<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Newbies (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing) --> <!--X-From-R13: Xbua Vbcfba <wju9Nnpcho.qhxr.rqh> --> <!--X-Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 12:24:11 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 3.0.6.32.19990607151305.0079c120@mail-jw.mail.duke.edu --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Newbies (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing)</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:jwh9#acpub,duke.edu"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00578.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00580.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00609.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00590.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00579">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00579">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00579">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Newbies (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing)</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Newbies (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing)</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: John Hopson <<A HREF="mailto:jwh9#acpub,duke.edu">jwh9#acpub,duke.edu</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Mon, 07 Jun 1999 15:13:05 -0400</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> 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've spent a lot of time working on the newbie process on my mud, snooping newbies and trying to see where they get stuck, frustrated, or misled. A couple things that I've found really work in getting newbies oriented: 1) Mandatory help files. I've got a number of commands set up so that the first attempt to use them will just show you the relevant helpfile. For example, the first time they try to kill something, they're shown the mud's policy on pkill and being an outlaw. The first time they try to create their description, they're shown the rules/advice about writing one. This prevents a LOT of problems. Strangely, experienced players from other muds are often those who benefit most from this, since they'll blindly assume that things work the same way on your mud as on their last one. To connect this to your mudschool idea, I suggest making it impossible to exit the mudschool without having read the 5 most important helps. I don't believe that requiring a few minutes of reading/orientation will scare off any player you'd be interested in having on your mud. 2) Aliases Having multiple ways to access the basic commands keeps them from getting frustrated. For example, there's a command that's called "emote" on Dikus and "pose" on mushes. If you can, make it possible to use both. This also goes for helpfiles. I had no idea that some muds used the word "tooling" for what I called "renaming" but as soon as someone brought it up, I added a one line helpfile that pointed them in the right direction. 3) Log missing helpfiles You'd be amazed at what helpfiles they go looking for. Keeping track of all the helpfiles that players look for that don't exist makes a big difference. 9/10 of these will be typos or other spelling mistakes, but the last few really will make things easier on the new guys. John _______________________________________________ MUD-Dev maillist - MUD-Dev#kanga,nu <A HREF="http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev">http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev</A> </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00590" HREF="msg00590.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Newbies (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing)</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00578.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] Pay Muds & Free Muds - working together, or against each other?</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00580.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] realism</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00609.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] Average play time?</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00590.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Newbies (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing)</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00579"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00579"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00618" HREF="msg00618.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] AOL lawsuit (was text parsing)</A></strong>, Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Tue 08 Jun 1999, 22:54 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00605" HREF="msg00605.html">[MUD-Dev] Average play time?</A></strong>, Timothy O'Neill Dang <a href="mailto:timothy#nmia,com">timothy#nmia,com</a>, Tue 08 Jun 1999, 21:02 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00608" HREF="msg00608.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Average play time?</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Tue 08 Jun 1999, 21:28 GMT </LI> </UL> <UL> <li><Possible follow-up(s)><br> <LI><strong><A NAME="00609" HREF="msg00609.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] Average play time?</A></strong>, Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Tue 08 Jun 1999, 21:39 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00579" HREF="msg00579.html">[MUD-Dev] Newbies (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing)</A></strong>, John Hopson <a href="mailto:jwh9#acpub,duke.edu">jwh9#acpub,duke.edu</a>, Mon 07 Jun 1999, 19:24 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00590" HREF="msg00590.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Newbies (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing)</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Tue 08 Jun 1999, 02:41 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00561" HREF="msg00561.html">[MUD-Dev] realism</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:diablo#best,com">diablo#best,com</a>, Mon 07 Jun 1999, 04:26 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00562" HREF="msg00562.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] realism</A></strong>, Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Mon 07 Jun 1999, 06:24 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00577" HREF="msg00577.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] realism</A></strong>, Marian Griffith <a href="mailto:gryphon#iaehv,nl">gryphon#iaehv,nl</a>, Mon 07 Jun 1999, 18:55 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>