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Muirdach · 01-14-2008, 09:22 AM

I think Kavir hit on something right at the beginning, when he said that when faced with a new game, those players who are new to mudding completely often turn out better than those who have previously played different games. I've noticed this too, and I think there are a few things at work: firstly it's easier in many cases to learn from a clean slate (assuming that the game has good helpfiles and so on) than it is to override what's been learned and reinforced in a different system, but one that's similar enough for you to compare.

The other part I think is that once someone has played MUDs for 5 years or so, not only are they entrenched in their game, but they see this as their advantage - "I've spent 5 years learning how to be the best, so why would I go somewhere I'd be at the bottom again?". People feel it's a waste of their past time if their skills aren't at least somewhat transferable. Even if you've left a game on bad terms, you want to think that you at least keep something from it, something you can apply elsewhere and get a head start.

There's one thing that's inevitable, though - age. Many mudders are traditionally college students or young adults. After playing for a few years, you naturally move on in life, you leave this stage behind that allowed you a lot more freedom. You start on a career, you start having to make sacrifices to make it - working overtime, taking work home, or simply putting so much effort in at the office that you really don't want to go home to a game that requires a lot of learning.

I fall into that category really - I'm a public accountant, I spend my days trying to get information from people who fear/hate/don't understand me and really, really don't want to tell me exactly what I want to know - and then trying to make something useful of what I find out. After 10 hours of that, the last thing I want to do is think or do anything that could possibly be frustrating. I want to play a game that isn't an easy game, but is easy because I know it. Where I'm king. Where I know the areas and combat and people like the back of my hand. If it came to it, I doubt that I'd bother to learn another game, I'd just move on to other things.

01-14-2008, 09:22 AM	#4
Muirdach Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Home MUD: Karinth Posts: 64	Re: New player success and combat systems I think Kavir hit on something right at the beginning, when he said that when faced with a new game, those players who are new to mudding completely often turn out better than those who have previously played different games. I've noticed this too, and I think there are a few things at work: firstly it's easier in many cases to learn from a clean slate (assuming that the game has good helpfiles and so on) than it is to override what's been learned and reinforced in a different system, but one that's similar enough for you to compare. The other part I think is that once someone has played MUDs for 5 years or so, not only are they entrenched in their game, but they see this as their advantage - "I've spent 5 years learning how to be the best, so why would I go somewhere I'd be at the bottom again?". People feel it's a waste of their past time if their skills aren't at least somewhat transferable. Even if you've left a game on bad terms, you want to think that you at least keep something from it, something you can apply elsewhere and get a head start. There's one thing that's inevitable, though - age. Many mudders are traditionally college students or young adults. After playing for a few years, you naturally move on in life, you leave this stage behind that allowed you a lot more freedom. You start on a career, you start having to make sacrifices to make it - working overtime, taking work home, or simply putting so much effort in at the office that you really don't want to go home to a game that requires a lot of learning. I fall into that category really - I'm a public accountant, I spend my days trying to get information from people who fear/hate/don't understand me and really, really don't want to tell me exactly what I want to know - and then trying to make something useful of what I find out. After 10 hours of that, the last thing I want to do is think or do anything that could possibly be frustrating. I want to play a game that isn't an easy game, but is easy because I know it. Where I'm king. Where I know the areas and combat and people like the back of my hand. If it came to it, I doubt that I'd bother to learn another game, I'd just move on to other things.