1) One of the biggest things I hear about is the loss of fun with practice.

I think you're projecting what you want (an easy game for powerranking) onto newbies. I really don't think newbies worry about this stuff- the things that draw or keep them have a lot more to do with orienting them.

2) One of my best friends constantly says how he misses the White Tower - not because of the story behind it, or the special things in it, but the pure fact it was the newbie showdown place of the mud -

I don't see how a ranking area that begs for easy PK of anyone using it will encourage new players either. I think you're projecting what you want onto newbies.

when you've played level 40+, level 1-20 becomes a huge pain nowadays with all the practicing required.

Sorry, it's not required. Plenty of people skip it entirely, including a number of our best.

3) More people = harder for newbies. It's quite simple. When you ask for a group and don't know where they are, 99% of the time they say no since they can find a non-newbie to rank.

You're claiming that more people makes it harder to group. This is profoundly backwards. I don't even know where to begin, other than to say that having more options is good.

That's something that needs to change somehow, but really I don't know how besides make learning areas easier and closer (like in town lumberyard, graveyard, white tower, etc) for the earlier ranks.

Kobolds? Goblin Village? V'dramir's? Aldevari? Graveyard? Lumberyard? Academy? Troglodytes? Udgaard Plains? Forgotten Crypts? Galadon Sewers? Forest Road?

All have sections aimed at newbie-level ranking, and all are easily accessed from nearby hometowns. Many have exact directions in helpfiles. If you're willing to walk slightly further, a few dozen other areas can serve that role.

5) The Ultimate Empowerment Solution - make partial empowerment an automatic QUEST given by your guild leader.

This defeats the point of immortal-based empowerment. We want empowered characters to be hand-screened, even if it means they're somewhat uncommon and special.

You wanted feedback. I thought the entire post was way off base.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com