RydogV
Shadow Company HQ
234
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Posted - 2013.07.25 15:26:00 -
[1] - Quote
There have been a lot of great ideas regarding tutorials and such. A lot of these revolve around a PvE element which doesn't currently exist. I think it should and once it does, it will go a long way toward providing new players with some useful insight into the game before plunging headlong into combat against more experienced players.
So my suggestion will focus on what is currently available in-game now and that has to do with fittings, skill points and the Academy. The time frame for a player to be restricted to Academy gameplay is currently based on War Points. I say it should be based on time. If possible time spent actually playing the game, but if that cannot be adequately tracked then a fixed number of days from when a character is created will have to suffice. If it can be actual play time then I say 20 hrs. If it has to be days then I say 14 days after the character is created. Both should give players enough time to experience the game before jumping into the mix.
Skill Points should be locked for then entire period. In my opinion, giving Skill Points to a player before they know anything about Dust 514 is like a kid in a candy store. They will grab everything that looks good but in the end just end up with a stomach ache. No, new players should have a starter amount of SP that is locked and earn SP during their Academy days but not gain access to it until their 20hrs/14 days are done. By that time they have experienced enough of the game and had time to review the Skill Tree and Marketplace to have a better understanding of where those points should go. They may even have done a little research and talked to some players to get some experienced insight. All good things in my book. This will also ensure that everyone they meet in Academy battles have the same base skill level as them. All Academy battles will focus on fitting selection (Starter Fits...stay tuned) and actual gun game. Hence the training wheels are still on.
Finally fittings. Give them the basic Starter Fits and access to Militia Gear. But lets not be stingy. Each new player should get 50 preset loadouts that offer a bit of variety and allow them to experience things that new players now cannot. Create preset fittings in Scout, Logistics and Heavy Dropsuits...not just Assault. Give them the opportunity to play the game as a Heavy with an HMG, a Scout with a Shotgun or a Logi with a Mass Driver or Scrambler Rifle. Give them a chance to test things before the make hard choices. Give them a handful of Tanks and Dropships to try.
Then when the 20hrs or 14 days are up, give them their SP and turn them loose. If they have not learned anything by then, they are probably hopeless anyway and no amount of hand holding will have saved them from their fate in New Eden. |