New and Returning Player Issues, linkshell and poll

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

TLDR: New and returning players cannot find parties or linkshells. These players are risks to active linkshells with current linkshell management tools. Adjustments to linkshell management tools may help retain more of these players. edit: What would you do now if approached by a new or returning player? (poll choices below)

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Categories: New Player Help, User Interface, General Discussion

Concern: A new player or returning player comes into the game and cannot find a linkshell with active members.

Scenario 1: New player comes into the game. Tries asking around for advice or parties. Finds no responses in-game. Does a web search, may end up using the wrong words or is overwhelmed by the search results, not even sure where to start. Ultimately learns that the game is best played with a linkshell and Ul'dah is the place to go for people. Player goes in-game and asks around for an active linkshell, no one wants to recruit him. His hope for the game fades. He does not play beyond the free month included with software purchase and decides to unsubscribe.

Scenario 2: Returning player comes back to the game having left from beta or launch days. Likes what he sees. Looking for an active linkshell. No one wants to recruit him. His hope for the game fades. He stops playing and decides to unsubscribe.

Linkshell Perspective: Limited membership capacity. Cannot remove inactive members. Does not want to inconvenience active members with a reform. Will likely have to reform if new/returning players do not show commitment to the game. Decides not to invite new or returning player, understandably so from their perspective. Not entirely understood by seeking player's perspective.

Resuming Topic: Players may have any assortment of reasons why they would stop playing. Players who want to experience the events leading up to 2.0 can do so with a lasting shell. Some of the things I think would help reduce the rate of discouragement is by having a handful of linkshell management tools prior to 2.0.

Such tools may include, but not limited to the ability to:
*Remove inactive, offline, or distant members.
*View last login date from linkshell interface (indicator of inactivity).
*Switch linkshell chats from text commands, such as /L1 or /L2.

Created an awkward and inaccurate poll after this next part on what it would take for you or your linkshell to invite such a player.

Referencing for new player help: forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/26075-To-all-high-level-players-on-every-server-we-need-to-do-something-for-the-game/

That thread was setup so that new players could find mentors in-game. Should that thread be used as a roll call, then recreated on the New Player Help forum?

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

Poll choice: I would consider inviting these players to my main linkshell if I could remove inactive members.

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

Poll choice: I would consider inviting these players to my main linkshell with the current tools and reform the linkshell as needed.

(Cause we're like a phoenix... speaking of which, is there a primal for that?)

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

Poll choice: I would not consider inviting these players until they demonstrate further commitment to the game and/or meet the qualifications of my shell.

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

Poll Choice: Other:

such as... I would create a separate linkshell for these players. When I start crafting or partying, I would probably only chat in my main shell unless I could chat in multiple shells easily.

or write in your answer in the thread below.

Cookies may be involved.

[Holy_Dragoon]

Linkshell Perspective: Limited membership capacity. Cannot remove inactive members. Does not want to inconvenience active members with a reform. Will likely have to reform if new/returning players do not show commitment to the game. Decides not to invite new or returning player, understandably so from their perspective. Not entirely understood by seeking player's perspective.

We've been debating how to deal with this for nearly a year, every so often we try a new method in hopes to alleviate some of the stresses it causes. Currently we're locking down new applicants at specific thresholds to leave room for those semi-active members who might have missed the previous repearl.

[Molly_Millions]

Yep. SE has made it extremely difficult to run a linkshell. I'm not sure what, if anything, can be done about it before 2.0.

[Brimstonelove]

TLDR: [Scenario 2:[/B] Returning player comes back to the game having left from beta or launch days. Likes what he sees. Looking for an active linkshell. No one wants to recruit him. His hope for the game fades. He stops playing and decides to unsubscribe.

I fit scenario two...but I decided to play SOLO! I just hit 50 THM last night, and CNJ is next!

[Gath]

Gath thinks SE already said they will be addressing this sometime in the next couple patches.

Gath's 1 gil is worth more than your 1 gil.

[Wynn]

How many times is this going to be discussed?

They've already told us they can't fix linkshells until 2.0. There is no point in continuing to rehash how crappy the situation is. We know. They know. Nuff said.