What Can Be Done to Recruit Players?

[Zewks]

Get rid of training and dual origin enhancements.

 

Reduce the cost of Single Origin enhancements so that a new, casual player can make enough to keep up with the costs of keeping their character geared.

Make these available from all merchants (trying to track down the specific one for your origin in each zone can be awful for new players)[

 

Even without using 2x xp buff, you dont make enough currency to keep your character enhancements updated with SO's, and anything less than SO's feels really awful. Especially missing all the time. Missing is one of the worst feelings in any game. What good is a cool power if you struggle to hit with it. Maybe make the level 6 "tutorial" mission quest reward some decent starting cash. (new players arent going to know about getting the badges to convert to sellable converters for easy starting money)

 

Other than that, the first hour of playing after you make your character can feel pretty rough for new players. Slow and painful combat is not a good experience in a super hero game. Too much of the very early game relies heavily on the P2W vendor for it to be fun.  Having 2 powers + brawl is just awful feeling for many new players.  Especially when many AT's only get 1 attack out of those first 2-3 powers.  Brawl seems pointless and should be reworked to be a real starting power.

 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Zewks

[PeregrineFalcon]

2 hours ago, Zewks said:

Get rid of training and dual origin enhancements.

That's going to help recruit new players how exactly?

 

Recruiting new players involves, by definition, doing stuff outside of the game. You know, like actually talking to people IRL, face-to-face. Maybe even going outside.

 

Changing stuff in the game, no matter how much you want that change, isn't going to recruit new players. You guys do understand that, right?

[SeraphimKensai]

I've tried to recruit a number of people over the years, and what I find is that a lot of younger people have issues with the low polygon models and low res textures. Us older folk don't mind so much as we're all wearing glasses trying to see clearly.

[Luminara]

Twelve pages, not one person paraphrased the Ready Player One quote I was expecting.

 

People come to Co* for all the things they can do.  They stay for all the things they can be.

 

[Zewks]

2 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

That's going to help recruit new players how exactly?

 

Recruiting new players involves, by definition, doing stuff outside of the game. You know, like actually talking to people IRL, face-to-face. Maybe even going outside.

 

Changing stuff in the game, no matter how much you want that change, isn't going to recruit new players. You guys do understand that, right?

 

 

Here is how.

 

3 different types of Enhancements are confusing to new players. Most dont even know what the difference is between them.  Ive seen new players replace a SO enhancement with a DO one, just because they got it as a drop and thought "its got green numbers, instead of yellow".

 

In the end, it makes for a bad experience for the new player. Adding unnecessary confusion and frustration in a system that is already horribly un-user friendly because of its dated nature. Not only that, in my example situation, it would actually make the play experience worse, by lowering that players characters abilities.

 

Experienced players take these things for granted. We come from the original game, with lots of knowledge, or we have been through the trails of scouring the wiki's and guides out there to learn what we should be doing. Both of these things shouldnt be required of a new player. The game shouldnt require extensive amount of research for basic game concepts. When new players find themselves in these situations, many of them just leave the game. 

 

I cant stress this enough. We cant just assume that because we understand it, that a new player will as well. 

 

What good does it do to recruit thousands of people to the game, if most of them turn around and leave because the game itself isnt very welcoming. 

Edited May 3, 2022 by Zewks

[PeregrineFalcon]

22 minutes ago, Zewks said:

What good does it do to recruit thousands of people to the game, if most of them turn around and leave because the game itself isnt very welcoming. 

Fair enough. And I even agree with you on this.

 

However, that's not really what this thread is about. You could clutter this thread up with a list of everything in this game that's mysterious and difficult to understand and then debate whether or not those sytems should be streamlined and simplified and documented in game. And then others will come in and complain that you're "dumbing down" the game. And then have that discussion.

 

None of which has anything to do with "What Can Be Done to Recruit Players?"

 

Recruiting new players is the first step to increasing the player base. Retention is another, and completely different step, which is important enough to deserve its own thread, don't you think?

[Zewks]

26 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

Fair enough. And I even agree with you on this.

 

However, that's not really what this thread is about. You could clutter this thread up with a list of everything in this game that's mysterious and difficult to understand and then debate whether or not those sytems should be streamlined and simplified and documented in game. And then others will come in and complain that you're "dumbing down" the game. And then have that discussion.

 

None of which has anything to do with "What Can Be Done to Recruit Players?"

 

Recruiting new players is the first step to increasing the player base. Retention is another, and completely different step, which is important enough to deserve its own thread, don't you think?

 

noted

[Ironblade]

8 hours ago, Zewks said:

Reduce the cost of Single Origin enhancements so that a new, casual player can make enough to keep up with the costs of keeping their character geared.

Make these available from all merchants (trying to track down the specific one for your origin in each zone can be awful for new players)

 

FYI, this was changed a LONG time ago.  Just go to the vendor in Atlas Park, for example, and they will sell you the correct SO's for your origin.

[Snarky]

9 hours ago, Zewks said:

Get rid of training and dual origin enhancements.

 

Reduce the cost of Single Origin enhancements so that a new, casual player can make enough to keep up with the costs of keeping their character geared.

Make these available from all merchants (trying to track down the specific one for your origin in each zone can be awful for new players)[

 

Even without using 2x xp buff, you dont make enough currency to keep your character enhancements updated with SO's, and anything less than SO's feels really awful. Especially missing all the time. Missing is one of the worst feelings in any game. What good is a cool power if you struggle to hit with it. Maybe make the level 6 "tutorial" mission quest reward some decent starting cash. (new players arent going to know about getting the badges to convert to sellable converters for easy starting money)

 

Other than that, the first hour of playing after you make your character can feel pretty rough for new players. Slow and painful combat is not a good experience in a super hero game. Too much of the very early game relies heavily on the P2W vendor for it to be fun.  Having 2 powers + brawl is just awful feeling for many new players.  Especially when many AT's only get 1 attack out of those first 2-3 powers.  Brawl seems pointless and should be reworked to be a real starting power.

 

making SOs.....free?   damned fine idea.  I played for a year using DOs and trying to keep SOs slotted.  They work great.  would be a serious boon for new players

[Snarky]

I seriously hate to interrupt the crap slinging monkey fight over....what the heck are you people slinging feces about again?  Oh nevermind.

 

LOOK It's an idea to recruit players!   So....today I happened to be at Dark Horse Comics warehouse.  I mentioned to a young woman there that there was a super hero game that you could create almost any super in....  She was interested.  I told her about CoH Homecoming.

 

Go forth and educate the geeks!   

 

And, um, if you are not going to stop throwing fecal matter at one another at least start a thread dedicated to ...whatever you are arguing about.  This topic is important, and that ain't helping.

[Troo]

10 hours ago, Zewks said:

3 different types of Enhancements are confusing to new players.

 

Valid point if there were only 3 types of enhancement..

 

There are at least this many:

• Training Origin Enhancements
• Dual-Origin Enhancements
• Single-Origin Enhancements
• Prestige Enhancements
• Hydra Origin Enhancements
• Crystal Titan Origin Enhancements
• Hamidon Origin Enhancements
• Standard Invention Origin Enhancements
• Invention Origin Enhancement Sets (Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, PvP)
• Archetype Origin Enhancements (Standard, Superior)
• Attuned enhancements

I do agree about trying not to confuse or overwhelm folks who may be new to the game.

That said, it is a big game.

[Bionic_Flea]

The bigness is part of what DOES keep players, IMO.   Every time you think you've got everything covered, you discover another layer to explore, dissect, analyze, and master.

 

One additional point: I don't think we need to worry about attracting new players or retaining old players, other than periodically adding new powers, maps, costumes, stories.  Many of us have been playing this game for close to 20 years.  

 

I may occasionally get bored and play less, but I always come back.  I don't think I'll leave as long as I can see a screen and push buttons.

[Solarverse]

On 4/22/2022 at 9:56 AM, Apparition said:

What suggestions can you come up with to help recruit new players? 

 

Stop nerfing sound effects is a good start. Players like myself get pretty discouraged to play when aspects of a game they love are suddenly removed instead of made options. I can't even play Kinetics anymore because of the nerfs to the sound effects, along with many other sets. So that is the reason I no longer play.

[battlewraith]

Homecoming needs to partner with a larger organization that has extensive connections to the types of people that would find this game and this community relatable. 

https://www.aarp.org/

[Bill Z Bubba]

1 minute ago, battlewraith said:

Homecoming needs to partner with a larger organization that has extensive connections to the types of people that would find this game and this community relatable. 

https://www.aarp.org/

 

I'm so glad I hadn't just taken a beer sip.

[Solarverse]

Funny my last comment got a thumbs down, just shows me how selfish and spoiled MMO players can actually be. You can thumb that down too.

[Bill Z Bubba]

41 minutes ago, Solarverse said:

Funny my last comment got a thumbs down, just shows me how selfish and spoiled MMO players can actually be. You can thumb that down too.

 

New players wouldn't know if sounds got nerfed because they wouldn't know otherwise. I get your disapproval, man. Being on the other side makes me understand it. But it's not a hill to die on.

[Snarky]

1 hour ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

 

New players wouldn't know if sounds got nerfed because they wouldn't know otherwise. I get your disapproval, man. Being on the other side makes me understand it. But it's not a hill to die on.

So many giant fights in this thread are based on this type of thing.  If only Markspickle Sanddoom still had blue gloves we would get a lot of players.  If only people were not allowed to repeat game things I dont agree with we would have server overload of signups.

 

If only people stopped to think about cause and effect....oh.  nvm.  right.

[Luminara]

2 minutes ago, Solarverse said:

Funny my last comment got a thumbs down, just shows me how selfish and spoiled MMO players can actually be. You can thumb that down too.

 

Did you ever play Left 4 Dead?  I did.  Played the ever-loving hell out of it.  Hundreds and hundreds of hours.  After a few months of running around, shooting zombies in the face, trying to get Bill to say, "RELOADING!", I noticed something.  The lighting.  The path to the safe house always followed the lighting.  There was usually a short side path you could take, but it always led back to the lit path.  The developers used the lighting to guide players forward, without guiding them forward.  It was a subtle, but remarkably effective, way to convey information.  No-one thought about where to go, they didn't have to, they instinctively followed the lighting.

 

Audio design is like that.  When it's done properly, it's capable of conveying information to players without requiring their immediate and direct attention.  With audio effects done the right way, players hear cues and clues and never stop to think about what to do next, they just know.  Audio effects in a game should be considered and deliberate, used as an information delivery tool.  It's not music, and when it's treated as though it is music, it loses all effectiveness at being an information delivery tool.  That's why there's a separate music channel in games, so players can still receive vital information through the effects channel.

 

The original implementation of power effects in CoH was amateur design.  Continual toggle noise and excessively loud click sounds overwhelmed the senses and made it impossible to discern cues like objective sounds, or audio clues like what attack an enemy was about to use.  Those cues and clues might as well not have been there at all, because they were drown out by the cacophonic assault from the effects channel.  And neither Cryptic nor Paragon nerfed sounds, they fixed a horrible design oversight by fading loops and toning down clicks so players could hear critical information.  Considering that we can't see what's going on half the time because of the same design flaw applied to particles and graphical effects ("MOAR!  MOAR, DO YOU HEAR ME?!  I WANT THAT SCREEN TO BURN OUT THREE SECONDS AFTER THE GAME FINISHES LOADING!" - J. Emmert), having information delivered through the effects channel is vital to the game's playability.

 

The game is better with fewer audio effects hammering at the player's ears and mind and blocking out useful information.  If you know anything about game design, you should recognize that.  If you don't know anything about game design, you just learned something, and maybe that can assuage some of your bitterness.  Or, at least, give you a reason to pause and reflect before you jump at the chance to insult people who do understand game design, as no-one who does would agree that blowing out players' eardrums with audio effects which mask important prompts is ever a good idea, much less good design.

[PeregrineFalcon]

5 hours ago, Solarverse said:

Funny my last comment got a thumbs down, just shows me how selfish and spoiled MMO players can actually be. You can thumb that down too.

I didn't thumbs down your post because I disagree with you. I did it because you clearly don't understand what the word recruit means.

 

Your post affects retention, not recruitment. Retention is important though. So important that I feel that it deserves its own thread.

 

But, changing the way sound files are played in game isn't going to recruit new people to play the game. Can you understand that statement?

[Solarverse]

2 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

I didn't thumbs down your post because I disagree with you. I did it because you clearly don't understand what the word recruit means.

 

Your post affects retention, not recruitment. Retention is important though. So important that I feel that it deserves its own thread.

 

But, changing the way sound files are played in game isn't going to recruit new people to play the game. Can you understand that statement?

 

Yeah, you got me. Lucky I like you or I would have something smartass to say.

[PeregrineFalcon]

Just now, Solarverse said:

Yeah, you got me. Lucky I like you or I would have something smartass to say.

Hey, I made the same mistake this very morning. It's not fashionable to admit that you were wrong on the internet, but it's what adults do.

[Solarverse]

1 minute ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

Hey, I made the same mistake this very morning. It's not fashionable to admit that you were wrong on the internet, but it's what adults do.

 

Yeah, I had a "Doh!" moment there, didn't I?  lol

[Solarverse]

6 minutes ago, Troo said:

 

w e l l , why'd i get a thumbs down? 😞

 

troo sad

 

We see you and we just can't help it! It's like giving kids ball bats and pointing them at a pinata! We figure if we beat on you enough, you'll explode and drop us a bunch of candy!

[Troo]

😞