How do you feel about the newbie academy?

I haven’t been a newbie in about a bajillion years so I’m interested in hearing general opinions about the newbie academy, especially from our newer players.

What do you like? What don’t you like? What’s missing?

The newbie academy is terrible. We need to finish the simulators and someone needs to go through the “how to play” portion and make it congruent with newbie_index or completely rebuild it. That portion is super super outdated.

I don’t mind the newbie academy, but its been so long since I’ve been a newbie on LOTJ or mudding in general, that its hard for me to state what I’d want to see in a newbie area. I do know some of the stuff is kind of off. Like the smuggler guy suggesting to learn non-level 1 smuggling skills. Or that you practically get a level per everything until level 5, except when you kill the convict. Sometimes it takes several times to even get to level 2 or 3. I would also like to see that you can raise a level or two in every skill set, versus just a few. Unless I’m totally missing some stuff from the Academy.

As someone with three newbies in three months I can say I agree with zero

I agree with Zero as well.  Either take the academy completely out, seeing as it only helps you with medical and diplomacy essentially, or revamp it enough to make it useful.

Combat, smuggling, medical, diplomacy, engineering and espionage can all be leveled in the Newbie Academy to my knowledge. I could be missing one.

I honestly had no idea it was perceived quite so bad, thanks for the feedback!

Zero when you say “how to play” do you mean the basic mudding stuff or the LOTJ feature stuff?

I don’t think taking the newbie academy out is a good idea, is it really that bad that LOTJ would be better off with no newbie school than the newbie school we have? How do we actually revamp it to make it useful? I was under the impression, like Corey, that there were leveling options for most/all classes.

I guess I should rephrase.  Make it clear that there are missions throughout the ‘How to play/Features’ sections that you can gain levels.  Most people only go to Bahvar, or whatever its called.

Also, there should be a way to make it quicker to skip the academy for those of us who don’t want to go through it. I, in particular, find that one closed door in my way to be an incredible nuisance.

I think taking it out would be a huge mistake. To this day, I use the newbie academy to boost my early levels and a place to hang out if I feel like actually working a history or whatever. I think if you add something to level everything at least to level 5 and also make it so you CAN get those levels quite easily to give newbies a moral boost and feel of advancement…but also make it more clear what to do with those things (The “Room hints” I like), would be the best option in my opinion.

I also second Oteri’s idea of adding a “skip” method for people that just want to get zapped right to the end.

Zero when you say “how to play” do you mean the basic mudding stuff or the LOTJ feature stuff?

Whatever the northern path is from the fork that lets you go into Banhvar or into the game world. The basic mudding stuff.

I think he means the stuff east of the equipment vendor section, versus inside the space station part.

As someone with 4 main characters in A year and a half, I’m still figuring out Lotj. Also this is my first mud. When I remember back to my first char I had trouble figuring out mudding in general as well as the lotj itself. If I hadn’t had my friend with me who got me to join in the first place I might’ve left. I’m not sure what would’ve helped, other than  someone to walk you through it. But I think it’s important nonetheless.