Focused Feedback: New Player Experience (NPE) Improvements

[ZorkNemesis]

Here's a thought, to better give new Heroes a nudge toward explore badges and get that popup sooner, can we potentially have the Rookie badge taken from Echo Atlas and have it placed on Ms. Liberty's feet in modern Atlas?  Maybe exchange another badge in the process like Hero Corps Insider or Silent Sentinel.  Villains and Goldies have an explore badge pretty much as they leave the tutorial, but the closest badge to new Heroes is at the top of the statue which isn't somewhere people would think to go first.

[Riverdusk]

The "Show Pet Window Option" setting has been removed and is always enabled.

 

 

Thank you so much for that one.  The number of times I answered "how do I get a pet window?" in help channel and having to explain it as a two step process to anyone that wasn't a mastermind.  Having an option in order to have an option to open a window (and it defaulting to off) was the most ridiculous thing.  Especially considering eventually everyone gets pets (with incarnate powers).

 

 

[Random Robot]

46 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

LRT is primarily about teleporting to zones you've been to. This new method is without a doubt going to be achieved organically by more characters, and ensure they have at least a handful of zones by the time they unlock it. You're now also given a far greater amount of experience for collecting exploration badges, which easily offsets the tiny amount of extra time it might take you to get them.

 

You could achieve all of these things AND not annoy people by making it unlock at 8 badges. I can't make it any clearer that having to zone in order to get the LRT is pointless busywork that doesn't -need- to be there to achieve any of your goals so I'm going to drop it now.

[PeregrineFalcon]

1 hour ago, Jimmy said:

We think the amount of effort involved in collecting 10 badges is very reasonable, the main problem we're now trying to solve is how discoverable this goal is.

Someone suggested moving the Rookie badge from Echo: Atlas Park to Atlas Park right at Ms. Liberty's feet.

 

So what if you did that and the badge caused a pop up that said something like "This is an exploration badge. if you can find just 9 more of them you'll get a free power that will teleport you to different areas of the city, and even to your Super Group Base. Hint: there are 8 other badges here in Atlas Park, so you only have to find one more in another zone, like the one on the helipad in Kings Row."

[Sovera]

1 hour ago, Random Robot said:

 

You could achieve all of these things AND not annoy people by making it unlock at 8 badges. I can't make it any clearer that having to zone in order to get the LRT is pointless busywork that doesn't -need- to be there to achieve any of your goals so I'm going to drop it now.

 

Counterpoint: we don't need LRT until we leave Atlas. Once we leave it because we're leveling or whatever we pick the badges at that time.

[Sovera]

1 hour ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

Someone suggested moving the Rookie badge from Echo: Atlas Park to Atlas Park right at Ms. Liberty's feet.

 

So what if you did that and the badge caused a pop up that said something like "This is an exploration badge. if you can find just 9 more of them you'll get a free power that will teleport you to different areas of the city, and even to your Super Group Base. Hint: there are 8 other badges here in Atlas Park, so you only have to find one more in another zone, like the one on the helipad in Kings Row."

 

That's good. It's how we should have it. Each badge found could show the tip for the next one and then that info stays in the badge info we can access from the nav screen.

[Wavicle]

2 minutes ago, Sovera said:

 

Counterpoint: we don't need LRT until we leave Atlas. Once we leave it because we're leveling or whatever we pick the badges at that time.

 

Being able to teleport to my base to level up is very handy even in Atlas.

[Sovera]

9 minutes ago, Wavicle said:

Being able to teleport to my base to level up is very handy even in Atlas.

 

You got me there 😄

[Wavicle]

But if they put a Vendor next to Back Alley Brawler, that would help.

[Lockely]

23 minutes ago, Wavicle said:

 

Being able to teleport to my base to level up is very handy even in Atlas.

 

Sure, but this is a New Player Experience thing, not a veteran player looking for shortcuts because they've done it already thing. With the flight pack they give you, it adds an extra two mins on top of the time you're already spending to get it now, but it helps direct new players to important systems.

[Wavicle]

1 minute ago, Lockely said:

 

Sure, but this is a New Player Experience thing, not a veteran player looking for shortcuts because they've done it already thing. With the flight pack they give you, it adds an extra two mins on top of the time you're already spending to get it now, but it helps direct new players to important systems.

Yea, but improving the new player experience TO THE DETRIMENT of the veteran experience doesn't have to be a thing.

I agree with the people who suggested 10 different badges OR an Explore accolade seems like a totally reasonable compromise.

[PeregrineFalcon]

26 minutes ago, Wavicle said:

Yea, but improving the new player experience TO THE DETRIMENT of the veteran experience doesn't have to be a thing.

I agree with the people who suggested 10 different badges OR an Explore accolade seems like a totally reasonable compromise.

I see what you're saying, but I don't really think it is to the detriment of the veteran experience.

 

One of the first things that I do when I make a new character is have them fly all over Atlas Park to get all of the explore badges for the free teleport ability. I've done it so often that I know where they all are. With my suggestion all I'd have to do is that and then go to Kings Row and hit the helipad for the final badge. Then I can port back to Atlas and continue leveling up.

 

I agree with you that it should just be left as is. However, since the Council of Thirteen has decided that isn't going to happen, then my suggestion is not only a great compromise, it also addresses Jimmy's issue of discoverability for new players.

[Bionic_Flea]

Confirmed that it does NOT award for getting the Atlas Tour Guide Accolade, but DOES award after getting two more explore badges.  I got mine in KR.

 

I have to agree with the folks that say it should be 8 explore badges.  That way us "old folks" can get it the way we are used to and the new folks can find the badges organically or by design once they learn.

 

That would be my preference, but getting 2 more badges in KR, when I was going there at level 6ish anyway, did not add significant time.

 

Oh! and I got a popup directing me to head on over to the University in Steel for some inventions training!  Nice.

 

Edited February 2 by Bionic_Flea

[gameboy1234]

On 1/31/2024 at 8:53 AM, Lunar Ronin said:

Sorry for the double post, but this is a very good example from just this morning that illustrates my point:

 

 

 

 

New players simply do not realize that Task Forces/Strike Forces/Trials are different from regular missions, and that they can't just up and leave or join at any time.  They need a tutorial or something to help explain that to them.

 

 

Just making pasta (throwing stuff against the wall to see if it sticks): require a trip to Null the Gull to unlock TF team sizes less than 6.  Might be a bit of a pita, but we all seem to make the trip anyway so it's just one more thing as long as you're there.  It might keep new players from making mistakes until they're a bit more experienced.

 

 

[Legion of One]

Love a lot of the QOL changes to the UI and wonder if the same treatment can be given to the Mastermind (and Incanate) pet UI. I love my MM’s and have always wondered why the pet controls are so confusing (the ones that are at the top of the pet window). What is called the advanced mode is actually simpler and makes Defensive available. Would like to see just one set of controls with their dropdown mini menus, and also all of the pet commands placed into the power tray (Defensive is not there and is essential to effective control and bodyguard mode (do new players even know what bodyguard mode is?)). 

[Kai Moon]

On 1/26/2024 at 10:42 PM, Booper said:

New characters will automatically start with Athletic Run (players can swap this out at P2W for another version).

The origin attack powers and Athletic Run should be added to the power tray upon character creation.

When gaining the free Jet Pack at level 2, you are presented with a pop-up explaining how to get more at the P2W vendor.

This has been nice for testing on beta server, since I'm frequently rolling an rerolling characters. I imagine it'll be equally nice for people on live server doing live server things.

[Tatterhood]

43 minutes ago, Legion of One said:

do new players even know what bodyguard mode is?

The Praetorian tutorial explains bodyguard mode if you're an MM. All the more reason why that part should be copied into the other tutorials.

[Riverdusk]

2 hours ago, Legion of One said:

Love a lot of the QOL changes to the UI and wonder if the same treatment can be given to the Mastermind (and Incanate) pet UI. I love my MM’s and have always wondered why the pet controls are so confusing (the ones that are at the top of the pet window). What is called the advanced mode is actually simpler and makes Defensive available. Would like to see just one set of controls with their dropdown mini menus, and also all of the pet commands placed into the power tray (Defensive is not there and is essential to effective control and bodyguard mode (do new players even know what bodyguard mode is?)). 

 

Definitely this.  Would love to see "Defensive Follow" added as a default power tray button for new MM's.  Use the gold shield with blue outline looking button that right now defaults to "defensive".  At the very least, drop that defensive button down into the tray.

[Wavicle]

RE: New Player Experience

PLEASE give us a way to MOVE where the Popup Windows appear!

When they pop during combat in the middle of the screen, the first thing most people do is CLOSE it without reading.

[Duuk]

While I agree that popping into KR for the extra 2 badges isn't world-shaking, at least half of my alts go into the Hollows after Atlas.  The Hollows is notoriously evil for exploration badges.

 

Please change it to 8, or change it to 10 or an accolade.  Pretty please.

[Jimmy]

2 hours ago, Wavicle said:

RE: New Player Experience

PLEASE give us a way to MOVE where the Popup Windows appear!

When they pop during combat in the middle of the screen, the first thing most people do is CLOSE it without reading.

Which ones are appearing in combat? I can take a look.

 

All the ones that have been added should only appear after training.

[Random Robot]

I'm not sure if this is related to NPE exactly but could we have more control over where captions appear on the screen? With my UI setup that has multiple chat windows for global chat and such I occasionally find the gameplay captions display underneath a chat window if the caption isn't placed towards the middle of the screen.

[Wavicle]

54 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

Which ones are appearing in combat? I can take a look.

 

All the ones that have been added should only appear after training.

 

Not the new ones you've added. I mean Tips in particular, but I think Salvage, there might be a couple of others.

[Reiska]

On 1/29/2024 at 3:30 AM, Grouchybeast said:

I don't think anyone is hoping for more than that for Praetoria.  Stretching the initial three zones to cover 1-30 (or even 1-25) and stretching FW/NW up to 50 would be an amazing upgrade.

 

Agreed, really; the biggest challenge would be making sure that the initial 3 zones have enough XP in them to *get* you past 20 when not using any multipliers.

 

I think covering 1-30 with them is probably a very big stretch, but 1-25 is probably vaguely doable (might necessitate larger arc completion rewards maybe.  Or teaming.) 

 

I'd probably then extend FW out to 35 and make NW 35-50.  You could also examine whether it's possible to let Praetorians go directly to and from Cimerora (without being able to "backdoor" into Primal Earth this way, of course) - Cimerora is well before the historical divergence point so there's no logical reason they shouldn't be able to go there if you can come up with a reason for Praetoria to have time travel in the first place.  You probably have to limit them to only the repeatable missions there though, or create a set of Cimerora arcs specifically for Praetorian characters (remember, after all, while the ITF is co-op, the zone arcs in Cimerora are actually aligned).

 

On 1/29/2024 at 10:01 AM, Lightyears said:

Habashy's story continues from him escaping from Galaxy City. It would break flow to have him be the initial contact after Outbreak. A new player may even think "This guy's quest is from the other tutorial. I guess I picked the wrong one."

 

I don't know if they have the tech to - A: Know which tutorial a player completed when they spawn in AP.

-and B: If so, send them to Matthew if they picked Galaxy or their Origin contact if they picked Outbreak.

 

Also, if If we split player's guidance based on which tutorial they picked - we run into the conundrum of Galaxy being a weak tutorial but Habashy's story arc being the better, more consistent 1-10 content.

 

Easier suggestion IMO: rewrite the first bits of Habashy's arc to simply not assume the player is coming from the Galaxy City tutorial.  Issue 21 was a long time ago, we can treat it more like legacy content now rather than current lore.

 

20 hours ago, Paradox Fate said:

Not bad, however can be something done about the layout of the Chat/Hotbars?

[...snipped screenshots...]

Also to declutter the 'Global' Chat tab: (snipped screenshot)

 

When you use LFG and Help, you probably aren't in a situation where the Global Chat is going fast, like in combat. General is something of a relaxed chat, you engage with it more easily, even when being busy.

 

/chat_save 🙂

 

9 hours ago, gameboy1234 said:

Just making pasta (throwing stuff against the wall to see if it sticks): require a trip to Null the Gull to unlock TF team sizes less than 6.  Might be a bit of a pita, but we all seem to make the trip anyway so it's just one more thing as long as you're there.  It might keep new players from making mistakes until they're a bit more experienced.

 

At the very least Task Force contacts should have a more prominent warning when starting the task force that doing the content with less than whatever the minimum number of players for the TF was on live (and why).  I'm not against requiring you to visit Null the Gull to unlock the ability to solo TFs, though.

Edited February 2 by Reiska

[Bionic_Flea]

2 hours ago, Jimmy said:

Which ones are appearing in combat? I can take a look.

 

All the ones that have been added should only appear after training.

 

But Jimmy, if I am fighting in the street and happen to come across my first new explore badge, wouldn't I get a center screen pop up window?