[Radi]

Even better. A sim training before he launches into a real space.

[Karash]

I say its a skill based game...why limit us on what we can fly or buy based on an artificial level.

I dont like levels at all actually...we should be limited by our money, or by a prestige type system where players can 'trade in' certain points gathered by NPC'ing, PVP'ing etc for higher/bigger ships.

I never made it past level 36 in Jumpgate, I am not playing Jumpgate to grind the game...

[Raz]

Everyone needs to think outside the box here. Questing missions are indeed a huge draw to players. How many million subscribers to WoW right now?

that's not thinking outside the box. Why?

Lord of the Rings online.
DDO Online.
Warhammer.
Guild Wars.
On and on and on.

SWG tried that, they WoWized their game because it was slowly losing players and it was broken anyway.

Changing the game alienated their remaining player base, and guess what? Noone joined from WoW, because WoW will always be a better WoW game than a WoW clone. WoW's players are ALREADY happy. If they leave WoW, it will be because they want something that is NOT WoW.

We HAVE to remember this, guys. WoW's quests work because the whole game is designed to be a slow journey to the top.

Jumpgate is the OPPOSITE of that. It mostly exists to provide us with a framework to make our own stories.

That means that missions should be generated according to what is done in game. I don't see it being impossibly hard.

If there are flippers in faction space, apply bounties based on how much carnage they're causing. Drop the bounty if they leave our space for a period of time, keep the bounty below what they lose if they die, and let the player sorta-kinda get an idea where they're at before they take the mission so they know how good of an idea it is. Something as simple as showing the times that each beacon was flipped would be INVALUABLE and make chasing people SO interesting!

If there is nobody flipping, there is no flipper mission at the moment. Maybe there will be trading ones or others that were suggested instead.

I might add that one thing that made WoW's grinding fun was because it was a complex enough game (as a mage anyway) that grinding provided a way for you to learn combos and improve at play.

Jumpgate is the same way. I started in first beta, when the missions REALLY sucked. I was enthralled anyway, because I was absorbed into learning how to fly.

The key here is getting a good tutorial in, providing good ways for our vets to help new people, and providing more interesting and rewarding missions in general.

'Quests' are NOT necessary. This is a space game where even undocking feels unsafe. Let's not turn it into WoW in space where our ships might as well just be avatars.

[Wild_Bill]

I like RIDIC's views and Raz's as well. Having said that, what Karash says makes great sense too. I HATED leveling and being limited by what I could buy. Due to PR decay, there are still items I can't buy at certain places and that makes good RP sense.

Being one of the ones who got the boxed game with Manual, Map and CD, I had [i]something[i] to fall back on until I hooked up with OAS. I never had a mentor as such, nor have I formally mentored anyone in the game. I got a lot of help and I've given a lot of help since then.

In the long run I think Injustice's idea would probably be the best route for true newbs, but it should be optional. Karash's idea has a certain Libertarian POV that I really do like. Sort of Darwinism at it's best, if only it didn't run people off from this game we all love.

[alphabet]

Originally Posted by Raz

This is a space game where even undocking feels unsafe. Let's not turn it into WoW in space where our ships might as well just be avatars.

Hate to break this to ya, but a ship is an avatar. You try to equip it with the best gear, you carry money/supplies with it, your race/faction is decided by it, you use it for combat and its how you explore the world.

True it doesnt have two legs and arms, but in the gaming world its an avatar none-the-less.

[Raz]

Yes, if you want to get nitpicky, it is.

But I think you know what I mean. When space feels unsafe, your ship is all that protects you. That's why you name it and call it 'She'.

In Jumpgate, I was a person and I had a ship.

If it's WoW in space where 40 ships are parked outside quant core clicking on ships with exclamation marks on them, I'm gone.

[alphabet]

I dont think any of us want that.. and the first person that says they do, we run em outta town!

[Raz]

Run the toolshed into them, more liek.