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Cross Atu
OSG Planetary Operations
Covert Intervention
2149
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Posted - 2014.05.27 03:05:00 -
[1] - Quote
Alright so this is a bit restrictively focused to fully apply to a sandbox game, however it's a great conceptual sign post for establishing the NPE.
- 3rd party tools
- Training Corps
- Social connections
- Trial and Error
- And yes, even the simple will to HTFU
These are all great assets to and in the sandbox, but they should supplement the NPE, pick up when it's finished, and be a gateway into the deeper desert of the sandbox. They are not substitutes for the NEP.
In a sandbox like New Eden, emergent game play can afford to be punishing (as defined in the vid) but entry into the game, the ability to learn the ropes and start to get your bearings, should not be.
Put in a more fanciful way; "one does not simply sustain player retention by spawn camping their first deployment."
What the NPE can be however, is challenging (as defined in the vid). In fact as it propels the player closer to their exit from the NPE and entrance into the sandbox it likely should be more challenging because any NPE which concludes before the new player understands that there is no 'reset button' in the sandbox will leave them upreared for what they are stepping into.
0.02 ISK
Cross
Cross Atu for CPM1- An emergent candidate
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Cross Atu
OSG Planetary Operations
Covert Intervention
2155
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Posted - 2014.05.27 16:50:00 -
[2] - Quote
Okay, first and foremost thank you both for the reply.
Secondly linking fail - I have now updated the link in the OP. I was watching a link to another vid at the time of this post (linked in candidate chat) and I grabbed the link to that vid rather than the one I actually intended to include.
The quick upshot is that the intended video is about the nature of difficulty within a game, rather than power creep (which is it's own concern for sure).
Having addressed that I can move on to more specific responses. 
I-Shayz-I - I completely agree, UI access to information being intuitive and readily available is key to the NPE, and honestly helps support game play throughout. Not knowing what your options are, or the implications thereof, leads to uninformed choices and in a persistent game that can result in frustration. The Progression system proposed by CCP Z seems to have a solid conceptual start on this, but I'm all for pushing it to higher refinement levels (it is an early stage concept at present) to ensure that the guidance it offers the NPE isn't coming at the cost of emergent game play during late game content.
re; Note, glad to be back and also glad to see you still around and participating 7162 wp is epic by the way, I think you've topped my best score (gives me something to shoot for [:D] ). Hit me up in game anytime, I'd love to run with you again.
ansei Kaizen - Your sig is spot on, and actually those three elements can be closely related.
In New Eden having social connections and an active corp is useful, but it shouldn't be required to survive and play especially in Legion (considering how CCP has presented it's intended audience here so far).
The NPE should offer options to learn and refine both game understanding and skill without making social interaction a requirement. This gives new players the opportunity to explore the game before they join someone and increased fun, and thereby retention as well.
PvE is a great asset for this, it helps casual players, it helps new players, and it supports a lot of vets when the jump on with only limited play time rather than the time needed for something like a PC battle. It's a great value added asset to the game overall and could be used within the NPE to great effect.
As per my above, the point I was making got a bit garbled in that I linked the wrong vid (oops) but I'm glad the core notion still came through.
Cheers,
Cross
Cross Atu for CPM1- An emergent candidate
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Cross Atu
OSG Planetary Operations
Covert Intervention
2210
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Posted - 2014.06.02 17:47:00 -
[3] - Quote
@Jaysyn Larrisen
Completely agree with moving more towards a benchmark system and away from a raw SP or WP system.
Training should include things like market awareness and the value of general skills over specialized ones early on.
Further all training should be optional and repeatable, or at least the vast majority should.
Players who are strong-armed into running through an NPE when they're not interested will be unlikely to retain much from their passage through it. Hence a strong NPE not only provides good content, but also some choices.
After all we cannot force anyone to learn, so we have to persuade them it's worth their time.
Cheers,
Cross
Edit: Repeatable is also key, a new player shouldn't be expected to memorize all the data in a role arc within a single run through. They should have the option of going back and doing it again if they desire.
Cross Atu for CPM1- An emergent candidate
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Cross Atu
OSG Planetary Operations
Covert Intervention
2337
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Posted - 2014.06.14 16:13:00 -
[4] - Quote
Any additional thoughts on the new NPE?
Cross Atu for CPM1- An emergent candidate
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