pitt
August 10th, 2006, 08:13 AM
I had the opportunity to watch someone I'd introduced to the game for the first time create a character and get started, and I took note of some things that seemed a little confusing.
1 - when the race/class selection table comes up, maybe a little explanation like 'This table shows the available race/class combinations.' I also think the ordained and dual class info could be removed.. most folks will probably learn that in the game. Then the redundant 'A's on the table could just be replaced with 'X's or 'O's, with the explanation:
X = race/class combination is permitted
- = race/class combination NOT permitted
2 - race/class/hometown selections.
1) Human
2) Dwarf
3) Elf
4) Gnome
5) Half-Elf
6) Halfling
7) Aarakocra
8) Giant-Kin
9) Minotaur
10) Half-Ogre
Please select race, Newbie ('help race_name') for help: human
That's not a race.
What IS your race? Now, this happened to my friend when she was signing up, and she found it very confusing.. which I can understand. Maybe either typing the race/class/hometown (and common typos/case variations?) in full can be good enough, or change it to:
Please select race, Newbie (1-10 OR HELP <race_name>):
3 - Camp Tolanreal (first room out of the new player entrance), the room desc says: "this is your only opportunity to become ready to enter the outside world". My friend thought Algenara was trying to trick her into missing her training by sending her into the outside world so early.. seems silly when you know better, I know ;) Maybe this would be clearer if changed to something along the lines of: "here you will be able to train only until you reach your 5th level, when you should be ready to stay in the outside world and will no longer be able to enter" it would be less confusing?
4 - Is there any reason newbies shouldn't get a couple more maps.. of the camp and the guild? I guess there'd have to be an advice about look 2.map to look at the 2nd map in your inventory, though.. or keywords added to the maps.
look guild:
UPPER GUILD:
[1] 1 - A Portal to your Hometown
| 2 - Room of Records
[2] - [3] - [4] 3 - Guild Hall
| 4 - The Kitchen
[5] - [6] - [7] 5 - The Donation Pit (UP to Temples)
| 6 - Hallway (DOWN to Lower Guild)
[8] - [9] - [10] 7 - CAMP TOLANREAL
| 8 - Ceremonial Room
[11] 9 - Hallway
10 - Recall Room
------------------------- 11 - The Coliseum
12 - Greta's News
LOWER GUILD: 13 - Lower Hall
14 - Wendell's Maps
[12] - [13] - [14] 15 - Lower Hall (UP to Upper Guild)
|
[15]
look camp:
?
|
Advanced Training
|
? - Basic Course - Regina - The Foothill - The Rapids - ?
|
Guild - Algenara <- New Player Entrance
- = exit between rooms
<- = one way exit!
? = There will be things for you to explore, learn and find, and
hints along the way.. we don't want to make it too easy for you!
-Regina
There were also a few pieces of advice from algenara that were slightly confusing.. I'll post again if I remember.
1 - when the race/class selection table comes up, maybe a little explanation like 'This table shows the available race/class combinations.' I also think the ordained and dual class info could be removed.. most folks will probably learn that in the game. Then the redundant 'A's on the table could just be replaced with 'X's or 'O's, with the explanation:
X = race/class combination is permitted
- = race/class combination NOT permitted
2 - race/class/hometown selections.
1) Human
2) Dwarf
3) Elf
4) Gnome
5) Half-Elf
6) Halfling
7) Aarakocra
8) Giant-Kin
9) Minotaur
10) Half-Ogre
Please select race, Newbie ('help race_name') for help: human
That's not a race.
What IS your race? Now, this happened to my friend when she was signing up, and she found it very confusing.. which I can understand. Maybe either typing the race/class/hometown (and common typos/case variations?) in full can be good enough, or change it to:
Please select race, Newbie (1-10 OR HELP <race_name>):
3 - Camp Tolanreal (first room out of the new player entrance), the room desc says: "this is your only opportunity to become ready to enter the outside world". My friend thought Algenara was trying to trick her into missing her training by sending her into the outside world so early.. seems silly when you know better, I know ;) Maybe this would be clearer if changed to something along the lines of: "here you will be able to train only until you reach your 5th level, when you should be ready to stay in the outside world and will no longer be able to enter" it would be less confusing?
4 - Is there any reason newbies shouldn't get a couple more maps.. of the camp and the guild? I guess there'd have to be an advice about look 2.map to look at the 2nd map in your inventory, though.. or keywords added to the maps.
look guild:
UPPER GUILD:
[1] 1 - A Portal to your Hometown
| 2 - Room of Records
[2] - [3] - [4] 3 - Guild Hall
| 4 - The Kitchen
[5] - [6] - [7] 5 - The Donation Pit (UP to Temples)
| 6 - Hallway (DOWN to Lower Guild)
[8] - [9] - [10] 7 - CAMP TOLANREAL
| 8 - Ceremonial Room
[11] 9 - Hallway
10 - Recall Room
------------------------- 11 - The Coliseum
12 - Greta's News
LOWER GUILD: 13 - Lower Hall
14 - Wendell's Maps
[12] - [13] - [14] 15 - Lower Hall (UP to Upper Guild)
|
[15]
look camp:
?
|
Advanced Training
|
? - Basic Course - Regina - The Foothill - The Rapids - ?
|
Guild - Algenara <- New Player Entrance
- = exit between rooms
<- = one way exit!
? = There will be things for you to explore, learn and find, and
hints along the way.. we don't want to make it too easy for you!
-Regina
There were also a few pieces of advice from algenara that were slightly confusing.. I'll post again if I remember.