Hey all, As a very new player to this server and an experienced player on many other servers over the past few years I hope my input as a "NOOB" here helps to progress this thread a little. Firstly I'd like to say I have yet to find a server in which I have had a better experience with been welcomed and helped by the entire community. Everyone form in game and on the forums have been exceptionally helpful and respectful. Because of this I feel this server has other worldly potential. So thank you to everyone so far, staff and players alike. As mentioned in the first post here and in subsequent posts the first few minutes on the sever and in your res can feel a little daunting, again if it weren't for the help of the first couple of people I met my experience could have ended there. However I do understand a total re-haul of the towns decorative look and mine-able terrain would be too much to consider. The first thing that struck me though is something that seems to have been thought out a lot before and discarded for reasons I am sure are grounded. That is a "global" or "wild" etc chat. In most servers getting started is made easier by just throwing questions into the chat where anyone and everyone can help you. So I thought I would re-open this debate with some positives I can see in favor a universal chat system. So please add your feedback even if it's against my point of view as all needs to be considered when the future of a server is what is on the line. First and foremost, communication is paramount for all new players no matter how in-depth the tutorial may be. Even an experienced player needs help from the get go learning the servers unique /commands just to get around and they can be difficult to memorize without traversing through the mountains of forums to find them A global chat can not only open up an easier platform for players to contact staff/mods for help with many matters, it can also alleviate a lot of pressure from staff with players who are familiar with the rules and ways answering questions. Minecraft servers, especially ones with great interactive websites like this one are not just a video game, but a social media platform. Yes there is communication here in forums and even an audio chat aspect, but we need to remember that the majority of new players will not seek these out until they have decided to put some real time into the server. Having an in-game chat creates an easily accessed network for players to meet and team up with other players. Minecraft is THE sandbox game, an incredibly creative experience in which most players want to share their own unique way of playing, building and designing. However there are thousands of servers out there for players to choose from so keeping players engaged is the biggest struggle servers face. Empire have done an amazing job with new and intriguing events. With a global chat system players can contact each other much more efficiently to enjoy these perks together. With new portal outposts being built 1 million blocks out in each direction getting around and communicating may become even more difficult which cries out for a more connectable community. I hope I haven't offended anyone with this post, and I appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks, -Alestrose-
I dig it Alestrose. Maybe after 1.11 they might consider it. There's certainly a lot of positives with implementimg it. As of midnight I can't think of negatives for it.
No official response to this suggestion I made a while back... https://empireminecraft.com/threads...-supporter-global-chat-for-new-players.67296/ (Also I know I posted this in the other retention rates thread, but there was no response)
Thanks for adding, I think your on the right track with keeping new players engaged. Although I feel global chat should be something available to all players whether they have donated or not. For players to network with other players is paramount and a 24 hour noob cap in my opinion is just a compromise. There are many things that can be offered to entice players to donate/subscribe without restricting communicating with each other. I think it must be realized that not all players are potential subscribers but they are all still important to keep around to build a larger network of players to increase the server experience.
Perhaps add an in town mine plot for newbies to start with before sending them out into the waste where they can't communicate with anyone in town. Like a an unused events plot to have a mini mine place fro any one who is under 30 days. After which time they can't use this place. The res would reset every night at the stroke of midnight EMC time. It would only have grass, trees, and stone, may be coal ore...Nothing else of value. That way the players can get more info before leaving the security of town.
Yah yesterday a new player was on and in the wild. He asked me if he could join me so I said sure and I gave him the link to the map so he could find his way back to town. I was busy doing stuff so I was server hopping. He eventually messaged me "Ughhh this server is boring" and left.
I do like this this idea to an extent, or even if there were a /tree mine, /mine, /food farm to get people started, although making things too easy for players can also be detrimental as it makes the game too easy. Having an accessible wilderness (as we do) is enough for a lot of players. The only thing I would say about wasteland is that as a noob, at first I didn't know there was a live map I could access easily through the gui so perhaps it would be beneficial to have an auto post every 30 mins or so reminding players they can access /map to help them get back to the portals. Also some beds at the portal outposts would go a long way to protect new players. However with all said and as is the main foundation of my opinion, having a global chat for everyone all the time is the best way to keep players connecting and fundamentally engaged.
Yeah it's very unfortunate, this server has a lot to offer but it can all feel a bit un-accessible once you get out there on your own and can contact the community unless your near someone or /msg someone (which often you don't know anyone when you start)
I like this but maybe incorporated into the tutorial so placed in the wild somewhere with real mobs and a barrier so they can only mine in a limited area. So they spawn in to the game at a campsite with a campfire and tent and an entrance to the beginning of a mineshaft saying dig here. As they mine blocks and reach certain quantity of blocks they get rules and game info with choices to click. Click the right answer and they get little bonuses. As they mine and gather resources they would level up and when they reach a certain level they can then click to tp to Town. I do agree a lot of layers are surprised that their is only dirt under their residence but that is to encourage them to mine out in the wilderness and play the game the way its meant to be played.
We should be looking at structures to get new players enticed but bare in mind placing new players in an isolated area might only agitate the situation. if there is a public tree, mine and animal farm then everyone can use it when need be meaning that new players will not be alone.
Here's something that might prevent players from leaving so early: Remove the wilderness portal at the end of the tutorial! Players that don't read anything will walk straight into it and start EMC by themselves and be alone forever in the wilderness! ...or make a new tutorial in a residence-looking area. And for older players, make moving from SMP8 free (it's the cringy server now)!
