Feature Request: Open "New Player" and/or "Guest" forum - Web Apps

Zhoi (Leanon)

Depends on the newbie - every human being is different.

It's not about making it perfect for absolutely *everyone*. It's about tendencies.

Zhoi (Leanon)

I don't really like to ask stuff ingame.

Maybe others do. Every human being is different.

Nearly everytime when I saw a newbie joining the game and asking the first questions in the universe chat, he's been showered with answers, not duplicates but quadlicates and more.. I wasn't concerned about him not to get an answer, but about him not being able to filter the essence out of that "stimulus satation" ..

Zhoi (Leanon)

This forum had 3,568 threads (!) since 2004. Does this look like an "useless" forum to you? ;) [...] stuff that wasn't covered on the homepage

Yes. If all (or most) of this information would be essential, it would mean that any newbie has to read these threads before being able to savvy what's going on here Oo .. Yeah, great game.
I bet that the oh-so precious content of all 3,568 Threads can be merged down to a few loose-fitting pages. Introducing common caveats, game mechanics, providing easy ways to contact the support (and, for example, the mentioned input form :P) .. and made for easy reading. If you feel addressed, you may make it more easy for newbies by asking a csr if you're allowed to write that few pages :P

Zhoi (Leanon)

* experienced players would use the forum as a way to talk to newcomers, offer their help and tell them about stuff they thought important

Can be done better ingame. Other important stuff belongs to the page mentioned above.

Zhoi (Leanon)

* some newbies liked that forum as an opportunity to just say "hello, I'm new" or "hello, I'm back"

New players need an account to play. So if they decided to present themselves to the community as "new player", ..
Old players already *have* an account and can post into the forums, whether active or not.

Zhoi (Leanon)

* some newbies gave their feedback about their first impression of the game there or stated their opinions to threads and topics in the main-forum where they weren't allowed to write at that time

First impressions aren't "complete" if they don't encompass their experience ingame also. So, account needed.

Zhoi (Leanon)

* and of course newbies DID ask questions at the time the old forum was still active - masses of questions

And yes, they still can. By registering.
* Technical problems could be solved by filling that mentioned input form, and by a additional "knowledge base" where CSR's post their experience with common issues and solutions.

* The size of the community is unknown and can only be estimated - official stats would be nice.
* How many players engage in PvP depends on the kind of fight.
* Which kinds of actions would be allowed, about what skills they should learn first/soon, about the Ryzom Ring (R2), about events, treks, prime-roots, crafting, harvesting, roleplaying, when would be the best time to leave Silan, and hundreds of other common questions can be basically answered oh the homepage. And if someone is interested in much more details, he should consider registering an account.

* "is this game worth a try for a player-type like me?" - it's rather common for people to field this in a thousand different ways. And that player isn't wiser afterwards, but filled with a thausand foreign opinions.

I'm not sure that you, Zhoi, got the hang on the fact that the question of this thread is: Is it necessary or of use to make it possible for guests not possessing a valid game account to write into the forums?

But the question should be, seemingly: Why the hell is it so risky or difficult to just register an account and afterwards being able to do all the things mentioned above ?!