The New User Experience (Landmark)

Although it is not one of the options, I'm convinced the first impression when entering a game (for a new to mmo player) is the immediate need for, and availability of, grouping. When I first entered EQ1, a ton of people were going here and there, just like a busy city should look, and yet there were a number of folks (in character and out) who stopped and asked my character if I needed help. Once I ventured past those magnificent West Freeport gates, I found my first group within a few minutes (actually they found me). First impressions of that kind will stick with even veteran MMO players because community will always be the absolute core of an MMO. Every single attempt to sidestep the need for grouping has, IMHO, be the downfall of other games.

Secondly, the core cities/starting areas must be hubs which never lose their importance to the character. The easiest way to get old players helping new players is by having them in the same vicinity for part of their gaming time.

Anyway, I'm going to stop now before I ramble too much

I know my dialogue is not all in line with the poll, but I consider it more important than the options.

For full disclosure, I have not tried Landmark yet, since I am not a trailblazer or anything like that. However I chose better controls for one primary reason. It doesn't matter how direct the beginning of the game is or any of the other options merely because if you can't understand how to play the game from the get go, your not going to be able to do anything.

Now since clear cut goals at the beginning could include a controls overview, I would assume, that one option could handle both issues, but if your controls are not intuitive from the beginning, then even with a tutorial a user may not feel comfortable in the game and you can lose them in the first 5 mins of play.

Character customization is a huge option, and really needs to have a lot of thought put into it but from my perspective, this is something for later on in the game. Yes when I create my character I want it to be completely individual from other characters, but in my experience in my first 5 mins of a game, I don't wanna be playing with eyebrow height or anything like that, I wanna be playing THE GAME. I would much rather see the customization later on in the game, either through a customization system or dare I say it through actual game play (ie quests, items, or preferably individual character lore).

In Landmark I think the individual character lore is a bit out of step with the game. To my knowledge it's a building game, not a character building game like EQ:N, but I would much rather be playing my character, say have a critical strike hit against me, then boom have access to putting a scar on a part of my body. Another possibility, be crafting dyes and poof learned how to apply blush to my body or something like that.

In Landmark I think a crafting system with these said options makes more sense, since that's more what your doing but I think this explanation on customization would make a better system and be more for the character that's been playing awhile rather then hitting the player at character creation with an hour or 2 worth of options to sort through, especially since what you want your character to look on Day 1 and what you want it to look like on Day 120 will most likely be two completely different things.

One of the really enjoyable things about Everquest 2's pre-buy was that you were given a Character Creation disc and you could create (and save the template) for your character to streamline that process when the game launched.
Since we can have any name we want, it is not a big deal to have your design ready while you panic to get the name you want. This is good.
But we do need to be able to save avatar designs.

For both EQ:L and EQN character customization. And PLEASE give the option for long hair on both genders. This is supposed to be a fantasy game, not modern hair style Justin Beiber extravaganza. Sooo sick of "fantasy" MMOs that have only the modern styles of hair for females and male toons. Lots of customization options, please! The more attached you feel to your avatar, the more unique you feel in game, the longer your interest will continue in the game.

I'm not huge on having clear and defined goals to the extreme even in the first few minutes of gameplay though. Maybe an OPTIONAL tutorial? So those of us that really just like getting dumped into a world and having to figure it out for ourselves, or those of us who are old MMO vets don't have to sit through a half an hour of linear tutorial stuff that we are tortured with in every other themepark?

As far as why I didn't prioritize tutorials or clear goals, is the fact that Landmark doesn't really have any clear goals except the ones you set for yourself. The only thing I actually had difficulty figuring out was how to zoom in and out (you had to use SHIFT and the scroll wheel, hur hur). Though I admit, if you are lost, you have to be in range of someone to ask questions because I don't think there is an island/global channel yet. They are working on this and is part of the road map. Plus, it doesn't take long to get the hang of the game. This is in the game's CURRENT state, they may just have to have brief tutorials if more complex systems are implemented.

I think what this Round Table and discussion does is maybe perhaps kinda sorta moves Character Creation improvements (RACES) up in the road map! Or at least lets SOE know that chargen is important to us and to new players as well.

And if you have voiced tutorials, I highly recommend having a British voice actor. Trying to get Stephen Fry for that might be a bit too much to ask for.

Edit: To the poster two posts above me, I second a pre launch chargen if and whenever they have a finished chargen to show, because I always like playing with these.

I am kind of shocked that "What do you think would most improve a new user's experience?" is winning this poll. It has ZERO to do with the new user experience of the game - at least from the perspective of actual "game" experience (e.g. building, harvesting, exploration, etc.).

For me it is a close toss up between "Refinement of building tools" and "Better and more clear controls for character and camera" with the first taking my vote. Next, would be "Easier to identify resources and improvements to crafting" since there is really no direction other than previous game experience and then "Clear, established goals for your first few minutes of play".

The character customization would be very nice to have to separate avatars from other's, but has zero impact on gameplay and the user's experience within the game.

I actually think it has quite the impact. Landmark is here to inspire players to let their creativity flow and even contribute for, the later mmorpg, EQN.
It would be quite weird for a newbie to log in such game, just to see everyone around him/her looking exactly the same. I feel it goes against the said flow.

Also i am not sure, but could more than character creation be included in this option? If so, the better yet.

I think this is a loaded question. Each of the possible answers is something I touched on in my forum response to player's first experience in game.

Since it asks specifically for the most helpful answer I am going to go with Clear, established goals. Character creation is cosmetic (though important). Camera control should be intuitive and automagic. Easier to identify resources (needs to addressed with mouse overs or such.) Refinement of building tools (core issue that needs to be addressed for most tools, but realistically I didn't build a thing for two days.)

I was pissed off in my first few minutes of game play as I tried to mine around the spire with no success (note, that issue has been resolved.) But the underlying cause of the problem is still there. There is no direction, no purpose, no real tutorial. You are dropped in the game and good luck, hope you don't die of dysentery.

I would like to see a friendly NPC or a tutorial window that guides you through harvesting 101. I know everyone figures it out on their own eventually, but working that brain can be hard for some people. They need help. All MMOs have that starting zone, tutorial helper why not here. He could get you outfitted, show you how to dress/equip yourself properly. Point you to the nearest ore and request you bring him back some copper. Then, he could show you the forge and walk you through how to craft some item. All of this could be skipped with a simple "I got this" response to the initial conversation.

I have said before the game lacks a little bit of lore. I know we are avoiding the Everquest themes for those genre bending, steampunk loving players out there. But a simple friendly face with a welcome to the brave new world speech would definitely help get players off on the right foot.

Just my two cents.

Character customization and the first few hours of gameplay are CRITICAL in enticing new players, and I say this from personal experience. If a game's character creation and intro are lacking, I'm not sticking around. After all, if a developer can't be bothered to put effort into the first few screens of the game I see, why should I think it'll get better later on?

For character creation, Being able to fine tune one's avatar is incredibly important, as for most players it's the character they will be seeing on screen for the entire time they play the game. If someone can't make their avatar they way they want, they will be less inclined to keep playing. So, with that in mind:

-Sliders, sliders, SLIDERS! ALL THE SLIDERS! Face shaping, Shoulder Spacing, Muscle Size, Muscle Definition (For Female characters: Max muscle Sliders= BRICK HOUSE, not a twig with slightly bulged biceps!), foot size, Weight, Height, Hair Length, Beard Length, Breast Slider, Let to Torso Ratio, etc. As long as the character stays in proportion, go nuts!

- Color Wheels for Hair, Eye, and Beard Colors, with preset "Natural" colors for the race in question.

-Accessories galore! Tattoos, Body Paint, Face Paint, Scars, Glass Eyes, Missing eyes, Piercings, Hairpieces, Headbands, Eyepatches...

-Tools for the player to see how their character would look in game before committing. For example, I could use a background element so I could compare how tall my character is compared to the norms for their race or other races, and how well they would fit in buildings and doorways.

-Finally, NO pay walls at character creation. Like I said, character creation is the first screen people see in the game, and their connection to their avatar is a huge factor in how long they'll stick around. Asking for money right out of the gate tends to leave a bad taste in people's mouths, especially if the race/class they want to play is locked behind a paywall.


Now, concerning the first few hours of gameplay, we need to keep something in mind. Many people who will be playing EQN have never played a sandbox MMO before. Basic tutorials aside, the first few hours should be dedicated to easing new players into the ups and downs of sandbox gameplay. Teach them the importance of crafting, give them ideas on the different ways they could play other than "Wizard bad, go kill", emphasize the importance of grouping up for safety in Open PvP zones. You need to drill into the newbies that this is NOT WoW, and they should not treat it as such. Way too many Sandbox games just thrust you into the world with a timed immunity to PvP and then expect you to know what to do.

While all of those options could well do with further development, for me it's the refinement of building tools that stands out as most in need of attention.

I came into Landmark looking for novel ways to build. I figured that was a big draw card for the game in general. So why is it that the most powerful and useful tools are hidden away behind hours of grinding for materials? Construction wise, the Line and Smooth tools are really what set Landmark apart as a "next-gen" voxel sandbox. Wouldn't it make more sense to have these features available from the start then? At the moment the vast majority of builds I have come across are simply cubes cut into the landscape which really isn't showing off the potential of what can now be achieved.If you open all these tools up from the start you're bound to get some really interesting builds right out of the gate, not just dirt cubes.

Staying on the topic of building, It would be wonderful to see selection rotation options made to be more like those available to props. Having templates stuck to 90 degree turns is a shame. If possible, working off the grid axes would be amazing. I suppose that is what the Line tool is for? Again, I wish the ability to try out all these features wasn't locked behind all that mining and rare-drops, if only just for Alpha while people are looking to test them to see how well they work.

I usually play creative mode MC with World Edit and Voxelsniper so I've been spoilt and gathering isn't all that appealing to me, but I realise you'll be looking for people to test resource locations and generation rates etc. Alpha is Alpha and I totally get that. Frustrations aside, I do love what I've been able to build in game so far and I think Landmark is going to be brilliant but I guess my request would be to let the gatherers gather and allow the builders to build to their full potential.

I agree, I hate modern Playboy/Justin Beiber/Mohawk hair. Males and Females should share hairstyles, there should also be a large customizaton option... If I want to be a male with hair down my back, why not? There isn't as much clipping issues as other games and things WILL clip regardless. I don't care about clipping myself.

We're talking about the new user experience and ways to improve it. New hair styles aren't going to help anyone have a (measurably) better experience in Landmark.

Well I knew enough about the game that the first thing I wanted to do was to stake my claim ( honestly I didn't know much... a couple of vids ). I started in the basic tier 1 zone and ran all the way to the edge because that was the only spot available on the map. I didn't know that I could have gone to any other tiered zone on the list to find a nicer spot. I didn't have to stake there. This needs to be clearer, as there is some crowding in the tier 1 zones now.

Note: this might have been mentioned in the intro video, but I had to answer the door and missed some stuff because I couldn't pause it

Suggestion: Perhaps after choosing a server to join to then be able to pick the tiered zone with an approximate number of available claims...

Add some character customization by adding many more of the following:

-facial markings

-beard/mustache types

-decorations

-hairstyles

-piercings

-colors

Put them in the cash shop if they occupy too much time or resources but give us more options without giving people the ability to create deformed or completely ridiculous characters.

Improve the building tools also.

Please do not add some tedious introductory quest line. A tutorial would be fine for the individuals that require instructions. There are several videos on you tube explaining nearly every little detail already.

I honestly feel that, above everything else here....finding a Claim is currently the most frustrating thing. Space. Many new players have to scour the various islands for claim space, then having to pick some place out in the boonies on the edge of the physical map. Then they have to run back and forth to find resources and get to the spire they are so very far away from.

In my experience, I have yet to find anyone in the world willing to talk and chat, if I find anyone at all. All I see are mostly empty or a few half built claims with no one around. There is no sense of community or discovery. I run back and forth between the spire and my claim and all the grassy or sandy mountains in between, getting stuck on trees between my way.

Honestly, even above my previous vote on character customization...

Please.

Please...

Fast Travel. I know people are all "Baaah fast travel reduces community!" There is none, not until the chat system becomes global. Do that, or have a way to immediately go back to your claim. No items, no cooldowns (besides what the server needs to register it and to not overload it), instant with a minor cast time to send information to the server. In fact, make the chat global AND put in fast travel. Do your discovery and people meeting while gathering, not running back and forth over the four or five mountains between your claim and where you are.

How, then, is it helpful to take a poll with a multiple-choice question where you guys made up all the responses?

I think the most important thing for a new player would be to do away with Landmark's pointless vertical progression and let them explore and build the way they want to.

If you're going to make this game about building and creativity, you have a funny way of showing it, forcing people to participate in 100 hours of tedium before they can "earn" the tools they need to actually build anything decent.

Vertical progression does not force -- or even encourage -- people to explore and socialize. If people want to build -- which they do -- they will be gathering resources anyway. There is no reason to tell them, "You have to gather this many thousands of resource X, Y, and Z before we'll trust you with building tools that are actually useful."

I say do away with the idea of tiers. It's dumb, it's bad for the game, and it goes against Holy Grial #1 of EQ Next (changing the core game), since it's basically a copy/paste of every crafting/building system EVER.

Why not just have some resources be more rare and valuable because they are hard to get to and dangerous to collect? You're doing that anyway, so why do I need to endure hours of agony before I get a pick that can harvest them?

Why do I need to "craft" the basic commands needed to build a structure? It's frustrating, and it's a huge impediment to gameplay. Little perks like the grappler and the flying ability are a good use of crafting. Making us craft the selection tool is sadistic and wrong.

I believe they are going to be getting rid of Tiers. For now they are using tiers to put all the better ore and rare ore up at the surface because they haven't introduced the patch that puts an actual underground into Landmark. Once we can dig deeper underground, all those rarer ores and gems are going to be deep, and all islands will have the 'starter' ores and gems nearer to the surface (with copper I imagine still peaking out and glittering up the landscape with its distinctive orange color).

Also, I'd rather not make the building tools craftable. If anything, make a quick little tutorial that you have the option to do to teach you the tool. Make the overly complex tools hidden at first but visible, once you click on them, get this option:

- Open the Tutorial to view how to use this tool.
- Start using this tool now!

I agree with Meanwhile that building tools shouldn't be crafted. Fun items like grappling hooks, gliders, or flight granting items should be crafted, but not actual mechanics behind building.

When I say "tiers," I mean more than just the placement of the minerals. I understand that a lot of things are moving underground, but there's a lot more to it than that. The idea of tiers means you have to work your way up the progression of tool materials, crafting each one in turn, until you finally get to the highest tier of metal, which is capable of mining anything.

I want them to get rid of the limitations on what types of minerals can be harvested with a given pick. It's fine if a tungsten pick has better stats than a bronze one -- that is to be expected. But people should be able to harvest whatever they want with any pick, no matter what it's made of. A copper pick may be slower going, but you should still be able to use it on any mineral vein in the world.

Some might say, "But then people would skip past certain metals!" To which I say, if those metals aren't attractive in buildings and aren't used to make any good props, then they shouldn't be in the game. If they can be used to make desirable items, then no, they will not be "skipped."

Some might say, "But if there's no progression, it devalues my ability to harvest certain materials!" To which I say, no one ever cared about your ability to harvest anything. Each player really only cares about his own ability to harvest material. You can still feel good about yourself if you craft a tool with amazing stats -- that is an achievement worth celebrating. But having spent the same 100 hours making exactly the same progression of now-worthless tools as thousands of other people is nothing to be proud of.

And some will say, "But the market value of high-tier resources!" To which I say, that's not going to matter one bit once enough people finish the pointless progression, which will happen in less than a month. The only thing that's going to make some resources more valuable than others is if they are actually harder to obtain without getting yourself killed (or if they spawn with far less frequency than other materials). Demand could also affect prices if there's an item made of rubicite (for example) that everyone wants. What won't affect the price a month into the game is the fact that newbies still have a 100-hour slog ahead of them as they craft their way through each tier. All that does is produce bored and frustrated newbies.

Ah, thank you for the clarification, I thought you simply meant Tiered islands at first. My mistake. But I honestly have to agree.

I also forgot that in character creation, please PLEASE PLEASE give us the opportunity to change and alter body type. For example, with the iksar, there are a lot of body types and designs, and I really think they are awesome. However, it would be cool to have not just one of these designs be the main iksar template, but to be able to choose the body type I want. For example, I may not want the generic anthro-muscle-y look and may want something more serpentine or lithe, like the tall one in the upper right corner. Or maybe I'd like to play an Ogre that resembles a sumo wrestler as he wades into the battlefield with his lute. And for dwarves, maybe a thin, wiry "prospector" look.

There wouldn't have to be too much, just enough that I'm not looking at the same body shape all the time in the same race, but still distinguishable enough that I can tell what they are even from a distance (maybe 3-5 templates, and please let us adjust these templates. For example, I may not want to be "fat" maybe I just want to be "portly." Or instead of being just "athletic", I want to be "yoked." So sliders is encouraged ;P).

I mean, look at a crowded bus or train station in a city: a platform of the same species, but each with their own aesthetic and body type that it doesn't feel monotonous...it feels varied. There are many types of humans out there, with different physiques and body types, and there may be a style or aesthetic we'd like to convey in our gameplay and in our appearance. (See...I truly do AGONIZE character creation...don't ask me how long it takes me to think of a good name...what with all the research on cultures, etymology, linguistics, character aesthetic, theme, translations, definitions, the "attitude" and "personality" I want the name to convey for the character...it's a nightmare)

I just don't want choosing a race to be choosing a body type. Or size for that matter...sometimes, I want to be a taller dwarf that maybe be on par with a smallish human (I mean, look at Kili and Tauriel ;P)