a whole new problem.

 

Usually the questions asked don't have space for differing opinions ("How do I get to Peregrine Isle?") or they might be questions that can't be found online or just need confirmation ("Can I unlock patron powers blueside" (You can't))

 

I'd not advocate that someone who doesn't want to stop and hand-hold a new player be forced to take the time to do so in any way. But I like to feel helpful.

I think that most of the drama is the game is because someone thinks the words in the chat box 'have a certain tone', when it's them, not the words... 🙂

 

Part of this is actually the cranky old gamer in me...

I happen to still be the kind of gamer that likes to explore and figure things out on my own, without being told the shortcuts...

 

In CoH, I learned early on that the main group would turn on your instantly if you mentioned PL, AE, or PvP, so I doubly did not ask in chat for anything, I don't trust data from such biased minds.

 

I think players that try and tell other players how to play the game are the worst of the 'community', I have never made that a secret.

The OP just shows us that these players are alive and well in the 'community' and that they should be ignored or better yet, ostrasized, IMO.

[Insomm]

50 minutes ago, PaxArcana said:

"Some people, Master Bruce, just want to watch the world burn."

*Puts on costume and crouches atop a rooftop in the middle of the night.*

[Troo]

7 hours ago, Insomm said:

how I was in the wrong much like the other player.

Nah, I wouldn't say you were wrong. Sometimes an interaction just does not work out. I don't know what else was happening a the time.

 

Also, there's no need to beat yourself up over making mistakes or realizing you didn't need to do something. Many have done the same thing. Some of us may have taken longer to learn.

 

Personally, I was happy to play two of my first characters for almost six months around level 30. (this was when level 40 was the top level)

[boggo2300]

7 hours ago, jubakumbi said:

IMO, asking anyone in-game for anything that can be found on the Internet is rude.

Really.

Once you get in the game, IMO, it's time to play.

Builds, learning things, finding out how to farm, etc., all of those things, IMO, are out of game activities.

Most all of the questions people ask in-game can be answered if they bothered to look over the menus and options and hover over powers.

 

So really, IMO, it's like walking on to a basketball court in the middle of the game and asking 'how many points do I get if I make a hoop?', forcing everyone to stop what they are doing to address the question.

300% NOT THIS

 

In game is EXACTLY where this sort of thing should be asked, hell there is even a default global channel set up for it...

 

MMOs are supposed to be social experiences noone EVER should be scared to, or belittled or bullied for asking for help in game, I am honestly incensed by that statement I know it was tongue in cheek a bit, but it is a sign of what's happened to MMO gaming and it's one I hate.  To the OP if you ever find yourself on Excelsior and have a question feel free to ask me! and I apologise for all the unnecessary grief you've gotten.  I don't completely agree with how you've decided to play, but it's up to you to find how to have your own fun, and if you think this is the way to do it I'm more than happy to offer what advice I can

[ShardWarrior]

7 hours ago, boggo2300 said:

In game is EXACTLY where this sort of thing should be asked, hell there is even a default global channel set up for it...

I completely agree.  We also have the options for "Helper" or "Help Me!" titles to let others know if we can help or need help.  Not every question has an answer on a game forum and making posts doesn't always lead to an immediate answer. 

 

IMO "help" is a combination of many things - forums, video guides, in-game chat etc.  They're meant to supplement each other, not individually be a single source for everything.

[swordchucks]

This game, for all of its wonderful virtues, is nearly impenetrable to new players in certain areas.  There might be guides on the forums, but you often have to know the questions to ask before you go looking for them.  Even when you find them, a lot of guides are written by people with very in-depth knowledge with an intended audience of people with in-depth knowledge.  That's great, but not really helpful to a new player.

 

In-game questions probably shouldn't expect in-depth answers.  Not to the level you'll find on the forums.

 

As for this specific case... I completely understand why a request from a "newbie" asking to "door sit" would get some heated responses.  While there are plenty of ways to power-level in-game, door sitting is the only one that doesn't really involve playing the game to at least some degree.  I wouldn't argue for its removal, if only because it's a useful tool for folks that have already done all of the other stuff, but I can see why the idea of someone having their first character boosted all the way would be grating.

[jubakumbi]

9 hours ago, boggo2300 said:

In game is EXACTLY where this sort of thing should be asked, hell there is even a default global channel set up for it...

 

MMOs are supposed to be social experiences noone EVER should be scared to, or belittled or bullied for asking for help in game, I am honestly incensed by that statement I know it was tongue in cheek a bit, but it is a sign of what's happened to MMO gaming and it's one I hate.

 

As I mentioned, I do not expect others to view this in the same way.

One of the things that is fundamentally different is that I do not view MMOs as 'social' games.

 

To me, like a PnP table top game, it is a 'group activity' but I have no desire to be 'social', I want to play the game.

A very fine line, I know, but I have found in exploring Introvert, Extrovert, and Ambivert, where I fall and why.

 

Extroverts feed off of the social aspects, I do not, I find the social aspects to be painful, not invigorating.

Introverts that still want some human interaction like these games because they can control how much they get.

I sit in the middle as an Ambivert.

 

I can interact 'socially' in games, I simply do not want to...I get no real benfit from it in games IME.

Some occasional humor is very nice, but most everything I see in MMO chat boxes is useless drama.."Man, I need IOs"..."I sure wish 'they' would fix SS"..."I cannot believe they allow the AE!"..."How dare that guy make a Supes rip off!"...meaningless idle chatter...

 

The very last person I had to play games (this game) with that really understood and respected that was a 30+ year friend that died suddenly last week. All the rest don't realy play games anymore, they got too old, I guess.

So this is not a new outlook for me, it cannot be 'blamed' on how MMO gaming has 'changed' - I have always played like this since AC1.

 It has nothing to do with MMOs, younger generations, or society changing - I have always been this way.

 

One of the main reasons I posted these thoughts is to try and explain there are a rainbow of ways to approach the game, just like the rainbow of humans brain chemestries that exist.

Edited September 24, 2019 by jubakumbi
speeling

[Xeres]

Well I'm just going to repeat what a lot of people said but feel the need to say it.

 

Judging a larger group of people anywhere based and the actions of a few is a bad idea.  This applies to anything.

 

From my experience there's been plenty of helpful people who have answered some of my questions in Help.

[Abraxus]

Agreed!  In total, I believe the degree to which folks are willing to provide assistance here is driven not only by their positive character, but also by their love of this game, and their desire for others who don't understand it as well, to love it too.  That can only happen when they gain a level of comfort with the game so as to become more self-sufficient, and hopefully gain the same level of appreciation we share for this game. 

 

There is a threshold for every new player, where they go from being totally lost and frustrated, to gaining sufficient understanding of the game to motivate them to know more, rather than give into the despair.  The more folks we can help cross that threshold, the more dedicated players join our ranks, rather than giving up, and leaving.