An open Letter to all new Players

[acridiel]

Dear new Players.

First let me introduce myself.
I´m Acridiel from Leanon, the german community.
I´m with Ryzom since shortly after release and I´m a casual, strongly RP-Player, wich is reflected in my highest Levels atm being 231 in offensive Magic and 202 in defensive, and 176 in 2 Handed Melee. All else are way below 150.
Yeah, two years of play and no 250.
And yes, I´m not even from your server. Thank you, let´s move on.
(And forgive me if my spelling´s not always correct. )

The reason why I write this letter to you is that I do see many new Players come and sadly take offense at one or the other part of the game and go again.

I simply can´t stand idly by and watch you go.
This will not be a rant as of the likes we heard so much of in the last days:
"Go back to where you came from."

NO!

I invite you to stay and share the wonders of this beautyful world with me.

I notcied that many of you try to compare this game to whatever game they´ve played before.
That´s allright and you´re perfectly entitled to do that. I´m sure it may even help in some ways.
But, and here´s the catchy part, repeated in short and even less kind words all over this forums, Ryzom is very, very, very hard to compare to other games.

Why?

Let me try and help you.

1. Ryzom´s a Sandbox-Kind-of-Game.

Most Games out there, wich we´re all used to and got to love in their own way, take you by the hand and lead you through themselves, by giving you Quests and so called Timesinks. They´ve got preset Roles, wich you may identify with and act the part if you´re so inclined, or wich you may completely ignore.

Ryzom´s gameplay does not realy focus on these things.
In Ryzom the old Zen saying: "The opstacle is the path." rings very true.
By subscribing to Ryzom a player steps of the beaten pathways of other MMO´s into uncharted territory. A wilderness in wich each player is responsible for his/her own actions and his/her own part in the World wich contains Atys. You may choose to be whatever you want.
You just have to act the part.
While this may be hard on the imagination for the unexperienced, it´s rewarding in its own way and its a legitimate way of playing any game.
MMORPGs evolved from "old fashined" Pen&Paper RPGs and a ROLE PLAYING GAME can be much, much more than just having letters state "Warlock" or "Master of Pain" over your head.
In fact they are much more.
They´re mental workout.

And I invite you to try and flex your brain a bit with all of us.


2. Ryzom´s got Invasion.

Some of you complain about the Invasion "ruining their gameplay".
Let me ask you:
How can something that, as announced, lasts for only a few days ruin your gameplay?
While I see your reasoning in other threads I fail to see a real impact or sigificance to any of them if I take into account that
a. The Event lasts only a very limited amount of time
b. It´s a chance to do something else then grind.

These Invasions are part and parcel, bread and water, flesh and bone to Ryzom. Ryzom has got a rich background that the developers constantly try to inplement into the actual gameplay itself.
One part of that background is that the Homins were driven out of their old habitats by the invading Kitin and are now trying to "rebuild their future" in a new part of the world. Like in a pretty popular movie the survival of Homin-/Human-kind depends on it´s ability to defend itself from the invading bugs.

Would you like to know more?

I quessed so.
The Kitin are hellbent on the destruction of all Homins and will infrequently invade the known lands to reach their goal and annihilate all sentient beings on Atys bark.
Invasions now are your chance to participate in history. And history, as is well known, takes a long time in the making. So please don´t expect "the Saga" to be over in a few days or even month.
Even if you are not level 150 in any branch of the skilltree you will be able to help.
http://www.nws-productions.de/images...yzomstrip1.gif
I invite you now to step over your shadow and team up with other Homins sharing your goal.


Wich brings us to another point.


3. Ryzom is Teamplay

While this may realy be a tricky part of my reasoning I see no actual problem with temporarily teaming up with a few other players to eradicate the bugs in a certain area. Ok, some of you may realy, realy, realy like the "Lone Wolf" approach and Solo all the way to 250. All these guys and girls have my uttermost respect if they manage to reach this lofty goal.
But only if they are able to think outside their box for a moment.
A german Commedian said it best, as he said:
"Take for example Hercules. - This Hero was said to be "as strong as 10 grown men." - So why didn´t 11 Guys team up on him and beat the living S**t out of him?!"

These Kitin now are stronger that your avarage mob. They attack in teams of 3 if you´re not so dump and run right into the middle of the swarm. And the same is true for all other mobs, except that they´re not that strong and present.
So, why don´t at least 4 of you guys team up and beat the buggers to a pulp? A Team may contain up to 9, y´know?

And I invite you to help us be a part of history in the making!
Play with us, not against us and thereby against yourself.


Another Point is
4. Ryzom´s got community

While in the last few days some of us may have gotten their nerves laid bare and reacted in a false and harsh way, the international community of Ryzom is by far one of the best many of us have ever experienced in our "MMO-Carreer".
Most old players are helpful and mindful of others and especialy "younger Homins" and are eager to help you find your niche in the World of Atys.
In the last few weeks many of us have become frustrated with the way some of you new Players act on these forums and Ingame, wich is only understandable and I beg you to leave us oldies a bit of leeway in that.
Many of you seem to be younger than the avarage player of Ryzom so far and many of you seem to stem from communitys that are by far below a civil way of behaviour. It´s truly sad that you were forced to get used to insults and general abuse on other forums.
But please don´t make the mistake of expecting the same from us and acting in your "usual" way. Even if some of us may get a little cranky sometimes, we ultimately try to be nice and friendly and helpful to all other players.
Even if they are of another faction.
Because after all we´re all just fellow humans sitting in front of a Computerscreen acting out of a mutual interest in playing a certain game.
Acting in a friendly and civil manner will most of the time get you by far better then just using insults and 733T-Speech.
If you take your time to realy consider your answer, or the way you open a post on here, I´m sure you´ll see that there are other ways to express what you think then just heaping abuse on the Game and the Community.

Same goes for many an old player in regards to new ones.
Please think before you write. Don´t abuse the new Players. Try to help them!!!
I´ve forced myself to do it and I´m proud of managing it!!

So I invite you to be friendly and have Fun with us.


5. Ryzom isn´t E-Sport!

Even if 250 in each and every single branch of the skilltree may seem a particular juicy bone for some to grab, Ryzom isn´t about that. And its system almost always prevents that. Unless you team up with likeminded individuals.
It´s a legitimate, but shallow way of playing any game. If you want to grind, then do it. It´s Ok and not everyone realy is into RP. No problem.
But I assure you that you´re missing at least 50% of the fun any MMO-RPG can be. The RPG part.

So I invite you to share a pint of Ale and a tale in a nice tavern somewhere on Atys with us, or share the glory of defeating the Kitin.


6. Ryzom´s got no real "Endgame"

Again the Zen quote mentioned before is very fitting here.
"The opstacle is the path."
Reaching a certain level, reaching a certain area, exploring the huuuge world, finding new things and learning new "Player-Skills" is the "Endgame".
I refere as Player-Skills to things like sneaking, or advanced forraging,or advanced crafting.
Being able to sneak from point A to point B, through Aggro invested lands is a Skill not provided by the Game.
Having a feeling for the right time to hit that careplan on the source you forage to not let it explode in your face, is a skill not provided by the game.
Finding the right recipes for good Gear is not a Skill provided by the game.
These and others are things you´ll have to learn for yourself.
You certainly need patience and practice to accomblish these.
There is no other way to get these "Skills", then maybe have a nice Homin explain or show them to you.

So I invite you to learn from us and with us.


7. Ryzom´s got no Instances.

As of yet, with the Kitin Lair banging on the door, so to speak.
Ryzom´s got areas that are a challenge by themself.
Kitin Mounds and higher-Level Lands are there for the taking.
You just have to be strong, or clever enough to get them. And not all of them are 250.
Again: "The opstacle is the path."

I invite you to follow this path with us.


8. Ryzom´s got a Staff that cares!

Whilst some of us old farts may disagree and maybe be even correct in regards of response time by Nevrax as a Developer, the Hands on Game Support Staff is the best in the Industry.
A little known fact for most new players is that all so called CSRs (Customer Service Represetatives) are volunteers.
Only the real GMs such as Soulsnatcher, Shadowee, Chule, Boarr, Kadael and some more are paid Workes for Jolt/Nevrax.
So Senior Guides and Guides are Players that want to help you get a good experience out of the game and most of them are working their asses of to do so. They sacrifice their own playing time to help you. And for nothing more then a few nice words and the ability to help you.
So please give them the respect they deserve and give them credit where it´s due, because as volunteer Players they may not know much more then you about a new Bug that suddelny sprang up out of the dark depth of the code-caverns. They´ve certainly got to follow a chain of command and will do so to your certain benefit.

So I invite you to bow to the Support Staff. /tar GMs&CSRs /bow

EDIT:
9. Ryzom´s hard to solo.

As unfortunate as it may seem to some of you Ryzom is HARD to solo.
But it´s not impossible at all. You just have to put a bit more of an effort in it then in other games.
A very important "Player Skill" here is sneaking.
Being able to sneak past too large aggros is essential.
Also is the ability to judge wich MOB to single out of a Pak or Herd. It IS possible.
Also, learn wich Mobs are aggro and/or social, either by asking or by dying.
You may solo but you have to be up to it. And be prepared for a hard time.

I invite you to rise to the challenge!!

And another additional Edit:

10. Ryzom has gut no real "Quests".

Up front, and this is important, I don´t want you to missunderstand this statment.
Ryzom has got Quests, but not the Kind you may be used to from other Games, the Kind being given by NPCs all standing around the countryside.
Our NPCs, who sometimes wander around a bit I might ad, give out so called Missions.

Missions, as opposed to the classic Quests of yonder, are repeatable tasks given to you as a means to earn currency, or fame with your chosen Faction.
There is no: "Bring me the head of the Disco-King", over and over. Like here .
Yeah, you might go over and over killing some Bandits, or Monsters, or dig up something, but please keep in Mind that we´re speaking of Missions.
(Note: On the Newbe Island of Silan, those Missions are in fact a Tutorial to teach you the basics of the Games mechanics and systems.)

Quests, as opposed to Missions, are mostly Tales in the making.
A Quest of Lore is a heroic deed, repeatable only by a few and done under great risk for life and limp of the participants and the opportunity to learn something from the journey.
We´ve got those too.
If you read Fantasy Stories or Legends, real Quests are either given to a Hero as a final test of mettle, or he chooses to go on a dangerous Journey to accomblish something specific. Quests are Legends in the making.
And here´s the Trick.
Ryzoms "Quests" are not churned out by the NPCs.
Quests here are either given to you by yourself, if you decide to go on a special journey to see or accomblish something or other, or by another Player.

Who for example requests your help in killing a certain Monster (Boss-Mob) for his Bones, Eyes, or whatever Loot he needs to finish that special Wapon he has accepted to build for someone. The Guy who requested the Wapon, being the initial "Quest-Giver" so to say.

Or someone accomblished Forager wants to journey into the Prime-Roots, to dig up something special and needs Protection by Players, either from other Players in a PvP/GvG Zone, or from Mobs. He´s a Quest-Giver.

Or someone decides to go into a Kitin Fortress just to get back on those damnable Bugs. If he managed alone - great! Wohoo! A Hero!
But, if he requests the help of others he is in fact a "Questgiver".

And if you, as a new player, request the help of other players to bring you together again with your friends from Silan, who´ve teleportetd to another land... well you get the picture I quess.

Btw. If you´ve seen none of us wearing any ! or ? over our heads, we manage quite fine without them, thank you very much.

Examples are far and wide, just remember to "write your own Legend".

So, I invite you to go on a real Quest with us.


And another important thing:

11. Ryzom´s got no Classes

I think I´ve stressed that point not hard enough so I´ll ad this.
Get rid of the Classes thoughts and behaviour.
When you enter Atys you may be eveything you want to.
There are no fixed classes. You won´t be cramped into a role and used as a "vending machine" or a "heal bitch" unless you let yourself be used as such.
You may learn to "hit things hard with the sharp end of a stick", and you may learn "to blast peoples mind out of their bodys" and you might even learn "to heal" if you want to, you may even become an accomblished digger while learning all the afore mentioned and a crafter as well.
Just do what you want.
You don´t have to stick to old concepts of classes, be whatever you like.

So, I invite you to be a nukethrowing-healbitch-deepdigging-mastercrafter-that-even-knows-how-to handle-a-broad-sword.

So Ryzom does not have many of the things you may have enjoyed in other games.
Some of you may see this as a failure, but for one final time let me invite you to try and step of the beaten path.
Try something different. Look at a new world with Eyes freed of the dust of others.
Look at Atys as a challenge, not some thing to "ruin your Gameplay."
Your Gameplay is what you make of it.
Not what the Game provides.

Another Zen Quote states that: "Weeds only grow when we dislike them."
Wich to me means,
"Only what we regard as bad, realy is bad. We should look at it from another point of view and see the beauty inherent in it."
Maybe you come to another conclusion for yourself but then let me invite you one last time to decide wich kind of new Player YOU want to be:
http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/comics/20060823.jpg
http://ctrlaltdel-online.com/comics/20061020.jpg



All my best.

Acridiel

[xeraphim]

*hugs Acridel*
dont need to say any more.. nice one mate.

[zarozina]

*applause*

[philu]

Awesome post Acridiel.

I second the invite.

[zarozina]

Dammit Xera, you following me again?

[mugendo]

tuw'k (pronounced TwoWeek or TooWeak) stood admiring the surrounding lands as the warmth of the Yubo welcome seeped into his boot.
Angered by such an act of insolence tuw'k kicked out at the creature who grasped his foot and pulled him to the ground.....the screams of the warrior triggered the yubo feeding frenzy whic......<graphic violent scene removed by forum auto monitor>.

Visibly shocked Tuw'k staggered into town in a delirious state mouthing the words "but I'm level 50"..
As tuw'k rested the villagers explained he needed more protection than just his shirt. a little wiser now he bought the thickest armour he could find..and completed the protection with a fine helmet.
Armed and protected he returned to seek revenge on this yubo that dared to defy the might of tuw'k.
There it was, the yubo...tuw'k sword flashed in the sunlight as he swung it in predefined arcs that he had learned well during his training....the yubo dodged the blade several times before a solid hit knocked it to the ground bleeding heavily....as tuw'k raised the blade for the death blow he felt the last of his energy drain away, to be replaced by the painful weight of the armour. The sweat tricked down his face and blocked his sight as the yubo bit back....the screams of tuw'k again activated the forum auto monitor.

visibly shocked Tuw'k staggered into town in a delirious state mouthing the words "I had the best protection I could buy"
The villagers again offered him shelter and advice....The sight of tuw'k dressed in his medium armour wielding his sword was too much for the deadly yubo......and the battlecry of tuw'k could be heard across the region as he chased after the yubo............. as it ran toward Gingo canyon.......


Acridial is correct in stating it would be a sad day if tuw'k left Ryzom...I help Tuw'k anytime I can

[0balgus0]

*Votes for Sticky*

[dcrispo]

Amazing, simply wonderfully put!
This needs to be on the Main Help screen so everyone can see what it means to be Homin.

[sebron]

Originally Posted by 0balgus0

*Votes for Sticky*

Me Two...

[zanthar]

/tar Acridiel
/Deep Bow

That my friend was very well put! There does need to be a lot more understanding on both sides and thought put into what you write!

Also votes for sticky This needs to be read by all!