Free Allegiance Forums

Drizzo wrote:QUOTE (Drizzo @ Dec 6 2009, 08:08 AM) STOP IT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE A BAD GUY

Yeah, you and GUi are like the worst people ever

notjarvis wrote:QUOTE (notjarvis @ Dec 6 2009, 11:41 AM) lolwut?

p1 has done nothing at all about this issue other than agree with you. I have no idea why p1 is getting any credit.

Because I *have* been working on it. Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it isn't happening.

phoenix1 wrote:QUOTE (phoenix1 @ Dec 7 2009, 06:15 AM) Because I *have* been working on it. Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Just because you've been working on it without telling those who actually write the forum, does not mean your version will go into the course. A new version is already up in AFS before anyone was told that you were doing anything. Perhaps if you had told people you were drafting something - pwople would have waited.

Please comment on that. This need not be a large trauma.

Hi

I am a Newbie
I am also in the @AFS program (unless getting kicked out now )
I am old (getting 40 real soon), so I generally try to see beyond "bad writing" to get the intent of it instead, perhaps this has nothing to do with age though.

As many have pointed out, this is a game, and people will only play it as long it is fun. If the game initially suck, as you have not learned it, having a caring and fun community can help. At least I think so.
My experience so far is not that bad. Yes, there are few people flaming away on the forum (activate flame filter, done!) and similar there are a few people doing bad stuff on the servers like assuming I can't recognise enemy miners (activating Ignore filer, Done!). Over all I do feel welcome. In most games the Comm has been appreciative of my questions and has made an effort in giving usefull feedback, and any time there has been an @HELP or similar around they have been very helpful, especially in asking you to go on their team, regardless if they are commanding or not.

This saturday I participated in a @AFS training game. VERY learning, positive and helpful. After training scouting and prox a few times we did a scirmish which was fun, how ever next time I will sugegst we team up (both students and trainers) on one team at main server instead if the trainers dare =)

As a Newbie, it does help to fly together with someone who can give you a pointer now and then. I understand that having an @HELP in base (besides the commander) all the time is booring long time for the @HELP and also removes one valuable player from the team but being there short time now and then (which I think actually happens) to view Newbie actions and give a tip or two is very much appreciated, at least by me.

I thinkt the AFS is the right step to go and that it contributes. I am sure newbieservers and DN might also contribute.

I have a suggestion on how to recruit new players!
As I have many years experience form another "dying" activity (i.e. Scouting, has been dwindling in numbers in Sweden since the 1960's but just wont die) I would suggest trying a recipie which have been used successfully there to re-vitalise current ranks.

Bring along a friend!

Now this suggest that you, as bringin along the friend will invest some time the first weeks playing together with him/her.It would also require Comm's to allow you play together on same team, i.e. being aware of a Bring along incentive.AFS should be rellay good for the ones who still find Alleg fun after 3-4 weeks, taking over some responsability of the recruiting friendPoster to print to put up in school (for younger players), links to cool videos in youtube etc. help visualising the FUN of the game and being part of a communityI am sure that Newbie servers, DN and all the other ideas you more experienced players suggest also helpA coordinated reqruitment (with perhaps a little reward graphic for the "recruiter of the week/month) for EU at one time US another etc. would create a lot of newbie players at once, allowing more newbie games etc. etc.

Example:
If there are 300 EU players and they manage to recruit 30 newbies during a "Bring along a friend" month, the 30 ppl PUG I see today should get much more interesting with 60ppl, for both veterand and newbies as I see it.

Improving community handling of newbies and AFS programs and all the rest can never be replaced, "Bring along a friend" may just be a way of expanding the player base and making all the community efforts more wirth while.

Yes I know, one day I will learn to make short posts

Heja Skutch!

As one of the people responsible for the @HELP it is great to hear we've been of use to you.

In my opinion Allegiance suffers from being very challenging to get over the first hurdle, and virtually unknown in the gaming world. We can't do much about the difficulty, as it's a fully PvP game, but we can try to be nice to the new people who find it, and try to spread the word of this unique game.

Oh, and I'm sure most of our friends have heard a lot about it

HSharp wrote:QUOTE (HSharp @ Dec 6 2009, 07:29 PM) It was about him comming on newbie server and just doing the tactic of Phoenix Bomber rush Highly understandable the response he got even though it was a harsh.

I was asking "is this any good" though It wasn't like I was saying "OMG I'M AMAZING!" rather, "it seems to work"

Now I know better, it was a $#@!ing amazing choice, since you're not going to get naning from 0's xD

gr4vity wrote:QUOTE (gr4vity @ Dec 7 2009, 05:45 AM) Less trash talk. Less imitating trash talk. Less childish ego boosting.

Then you will see a rise in attendance again. What you witness is the exodus of the quite guys that can't be bothered to join the ranks of loud mouths that have to get on each others throat in every game. Right now a small minority creates an atmosphere where almost no newbie feels welcome and some long term players simply shake their head and leave. After all we don't play this game for its current core version or its graphic engine - we play it because its fun to work together with people we like. But if that factor is gone the game loses its attractiveness for many of us.

I've introduced six people to alleg and of them six, only one has stayed! Most said "Some dickhead kept shouting at me" they were like (3)'s at best who had read the academy etc

Attendance is down cause PK doesnt fly Pugs anymore.

Dorjan wrote:QUOTE (Dorjan @ Dec 7 2009, 02:29 AM) I've introduced six people to alleg and of them six, only one has stayed! Most said "Some dickhead kept shouting at me"

Let me guess, the commander?

IB_ wrote:QUOTE (IB_ @ Dec 7 2009, 12:05 PM) Let me guess, the commander?

Dunno, tbh I don't think they knew either

Dorjan wrote:QUOTE (Dorjan @ Dec 7 2009, 12:29 PM) I've introduced six people to alleg and of them six, only one has stayed! Most said "Some dickhead kept shouting at me" they were like (3)'s at best who had read the academy etc

I'm honestly not surprised. For the non initiated Allegiance will feel incredibly aggro.

I've been thinking of this some recently. I think I've figured out a part of it.

[All below is about PuGs and events, which is of course all that the newcomers see]

For many Allegiance isn't really a game or hobby, it's more like a sport. In our sport we mostly have crusty veterans who like to face off in the spirit of an improvinced rugby match. Lots of shouting, grunting and not too careful about a few bloody noses and black eyes.

This is fine... when we are all on the same page, and the games are at least roughly balanced.

It is a problem for the new player who is thrown into the drunk-hairyman rugbymatch without being quite sure what the ball looks like, and which end of the field is the enemy goal. They get kicked aside and yelled at a lot. It's not even (mostly) meanspirited from the vets, it's just very hard to remember what it all looks like from an outside perspective.

About one in a thousand will be fired up. It may be the feel of flying a space sim, the cooperation aspects, or the blood-in-your-mouth competition of PvP combat.

Unfortunately that one in thousand would probably be more like ten in a thousand if the newbies could get a softer landing into our unfriendly skies. That's why I try to think about ways of putting in a useful intro and such, as well as trying things like @HELP.

I like blowing you bastards up as much as the next guy, but I want Allegiance to thrive even more tahn I want to win a given game, so I try to resist the impulse to yell at newbs/voobs and take the time push them up the first steps.