MXP and Newbie Skills
As a continuation of my previous post, we have begun to implement MXP (Mud Extension Protocol) across the IRE games. MXP allows us to do several things, including placing HTML-like links right into the game text. For example, when the game asks you to GREET MATHYUS, we can link that command and allow the player to click on the text in order to progress.
Imperian, has integrated MXP throughout its introductory tour. Players can use MXP links to advance through the entire tour. As the tour begins to wind down, players slowly have to begin entering commands via the keyboard more often.
Following the tour, we have used MXP links in all post intro tasks, which serve to help teach the new players how to continue in the game. They can click on the prompts that appear, which tell them what to work on. In some cases they have to type in the command to accomplish the task, in others they can click on it.
This has significantly increased the number of new players completing the tour and completing registration.
Combined with features like the new first aid skill in Lusternia, IRE is slowly progressing even further toward our goal of becoming more newbie friendly and lowering the barrier to entry, while at the same time, not watering down the game for experienced players.
What are your thoughts?
Are skills like first aid good for the game?
Do they help new players when they first enter the game?
Does MXP take away from the game in some way?
What other places do you think MXP would be helpful for new players?
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:08 pm
- “Are skills like first aid good for the game?”
I haven’t played Lusternia, so I have no idea how First Aid works; however, I think it is an excellent idea. I don’t think it should be free-use (again, I don’t know how it works currently), it should probably have some kind of cooldown period or other cost, but I think it’s a very good addition.
- “Do they help new players when they first enter the game?”
I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen a newbie having trouble with paralysis or broken legs (those dastardly forest canopies), so I would absolutely say yes.
- “Does MXP take away from the game in some way?”
I think it can, if one isn’t careful with it. If you throw it all over the place just for the sake of adding MXP, it’ll be overkill and more annoying than anything.
- “What other places do you think MXP would be helpful for new players?”
A couple good places you might use MXP include the exits in the exits list, and the “READ SIGN” notices in certain locations/shops. Also, if it’s possible, adding MXP to the HELP files would be phenomenal. If a scroll says to refer to HELP FOO, you should be able to click that to read it.
I’ve seen a couple other MUDs put MXP in tells for ‘easy replying’, which I don’t like and I would recommend not adding. You have to go into the command bar to finish the message anyways, so why can’t you “t ” yourself? I personally would consider such continued commands on a case by case basis: if it can’t be done with one click, think carefully about what you’ll gain.
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:09 pm
My previous message, in the last paragraph, was supposed to read ‘why can’t you “t [name]” yourself?’, but I used angle brackets instead and it didn’t like that.
February 4th, 2010 at 4:17 am
I’m going to play devil’s advocate and argue against first aid. As a non-combatant player, I think it’s cool, but I’m looking at the effects it could have.
For one thing, it will lower the bar and thus cheapen achievement. It will be far easier to whip up to at least level 60 and probably higher with very minimal effort. Part of the tricky part of the higher levels was learning to cope with afflictions, even if you never PKed. This, if I understand, will negate that to a certain extent.
Which I take as making it easier for everyone to be uber. This may actually have the benefit of discouraging griefing. However, it will also mean players will top out sooner than they would otherwise. And then what do they do? Likely PvP, unless you provide enough PvE challenges for max-level characters.
Except you have a problem. The uber-newbs who never learned to script now have to face against the uber-mensch who have fine-tuned their custom system.
The end result that I see from this is less replay value from an advancement perspective. I think a better solution would be to establish a fishing school. That is, do more to point players to resources to learn to script their own systems. Right now, even for one so inclined, it’s difficult to know where to look.
Them’s my two cents as a primarily social player who at one time had an interest in building a system.
February 4th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
To those commenting on FirstAid –
It’s virtually the same as a system that only cures on diagnose. It will not cure afflictions without the required herbs, vials, etc. On typing the command, you may get the following:
6420h, 6663m, 5806e, 10p, 29690en, 31205w exp<>- firstaid
You are:
afflicted with a mental powersink.
(powersink – cured by drink phlegmatic and eat reishi)
afflicted by a crippled left leg.
(brokenleftleg – cured by apply mending to legs)
confused.
(confusion – cured by drink sanguine, eat pennyroyal, and focus mind)
sprawled on the ground.
(sprawled – cured by stand)
impatient.
(impatience – cured by focus mind and smoke coltsfoot)
* FirstAid Sending: drink phlegmatic
You take a drink from a beryl vial.
The mental weakness you suffer subsides.
* FirstAid Sending: apply mending to legs
You take out some salve and quickly rub it on your legs.
The bones in your left leg mend.
* FirstAid Sending: outr 1 pennyroyal
You remove 1 pennyroyal, bringing the total in the Rift to 104.
* FirstAid Sending: eat pennyroyal
You eat a bunch of pennyroyal.
The confusion lifts from your mind and it is clear once again.
* FirstAid Sending: focus mind
You shrug off your impatience and focus your mind once again.
* FirstAid Sending: stand
You stand up and stretch your arms out wide.
6420h, 6413m, 5806e, 10p, 29690en, 31130w x<>-
February 7th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Has MXP been implemented on the other games yet? Specifically, MKO.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
MXP is on MKO in the form of Room and Prompt tags only. So you cannot really see it. The room and prompt tags allow the CMUD client to map much better.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
I think MXP is a nice and welcome addition. I currently use it to do things like purchases in shops, honoursing people’s names from chat channels/deathsights and things like entering the wilderness/subdivision.
I’d like to see it used in situations where something says CLICK ME (well, it probably says HELP ICON COMMANDS for more information) and is likely to be used while casually researching, like reading help files.
As for first aid, I like the idea as long as it requires balance or equilibrium and therefore comes at a cost. I don’t like having to go to newbies and trying to figure out what’s wrong with them purely based on symptomatic messages and while it presents good RP opportunities, it’d be nice if there was an alternative.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Yeah, I would certainly like to MXP to a lot more in the games. I only worry about it becoming annoying to players. However, I suppose you can always turn it off.
March 17th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
One thing Lithmeria (I know, bad word, sorry!) has done very intelligently is integrate MXP into all of its builder work. Combined with an automapper, it’s a very powerful and easy way to link rooms, edit (redit, ha) text, quickly change details about the room itself and even add ambient messages and set the length and variety of their cycling.
Most people who’ve built for IRE know how annoying it can be at times, with a lot of syntax to memorize (or usually look up in the help files).
In addition, guides would probably really enjoy MXP for newbie info and common question responses. That would help a lot during the times when you get about 5 questions coming at you at once.
March 18th, 2010 at 3:01 am
Yeah, we will be slowly integrating it into things as we go along.