Well, the only thing that really grips me to stay for any length of time is if my char can do pretty much everything as a newbie. I wouldn't want my char to be extremely powerful as a newbie, but I would like to be strong enough that other characters don't just ignore my presence. I have no ideas of how to make this work while still rewarding the old-timers, but hopefully someone else does.

I think it really depends on the type of game. In a game that has all those automatic newbie help blurbs that scroll up your screen...

I'd recommend

1) Slow them down! Give the newbie time to read it and do stuff before the next one shows up. A newbie tip every 30 seconds would drive me absolutely nuts.

2) The very FIRST newbie tip would be the syntax on how to turn newbie tips OFF, and the syntax to access the helpfiles on all the different newbie tips so people can pick and choose which ones they want to read, IF they want to read them, and WHEN they want to read them.

For a roleplay intensive game (whether this week's definition of an RPI or otherwise) -

1) Have one OOC command that allows you to go OOC if you need syntax help or if you're just totally lost and would like for someone to take you somewhere private to give you a hand getting adjusted to your new surroundings. Do not make this a "global" channel. Instead, allow whoever is in the room see it, or allow the user to target the command at someone specific in the room so that everyone else can continue RP undistracted.

2) On the login when you first bring your character into the game, have a simple paragraph letting the player know the syntax for leaving the building they show up in, and a reminder of where to find the newbie help files on the website, and how to communicate with the staff in-game if none of the players are around and you're completely stuck.

If it's a hack-n-slash, provide players with a quickie paragraph reminding them that "x" is fair game while "y" is not permitted or requires approval from staff/in-character lawmakers. (such as the PVP rules or killing mobs in town, for example.

On all games - give your players the option of using the game's colors, using no colors, or using their OWN colors if they prefer. There's nothing more annoying than being stuck with a choice of a) white text on a black screen or b) fuscia mobs, green room names, orange PC names, black exit names, on a sunny yellow background.

A good, intuitive, searchable help system is worth SO much. Newbie channels / means to ask imms questions count for alot to me too.

No offense taken at all Earthmother! In fact I'll even agree with you on a point within that website point of yours:

I do not want anyone forcing me to read a website with a direct order. Not the code, not a player, not an IMM.

If I have a question, and someone berates me for not having read about the answer on the web, I'll find another game and good riddance to you. If they politely and patiently give me the URL to the exact location of the answer on the web, I will be eternally grateful. If they give me the URL, AND give me the URL to the category they feel will best help me, based on the kinds of questions I"m asking, I will offer to do their laundry for a month.

Pay attention to the KINDS of questions your newbies are asking. If they're asking syntax questions about combat, point them in the direction of the combat system - but ALSO let them know where to find a "general syntax" help file, because the questions seem to be about syntax in particular.

That kind of thing.

For me, I think it is a bit simpler than some of the others are making it out to be.

First, the players and staff. People need to put right out there from the start that they are glad to see you, and that they want to help. People willing to explain things to you, but not overwhelm you with information that you don't need at the get-go.

Also, there's the information standpoint. While I don't want to feel inundated with things that I have to know, I'd like all the information I could ever really want there, easy to access. Personally, I always will read through a website before I even start to pull up a telnet dialogue. It's part of total package to me. The help system should also be intuitive, easy to use and find what I want. A standard 'help newbie' with links to the main areas that I will want to know about is essential (combat, magic, role-play, etc).

Cheers,
-Luth
tsos.rarcoa.com

This applies mostly to RP (intensive or semi-intensive) muds.
On a newbie-friendly mud, people should interact in-character with newbies, and draw them into the roleplaying in that game. I can find out all the ooc knowledge and syntax I want (mostly) from helpfiles and webpages. Once I get in the game, I want to get into the roleplaying, learn things in character, meet people, make allies and enemies. Nothing creates passion for the game as much as wanting to get back at somebody, so you can actually be newbie-friendly by being mean to newbies.
Sadly, the more RP intensive a mud is, the more people tend to just ignore new players.

For me the hardest part has always been when you get out of the mud school. I often blunder around trying to figure out what commands my specific skillset uses and if I can't do it fast enough and nobody is willing to help, I usually just forget about the mud.

The problem with most MUD schools is that they are just too general. It is great to know how to get in and out of the MUD and what not to say IC'ly and all, but I want to be able to test out my new skills ASAP so I can use them in some functional way. It is hard to RP an apprentice smith when I can't even figure out the commands to put metal into a forge, or how to get metal for that matter.

What would be great is an initial mini quest for every major skillset that shows you the basic commands and basic locales in which to go in order to use your skillset. For a smith, send him to a mine and have him bring back some scrap iron to make into a spoon or something like that. Show him where he can pick up new basic skills.

most muds rely on players to tell you this, but I think that is not such a great idea. Sometimes it works out great, but sometimes, especially in smaller muds, nobody will help and that really discourages new play. Also, sometimes when they are willing to help, they move a lot faster than a newby can take in because they take their familiarity with the system for granted.

Anyway, less general tutorials, more specific tutorials = good.