IDEA: Newbie tag

[Veprovina.4876]

Would be cool if Anet made some kind of an icon that's displayed next to a character's name if that's the first character they have on their account, or if they have less than X hours played, or they have characters below level 80.

 

That way, they can enable the tag and let the community know they're new and maybe someone will come and help them, guide them through the game, answer questions etc.

 

Right now, i often see low level characters in starter gear running around killing stuff, then as i want to ask them if they need help, they soar away on their Skyscale and go away lol.

 

I realize this is super niche but would be a nice addition.

 

What do you think?

[Omega.6801]

I'd say it's better to ask for help/be willing to answer questions than relying on a tag.

Also a tag like this could make unexperienced players an easier mark to pick for scams and other inconvenient interactions.

[Dante.1763]

1 minute ago, lokh.2695 said:

I'd say it's better to ask for help/be willing to answer questions than relying on a tag.

Also a tag like this could make unexperienced players an easier mark to pick for scams and other inconvenient interactions.

Not to mention that even players with thousands of hours can play worse than some with hundreds..

[Veprovina.4876]

15 minutes ago, lokh.2695 said:

I'd say it's better to ask for help/be willing to answer questions than relying on a tag.

Also a tag like this could make unexperienced players an easier mark to pick for scams and other inconvenient interactions.

That's kind of the point. It's an indirect way of announcing you are new and could use some help/have questions.

As for the scams, it's the same if they ask for help and get scammed. Besides... When's the last time someone got scammed in this game? The systems don't really promote that kind of thing.

 

You can't design features in the game and not do them because "they might be exploited". If they are, ther's bans for that. Besides, the entire Trading post  is being exploited on a daily basis by trading outside of it and avoiding TP fees, leaving more gold in circulation leading to inflation, and no one seems to care. Why would they care if some newbie got scammed?

 

18 minutes ago, Dante.1763 said:

Not to mention that even players with thousands of hours can play worse than some with hundreds..

True, but that's not what this icon would be for. It's more like, "i'm willing to learn" tag. 😛

[Sobx.1758]

18 minutes ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

That's kind of the point. It's an indirect way of announcing you are new and could use some help/have questions.

But then instead of "tagging up" they can just ask questions in chat.

[Parasite.5389]

They already have an Icon to identify newbies... they're called Guardians  😜

[Veprovina.4876]

11 minutes ago, Sobx.1758 said:

But then instead of "tagging up" they can just ask questions in chat.

No, not a tag like a commander's and mentor's one, this wouldn't be shown on a map (or maybe it would, idk). Just a small icon by the name so that if someone comes across the new player, they instantly know they're new and might offer help. Some people are shy to ask others, this way, others can ask them if they need anything. They can of course just ask someone, but f2p accounts for instance don't have access to map chat, so they have to run into someone before they can even ask.

Like i said, it has niche uses, but might be cool if EoD or Steam release brings many new players into the game.

[Fuchslein.8639]

1 hour ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

Would be cool if Anet made some kind of an icon that's displayed next to a character's name if that's the first character they have on their account, or if they have less than X hours played, or they have characters below level 80.

 

That way, they can enable the tag and let the community know they're new and maybe someone will come and help them, guide them through the game, answer questions etc.

 

Right now, i often see low level characters in starter gear running around killing stuff, then as i want to ask them if they need help, they soar away on their Skyscale and go away lol.

 

I realize this is super niche but would be a nice addition.

 

What do you think?

 

But they can ask when they need help. 

Being nice can also quickly become annoying. I would at least not want everyone to see that I am a newbie and write to me if I need help.

When I started and had questions, I asked and thereby even found my first and even now still main guild :).

[The Boz.2038]

This is... honestly not a bad idea.

[Veprovina.4876]

6 minutes ago, Fuchslein.8639 said:

 

But they can ask when they need help. 

Being nice can also quickly become annoying. I would at least not want everyone to see that I am a newbie and write to me if I need help.

When I started and had questions, I asked and thereby even found my first and even now still main guild :).

That's why i said the icon would be optional. 😉

[Danikat.8537]

I think this is a good idea. I often play on low level characters (not just key runners) and I've occasionally been mistaken for a new player and recieved whispers offering help or even a 'wecome to Tyria' care package someone was handing out in Shaemoor. I sent it back of course and explained that I'm not new, but since people are already doing things like that and having a hard time identifying genuinely new players I think something to help them may be useful.

 

Having said that I think it should be based on the number of hours played because while people learn at different speeds I think that's still a better measure of who is new to the game than whether it's their first/only character or if they have characters below level 80 or whatever. I know some people who only like to play 1 character and have no intention of making a second one and others who make 10+ characters right away because they want to try out all the professions, then delete them to make more, then re-make the one/s they like best. Also I have characters below level 80 and I've been playing the game for years, I probably always will because I keep coming up with new ones I want to keep and I don't want to instantly level all of them.

 

Also I know this was already covered in the first post but it should be optional - something they can easily turn on and off - because I know some people are very self-concious about being identified as new players and worried it will just attract griefing.

 

In the meantime what I often see on EU servers is players standing in starter maps with the mentor tag turned on offering to answer any questions or offer other forms of help to anyone who needs it. They explain how to send a whisper, but also take questions in say and map chat. I have no idea if that happens on NA but it seems to work well.

[Sobx.1758]

22 minutes ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

No, not a tag like a commander's and mentor's one, this wouldn't be shown on a map (or maybe it would, idk). Just a small icon by the name so that if someone comes across the new player, they instantly know they're new and might offer help. Some people are shy to ask others, this way, others can ask them if they need anything. They can of course just ask someone, but f2p accounts for instance don't have access to map chat, so they have to run into someone before they can even ask.

Like i said, it has niche uses, but might be cool if EoD or Steam release brings many new players into the game.

I get it, what I've meant is "tagging up" as in "marking themselves" in whatever form it would be. There's no need for that, as they can just ask questions in chat anyways. And with f2p accounts they'd need to run into someone to be noticed anyways 😛 I understand you're doing it purely out of good intentions, but seems like a change for the sake of change to me that even has more potential to make new players easier target as it was mentioned above by someone else.

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by Sobx.1758

[Veprovina.4876]

16 minutes ago, Danikat.8537 said:

I think this is a good idea. I often play on low level characters (not just key runners) and I've occasionally been mistaken for a new player and recieved whispers offering help or even a 'wecome to Tyria' care package someone was handing out in Shaemoor. I sent it back of course and explained that I'm not new, but since people are already doing things like that and having a hard time identifying genuinely new players I think something to help them may be useful.

 

Having said that I think it should be based on the number of hours played because while people learn at different speeds I think that's still a better measure of who is new to the game than whether it's their first/only character or if they have characters below level 80 or whatever. I know some people who only like to play 1 character and have no intention of making a second one and others who make 10+ characters right away because they want to try out all the professions, then delete them to make more, then re-make the one/s they like best. Also I have characters below level 80 and I've been playing the game for years, I probably always will because I keep coming up with new ones I want to keep and I don't want to instantly level all of them.

 

Also I know this was already covered in the first post but it should be optional - something they can easily turn on and off - because I know some people are very self-concious about being identified as new players and worried it will just attract griefing.

 

In the meantime what I often see on EU servers is players standing in starter maps with the mentor tag turned on offering to answer any questions or offer other forms of help to anyone who needs it. They explain how to send a whisper, but also take questions in say and map chat. I have no idea if that happens on NA but it seems to work well.

Thanks, and you bring a good point, this also helps people willing and wanting to help easily identify new players. Not just the other way around, new players asking for help. And since it's optional, they can opt to be left alone.

Also, EU is awesome in that regard, i too often see a lot of people just out there to help others.

Sadly, all i hear about NA is tons of griefing...

Maybe it should be an EU option haha. :

Kidding of course. 😛

 

15 minutes ago, Sobx.1758 said:

I get it, what I've meant is "tagging up" as in "marking themselves" in whatever form it would be. There's no need for that, as they can just ask questions in chat anyways. And with f2p accounts they'd need to run into someone to be noticed anyways 😛 I understand you're doing it purely out of good intentions, but seems like a change for the sake of change to me that even has more potential to make new players easier target as it was mentioned above by someone else.

 

Well, i said it in my OP - niche use. But might be nice.

Also, @Danikat.8537 brigns up a good point. The icon might be more relevant to people offering help than to people asking for it.

 

In any case, just a nice optional feature that probably wouldn't require an entire team effort to code in (despite the "shpagetti code"), and might be useful for someone.

 

Besides... Sometimes, change for the sake of change is nice too. 😛

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

Good in theory, but trolls would see the newbie tag and go do what trolls do best.

[kharmin.7683]

If it's optional, then I believe that it should be Opt-In, not Opt-Out.

[Xoleuph.7014]

if the newbie tag is somewhat controversial, why not do the opposite and instead give an indicator for sub-80 chars on accounts with a mastery lvl?

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

In 2015, when F2P was added to the game, all regular players received Royal Guard Outift. It was a reward for the 3rd anniversary, but also worked as some kind of unofficial expert-tag. When a new player saw that armor, they knew they could ask questions. 

Quote

A Call to Action

...

To celebrate this special three-year anniversary of Guild Wars 2, we’re giving current players an all-new Royal Guard Outfit. Wear it with pride whenever you want to show that you were there early on, and that you’re someone that new players can go to for help.

...

source: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/play-for-free-today/

 

It has been almost 6 years. Did it work?

[Danikat.8537]

1 minute ago, HnRkLnXqZ.1870 said:

In 2015, when F2P was added to the game, all regular players received Royal Guard Outift. It was a reward for the 3rd anniversary, but also worked as some kind of unofficial expert-tag. When a new player saw that armor, they knew they could ask questions. 

source: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/play-for-free-today/

 

It has been almost 6 years. Did it work?

I don't think an outfit is a good way of showing who is willing to help new players. For a start new players will have no idea where it comes from or what it might mean, it's just one of many, many cosmetic options they haven't unlocked yet.

 

But also I suspect most people willing to offer help aren't keen on having to wear a specific outfit to show that and many people wearing it just like the outfit or want to show how long they've been in the game and aren't intentionally volunteering to answers everyone's questions.

 

I think it makes more sense to have something specific to this purpose, like the mentor tag (which is also used as a free commander tag).

[fatihso.7258]

Sorry but this is bad idea and it will just help 'some' players who look for newbies for certain interactions and some stalkers' intentions easier. I won't get into details so don't ever ask, but know that not everyone who play gw2 are 'angel'

[Veprovina.4876]

24 minutes ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

Good in theory, but trolls would see the newbie tag and go do what trolls do best.

Yeah but if you exclude something out of your game that might be helpful because trolls might abuse it then the trolls win. 😛

21 minutes ago, kharmin.7683 said:

If it's optional, then I believe that it should be Opt-In, not Opt-Out.

That's what i meant. Like, it's not on by default but you can "tag up" at any time during your "newbie" period until X hours played or whatever the criteria would be.

Also, nothing should really be forced on new players, especially something like this that would affect their choice how they play the game. Some people like discovering things on their own, they wouldn't like this forced on them.

23 minutes ago, Xoleuph.7014 said:

if the newbie tag is somewhat controversial, why not do the opposite and instead give an indicator for sub-80 chars on accounts with a mastery lvl?

Ah, display a mastery level on sub 80 chars? That might work too, but then you run into the problem @kharmin.7683 is worried about, that someone might not want the attention. But again, if it's optional... Still, i think it's more user friendly and easier to explain what the tag does rather than explain to new players that they can opt in to show their mastery level and what that would do.

17 minutes ago, HnRkLnXqZ.1870 said:

In 2015, when F2P was added to the game, all regular players received Royal Guard Outift. It was a reward for the 3rd anniversary, but also worked as some kind of unofficial expert-tag. When a new player saw that armor, they knew they could ask questions. 

source: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/play-for-free-today/

 

It has been almost 6 years. Did it work?

But that's basically what a mentor tag does. You can do exactly that with a mentor tag now. I'm proposing giving agency to new players, so they can decide they would like help and mentorship. So, the exact opposite.

It's kind of a singnal to playaers that they're open to learning stuff from players, so that anyone who wants to offer help but doesn't know who will ignore them and run away on their fully mastered Skyscale or who would genuinely like some help.

Also, i don't think an outfit was ever a good indicator for anything to new players. They might just assume people look like that in this game, i mean, nothing about that outfit screams "i'm a veteran" to new players as they couldn't possibly know that only some people got that outfit.

I have that outfit and i had no idea of its meaning. I just got it one day after a hiatus along with the "thanks for purchasing Heart of Thorns, but now it's free with PoF" glider.

12 minutes ago, fatihso.7258 said:

Sorry but this is bad idea and it will just help 'some' players who look for newbies for certain interactions and some stalkers' intentions easier. I won't get into details so don't ever ask, but know that not everyone who play gw2 are 'angel'

You just described what "niche" means lol, i understand that, i even mentioned it in my OP.

And no, not everyone is an angel, but you can't let trolls dictate what features you put in the game.

 

And like i said. TP is designed with a gold sink in mind, yet "not angels" abuse that on a daily basis by trading outside of TP causing more gold to circulate than was intended. No one cares, no one banned out of TP traders, TP or ToS didn't get reworked to combat this so why would Anet not put a feature in that could help someone just because someone else might exploit it?

 

I also didn't really elaborate on the entire system, there could be safeguards in place to minimise trolling, but as an online game, a possibility of "not angels" is a given and can't dictate game development.

[Xoleuph.7014]

49 minutes ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

Ah, display a mastery level on sub 80 chars? That might work too, but then you run into the problem @kharmin.7683 is worried about, that someone might not want the attention. But again, if it's optional... Still, i think it's more user friendly and easier to explain what the tag does rather than explain to new players that they can opt in to show their mastery level and what that would do.

What problem?

lvl 80 characters already show the mastery lvl without the option to disable that, this would just show it earlier already. I have a fairly high mastery lvl (not that it means much) and cannot recall ever getting any special attention for it.

[radium.7350]

How about having just a simple "help needed" tag? It wouldn't be related to if player is new or veteran but anyone could pop it up, when they are in need  of others help. Not every new player needs or wants help and on the other hand sometimes veterans get a moment they want some extra hero's on their side for reason or another.

[Ayrilana.1396]

FF14 has what the OP is suggesting and it works fine. Once players meet certain requirements, it’s permanently removed. If players want to remove it beforehand, they have the ability to do so. 

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

1 hour ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

I have that outfit and i had no idea of its meaning. I just got it one day after a hiatus along with the "thanks for purchasing Heart of Thorns, but now it's free with PoF" glider.

This is basically the answer I was looking for. Thank you. That is why I think it may not work out with a newbie-tag. As long there is not a tutorial and a few ingame notifications about that tag -most people would not notice it. 

 

 

[Veprovina.4876]

2 hours ago, Xoleuph.7014 said:

What problem?

lvl 80 characters already show the mastery lvl without the option to disable that, this would just show it earlier already. I have a fairly high mastery lvl (not that it means much) and cannot recall ever getting any special attention for it.

Yes, but the subject of this thread is new players showing to others they want player help. And a distinct icon for it that signals veterans who look for people to help them.

 

What you're proposing, with mastery points always being visible essentially means that everyone will always know who the new player is. Some people don't want that and would be bothered by someone offering them to show them stuff etc.

 

And if there's an option to hide the mastery points pre 80, that would still be too complicated to explain to new players why they should or shouldn't hide their mastery points.

 

A "I'm new, please help me" icon is easier to explain to players about its purpose and how to use it.

 

1 hour ago, radium.7350 said:

How about having just a simple "help needed" tag? It wouldn't be related to if player is new or veteran but anyone could pop it up, when they are in need  of others help. Not every new player needs or wants help and on the other hand sometimes veterans get a moment they want some extra hero's on their side for reason or another.

I mean, I guess that can work but by the time they're max level, they probably have guilds and people to ask and stuff. New players dont most of the time so this would be a way to incentivize player interaction among other things. 

But maybe it would be useful for everyone, idk so what you propose might also work.

 

1 hour ago, Ayrilana.1396 said:

FF14 has what the OP is suggesting and it works fine. Once players meet certain requirements, it’s permanently removed. If players want to remove it beforehand, they have the ability to do so. 

Nice! I had o idea they already implemented that. Good to know it works. I bet it would work here as well. 😃

 

1 hour ago, HnRkLnXqZ.1870 said:

This is basically the answer I was looking for. Thank you. That is why I think it may not work out with a newbie-tag. As long there is not a tutorial and a few ingame notifications about that tag -most people would not notice it. 

 

 

Well that's why I suggested making a system out of it. Because of course it would need to be explained. A little pop up after the first mandatory instance, once you hit open world like welcome to the game, here's a few things you should know (like they already do with UI elements), and here's your "help me" button for community help. Easy to explain to new people what an icon does rather than explaining "people with X outfit are here for you" lol. 😃