[MUD-Dev] Text Parsing

[Albert]

At 11:13 AM 6/7/99 -0500, Travis wrote:
>On Fri, 4 Jun 1999, Albert wrote:
>
>> I believe the problem of newbies being confused as to what to do can be
>> easily remedied by giving them a thorough introduction, a specialized area
>> that allows a sort of interactive help system. And until they reach level 2
>> or so, periodically give them tips, pointers, and help key words.
>
>I agree, but I see a few possible sticking points:
>
> 1 - How do you tell who's really a newbie?  If you make an experienced 
>     player wade through several screens of introduction and then forcibly
>     stick them into a newbie area, they may get annoyed or frustrated and
>     decide not to come back to this mud.

Give them an option when making their char. "Are you an experienced mudder?
(Y/N): " Go from there.

> 2 - How do you make the newbies go through it?  If you make it easy to
>     exit the "newbie training" for the benefit of experienced players,
>     some newbies will probably take that option as well.  One could say,
>     "Well, that's their problem" -- but if they then start annoying other
>     players by asking lots of questions that would have been answered by
>     the newbie materials, it becomes other people's problems as well.
>
>     For this, I'd suggest making it easy to come back to the newbie
>     materials at any time -- e.g., having a command that will put you 
>     back in them, integrating them into the regular help system, and
>     having the newbie area be reenterable.

The newbie area would be different from the rest of the mud. It would
perhaps be out-of-theme, but considering how much headache it could
save, probably worth the discontinuity. Make it disconneced from all
other areas, and give everyone a command that allows them to come
here. Very out of theme, but it works.

>     A parallel problem can be "helpful" players.  The first time I
>     mudded, someone offered to help me out.  He teamed with me, led 
>     me around a bit (introducing me to the "follow" command along the
>     way), gave me some armor and a weapon, and we went and fought some
>     monsters.  Unfortunately, he didn't tell me much of use, and I 
>     didn't learn anything about the layout of the mud or where safe 
>     areas for newbies who were mudding alone were.  The next time I
>     logged in, I found my way to the store where we'd bought my armor and
>     weapon, bought the most expensive ones I could afford, wore them,
>     and went out to the area we'd gone to together.  Naturally, I got
>     trashed there by myself.

But I'm sure that helpful player didn't go around helping every single
newbie he met. There would be an oppurtunity for him to help after the
newbie learned the basics of the mud. Then he could show the newbie
where to get good experience, equipment, etc.

> 3 - A common pitfall of newbie areas is that they're insulting.  I recall
>     one mud giving newbies a towel, a pot, and a spoon as starting armor
>     and weapon.  On another, I got to experience the "fun" of having my
>     character be beaten up by squirrels, rabbits, etc.  
>
>     Even in D&D, in which characters are notorious for starting out weak,
>     beginning characters can take on goblins, kobolds, giant rats, and
>     other opponents that actually sound like they might be worth
>     fighting.  Who wants to get beaten up by squirrels?

Haha, good point :) Well, that's not too hard to solve. Fill the newbie area
with kobolds and variants. Besides, have you ever seen a man cornered by
a vicious, bloodlusting squirrel? It ain't pretty.

> 4 - Determining when somebody isn't a newbie any more can be difficult.
>     Do you do it by earned experience?  If so, what happens if a
>     "helpful" player helps a newbie get a lot of XP fast, as happened to
>     me, but the newbie doesn't really learn much from it?  By time on 
>     the mud?  But what happens then if someone spends a lot of time 
>     wandering around and talking to people before really trying to
>     adventure?  Some combination or modification of these?

Like I said, outright ask them if they are experienced. If they're too proud
to admit they are, then these are probably the same people who wouldn't
ask other people for help and try to rough it on their own. They may grow
to become very skilled players, or they just might quit outright. You can't
change their attitude.

>I'm not ragging on the idea -- as I said, I think it's a good idea.  Just
>pointing out some possible pitfalls in implementation.

Thanks :)





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