Sorry, this got kind of long. There may be something useful in here, though. If nothing else, it might spur someone else to come up with a decent idea.

I read Kasty's welcome page, and it kind of got me to thinking... I thought the intro paragraph was good, but really geared toward people who are new to computer RPG's in general. That led me down computer RPG memory lane. I've played dozens, nay, SCORES of them over the years, as I'm sure many here have.

Before Al Gore invented the internets, I played single player RPG's. The linear storylines got boring. Linear worlds/dungeons/levels were tedious and predictable. The open-ended storylines were more fun. I could get into serious trouble in an open world, back up a few steps, go left instead of right, earn some levels and equipment, and then go fight those foes I stumbled into. And I didn't have to take the "good" path either. I could be as evil as I wanted, if I chose, and the open nature of the better RPG's made that a viable option.

Then the internet reared its ugly head, and I was introduced to MUDs, including CarrionFields. I suppose I was actually hooked on Legend of the Red Dragon, a BBS game, first. It was turn based (only 2 or 3 people could log in at a time to play one turn per day). Short story: my first introduction to text based PVP RPG. I was seriously hooked.

Skip forward ten years, and there is a flux of MMORPG's. They're graphically pretty astounding, and have loyal followers in the millions. Some are more fun than others. Some are more hardcore. Some are PVP, some PVE only.

OK...I know, get to the point. If I'm a new-to-CarrionFields player, I've probably been exposed to some sort of Computer RPG in the past. I would argue that most new-to-CarrionFields players have probably played (or currently play) MMORPG's as well.

So after all that garbage I just wrote, I have two points:

1) Add target audience: MMORPG players to the mix. Why do CF players play MMORPG's also? Why do long time CF players give up MMORPG's and keep coming back to CF? How do you highlight THOSE qualities on the welcome page to really grab a potential player's attention?

2) Consider a welcome page that caters to gamers. I wasn't really interested in moving any deeper because the information provided was too basic. I argue that in the world of MMORPG's, most gamers know that you don't "win", and they understand the concept of level progression, and picking a class/race. Consider the welcome page Kasty worked on as "Page 0" instead of "Page 1". Start the welcome page at Page 1 (targeting computer RPG players), and offer a link to Page 0 for "New to Role Playing Games?" players. Maybe that's what Kasty had in mind anyway...

I DO think a tutorial or getting started guide is probably a great idea. Kasty's welcome page is a good start....a step by step "what to expect when you log in for the first time" walkthrough.

CF has a lot of helpfiles, but no instruction manual. If I like to know what I'm getting into before I start a new game, there is a lot of information out there, but no real starting point for me answer: "I want to play- what do I do, and what can I expect that first time?" Again, I think Kasty's welcome page is a good start. I'd say go even deeper - make it a step-by-step tutorial, with links to external sources (qhcf race/class table, online fantasy name generators, etc)

Rambling still, but experienced players focus a lot on the mid-high level game. PK, cabal wars, etc. New characters reading forums and whatnot might be a little apprehensive about starting, due to the emphasis on PVP. They may not even realize that there's a 10 level grace period until PK begins, so maybe that should be stressed in the tutorial.

We tend to think in a very web-oriented manner here. Have a question? Search the forums or follow this link to more information, or type your keyword in the help files box! What if we had a section of the webpage that was more "manual" oriented? Go back and look at some of your old x386 RPG manuals. Labeled screen shots detailing the ins and outs of the user interface...basic command structure...how to navigate your inventory and stats screens are all in there.....

Punting. Hope someone can piggyback off of something here.