A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor

I think this would be an awesome way to help new players out!

@mferr11 they do have the maiden voyage quest though, where you can explore the mechanics of the game in a pressure free environment where you can’t be attacked by players. Really, it’s supposed to be the job of more experienced friendly pirates to fill the role you are describing and I think that’s the way rare intended it. They added maiden voyage as a tutorial a before you begin the real adventure. Personally, I do take the time to help out noobs and occasionally chill out at outposts being social and helping out
fledgeling buccaneers (unless I’m a reaper that day, then all bets are off). If you see me on the sea give me a friendly wave and I’d be glad to show you the ropes and give you some spare loot.

Interesting idea, though my one comment would be that new players are the ones who need a Gold sink the least out of everyone - they are still trying to put together a decent outfit at that stage.

As such, if we are associating a cost, I'd keep things on the low end actually. Something like having the high end cap out at the cost of a Voyage (250 Gold) with the lower end of the scale maybe being around 25 Gold (and then a few other values mixed in there as well to maintain your tier system on the information). This still makes it something that a newer player might need to actually consider if they want to explore getting some additional tutorial input instead of just trying to figure things out.

Maybe even have this NPC "give you one on the house" so that the very first tip you decide to get is actually free regardless of the normal tier it would be at (so the smart money would be to use your freebie on a top cost option to save yourself the cost of a Voyage if you end up needing it).

Anyways, very interesting idea and I think it could be well worth it. I also agree it would be a good way to bring in an existing lore character for the game. I'd even go so far as to probably just have them hanging out in the Tavern so they are right there when a player first spawns into a server.

So, new players get to spend more time on the Outposts …

You know what happens next: posts on the forum and reddit about being sunk while reading instructions.

@hotklou9848 said in A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor:

@lem0n-curry said in A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor:

So, new players get to spend more time on the Outposts …

You know what happens next: posts on the forum and reddit about being sunk while reading instructions.

It would IMO be worth it, as then new players will get playing much faster (instead of spending hours on the forums, asking questions and waiting for inadequate replies), and then there will be less posts overall from confused and overwhelmed new players.

Instead of asking every question possible on the forums they could also watch some short tutorials or actual gameplay if they don't want to find out everything themselves. Or read up a bit on a wiki on a specific thing and take it from there.

@hotklou9848 said in A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor:

@lem0n-curry said in A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor:

@hotklou9848 said in A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor:

@lem0n-curry said in A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor:

So, new players get to spend more time on the Outposts …

You know what happens next: posts on the forum and reddit about being sunk while reading instructions.

It would IMO be worth it, as then new players will get playing much faster (instead of spending hours on the forums, asking questions and waiting for inadequate replies), and then there will be less posts overall from confused and overwhelmed new players.

Instead of asking every question possible on the forums they could also watch some short tutorials or actual gameplay if they don't want to find out everything themselves. Or read up a bit on a wiki on a specific thing and take it from there.

I have been and always will be against having to go to outside sources just to learn how to play a game. It should explain itself well enough for anyone to figure out how to play it.

Rare seems to think differently, at least how they want to see players enjoy SoT.

They promote content creators who give tips, there is an online Pirate Acadamy, they encourage seasoned pirates to help new pirates. The Maiden Voyage was an afterthought.
There is LfG, where not every group is asking for "experienced Pirate Legends" to join, want to know more about how to do the merchant animal quests - join someone who does them and wants help - there are players who are happy to explain while they do them.

How many hints does it take ? Should they add a tip in game to look around the website, followed by a tip to ask other players ?

@redeyesith said in A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor:

I'd even go so far as to probably just have them hanging out in the Tavern so they are right there when a player first spawns into a server.

Aye, that's a much more fitting place. Make it really hard for players to miss.

Where's the fun in taking classes to learn more about a game rather than actually playing it and discovering all of it?
Perhaps the Pirate Academy & SOT Wiki do the same job, maybe even better, and for free

The idea has a good and noble essence. But I don't think having an NPC charging to give tips is a good way to implement it.
My experience with rookies, and as a rookie I once was. They are not even willing to lose a simple shipwreck chest, because that's too much gold for them, let alone spend their little gold on tips. When they have enough gold to feel safe and spend on a tip, they'll probably already know a good amount of stuff to get an initial basis for how to play.
And a lot of them want to pay attention to the NPCs in the outpost, already want to go out browsing and wanting to get gold fast and easy. Try to understand what is said in some dialogue? Maybe not many do that. It's easier to go to forums and groups to keep asking how to set the sails in the wind, or asking someone to teach the game.
What in my opinion should be urgently improved, and perhaps that's where this idea can be implemented, is in maiden Voyage, which should be the game's tutorial, but is so lacking in information and lacking in resources, that pirates come out of it almost the same as they enter.
There are mechanics that are explained there, things that have been introduced into the game that are not presented by it, or are there and are not explained. A lot is obscure because players are not accustomed to the immersion that is intended in the game, which is an excellent sot features, but the tutorial can, and should, be improved by maintaining immersion without becoming a mechanical thing. An example, place a skeleton that arises on the beach and attack the player, so he learns to block with the sword, have a skeleton ship knock down the ship's mast and teach the player that it can happen in combat and how it can fix it. Drill holes in his hull while he's sailing to sot and explain that if he doesn't fix it, it's going to sink

@lovelocc said in A New NPC To Help Newer Players - Introducing the Old Sailor:

Perhaps the Pirate Academy & SOT Wiki do the same job, maybe even better, and for free

That's my gripe though, I find it immersion breaking to have to go google the answer. You should be able to learn the game from inside the game, not have to look up how game mechanics work.

TLDR: A new NPC on outposts that will explain game mechanics for a small amount (a few hundred to thousand) of gold. Mainly to help out new players instead of them just googling the answer.

pirate lord himself does this already, some what and it’s free.
And the best part about the game is learning as you go.

You may already know how to sail because you watched videos or took a class. But once you get your feet wet you pick up a few new things.
Game can’t teach you every little thing.

@mferr11 It's all about the player's decision, if they ruin their own immersion they're the only ones to blame for looking it up