PvP Walkthrough on the Isle Suggestion

[Bloodfa]

<p><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/quote.m?post_id=4163963&start=15" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...63&start=15</a></p><p>I posted this in a different thread (linky above), but thought perhaps it was a decent enough suggestion for the devs that I'd try to get it a little attention.  One of those "Well, it couldn't hurt" types.  Here it goes, copy & pasted: </p><p>                                                                   <b>********</b></p><p>There are some great folks out there who will gladly take some of their time and/or resources to help out a lower-level newbie.  But the number is small.  Check the responses to OOC questions that are obviously from new players; some folks on the server will reply with useful information, and some will act like pricks.  With a helpful community, this could run on for years.  Or it could burn out much more quickly.  We do have <i>some</i> control over that, in how we set an example.  Telling a newbie to man-up ain't gonna help.  Too bad there aren't any SOE staff available in-game to help newcomers on occasion.  Or maybe a PvP tutorial incorporated into the "here's your sword, the pointy end goes that way" island intro.  Hell, an NPC standing next to Murar Shah with "Enemy Combat Trainer" over his head and a mini-quest would work wonders.  Add a line in for Murar (and his counterparts) to ask them if they've spoken to Vlad the Trainer before they leave their refuge, and require a "click yes or no" type response to move on.  Explain to them "You know, enemies of our State are more wily and physically more powerful than your average goblin" with one of those annoying pop-ups that explains PvP damage is nerfed when compared to NPC, so your CA's, Spells and gear need to be upgraded as fast and efficiently as possible.  Then send them out to harvest a node and when they return, a message something like "If that had been a rare, you could make much better gear or upgrade your attacks substantially by tradeskilling, or even sell it on the open market for a profit!"</p><p>Have the NPC also explain the basics about Achievement Experience, something similar to the above scenario.  Maybe send the player out on another harvest and have an NPC 'Gank Squad' set 3 levels higher than them pop out of nowhere and beat them senseless.  When they go back he asks what happened and their multiple choice responses could lead to a reply like "Well, I hate to say it but life's not fair, and there's safety in numbers, whether it be a Guild or a group."  Something to get them looking in the right direction.</p><p>Interaction like that, a non-essential mini-quest for experienced players that could be skipped, would level the lowbie playing field a lot.  It wouldn't have any effect on those who already play, but newbies would have more information about just what they're getting themselves into.  Assuming they don't just rush out into the world and learn the hard way, that is.  But it would let them know it's a much different world out there.  Having a PVE training ground and game intro in a PvP/PVE world doesn't make it any easier.  I mean, my Jeweler alt is a level 7 Templar, with APP 1's and less than half a set of island gear can run out into the Peat Bog and drop an even-con monster without going below 90% health and 85% power.  Yellow con might drop my health to 80%, if it resists a lot.  It gives a false sense of what to expect, and running into the situations that lurk outside the castle walls would ... well ... suck.  Again, just some thoughts on what <i>could</i> be done.  Changes like that would be outside the normal game interaction for experienced players, but could swing things over to help newbies <i>without</i> having to "carebear" PvP.  </p>

[Bozidar]

<p>I'll have to read this more carefully, but i wanted to instantly respond that I love this idea.  I think that an SoE sponsored system that helps genuine newbs would really improve the retention rate of new players.</p><p>btw.. having a group of twinks jump out of no where and gank their face in made me LOL irl.</p>

[Zeuhl]

I agree. I started eq2 the same time frame that pvp was released. Had a tutorial such as this existed then I probably would have known what I had gotten myself into and stuck with pvp. As it was I had no idea what was going on as eq2 was my first mmo and I was in pvp to boot. Now that I've spent time learning the game and such on a blue server I'm experimenting with pvp again. I definately think this idea has great merit.

[Harbringer Doom]

Bloodfang@Nagafen wrote: <blockquote><p>Check the responses to OOC questions that are obviously from new players; some folks on the server will reply with useful information, and some will act like pricks.  </p></blockquote> What did you call me??!!? Seriously, I'm only teasing.  I usually help people in /tells after responding with what you see in channel. Some of the questions in channel and /ooc just absolutely BEG for [Removed for Content] answers.   I cannot change who I am.

[Armawk]

<p>YES YES YES on the basic idea.</p><p>Someone tell SOE? I mean evidently they missed the fact that PVP noobs need any information at all...</p>

[silentpsycho]

Great idea!  I love the part about getting ganked by a full group of NPC's twinked out and +4 your level, and the proposed NPC response.  Good prep for the "real world" IMHO.

[Eybietie]

what about player guides? you know - these people running arround with mythical lvl 1 armor and stuff. they could form raids for new player and wtfpwn those twinkies...

[Bloodfa]

<bump-de-bump>

[Rob626]

Love love love this idea. Fantastic!

[toenukl]

Awesome idea!

[Rob626]

<p>As an addendum: perhaps have the pvp trainer NOT be a pvp server-only thing.  For those on PvE servers, it would give them the opportunity to learn a little about the pvp environment from the safety of their home servers, increasing awareness and maybe interest.  As they used to say- the first hit's free, baby.</p><p>Would it be less work for the devs to implement this on both pve and pvp?  Dunno.  But it is essentially a pve bit just like the other trainers, so who knows?</p><p>Sticky?  Perma-bump?  I would really really like to see some official action or acknowledgement for the pvp trainer idea.</p>

[Yahshua]

I always thought it would be neat if noob island had a pvp instance that both freeps an q's could fight in.  The instance would be limited to ONLY those who were on the island.  It would be kinda cool imho to give people an introduction to pvp there, and people would have the choice of partaking or not.

[Captain Apple Darkberry]

<p><span style="color: #ff3300">This idea rocks...</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff3300">Especially the part about it offering ~examples~ like the n00B stopping to harvest a node and a Gank Squad jumps him, maybe even one where a Ranger/Assassin popps out of stealth and ranges, but then runs when you try to close in to fight, repeating the action a couple of times before despawning.</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff3300">I know that it is a huge deviance from the standard ~make you feel like a god~ quest on the island, but on a PvP server it isn't all Baubleberry Pies and fluffy bunnies...</span></p>

[Bloodfa]

Rob626, that's a great addendum!  A "you sure you wanna try this with one of your slots?" thing to give folks a teaser on PvE servers, I like it.  Might actually pull some more into it, too.

[Bloodfa]

Devs no like? <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[MaCloud1032]

If he/she starts kickin the NPC's [Removed for Content] would the twinks run like they do in game now?  Would be relistic.  The NPC could say something like L2P.    Great idea btw.  This was my first toon in EQ2 and i picked aPvP server and i love it!

[Jackalofdoom]

In the game guild wars, they have a thing like this. I enjoyed it a lot. And being able to be repeatable would be cool. Like, you could go really indepth with this. To assist people in the introduction of PVP. Such as , having a vendor thatll give the island's own mini PVP rewards if you win a couple times . Nothing too great but worth working towards.

[piro]

This is truly a great idea. Please tell me the devs are just to speachless to reply to it <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[WeatherMan]

After a plethora of threads that clamor for the nerf bat, whine about someone being overpowered, cry-baby about 'carebearing', and on and on...it is SO nice to once in a while see a positive, constructive thread, and even MORE rare to see a rare jewel of one that glitters. Bloodfang, you are an excellent jeweler. I think that it would also be poignant for the PvP trainer to be of a race that is impossible to start with on the island in question.  Maybe 'Vlad' standing next to Murrar is a shifty-looking little ratonga swashbuckler, while (random name) 'Nadia', the lady next to Tayil, is a short, fair, and rather deceptively mellow-seeming Feir'Dal bruiserette (that is, until you listen to her rather unsympathetic dialogue after getting your face caved in by the NPC gank squad.  i.e. "Most people who look like me will DELIGHT in smashing you into a pulp and taking everything you have, and they won't think twice about doing it, either.&quot<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I also like the idea of the crossover PvP zone for beginners - but this might need to be expanded a bit for denizens of Darklight and The Nursery as well....perhaps the 'island' PvP portal for these places admits no one at level 11 (or perhaps 10) or higher.  And the place for it could be another version of the island itself...with entry portals at Grimgash's Cave, the Treehouse, the cellar door of the tower, and the wheelhouse of the now crew-less ship.  Or maybe simply the bells at the island's dock.  There is no 'safe zone' here (my preference) once you zone in, or perhaps an instanced bank building door behind where Bogfoot or Whizratchet normally stand, which lets you unload your ill-gotten gains.  Naturally, the path to this bank will be one of the most heavily camped in the entire zone...after all, if you're heading for the bank, you have something worth taking, neh? Also...initially, I was thinking 'why the H*LL would you put 'Vlad' and 'Nadia' on a blue server?'  Then I realized - even on the blue server, you could still give the players a taste of PvP if they wanted (in case they might change their minds)...and in addition, these two would provide (after the PvP tutorial), a unique service.  Namely, a quick server shift to a PvP server after leaving the Island PvP zone, usable ONLY before setting foot on Varlos's ship (which is where the server shift takes place).  On a PvP server, those people who tried the Island PvP zone and discovered PvP wasn't for them could go to a 'blue' server, and never worry about gankazoids ever again. Regardless, we need more Bloodfang-style ideas.

[TniEradani]

<p>Yes, please quit making newbs think they're gods and then letting them out into the pvp jungle. Island PvP tutorials would be a really good idea. </p><p>I like the previous poster's idea of somehow making server transfer pvp-pve possible at this stage.</p><p>And Soe. PLEASE QUIT NERFING THE MOBS. You are just giving newbs the continued illusion that they are gods and giving them more to whine about when they get stomped on pvp.</p>

[Bauer]

I thought this completely unopposed and yet ignored idea needed a bump, let's help the population grow <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[WeatherMan]

As an addendum to my above idea (and after thinking about it), it occurred to me that the PvP zone 'server-transfer' would pretty much HAVE to be limited to those starting off in Qeynos or Freeport...namely, you have to make the server decision before you leave the island, so you need to start on an island before you make the decision. This to me is hardly a big deal.  Switching from Freeport to Neriak is easy, as is Qeynos to Kelethin.  Fae and Arasai get the shaft, yes, but that will have to be a decision for the player to make if they absolutely MUST be one of these two races.  Otherwise, in my opinion, its a non-issue.

[Kinox]

OMG, i just happened across this thread and i LOVE the basic principle.  Why has no dev replied to this thread to at least let us know they considered it?  Gnobrin?  Grimwell?  ANYone?I demand an official SOE response to this thread addressing the possibility of a PvP tutorial.  I DEMAND IT!

[Kust]

This would be a very innovative and helpful idea, I totally agree with the OP. As for the crossover PvP instances,  I think that would be helpful too, but I can just see it now. People would start level locking at level 2 for the tier 1 MC and just haunt the PvP instance. (Not necessarily a bad thing, if the idea behind that zone is to adjust people to the open PvP world)There would need to be a bunch of new PvP guides though:1. Walk around the isle for a few minutes until you ding to level 2 from discoveries.2. LOCK at level 2 and start harvesting rares. (To hell with AA!)3. Get full MC with your rares and keep an eye on the broker for the Master 1's of your 2 abilities.4. Enter the newbie PvP instance FTW!This is not at all a flame against lockers (I lock myself), but I bet this exact situation would happen, and I think it would be funny.

[Truck]

If you aren't going to save the true Just-Starting-Out-Players from the hordes of level locked gankers, at least let them know what they're getting themselves into... nuff said...