I got my friend to try this MUD, when I talked with him about it the next day he said it was gay because it took him literally 3 minutes to kill the first fleshy creature he found so he quit.

Let's face it. When trying a new mud. I don't log in and start hitting help files, I start getting my first couple levels and learn as I go along. I wonder how many other people tried to kill their first creature and got bored and quit after 3 minutes of missing?

You could give new characters 1 less practice to compensate.

Either that, or start new players in a room that is also an academy guildhall... I'm sure a lot of characters can handle trying to find their guild in a brand new game before they can even kill anything, but I'm sure a significant ammount of people have quit.

1) We don't force everyone through the full tutorial. I've considered doing this differently, but we did make changes so you have to head through your guild on the way through the Academy, and you get reminded multiple times about practicing if you try to proceed without doing so. Removing the door that goes directly to the Arena might be a solution there.

2) I'm boggled that you suddenly care about retaining newbies. I'm pretty sure that the sort of thing that drives off more new players than not getting free percentage points in one skill (two history entries from a certain someone):

"Temp-titled after repeatedly attacking the same naked guy (multiple kills followed by taunting after) who was trying to figure out (aloud) where the Galadon trainer was.

So, a couple days later, *name* finds the same (now out-of-range) newbie, ganked in Market Square by other people. His response: You tell (Newbie) 'I am now destroying all of your belongings.'

That guy's victim? Yeah. Last time he ever logged on. I'm guessing it wasn't because of his skill rating in a weapon.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com