Waterdeep's New Training Area

[Harroghty]

The light issue with the lamps should be resolved soon, pending a hard code update. Thanks, Mask.

[Tarven]

So... I was sort of wondering. How difficult would it be to set it up so that town selection is after the new quest area, instead of just before it? Though, I guess technically people going to other towns would by default already have to have gone through it. <.< But the little starter packages are pretty neat. I was also thinking, maybe, of adding a little "RP primer".. maybe 3 rooms? One to explain Lawful/Chaotic, one to explain Good/Evil (some people need it!) and one to talk about neutrality, and maybe a blurb about races (including perhaps some directions to OOC resources for information on the race of their choice?)

Just random ideas that might benefit new people and novice RPers!

[Lysha]

I really like the new area a lot! Great job!

[Mele]

I was also just coming to compliment this - I only just got my sick self to drag through a creation process for the sake of answering ask's and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of extra detail I did not expect.

You really outdid yourself, Drew! Thank you!

[Gwain]

A very concise and accessible area. Deeply impressed. It will change the entire character experience in Waterdeep.

[Tarven]

It will change the entire character experience in Waterdeep.

I agree. And since Waterdeep is the 'first impression' of anyone who comes to the MUD, I think it's going to do a great job of hold on to new mudders and transplants alike.

[Lirith]

When you ask Halimar about 'food', he gives his little speech and there is a minor error in the OOC part that comes afterwards.

Code: Select all

OOC:  Many trees and bushes in game will produce fruit.  The
.OOC:  A waterskin or other vessel may be filled up or it may
.be emptied out.  Just have the vessel in your PC's inventory
.and type fill or empty.  You can look inside it to see if it
.has anything left.

First line needs to be deleted.

When you ask Halimar for general help, he gets confused about the sex of the adventurer. I wasn't sure if this was deliberate.

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You say 'Help me.'
Halimar says to you 'Surely, girl.'
Halimar says to you 'Surely, boy.'
Halimar smiles and pats you on the head.

[Harroghty]

No, typos both. Thanks.

[Hrosskell]

This is a little late, but I started an elf today--the bow in the sturdy weapon rack upon my entry was size large. Unusable. It didn't auto adjust or anything, just noped me.. figured I'd point it out.

[Harroghty]

Thanks. Fixed, pending update.

[Atraos]

Would it be worth while allowing people back into the area when they reach Camberdan so that they can carry on training whilst waiting for authorisation?

I would imagine there will be times when there is no one around to authorise a name, which could mean a potentially new player is stuck in that one room with nothing to do which could end up turning them away?

Just a thought

Ta

[Alitar]

Suggesting some adjustments to make this newbie-zone more newbie-friendly. The corpses strewn about speak for how a few adjsutments might be needed.

- Prevent Gibberlings from spawning in occupied rooms.(oughta be able to plop down to recouperate after being overwhelmed)
- Maybe drop the Gibberling's dex by a few points, make them a little easier to hit.
- Have that one Gibberling continue dropping those keys, so you can get another peg if you die on the wrong side of the bridge.(otherwise you're stuck)
- Adjust whatever code has the Gibberlings halt their attacks as they seem to stun you, then aggro again the moment you get back up(typically killing you the second time).
- Maybe code Halimar to replace a weapon on the weapon rack whenever he sees that weapon taken from the rack.(I'm presently weaponless and unable to retrieve my corpse)

I'd like to think I'm a veteran player, but this zone is beyond me to get through with any non-fighting class. Progression through a newbie zone should be challenging(of course) but quick and rewarding as well. It is after all, meant to encourage new players and not deter them.

tl;dr I love the zone but it's way too tough and has a few snags that can result in newbies being screwed.

[Harroghty]

Great feedback. I am in the process of retooling that area from scratch with different lanes for each class; I will keep your feedback in mind.

[Timaeus]

Echoing a lot of Alitar's comments. Its a well done area for learning but the mobs are just well beyond what most newbies can deal with. Everytime I have come through it since I came back there are corpses everywhere, I've had a couple deaths myself in this area which are not even remotely preventable. The mobs hit way too hard and too easily given what available armor and armor class a new rolled character has. You can not even rest between fights because the mobs respawn right on you and kill you. Fleeing is not an option either because you run into a room with another aggressive mob and have no where to go. The mobs should be non-aggressive save the few instances of them being important to the quest arc (the one with the key to first door should be agressive for example) the mobs should be given low strength and low dexterity so that they hit more like the dummies. New characters have to be able to rest and recover from most fights, having the mobs respawn on them is just a recipe for killing the new players. Dying repeatedly in the intro to a mud is not ideal for retaining new players coming to test out a mud.

[Harroghty]

I increased the reset timer in training.are (the area file which contains all starting areas) as a band-aid.

[Anguin]

Myrmith in the snookery will train just about any weapon to level 10 (first skill level of 'apprentice'). While this is great, I think it might be better if it was lowered to 8 (middle rank of novice). Characters already start with one weapon skill trained. If we want greater levels of proficiency in other weapons (and we do), I think we should be encouraged to explore a bit. Most other trainers in the game will train weapons up to at least skill level 10 - it should be a joy to find them.

[Beskytter]

It was a while ago when I first started, and I had no idea the Snookery existed when my first char rolled out of the Dripping Dagger.

Since then I've known about it and haven't paid attention, but I don't remember seeing any text saying to go to the Snookery when I walk up from the cellar. Perhaps having Filiare, or Thelonias, tell new chars they can train in the Snookery?
Also, I'm not sure how most people RP hitting level 10 in regards to the Snook but, if it isn't too hard to add in, maybe a qbit saying Congrats you Graduated the Snookery? Not sure on this one, but I didn't know about guilding level until after I'd wandered off, near starved to death for lack of coin, and then been told I wasn't experienced enough. So I'm wondering if adding in the qbit could be special text from Myrmith about guilds, not where they are, but that now that the char has "Graduated" they should look into joining a guild for more training.

[Harroghty]

I decreased the number of gibberlings in the newbie area as a Band-Aid for the short term, but I will be revamping all of this stuff when I finish my current project. So feel free to suggest things (but understand that I may not include every suggestion in the finished product).

[Vibius]

For a new player it might be possible (although unlikely) finish the area and staying in the last room waiting for name authorization without unable of doing anything else because you can't go back after being done with the area. While for a veteran player this might not be a great deal, it might not send good vibes to a new player.

Perhaps it could be added a small version of the snookery so dummies can be killed while he awaits.