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Unread 8 Jun 2008, 22:05   #34
r2baz
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: England
Posts: 63
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Re: No new alliances?

(maybe goes off topic - apologies)

I have felt for a while that possibly the recently "new" alliances have only been created because one or more previously established alliance chose not to play a round. Basically an alliance says "we aint playing next round" and ZAP a new alliance is announced. The new alliances I have seen recently don't seem to be getting created because of an influx or excess of people.

I have to say I am not suprised more players don't stick with the game, let alone lead others and teach new players. Few days back I told a few mates who i thought would be interested that a new round was starting so sign up coz its free. and tbh OMG what an absolute F**K ON it has been to bring new players to this game. Being a player who has been playing for more rounds than he cares to remember i never realised what it actually takes to go from zero knowledge about this game to anywhere near a working knowledge. I am talking about the stuff you just take for granted.

I mean you gotta explain

How to set your government, WHEN to set your government, how many roids to init, what ships to build, which race to be, how to set production, what the gal fund does, which alliances there are, what to research, what to construct, what quests are.

THEN Dear Lord you have to introduce IRC! *faints... Where to get it from, How to work IRC, how to reg a nick, how to join a channel, register a channel, configure IRC.

Yeah, you have got the manual, yeah netgamers help, yeah the ship stats, yeah the forums, and all these different start up guides, but its not cohesive. There is no single point of entry to PA that leads the players into the game. I had to point all this stuff out and collate all this info into a kinda manageable guide for them It felt like work Which is probably why more officers and leaders don't come forward. Look at the amount of work involved.

PA needs to be more acccesible, but i suppose without being boring. New features won't bring new players to the game it will just keep existing players, which is only half the story. People have mentioned integrating PA with Facebook and tbh its never going to happen. Take a look at the games in Facebook you can pick them up in 5 minutes and be reasonably up to speed with them. That's why they attract a bazzilion players a day.

I never thought PA was all that complicated and was quite easy to learn. But if you "find" this game, bit like adding an app in facebook, you think "ooo that looks cool think i'll try it." I give them 5 minutes :/ If like me now you meet a new player who says "So how do i play this then" You just inwardly groan and feel its gonna take far to long to explain!

i don't like being a detractor from PA but there you are...

Think i'll go lie down now
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