If/when we get cashing to be an effective strat, yeah. That's what I'll be testing next round. It is the closest to the intuitive strat - it feeds itself and keeps its cash flow in the green. It doesn't produce its own troops, but yeah. Perhaps as a beginning tutorial? If we implement global accounts, it could have a global account control, default on. New players would get it, once you'd benefited from it, you could switch it off and never see it again.
Volkov - if you read this, I'd like your comments on the idea that the theme and/or scaling might be presenting a problem.
Empires: WOA: Attila the Hun(#13)
BFR: ? Founder and Leader of Hungry Huns (HH)
Global accounts are a single account you create for FAF. It then maintains personal data, settings, etc. To create a tribe for a new set, all you need to fill in is your name, race, and location. Thus, a player could turn tutorial off in their global account, and wouldn't have to deal with it every new tribe they create.
AoV - Yeah... what? That statement appears to have no relevance...
Empires: WOA: Attila the Hun(#13)
BFR: ? Founder and Leader of Hungry Huns (HH)
Hrm. Well, I can see where having more variety would be helpful, yes.
However, I think perhaps that the lack of a simple, intuitive, strategy might be harmful to new players. Even with a tutorial, we're left with starting newbies on either a counter-intuitive strat, a complex strat, or both. Casher is at current one of the most complex strategies to run, with the tax rate stuff. Everything else involves having at least cash in the red, and, for a spy, food as well.
I'm also very concerned about the idea that the tiny numbers might be driving people away. We already have testimony for Shadow that both he and kell were discouraged by them. Kell was no newbie and the time, and if Shadow was, that is just further evidence that the small numbers are discouraging to newbies and vets alike.
Can anybody else provide insight as to whether the scaled numbers and thus seemingly slow gameplay makes people less likely to stay?
Empires: WOA: Attila the Hun(#13)
BFR: ? Founder and Leader of Hungry Huns (HH)
Ruddertail wrote: Casher is at current one of the most complex strategies to run, with the tax rate stuff.
For a newbie it need not be. They are interested in rising in ranks, seeing their resource piles grow, and attacking people. The complicated tax rate stuff only becomes handy to wring every last penny out of the strat - a newbie making 75% of the possible cash can still have fun. The rest can come later.
Seeing others do better at the same strat might actually spark interest in going a bit more in depth to see what others are doing different; at that point, they are hooked :*laughs*:
I would def agree with shortening the manual some. I like how detailed it is, but when someone opens it and has to read that much to find out how to play, they will lose interest.
Tell them what everything is and then a few simple suggestions on strats and let them mess around with it.
Theme is everything. Graphics is everything. When people come to a site they need to be interested long before they even play the game.
Strat balance is also a key issue. Each strat has to be comparable to the others. There can only be so many farmers *laughs*.. I know this is being worked on as we speak though.
Maybe a "newbie clan" run by one or two oldbies could be set up to help new players learn. It's been suggested at rwl too, but I don't know if anything happened with it there.
It would be a big boost if a newbie could win a set or finish high under the guidance of an oldbie.
I just sent this too all the new players in protection:
Welcome to FaF. We love to see new faces here. If you are new to promisance games the appearance can be a little intimidating; check out forums for some ideas on getting started, and don't hesitate to ask one of the older players for tips and ideas. Hope you stay with us
Crazy coincidence - I had exactly as many message credits as there were newbies
Slasher - Yeah, I remember that. I thought it was just you being stubborn or something. There are always changes, etc. that don't satisfy the the whole community, so, I figured you just had some weird problem with it.
Shadow - A training clan would be great. The problem is you need to have people actually join it. A lot of people, I think, create an account and either never log in, or log in once, and then leave. If we had newbies who wanted to join a training clan, I'd be happy to lead one, as would a lot of other oldbies.
Mr. President - Those sound like good ideas. What would you recommend in terms of theme and/or graphics in order to get people interested? (This is an open question for everybody, btw.)
Also, have we considered the possibility that our password setup drives people away? It's not insanely complicated, but I know it's confused more than a few people in the past. Perhaps people sign up, realize they can't log in, either figure the game is buggy or that it's too much work, or just loose interest, and never bother with it. It may be that one of the first things we need to do is get people to at least log in, and if our email - pass setup hinders that, we may need to make a change in that department.
Edit: I've actually been messaging new faces as well. But two people never hurts...
Empires: WOA: Attila the Hun(#13)
BFR: ? Founder and Leader of Hungry Huns (HH)
The password setup is a little buggy - I couldn't get mine for a good while when I first signed up, although I forget why. I think people should choose their password as part of the main signup form for simplicity's sake.
A lot of people, I think, create an account and either never log in, or log in once, and then leave
So? If they don't stay long enough to use turns they were a lost cause from the start. If one in five newbies stay long enough to use turns, and one in five of those actually stay with it, we are doing well. A training clan or tutorial might make that a two- or three- in twenty five rather than a one-. (just pulling numbers out of nowhere here, but they are probably pretty close to actual fact)
As for theme, we could orient FaF more toward defense. Very few Promi games have defense as a big part of it, but the basis is all here with "experience." An idea for a themed round could be that the person with the attack and defense icons get a boost in that area, making it a little more than just a symbol.
Is there a cap on experience? I have 1000 and it doesn't seem to be moving.
