New player start up

[Bach]

In any game you only get the first 10-20 hours of game play to hook new players.

Lets be honest, NA first impression isn't perfect.  The tutorial is hard and many player feel they have to complete the "final exam" to play. That exam is very hard for virgin players. The step where you gain the Rattlesnake should be renamed as "the final exam".  The steps to get up to the Hercules should be renamed as "officer training" or some other name that implies extra credit stage. 

Next we need someone to put in a little extra effort to create some mission new players can perform in those Rattlesnakes that are really fun. After that let nature take its course.

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Bach

[Emain Macha]

I agree. Make the enduance exam the "final exam". And rename the final exam to "elite challenge", with the note added to remind the new player that this is a difficult challenge, if they are having difficulty with this they are encouraged to come back later (instead of rage quitting the game).

Some of my own suggestion to improve new player experience:

1. Make the reward of all rate 6-7 kill missions a generous amount of reals, instead of doubs. For example currently 6th rate 1v1 kill mission reward gives 97 doubs. I suggest change this to 9700 reals. When new players start out, they do not need doubs at all. Doub is only needed if: you need to build a ship 4th rate or higher, or starting up a major crafting building. I do not think new players will need this when they are still in 6-7 rates. The new players in our clan frequently run into this problem, sometimes they don't even have the money to buy the medium cannons to fit the ships. And they have this "doubs" thing they do not know what to do with, and when they sell doubs in market they frequently gets ripped off due to very low sell prices to other players.

(Addon: also please make the teleport fee of new players under master and commander free, this is literally the only place where new player will need doubloons)

 

2. Increase the variety and refresh rate of 6-7 rate sold from admiralty shops, particularly at nation capitals. Naval action have a very colourful assortment of 6th rate, so why not use it to retain the new players? I can understand locking rattlesnake heavy behind a permit, but what is wrong with giving new player easy npc shop access to Prince de Neufchâtel / Snow / Niagara / rattlesnake. I understand some of these ships are in the over world and free to capture, but realistically, who actually does that? And the player crafted version are usually expensive and new players can not afford it. The admiralty sold ships are in random wood type and no port bonus, with medium cannons I do not think they will become a problem.

 

3. Create more content for 5th rates (or lower rates in general). Some activities so that our clan can actively involve our newer players in. We prefer not to just tell our new players to keep grinding kill missions to 1st rate then join us in RVR. Shallow water patrol zone is excellent, but more is better. For example this new raid system. Can we create a small raid mission with 6x 5th rate, with lower but still worthwhile reward?

Edited October 30, 2019 by Emain Macha

[Farrago]

I’m not sure why it’s not been done since we are now released but a simple FAQ would save many new captains from making mistakes that cost them hours and hours in game in vain.

I assume we get a number of rage quits and negative reviews from Captains who work hard to buy some bigger ship and then discover they can’t crew it or lose it right away. Or they pay big money for a recipe they are not equipped to use, or they sail across the map to deliver passengers in their Snow only to discover they can’t enter enemy port, or they spend their last dime buying a ship and can’t afford all the canons, etc etc etc.

I swear there ought to be a warning at login to not do anything new before asking in Help Chat. The game is not intuitive. 

[Custard]

Something needs to be done if we only have 20 hours to hook players

I just started another account (my third) and in 14 hours I have ports were I want them and am at Post Captain rank a newbie isn't gonna be that far forward 

[Emain Macha]

Another suggestion:

For destruction exam and demast exam, is it possible to increase the time limit from 10 minutes to maybe 15 or 20 minutes? For a completely new player it is hard to finish it in time, the demast exam in particular. Multiple new players from our clan were stuck on this, not because they can't do it but purely because they nearly made it but ran out of time. I think the first 4 exam should not be this hard.

Edited November 15, 2019 by Emain Macha

[Never]

3 hours ago, Emain Macha said:

Another suggestion:

For destruction exam and demast exam, is it possible to increase the time limit from 10 minutes to maybe 15 or 20 minutes? For a completely new player it is hard to finish it in time, the demast exam in particular. Multiple new players from our clan were stuck on this, not because they can't do it but purely because they nearly made it but ran out of time. I think the first 4 exam should not be this hard.

I think that's the point, they should get stuck and practice. I got stuck on it for a little while but eventually got good enough to always finish the exam on 1 try in a few minutes. They will appreciate the toughness of the exam when they are in pvp. If they pass the exams easily they won't learn much

[Kubrat]

On 10/30/2019 at 11:00 PM, Emain Macha said:

2. Increase the variety and refresh rate of 6-7 rate sold from admiralty shops, particularly at nation capitals. Naval action have a very colourful assortment of 6th rate, so why not use it to retain the new players? I can understand locking rattlesnake heavy behind a permit, but what is wrong with giving new player easy npc shop access to Prince de Neufchâtel / Snow / Niagara / rattlesnake. I understand some of these ships are in the over world and free to capture, but realistically, who actually does that? And the player crafted version are usually expensive and new players can not afford it. The admiralty sold ships are in random wood type and no port bonus, with medium cannons I do not think they will become a problem.

I agree with most of the comments in this post and the reactions to it.

But for the above, it is not needed. It is cheap and easy for more experienced players to add ships to auction that newbies can use. Create a bunch of basic ships and load them for 100 reals to the auction house, then post in nation chat to let people know they are there. Sure, sometimes a single person will take 4 of them, but that doesn't really matter.

IMO we don't need 'the government' to provide us something we can easily provide for ourselves. maybe make the base rattle permit-less, that would be a good idea.

 

[Nooop]

Let new players be able to be hired as captains to control your fleet boats*. You go to the capitol and post a captains wanted ad that can be perused. After a chat they control your other ship. Also multi crew. One steers, other shoots. Instant action, no inflation from magic giveaways.

Players can post quests. Bundle a trader brig, load a cargo, state a destination and reward and put it in the quests. Broke guy can pick up the brig and sail it to destination, and get reward. Also player created patrol missions. Drop a cheap boat and some money to get someone to patrol a zone that it would be useful for you to have someone patrolling in.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Nooop
the -> they

[Knuddel]

Well new players should encurade to Join a clan. Or grab some expierenced Players which give them Tips and stuff. Than it shouldnd be a Problem to make fun stuff with new players.