Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Sleuth Talk


0 0
Sleuths Revolving Door
  <<First Page  |  <Previous  

Sophie4
Sophie4
Gopher to the Sleuth Gods

Sep-13-2008 23:17

I’ve been biting my tongue on this for a long time. Mostly because I’m indicting myself.
What I liked about Sleuth before I subbed……and what influenced me to subscribe was that I earned things. I earned skill points and I could buy gear when I earned enough money. Eventually I wanted to travel so I subbed, that was fun-- I traveled. But before long I wanted more. I joined an agency. That was great…I built myself up, I joined the Tea Steepers, did a lot of sleuthing and eventually Stooby and I created Endeavour Investigations.

All that said, if we want to think about why people don’t STAY with Sleuth I think I have an insight to that. I’m guilty of this myself…we are too helpful.

There are newbies wearing Villan Hunt Reward gear. How can they get excited about the game if everything is given to them? Like I said, I’m guilty of this myself.

For me the best part of the game was that I did all those favors and went back and forth to the tea steepers bringing them what they wanted to keep them pirates off my back, and when I captured a villian I chose my reward because I earned it. What makes it good is earning the bling, not having it given to you.

State the obvious: Once you have the goodies the thrill is gone.


Replies

Stormy Day
Stormy Day
Well-Connected

Sep-14-2008 08:14

I can see your point Sophie. While I don't think it is a bad thing to give a newer player AI items as it just helps them alot, I can see where it might deter someone if they were running around in a full color outfit.

I experienced this personally, A former member of the community told me to go to the equipment locker - that there was a present for me. I went and he told me the pair of shoes in there were mine. These shoes are very hard to get. At first I was delighted, wow, a pair of these coveted shoes were mine! But now what is my incentive to discover the secret to get these shoes? To do the work to get more? To give a pair to someone else so they will be "thrilled" for the moment? Obviously, I am not giving up my groovy new shoes, but I can see where it takes away the momentum to GIVE these to new players instead of having them work for them.

So once again, I am posting about something that I am guilty of myself! I feel your conflict, Sophie.

Razamatazz
Razamatazz

Sep-14-2008 10:27

I agree with Sophie about giving everything right off the bat, no chance to explore the possibilities of getting your own.
I also agree with kasg ,"I must also say that when I joined an agency and they gave me new equiptment to wear I was awed at how they were receiving me and it only made me want to work harder. "

I personally came into my agency butt naked! Just a pair of raggedy old shoes. If it wasn't for the help of my dear director well I would've gave it all up.

Helping new folks out til they get the hang of it is one thing, handing it all over on a silver platter is another thing that could discourage moving forward on their own.





Anikka
Anikka
Babelfish

Sep-14-2008 11:23

I can see both sides of this debate. Perhaps best said is that we should help newbies by giving them something a little bit better than what they have, to help them... or to give one VH item (and I would say this depends on how close they are to being able to do an AVH themselves) and let them have the thrill of both having one given to them as well as having to then go and finish off their own outfit.

Personally, I have done nothing so far toward getting those special, special shoes. I will, eventually. I wouldn't ever bestow them upon anyone else, though, simply for the reason Stormy states: what, then, would be their impetus to go figure out the puzzle to get the shoes on their own?

Finally, I think Razamatazz put it best in her last paragraph. Help is one thing; whipping out the ol' silver platter another thing entirely.

Brasco De Gama
Brasco De Gama
Old Shoe

Sep-14-2008 16:45

To back up what Mits said, our policy in TIA is to be supportive, but it's important to make sure newbies realise that items like AVH equipment and Cairo shoes don't grow on trees. Cartainly, I see no issue with sorting out a newbie with IH favour items, but anything more than this we give on loan, not because these items are a big deal to the agency, but because we recognise the time and effort that goes into earning them. I this way a new player gets the advantage of upgraded equipment but also gets the incentive to go out and earn them for themselves. Ultimately it's down to the agencies to decide what works best for them, but what we've found bears out the point of Sophie's post, new agents have to have that hunger to progress and spoonfeeding doesn't seem to fit in with this.

Juju Sweet
Juju Sweet
Well-Connected

Sep-14-2008 18:25

I have to say that I've played it both ways--having two detectives subbed I've experienced both having nice AVH gear from the beginning and having to scratch and claw my way up to it.

Personally, I enjoyed having to work my way up for it. Sure, I didn't accumulate points as quickly with that tactic (because I wouldn't take as hard of cases when I left my home city), but I had long term goals which kept me motivated.

I think that some days it's hard to get motivated to keep playing without those goals. I now try to keep track of what mine are so I can keep shooting for them and get excited. I hope that I'll be able to keep making these goals, otherwise it would be quite boring.
Now, I think it's important to have smart gear and such for newbies that may be of AVH quality, as learning the game without being able to analyze more than 1/2 of evidence is frustrating.

But I'm not going to pretend my opinion represents some absolute way to look at it, as each person has their own motivators for playing the game. I think that some very good points have been made for both sides, but I think it depends more on the disposition of the new sleuth.

yoyofoshow
yoyofoshow
Old Shoe

Sep-15-2008 06:06

I think that this is all depends on the player and the agency. Some people want the challenge and some agencies, especially the new ones won't be able to share very good gear with its players until they reach the level of officer. Personally I believe that gear should be earned but like I said its an agency thing..

Razamatazz
Razamatazz

Sep-16-2008 01:09

I'm STILL looking for them dang Cairo shoes! ;)

miss snopes
miss snopes
Demon of the Due Date

Sep-17-2008 09:31

Me and you both Razamatazz!

  <<First Page  |  <Previous  

[ You must login to reply ]