Advertising for Players

ww_crimson · 01-31-2012, 03:54 PM

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone is interested in giving Aarchon a try and providing some feedback for me. We seem to be attracting 3-8 new players per day, but rarely do any stick around. I've been on Aarchon for almost 15 years so it's hard for me to objectively look at what might make it not so appealing to a new player. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

-Astark

aarchonmud.com : 7000

Or go to our website and click "connect" to log in through FMUD

camlorn · 01-31-2012, 08:27 PM

Hi,
Just thought I'd chime in and tell you why I've not tried your game, as you are in the top 40 on tms. I don't know how the game plays but and offer the following with that disclaimer but:

The web site makes it look like another <fill in the blank> codebase-based mud. I see lots of classes, but very little content to make me think that it's something new and different; I generally look for crafting, or unique spells that aren't restrings, or enchanting, or something. Your web site should tell me why you over another mud, and tbh, I've not seen anything on there that hasn't been done elsewhere.

I know that areas make the mud too, and haven't tried the mud, but if I log on to the mud and don't immediately go "ooo, that's different!" you probably won't keep me. That said, I do at least generally finish the newbie area; the differences don't always show up.

And just one more thought; there seems to be a recent trend of creating, checking who, and deleting. You may be experiencing that. I myself am guilty of that, but it has since been pointed out in a number of places that it doesn't actually fix the problem but makes it worse. So, and this thread may not be the right place, don't do that, people.

jackal59mo2 · 01-31-2012, 10:26 PM

I'm actually going through CG right now, and here are a few things I see:

1) There's not enough useful help. For example, I'm told if I need help choosing a class that one of the options is to type ETLS. I do that and get:

Buh. Maybe 1 in 100 players would be helped by that completely unexplained table, but I'm not one of them. Yes, there is another file explaining what this one is, but you don't find that out until after you've scrolled your screen with this.

2) Some of the text is fine, but some is pretty badly written. Different hands (and levels of skill) show throughout chargen.

3) There's a bad problem with the assignment of aliases. When presented with the alignment choice, I typed "help alignment" and got a message back that I had just chosen the Holy alignment. No, that's not correct; I was simply trying to make sense of the confused string of adjectives that was being presented as the continuum of alignment.

4) Whoa, what's this I'm reading about PK after I finish CG? I don't particularly like PK MUDs, and nothing before this said this was one. Or does Aarchon just have some limited PK? I don't know, and there's no file listed for me to read and find out. For that matter, if you say that it is inexcusable to not know the rules, then how about giving links to the ones you want people to read right away? Most places follow up such statements by saying "Type 'help rules,' 'help rules2,' 'help keepitinyourpants'" and so on. I expect to read rules as part of chargen; you appear to want me to but rely on me to find them on my own, something I'm not that confident about given my experience with the help system so far.

That got me out of CG. I don't think I'm going any farther because everything so far looks pretty stock and I don't really like stock ROM MUDs. Really, though, if you do have a unique world and features that will engage new players, you might consider trying to sell those things up-front or during the chargen process. You also should make sure that appropriate contextual help is readily accessible during chargen (and that other commands aren't aliased so that "help whatever" invokes those commands instead!).

ww_crimson · 02-01-2012, 09:28 AM

Thank you both for the excellent feedback. Over the next few days/week I'll be working on the website quite a bit to showcase the things that make us unique. Another one of our IMPs will be reviewing the creation process to make it a bit more friendly and enticing for new players.

01-31-2012, 03:54 PM	#1
ww_crimson Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Home MUD: Aarchon Posts: 62	Aarchon MUD - Looking for a review/critique Hi all, I'm wondering if anyone is interested in giving Aarchon a try and providing some feedback for me. We seem to be attracting 3-8 new players per day, but rarely do any stick around. I've been on Aarchon for almost 15 years so it's hard for me to objectively look at what might make it not so appealing to a new player. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. -Astark aarchonmud.com : 7000 Or go to our website and click "connect" to log in through FMUD

01-31-2012, 08:27 PM	#2
camlorn Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 144	Re: Aarchon MUD - Looking for a review/critique Hi, Just thought I'd chime in and tell you why I've not tried your game, as you are in the top 40 on tms. I don't know how the game plays but and offer the following with that disclaimer but: The web site makes it look like another <fill in the blank> codebase-based mud. I see lots of classes, but very little content to make me think that it's something new and different; I generally look for crafting, or unique spells that aren't restrings, or enchanting, or something. Your web site should tell me why you over another mud, and tbh, I've not seen anything on there that hasn't been done elsewhere. I know that areas make the mud too, and haven't tried the mud, but if I log on to the mud and don't immediately go "ooo, that's different!" you probably won't keep me. That said, I do at least generally finish the newbie area; the differences don't always show up. And just one more thought; there seems to be a recent trend of creating, checking who, and deleting. You may be experiencing that. I myself am guilty of that, but it has since been pointed out in a number of places that it doesn't actually fix the problem but makes it worse. So, and this thread may not be the right place, don't do that, people.

01-31-2012, 10:26 PM	#3
jackal59mo2 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 45	Re: Aarchon MUD - Looking for a review/critique I'm actually going through CG right now, and here are a few things I see: 1) There's not enough useful help. For example, I'm told if I need help choosing a class that one of the options is to type ETLS. I do that and get: Buh. Maybe 1 in 100 players would be helped by that completely unexplained table, but I'm not one of them. Yes, there is another file explaining what this one is, but you don't find that out until after you've scrolled your screen with this. 2) Some of the text is fine, but some is pretty badly written. Different hands (and levels of skill) show throughout chargen. 3) There's a bad problem with the assignment of aliases. When presented with the alignment choice, I typed "help alignment" and got a message back that I had just chosen the Holy alignment. No, that's not correct; I was simply trying to make sense of the confused string of adjectives that was being presented as the continuum of alignment. 4) Whoa, what's this I'm reading about PK after I finish CG? I don't particularly like PK MUDs, and nothing before this said this was one. Or does Aarchon just have some limited PK? I don't know, and there's no file listed for me to read and find out. For that matter, if you say that it is inexcusable to not know the rules, then how about giving links to the ones you want people to read right away? Most places follow up such statements by saying "Type 'help rules,' 'help rules2,' 'help keepitinyourpants'" and so on. I expect to read rules as part of chargen; you appear to want me to but rely on me to find them on my own, something I'm not that confident about given my experience with the help system so far. That got me out of CG. I don't think I'm going any farther because everything so far looks pretty stock and I don't really like stock ROM MUDs. Really, though, if you do have a unique world and features that will engage new players, you might consider trying to sell those things up-front or during the chargen process. You also should make sure that appropriate contextual help is readily accessible during chargen (and that other commands aren't aliased so that "help whatever" invokes those commands instead!).

02-01-2012, 09:28 AM	#4
ww_crimson Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Home MUD: Aarchon Posts: 62	Re: Aarchon MUD - Looking for a review/critique Thank you both for the excellent feedback. Over the next few days/week I'll be working on the website quite a bit to showcase the things that make us unique. Another one of our IMPs will be reviewing the creation process to make it a bit more friendly and enticing for new players.

Advertising for Players

Aarchon MUD - Looking for a review/critique