Starting area proposal for new players: Get them easier/faster to Ocllo

@Chris, @Samorite, @DarkWing, @WhateverStaffMemberFeelsResponsible

All new players and new toons end up in front of the main Britain Inn. Usually new players head to WBB in anticipation of dozens of players chatting and/or macroing there. My assumption is, that a high percentage of new players get discouraged by the relative emptiness of WBB and never play long enough to find out that the equivalent of the usual WBB action is situated in Ocllo.
There is a initial young programm message when you log in the first time, but this message is guaranteed to disappear unread because of all the first impressions a new player has when logging in the first time.

Thus I propose several changes in order to show new players how active the shard really is:

1) Auto teleport all new toons from the WBB to Ocllo
or
2) Let all new toons of eligible accounts for the young programm auto-join the young programm (thus teleporting them to Ocllo)
or
3) Create a gump asking any new eligible player if he wants to join the young programm and be teleported to the most populated area: Ocllo
or
4) Create a one-way Ocllo portal at the WBB with messages beside it that state something like "The most popular macro/hang-out area on UO:R is Ocllo and the IRC channels. Take a step through this gate if you wish to be teleported there or click this link if you want to join the IRC chatrooms. You can also join the young programm by typing [young". Or something like this...

I will also add to the need to supply information to new players about IRC. Anyone who has received one of our welcoming packages knows that we include a book with some information on irc, connection info, channels to join, and basic commands like /j #renaissance

Many people (myself included when I first started here) never used irc for contacts.

I think these are good ideas posted, I think the auto join young program is the better option, and I would add on a window that you would have to click a button to bypass with IRC information, opt out of young player option, and we'll anything that is critical to making first connections, perhaps an option to show a link to uorforum.com and beside it a display of how many active users have a registered account, and a message about how it is an option to connect, trade, and introduce yourself to the community.

The new player guilds do all of this already, but how many slip through the cracks and never got a chance to know how great the community can be, who knows?

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Having them auto start in occlo would be a good thing. If im not mistaken, thats how it was on osi too until you left young status

Realistically, I think adding the one-way gate to Ocllo near the Britain starting location would be the easiest way to go and would require no changes/additions to code. It would be something that could be set up in about 5 minutes by @Chris.

I know I often run into brand new players who, for whatever reason, did not start in Ocllo and have no idea where the most populated area is or what the young program is. As much as I like helping new players, it does get rather tedious to explain it over and over and over again. Anything that helps funnel new players to Ocllo (or at least ensuring they know they have that option) is very welcome indeed.

I had no idea new players didn't start in Ocllo! Definitely agree that we should make it as easy as possible to get them there, and the one way gate sounds like the easiest and quickest solution.

I like #3. I knew nothing about the Young program and had never been to Ocllo on any shard, so it actually would have confused me I think. I need the comfort of my North Britain woods readily accessible. A gump that highlights a few benefits of the Young program and offers to teleport there and "enroll" the person would be awesome though.

Or frankly just start them in Ocllo, have a gump that asks them if they want to be Young, and have options for "no thanks, send me to ________". That way they'll at least see the activity there before deciding they want to start in their preferred town.

When I started, the young status program was presented as an option via a gump.

Upon acceptance, I remember having the option to be teleported to Occlo. Within 30 mins a couselor poofed next to me, freaked me out and I ran away.

Anyway, I wish to continue the young program as an option if nothing further is to change.

The aforementioned "I can't find anyone" issue brought up here and many times elsewhere is likely due to the young program and a majority of our churn happening just before or shortly after their time in the program ends. Like my opinion or not, most of those enter a critical decision making time after experiencing their first "group hug" outside the guard zone.

Players spend the most important part of their customer experience under a trammel ruleset, devoid of any negative action for a considerable period of time.

I am of the opinion that were we actively trying to break our static server population and grow, the young player program would change.

Although I agree the easy solution is start everyone in Occlo. I just don't see it as being part of a positive solution to a bigger problem.


It's the introduction that sets the tone. Harsh words coming but, we introduce an experience "without the influences of trammel" by placing them in trammel via the young player program.

You can change the start location in RunUO in ... about 5 minutes, tops.

Nice. So there is no excuse. GOGO Staff. Or just the one-way portal or whatever.

I concur with the conclusive comments collaborated in this community-collective conversation.

I say we let Ocllo sink into the ocean and never again speak its name.

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yeah, let youngs start in occlo. But please no gate at wbb. We already have enough gates around

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Yes, bring all the new players to me in Ocllo.

You're a big part of the reason why Occlo's crime rate has risen sky high! It ranks near the top of the "Britannia's most crime-ridden cities" list, right up there with the impoverished ghetto area of Jhelom known by the locals as the 'Pens.

In Scripts\Misc\CharacterCreation.cs look for the line that starts "CityInfo city".

CityInfo city = new CityInfo( "Ocllo", "New Character Starting Area", 3676, 2500, 0, Map.felucca);

SHOULD start you at Ocllo bank... I'm not 100% on the Z-axis #. You might start in the ground or something, haha.

Yes please!