>Though I enjoyed myself at times, I also found that the game
>is brutal on new players.

I agree with this, and would like to find a better balance.

>but I noticed that when you
>first create a character you're asked specifically if you're
>new to mudding and CF. That's a great opportunity to provide
>some additional perks aimed at a gentler introduction.

This is a slippery slope, and one we've discussed multiple times. If you give them something good, people will just say yes because there is a perceived bonus.

>Maybe
>give an experience bonus to new players and those who group
>with them, something that would encourage vets to play with
>them instead of just rolling them over and over in pk.

This means you'd have to make it somehow visible if you're really going to encourage vets to play with them (e.g. a big flag that says I'm a newbie!) which also means everyone knows your an easy kill.

> Another
>thing you could do is give new players immunity to pk unless
>they strike first. That would give further incentive for vets
>to group with them instead of killing them, but just enough
>temptation for new players to take a chance every now and
>then.

This is exactly the kind of thing a vet would say yes to get. This means that I am guaranteed to never be in a fight I didn't start (which is some of the best advice people give around PK'ing on CF).

>The biggest turn off for me was eating.

This just sounds like hyperbole...really...the biggest turn off in the entire game is the fact you have to eat food sometimes?

>So past a certain level exploring just stops feeling like an
>option.

I think you're doing it wrong. Food is so cheap (jerky or bread in Galadon), that 15 minutes of killing mobs you can solo should give you enough food to last the rest of the day. Even better go grab one or two of the "kill a bunch of wolves" quests which you turn in for cash (which is part of the reason they were created).

>I know that some out there will say that the game just isn't
>for me. I don't believe that's true. I like pk, I like rp, and
>I like a challenge. But when everything is tuned around people
>who've been playing the game for several years, those with
>much less experience suffer dramatically. I think maybe the
>game has only one gear. I'd like to learn how to drive, just
>not at 75 miles per hour.

I'm open to suggestions, but what you've mentioned so far really just skews things more towards the vets.

>Thanks and Best Wishes,
>Ozz of the 16th Rank

So long, and thanks for all the fish!