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I'd be willing to be a "helper" with this.

There's a couple of things that I want to point out.

First is that not everybody has TS or will use TS. That will make it harder to train them because everything will have to be typed in.

Second is getting them to sit still without launching. I've done a few training games for newbies and the hardest thing is that they want to get out of the station NOW! So now before I launch the game I make sure they know they will be spending at least 5 mins in the station while I go over things. Most of them do stay put, some just launch anyhow.

How will this conflict/compete with the Cadet program? BV and his crew have done an awesome job with that, and I'd really hate to see it go down the drain. Would it be possible to combine them? Have a Saturday or Sunday session that goes over what was covered the past week?

You might want to promote it in the game lobbies while the teams are being set up. Have a set day/time for it, have the ppl working on it give the info and encourage the (0) > (2) to show up. (Anybody that's a (3) or more should be signing up for Cadet, IMO)

BV's right, with different time zones it will be hard for ppl to make it. Finding somebody from the UK to run it in their time zone might be a good idea.

Just my brain spitting out stuff. /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

Olivedrab wrote:QUOTE (Olivedrab @ Jun 21 2008, 05:35 PM) Second is getting them to sit still without launching. I've done a few training games for newbies and the hardest thing is that they want to get out of the station NOW! So now before I launch the game I make sure they know they will be spending at least 5 mins in the station while I go over things. Most of them do stay put, some just launch anyhow.

This has a simple solution. Have the blue team research heavy ints (or rix dests) and have a couple of vets on hand to insta-pod any newbie that leaves the base without permission. /mrgreen.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="mrgreen.gif" />

cashto wrote:QUOTE (cashto @ Jun 21 2008, 09:14 PM) This has a simple solution. Have the blue team research heavy ints (or rix dests) and have a couple of vets on hand to insta-pod any newbie that leaves the base without permission. /mrgreen.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="mrgreen.gif" />

That would work, but if you're dong giga vs giga it would take too long and they'd be out the door before they had a chance to do that.

One question I didn't think about before: Will this be a "Sign up to get in" thing, or will it be a p/u game? The reason I ask is that it's hard to have ppl join in the middle of the training and be totally lost. Nothing worse than having to start over while the ppl that have been there are waiting to learn.

TheBored wrote:QUOTE (TheBored @ Jun 20 2008, 02:40 PM) Like most ideas around here, only works on paper. These will be just as useful as "squad practices". Save your time, play a pickup game or something.

TB

Just the advice I needed. As always.

Thanks, TB.

TheBored wrote:QUOTE (TheBored @ Jun 20 2008, 03:40 PM) *Everyone* has had this idea guys.

Like most ideas around here, only works on paper. These will be just as useful as "squad practices". Save your time, play a pickup game or something.

TB

Even thought your right on target TB, I want to keep this ball rollin'. It gets peeps creative side going and might spawn something totally unrelated but useful to the community.

What if this was created more like a "Training Mission LIVE!"? Instead of having a commander speaking or typing the mission briefing, it was set up more like the training missions were. When the game was launched a "recording" that spelled out the mission briefing begun. New "recordings" could be triggered after certain events like entering a new sector, or in a case like a miner hunting mission, when entering a sector occupied by enemy miners. These "recordings" would play for each player no matter when they joined. If they were to join late, they would still hear the recordings from square one. This would cover those who refuse to use TS. Maybe something like this could be automated as not to even need commanders. Like a server running a LIVE! training mission 24 hours a day, having the training mission changed every few days.

If something like this is possible, I have an "automated" miner training mission already laid out for Hi Higher that could be used as a cornerstone.

cashto wrote:QUOTE (cashto @ Jun 22 2008, 03:14 AM) This has a simple solution. Have the blue team research heavy ints (or rix dests) and have a couple of vets on hand to insta-pod any newbie that leaves the base without permission. /mrgreen.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="mrgreen.gif" />

That cure would actually be worse than the pain. There's nothing like a mindless DM to screw up a well-oiled training session.

And since I'm posting here, I'd like to add there's probably a threshold on how many newbie/vet players can attend this kind of session before it sort of gets out of hand and people start messin' about. Nothing a stern attitude and #boot can't handle, though.

Mesial wrote:QUOTE (Mesial @ Jun 22 2008, 01:27 PM) This would cover those who refuse to use TS.

Why would we want to concern ourselves with someone who refuses to use TS when it's clearly in his best interest to do so? If he's serious about learning the game (which is the whole point of the exercise), it's incumbent upon him to meet the minimum requirements. Someone refusing to grab TS (reminder: a mic is not mandatory) tells me that he's not serious about learning, and therefore disqualifies himself as a trainee.

I like the idea of having a session where newbs can learn the basics. Most newbs don't have a forum account in their first couple of weeks and sometimes don't get a chance to sign up for cadet.*

/ninja.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":ninja:" border="0" alt="ninja.gif" /> *(I'm one of those newbs. Played since winter 08 and still haven't had a chance to do it.) /doh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":doh:" border="0" alt="doh.gif" />

These training sessions would reduce the general cluelessness that usually marks the first month or two of playing.

Another good idea would be haveing a time in the session where the players can ask questions.

newbs launching on their own would easily be solved by using a modified core that made all ships cost 1$.

Freebeer, I understand what your saying about TS. But many, many times I have logged into TS, only to turn it off after an hour or more of not one person saying a damn thing. So I turn it off and keep playing. And then the times when people do speak it's rarely about what's happening in game. Not real inspiring to newbies. I'm not saying TS is not useful, because it is... but let's face it, it's not really put to real use unless it's a squad game. You can say to use it over and over, but there are some folks that just won't use it for PU games. Hell, most of the times BOTH teams share the same channel during PU games.... where's the use in that? Are you gonna scream, "The op going low needs D!" in that channel? I think not...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big advocate of TS, but I still only use it for co-ordinated events.