[MUD-Dev] MMORPGs & MUDs

[David H. Loeser Jr.]

> Michael Tresca Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2002 9:42 AM
 
> From http://www.gamespy.com/devdiary/january02/uo2/ regarding
> Ultima Online's new player "lifespan."
 
>   "In order to gain insight into the new player's challenges, we
>   focused our exit survey research on why players
>   left. Specifically, we focused on those players leaving early
>   within the first month of play. We quickly realized that we were
>   losing most of our new players within the first three play
>   sessions due to a lack of clearly defined goals upon entry. "

I can remember back in '97 when I first started playing UO... I very
nearly quit playing because within my first month because I didn't
understand the goals. Luckily (or not considering the number of
hours I've spent/wasted playing UO) I ran into some other players
that helped me along. 53 months later and I'm still playing with
these guys.

Looking back, I don't think that the goals were really the issue -I
had played Zork and had dabbled with MUDs before- the real issue was
being in this great big virtual world and no one speaking to me :)
Everyone was running around doing their own thing and I was simply
'lost'.

I still have this inkling that matching up new players could be a
welcomed feature for MUDs and MMORPGs. The system could be
completely voluntary, and if a new player chooses to be 'paired up'
with someone, the next player who does the same would be notified
and given info on how to 'hook up'. The rest is up to the players.


Dave "Dak Lozar" Loeser

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