Player Companion Program

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Daolin
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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Daolin »

hey i'll be a companion!

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Alex21
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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Alex21 »

Hemperor wrote:Awesome idea, although I think the selection process should be well thought out.

IMO I don't think any pvper should really be one, I'm not sure of the privileges they get but I'm sure they can walk around the world unseen, snooping on whatever...just a thought.
exact same thought here.

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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Caranthir »

Hey Derrick,

I had the pleasure of being in the OSI Counselor and Companion programs and it was really rewarding. However, I would suggest a different approach from an 'advisor' role. Just give Companions the ability to contact new players and vice versa. Don't give them any powers except receiving messages and let Companions interact actively and directly with new players.

Take em out to dungeons, buy em some equipment and help them train skills.

My 0.02

Cara

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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Thesbus »

Honestly, Why not just have people that want to be new player helpers have dedicated characters for just that occation, honestly who uses all 15 character slots anyways? And have a guild just for them when they are on duty, auto put anyone that is from a new ISP address into that guild when they start (similar to how DAoC does it) so they have direct line of communication to the guild of helpers and new players are able to talk to each other...alot of them could answer their own questions as well as be able to make friends and go hunting together. Plus they are already guilded so if they want to duel each other or snoop each other for skill training they can in town without going grey.

When they are ready to set out on their own all they have to do is leave the guild and all is done, or the GM guild leader of the guild can remove them from the stone after a week or something.

Plus it will give the new members a guild tag which will display that they are a new player that MAY deter some of our more active pkers from excessively tearing them apart right at the beginning.

Just an idea, I don't know if the scripting is possible but it would atleast allow for a guidance system without giving players of the shard special powers...because honestly, we have some of the most creative deviants in history, and if there is a way to take advantage of it, we would be able to.

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archaicsubrosa77
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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by archaicsubrosa77 »

Ghost companions?

Isnt irc, forums, and in game assistance by a whole lot of people good enough?

The only thing I like/and don't lol about this is it gives staff more interaction with the playerbase. Which is cool with me...

Hey guys the fuzz is coming...

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Derrick
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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Derrick »

archaicsubrosa77 wrote:Isnt irc, forums, and in game assistance by a whole lot of people good enough?
It really isn't. We often get players who are new to UO entirely, they need to be shown how to equip items, go into war mode, resurrect. These players, like the majority of players on UOSA are not on IRC or Forums.
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Rhaps
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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Rhaps »

While the companion system sounds good, I'd have to agree with the sentiments that the selection process and potential for abuse outweigh the benefits. After all when I started UO back in the day I didn't need anyone to hold my hand to get to learn the game. I just went out there, was a total noob for bloody ages and got on with it. Had a great time learning the game too.

You have the in-game help/guide/tips system and a huge number of guides already in place on the forums. I think a simple re-edit of the existing essential newbie guides from the forums reposted on it's own 'New Player Guide' section on the frontpage will be enough to help new players. Just a concise guide that you don't have to search the forums to find. After all, if they can't be bothered to read the manual when it is presented to them clearly from the site portal then they kinda deserve to get stuck.

I know it sounds a little harsh, but if new players cant be bothered to learn the basics of such a varied and complex game then thay really aren't going to progress even with a ghost companion helping them from time to time.

Also managing the volunteer program and the inevitable problems that come with giving any players a special role will be taking time away from the admins that could be better spent elsewhere.

That's my 2 pence.

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Flash Hardstar
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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Flash Hardstar »

Having a companion program is as close as it comes to accuracy with the implementation of counselors that all of us vets remember - hence the counselor's guilds across Brittania.

This game is vast and large - and yes many of us traveled it alone without the help of anyone holding our hands but our best friend, cousins, and others playing the game with you.... Because we had no choice. However, you need to take into account that UO was arguably the only MMO on the market at that time and there weren't many other - if any options left besides Diablo which was meer in comparison to UO circa 1998.

Given the global market today, having competition from the modern appeal of 3D gaming and the large amount of boundless options available, I'd opt for the companion program to stay involved.

There is just too much risk for a new player to hop on the game having never played UO before, and getting discouraged from trying to learn a new game that the vets dominate as these new players never had the chance to learn together... It is quite often these people are taken advantage of and just quit the game for something else... the frustration isn't worth reading any FAQ or walk-through, as they will just head to the next more user-friendly game.

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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Hoots »

Flash Hardstar wrote:Having a companion program is as close as it comes to accuracy with the implementation of counselors that all of us vets remember - hence the counselor's guilds across Brittania.

This game is vast and large - and yes many of us traveled it alone without the help of anyone holding our hands but our best friend, cousins, and others playing the game with you.... Because we had no choice. However, you need to take into account that UO was arguably the only MMO on the market at that time and there weren't many other - if any options left besides Diablo which was meer in comparison to UO circa 1998.

Given the global market today, having competition from the modern appeal of 3D gaming and the large amount of boundless options available, I'd opt for the companion program to stay involved.

There is just too much risk for a new player to hop on the game having never played UO before, and getting discouraged from trying to learn a new game that the vets dominate as these new players never had the chance to learn together... It is quite often these people are taken advantage of and just quit the game for something else... the frustration isn't worth reading any FAQ or walk-through, as they will just head to the next more user-friendly game.
I think these are very good points and would agree with keeping the system.

I keep reading about "potential for abuse" but my understanding of the system is a companion can do nothing more than talk to players. They cant lift anything, teleport anyone, etc. Basically they are a visible ghost.

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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Khaled al-Din »

Just wondering if this ever took off. I've never seen a "companion" and think with the shard growing as it is, this would be a good system to implement.

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Derrick
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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Derrick »

Aye, the companion system has been active for about a year; It's a very low profile program in which companions greet new players and answer simple gameplay questions. Many new players have been greeted by compainions, but sadly they are not able to catch everyone.
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Runestone
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Re: Player Companion Program

Post by Runestone »

Great system! I played OSI since its debut in '97 would love to get into this sort of thing. I'll hit up IRC

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