The beggining, Vendors,NPC's & Books

[Aura Sunsmith]

The Beggining
If attracting more players IS a high priority the first couple of hours on the server should be high focus NOW. The beggining areas should be flawless and frustration free. Frustration is the biggest killer of new blood, getting them hooked in the first place is so important. If this is not achieved on a server that is slow to level then all the amazing work for mid to late level areas goes to waste.
If the server has class restrictions or rules that the GM wish's to uphold, the player needs to find this out easly and ASAP, not after the action. Relying on a DM telling a player he should of looked on the forum is too lazy and too late, the player moves on.
To attract the old players back, show at least some small visual CHANGE in key gathering areas.This is the key to hook them back long enough to notice the new good stuff. DM attitude change alone is not good enough.
The low level areas should be numerous and full of choice with a large mob choice to kill. This will let a new players test out the quality of the server while he gets to know other players.
Vendors
1) Some vendors are STILL broken, even an early game vendor is broken. What does that say to new players that log on to a server that is hard to level with class restrictions.
2)The vendors are hard to locate through NPC, relying on players to tell you on a low pop server is madness.
3)New players cannot be expected to cope with the current crafting system. Simple ingredients need to be made available to buy to get them interested and progress.
4)Key goods missing. One example, how does a new player remove level drain if there is no cleric online?
NPC's
1)A server relying soley on another player to locate something is folly with low pop. NPC interaction dialog is easy to do. A new player who wants direction who talks to mindless interactions will get frustrated and bored. More NPC conversation interaction is need NOW, starting with the low level areas.
2)Interactable NPC's stop DM's being an information desk for the basics.
Books
1)Books could be a great way for players to research quests and and hidden areas. Moore books are needed with helpful information about the land of Sundren.
2)Some books should be in different languages or require an ability to use them.

Summary
I love this server for many reasons but that is another thread, I am here to stay but the population is low and change is needed now if more players are needed.
This server needs to become more solo self sufficient.
Always try to let a player have an option to get out of trouble through game mechanics and not other players.(ie death at lvl 11)
A new player does not know anybody and probably wont even come into contact with anyone of his level untill an hour into play. He will want to just smoothly farm for xp/gold while he gets a feel for the server through simple NPC interaction, he does not want to rely on standing around a fire chatting to strangers to find out the basics of what to do next other than to quickly form a party.If he wants to solo he should be aloud to do that. If there is only one area for him to xp on thats not his fault.
Too much reliance on "go get an answear through RP" is a problem for new players to deal with on this server, RP is a great and fun thing but its not the answer to all forms of game play mechanics on a server.

[Saulus]

Seeing as you phrased your statements here as if you are an expert in PW design, I will respond to them the same way. As I'm not reading suggestions so much as a statement.

The Beggining
If attracting more players IS a high priority the first couple of hours on the server should be high focus NOW.

I don't know where you read that attracting players is our high priority but you're sadly mistaken.

The beggining areas should be flawless and frustration free. Frustration is the biggest killer of new blood, getting them hooked in the first place is so important. If this is not achieved on a server that is slow to level then all the amazing work for mid to late level areas goes to waste.

The starting areas aren't staying the same forever, and while they aren't "Flawless" (because nothing is), they certainly aren't terrible. I'm not really taking any specific suggestions here other than "things should be perfect".

If the server has class restrictions or rules that the GM wish's to uphold, the player needs to find this out easly and ASAP, not after the action. Relying on a DM telling a player he should of looked on the forum is too lazy and too late, the player moves on.

They do, which is why when they violate our restrictions a message pops up when they login, it's also why we list these restrictions under the wiki. If they don't want to read/bother with any of that, thats their choice. We tried to make it clear.

To attract the old players back, show at least some small visual CHANGE in key gathering areas.This is the key to hook them back long enough to notice the new good stuff. DM attitude change alone is not good enough.

We are already attracting old players back, but you not being an admin can't see what I see. Also numerous areas have been changing, but this is not an overnight process.

The low level areas should be numerous and full of choice with a large mob choice to kill. This will let a new players test out the quality of the server while he gets to know other players.

Don't really know what that comment is addressing as we have various low level mobs.

Vendors
1) Some vendors are STILL broken, even an early game vendor is broken. What does that say to new players that log on to a server that is hard to level with class restrictions.

At this point you should have stopped typing... went into bugs and made a report. Saying hey some stuff is broken.... and then not going through the proper channels just pisses me off. Don't do it again.

2)The vendors are hard to locate through NPC, relying on players to tell you on a low pop server is madness.

We recently consolidated dozens of stores so some vendors are the end-all be-all for a certain item type. This has seemed to work quite well, a bit of exploration of the stores is still always required to learn where some are.

3)New players cannot be expected to cope with the current crafting system. Simple ingredients need to be made available to buy to get them interested and progress.

Dead horse. Use search.

4)Key goods missing. One example, how does a new player remove level drain if there is no cleric online?

Guess you just need to hunt for that restoration scroll.

NPC's
1)A server relying soley on another player to locate something is folly with low pop. NPC interaction dialog is easy to do. A new player who wants direction who talks to mindless interactions will get frustrated and bored. More NPC conversation interaction is need NOW, starting with the low level areas.

More quests come with time.

2)Interactable NPC's stop DM's being an information desk for the basics.
Books
1)Books could be a great way for players to research quests and and hidden areas. Moore books are needed with helpful information about the land of Sundren.
2)Some books should be in different languages or require an ability to use them.

Summary
I love this server for many reasons but that is another thread, I am here to stay but the population is low and change is needed now if more players are needed.

Great, then put your money where your mouth is and take the energy you used to write this to fill out an application detailing your experience modding in NWN2, and you can start with those easy interactive conversations you were talking about.

This server needs to become more solo self sufficient.
Always try to let a player have an option to get out of trouble through game mechanics and not other players.(ie death at lvl 11)
A new player does not know anybody and probably wont even come into contact with anyone of his level untill an hour into play. He will want to just smoothly farm for xp/gold while he gets a feel for the server through simple NPC interaction, he does not want to rely on standing around a fire chatting to strangers to find out the basics of what to do next other than to quickly form a party.If he wants to solo he should be aloud to do that. If there is only one area for him to xp on thats not his fault.
Too much reliance on "go get an answear through RP" is a problem for new players to deal with on this server, RP is a great and fun thing but its not the answer to all forms of game play mechanics on a server.

I also suggest you read the upcoming game mechanic changes.

[Biohazard89]

The Beggining
If attracting more players IS a high priority the first couple of hours on the server should be high focus NOW. The beggining areas should be flawless and frustration free. Frustration is the biggest killer of new blood, getting them hooked in the first place is so important. If this is not achieved on a server that is slow to level then all the amazing work for mid to late level areas goes to waste.
If the server has class restrictions or rules that the GM wish's to uphold, the player needs to find this out easly and ASAP, not after the action. Relying on a DM telling a player he should of looked on the forum is too lazy and too late, the player moves on.
To attract the old players back, show at least some small visual CHANGE in key gathering areas.This is the key to hook them back long enough to notice the new good stuff. DM attitude change alone is not good enough.
The low level areas should be numerous and full of choice with a large mob choice to kill. This will let a new players test out the quality of the server while he gets to know other players.
Vendors
1) Some vendors are STILL broken, even an early game vendor is broken. What does that say to new players that log on to a server that is hard to level with class restrictions.
2)The vendors are hard to locate through NPC, relying on players to tell you on a low pop server is madness.
3)New players cannot be expected to cope with the current crafting system. Simple ingredients need to be made available to buy to get them interested and progress.
4)Key goods missing. One example, how does a new player remove level drain if there is no cleric online?
NPC's
1)A server relying soley on another player to locate something is folly with low pop. NPC interaction dialog is easy to do. A new player who wants direction who talks to mindless interactions will get frustrated and bored. More NPC conversation interaction is need NOW, starting with the low level areas.
2)Interactable NPC's stop DM's being an information desk for the basics.
Books
1)Books could be a great way for players to research quests and and hidden areas. Moore books are needed with helpful information about the land of Sundren.
2)Some books should be in different languages or require an ability to use them.

Summary
I love this server for many reasons but that is another thread, I am here to stay but the population is low and change is needed now if more players are needed.
This server needs to become more solo self sufficient.
Always try to let a player have an option to get out of trouble through game mechanics and not other players.(ie death at lvl 11)
A new player does not know anybody and probably wont even come into contact with anyone of his level untill an hour into play. He will want to just smoothly farm for xp/gold while he gets a feel for the server through simple NPC interaction, he does not want to rely on standing around a fire chatting to strangers to find out the basics of what to do next other than to quickly form a party.If he wants to solo he should be aloud to do that. If there is only one area for him to xp on thats not his fault.
Too much reliance on "go get an answear through RP" is a problem for new players to deal with on this server, RP is a great and fun thing but its not the answer to all forms of game play mechanics on a server.

Well for starters ill have to say that these suggestions/Critics are something more beffitting of an MMORPG game not a PW NWN 2 server.

Secondly RP is the way to go and the sooner people learn this the sooner everyone can have a great time and all that yodle, Attracting palyers is all well and good but if the player is a Lol wut running around all the time with his weapons out and speaking in Geek language im pretty sure im not the only one who finds that newcomer an unwanted element as such behaviour is VERY disruptive.

Also the Crafting system works just fine in my opinion, it took me what...2 days to get aquianted with it, all it takes is for people to actually want it enough.

And all these things about stuff being hard to get?...I can only say that you should pay better attention, there are tons of players who are literally giving stuff away and even paying people for mundane junk.

IM just saying.

[Aura Sunsmith]

If a higher population is not desired then i take it all back except maybe the book stuff, but thats just something for me i think. Makeing books for the library is simple to do but very time consuming for a dev.
Massive appologies to the GM or any Dev for Sundren. Reading back what i wrote on my lunch break in haste on friday looks like just one negative critacal whine about your server which is not intended, and it had bad spelling.
What promted me to write? well i heard from a few DM's and long term players in-game that the team where trying to increase the pop but i guess i was in error, i thought i'd try to help.
I do have experiance of being a NWN GM and i can fully understand the protective nature of someones hard work achieved on a long standing server. I do not wish to say or discuss what i did i just want to be a player now on this well made/run server because of real life lifstyle.
If i wrote what was positive about the server it would of been a huge thread and i thought it wouldn't of fitted into the suggestions thread and cloud what i wrote just to sound more nicey nicey.
But like i said i take it all back then if more players are not desired. I like the way it is for me anyway.