Suggestions for keeping starting players in the game
I have been away for some 8 months.
I do notice the changes. In missions, planets, gameplay.
Not long ago there was a marketing campaign that got a lot of players in Vega. I talked about it with players who have been online during that time. And I saw GM’s ask to help out the new ones in Vega. Unfortunally lot’s of players came on, and left again. Also some players I met in real live and suggested the game to.
An important change is that all the mission are tech-limited to the system now. In the old days before Sol, difficult missions could be done with help of high tech from the next system.
Since I have been helping out with Vega missions I think there is a bit of a gap in reaching the Antares and Gemini system for new players.
I got some high level player to help me get some tech from Antares. That made missions in Vega easier. Before it was a bit off a struggle.
1) According to story missions.
I have the following suggestion on that issue, after flying around a bit chatting to some newer players.
Change that tech limit back, but maximize the level for ‘helpers’ to 1 system above. So make ‘helpers’ able to use Antares tech in Vega Story missions. Maybe even limited to the second blaster, not the highest level tech. But that is up for evaluation. You have to do the math on that.
Keep it that way until they reach Gemini. By the time they reach Gemini they will know how the game works and most probably made friends and are in a clan. Help is possible outside squad when needed.
2) According to white missions.
The same goes for the white missions. Allow tech level from 1 system up to do them. It makes it a bit easier to get the crystal and XP to go further a bit faster. If you like also till Gemini and Mizar.
This way you make it easier for starters to get along a little faster and stay interested. It slow’s down a bit when they reach Gemini or Mizar.
Keep in mind that when Mizar was furthest System, it took a lot less time to get there. We were able to do it with unlimited tech for helpers. Now it seems like a very long and hard way to get to the system all want to be > SOL.
I feel like it would bridge that long stretch to at least Gemini a bit. Just enough for starters to get that little big quicker in the busy and interesting systems.
3) A system that encourages high level players to go back to the lower systems and help.
Since there is a panel for squadrons and a message board. Why not make a panel in which players that need help can put up a ‘Help-Ticket’. Visable to all players in that system (or a system that u can choose when u submit that ticket). I think all players in the game would be a bit much.
Now any player can see who needs help, or has submitted a ‘help ticket’. The player who wants to help can ‘take the ticket’ and knows on forehand where to be and what mission to do. When the ticket is taken, the player who submitted it gets a instant message, or maybe the helper gets in squad with him or whatever. They communicate.
Of course, to make this ‘Mercenary’ system interesting for the high level players, give them something back. And I don’t mean, the little cry they get during the mission. But for instance :
Cry, or E, or ‘help points that enable them to get a BP when they did enough, what ever. But think off something that would strongly motivate the higher levels to now and then look at the ‘ticket board’. Important is that they get something out of it.
It doesn’t have to be the same amount everytime, but make it dependend on the player level/ mission difficulty what ever.
That way you, gamigo / splitscreen get 3 things out of it :
1) After an expensive marketing campaign you keep the new players longer in the game. They don’t get frustrated, meet high level players, clans etc.
2) The high ranking players that are sometimes bored, can do something and get something for that effort that they can use. So you keep also them interested a bit more.
3) You start spreading the players out over more planets and systems and keep them all busy and interested a bit longer.
See it as another system that makes players able to get Cry / BP’s / XP next to the most present system of ‘get E shoot / get E shoot’ system that gives u the Cry.
Think about it,
Greetz Defcon
I have been away for some 8 months.
I do notice the changes. In missions, planets, gameplay.
Not long ago there was a marketing campaign that got a lot of players in Vega. I talked about it with players who have been online during that time. And I saw GM’s ask to help out the new ones in Vega. Unfortunally lot’s of players came on, and left again. Also some players I met in real live and suggested the game to.
An important change is that all the mission are tech-limited to the system now. In the old days before Sol, difficult missions could be done with help of high tech from the next system.
Since I have been helping out with Vega missions I think there is a bit of a gap in reaching the Antares and Gemini system for new players.
I got some high level player to help me get some tech from Antares. That made missions in Vega easier. Before it was a bit off a struggle.
1) According to story missions.
I have the following suggestion on that issue, after flying around a bit chatting to some newer players.
Change that tech limit back, but maximize the level for ‘helpers’ to 1 system above. So make ‘helpers’ able to use Antares tech in Vega Story missions. Maybe even limited to the second blaster, not the highest level tech. But that is up for evaluation. You have to do the math on that.
Keep it that way until they reach Gemini. By the time they reach Gemini they will know how the game works and most probably made friends and are in a clan. Help is possible outside squad when needed.
2) According to white missions.
The same goes for the white missions. Allow tech level from 1 system up to do them. It makes it a bit easier to get the crystal and XP to go further a bit faster. If you like also till Gemini and Mizar.
This way you make it easier for starters to get along a little faster and stay interested. It slow’s down a bit when they reach Gemini or Mizar.
Keep in mind that when Mizar was furthest System, it took a lot less time to get there. We were able to do it with unlimited tech for helpers. Now it seems like a very long and hard way to get to the system all want to be > SOL.
I feel like it would bridge that long stretch to at least Gemini a bit. Just enough for starters to get that little big quicker in the busy and interesting systems.
3) A system that encourages high level players to go back to the lower systems and help.
Since there is a panel for squadrons and a message board. Why not make a panel in which players that need help can put up a ‘Help-Ticket’. Visable to all players in that system (or a system that u can choose when u submit that ticket). I think all players in the game would be a bit much.
Now any player can see who needs help, or has submitted a ‘help ticket’. The player who wants to help can ‘take the ticket’ and knows on forehand where to be and what mission to do. When the ticket is taken, the player who submitted it gets a instant message, or maybe the helper gets in squad with him or whatever. They communicate.
Of course, to make this ‘Mercenary’ system interesting for the high level players, give them something back. And I don’t mean, the little cry they get during the mission. But for instance :
Cry, or E, or ‘help points that enable them to get a BP when they did enough, what ever. But think off something that would strongly motivate the higher levels to now and then look at the ‘ticket board’. Important is that they get something out of it.
It doesn’t have to be the same amount everytime, but make it dependend on the player level/ mission difficulty what ever.
That way you, gamigo / splitscreen get 3 things out of it :
1) After an expensive marketing campaign you keep the new players longer in the game. They don’t get frustrated, meet high level players, clans etc.
2) The high ranking players that are sometimes bored, can do something and get something for that effort that they can use. So you keep also them interested a bit more.
3) You start spreading the players out over more planets and systems and keep them all busy and interested a bit longer.
See it as another system that makes players able to get Cry / BP’s / XP next to the most present system of ‘get E shoot / get E shoot’ system that gives u the Cry.
Think about it,
Greetz Defcon