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How to annoy new players

Posted by Nick Gammon on Sun 19 Oct 2014 09:23 AM — 9 posts, 34,385 views.

Nick Gammon Australia Forum Administrator #0
I've just started playing a new MUD, with a view to helping get a mapper going (no, I won't mention its name).

However it is a classic example of how to piss off new players.

http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=10147

After doing some tutorials I am in a room with no exits.


Simple Bedroom [ ]
  You are in your own bedroom that you spent hours in during your childhood.
Your toys are all laying scattered around, ready to upset your parents when
stepped upon. Books of fairy tales and fables are standing upright on your
shelves containing stories and adventures that have filled your imagination.


This is my own bedroom, right? A nice friendly, safe place to be.

Inside the square brackets are supposed to be my exits.

But I can't work out how to escape from my own bedroom!


exits
Obvious exits:
None.


Right. So this isn't like my bedroom which has a door.

So I look at my toys which the room tells me I have:


look toys
You do not see that here.


And the books:


look books
You do not see that here.


And the shelves which got a mention:


look shelves
You do not see that here.


I worked out there is a door to the south.


south
The door seems to be closed.


I try to open it.


open door
It seems to be locked.


I try to unlock it.


unlock door
You do not have the proper key for that.


I try to "recall" as the help suggests.


recite recall
You recite a scroll of recall which dissolves.
You can't leave that way.


I ask for help on the chat channel, but because of the time of day there is no response.

So, basically I leave the MUD.

This is what I was getting at in the link above.

Don't trap newbies in a room with no exits.

It annoys them. They leave. They don't come back.

This isn't fun. It's annoying.*

* It's also annoying for client writers who are trying to test a mapper, and get trapped in a room with no exits.
Amended on Sun 19 Oct 2014 09:37 AM by Nick Gammon
Nick Gammon Australia Forum Administrator #1
I can accept that there might be puzzles to solve to get at some fabulous sword, or armour. Sure, make players work for some good loot.

But there should always be an escape route. Back to the inn, or some starting point, or somewhere where you can try another tack.

If you trap players in one spot, where there is nothing to do, no clues about how to escape, it just becomes boring.
Nick Gammon Australia Forum Administrator #2
As it turned out, I only had to do nothing for an hour and I was disconnected. Then when I reconnected I was put somewhere else.

Guys, couldn't this have happened sooner? If there is an escape route, can't it be provided within 5 minutes?
Nick Gammon Australia Forum Administrator #3
After making a new character and trying again I worked it out.

You have to


say please


Then a key drops from nowhere, you unlock a door, you open the door and then you leave. Simple, eh?

Just another hint to MUD admins. Maybe for newbies, have a system where if:

  • They are typing stuff (ie. not AFK)
  • They are in the same room for a few minutes
  • The room doesn't have any exits
  • They are newbies


Have something periodically hint them, or offer assistance.

eg.


Type "hint" if you are stuck.


And when they type hint, give them a few tips.
Fiendish USA Global Moderator #4
Nick Gammon said:

After making a new character and trying again I worked it out.

You have to


say please



Curious. How did you work that out?
Nick Gammon Australia Forum Administrator #5
Well, let's see. It's still in the scrollback, amazingly enough.


Simple Bedroom [ ]
  You are in your own bedroom that you spent hours in during your childhood.
Your toys are all laying scattered around, ready to upset your parents when
stepped upon. Books of fairy tales and fables are standing upright on your
shelves containing stories and adventures that have filled your imagination.


I look around ...


look n
On the north wall there is a shelf with many stuffed animals looking back at you.


Aha! A shelf.


look shelf
You do not see that here.


Pfft.


This must be another room to test your knowledge of the Realm.

...

Aha! There is the door to the south that leads out of the room, how easy.

...

It may be a trigger to a trap though, you better look at it first.

look s

(Just shows some sort of checklist)

examine s

(Same checklist)


Oh wait, it mentioned a door. Maybe this will exist more than the shelf did.


examine door
  A simple wooden door leads out of this room with a brass knob and key hole.
The door is locked and seems unpickable. There is a note attached to the door.


Aha! A note.


read note
You look at the note:
  You have been a naughty child and shall not be allowed out of your room
until you remember your manners. You can not just demand for something and
expect to get it at your age. Remember what I taught you in manners and if you
say "the magic word" that you should have used when you wanted me to give you
that candy, then you will be given the key.

Love,
Mommy


<sigh> The "magic word", eh?


say please
You say, 'please'

Suddenly a key drops from thin air and lands at your feet.


Finally!


Simple Bedroom [ ]
  You are in your own bedroom that you spent hours in during your childhood.
Your toys are all laying scattered around, ready to upset your parents when
stepped upon. Books of fairy tales and fables are standing upright on your
shelves containing stories and adventures that have filled your imagination.
A small key made of brass is lying on the floor.


So let's open the door to the south ...


take key
You get a small brass key.

...

open s
This can't be opened anyway.

...

open door
It seems to be locked.

...

unlock door
You unlock the door with your small brass key.
*click*
The key crumbles to dust in your hand and is blown away by the wind.

...

open door
Ok.


And then I could leave. ;)
Fiendish USA Global Moderator #6
So the keyword system routes n to north, but s is overloaded. Did you try 'look south' instead of 'look s'?
Nick Gammon Australia Forum Administrator #7
No but I'm assuming (hah!) it will be the same.

Actually in quite a few of the newbie rooms "look s" brings up a checklist of things for new players to do -- which I don't quite understand. What if you want to check out the south of the room?
Nick Gammon Australia Forum Administrator #8
I know I'm getting old, but imagine you just bought a new motor car. And imagine that it took you an hour to work out how to start it. Would you say "wow! this car is great! it gives me lots of challenges"? Or would you say ... let's say ... other things?