I was more referring to trying to get new blood into the game, rather than those being here remaining loyal.  After all, if they're already playing, obviously they aren't the ones having graphics issues.  If only 1 in 6 (from my own experience, it may be more or less) of people who would like to play and who have reasonably decent computers are able to, that seems to me that it is a major issue, much more important than adding fun tweaks and additions within the game itself.

Again, I'm not trying to attack anyone or to say that what has been accomplished isn't incredible.  It really is wonderful, and that it is mac-compatible makes it even better.  I just feel that trying to make it work with a (much) wider range of graphics cards should be a high priority, for the sake of getting new players.

I am sure the devs are quite aware of this, but thought I might provide a bit of 'outsider insight'.

I played here back about three, three and a half years ago or so.  I left due to time constraints and other obligations/interests, but I'm back to give it another go, and see how the development is getting along.

I must say I'm rather disappointed.  I have a basically brand-new computer now, and while not top of the line, it certainly isn't a super cut-rate one either.  Yet, I can barely get PlaneShift to play stably at all, and it took an all day battle with settings to be able to stay connected more than about 30 seconds - and still has at least one glitch that makes it very difficult to play even if it will stay connected when I do more than just run up and down Yliakum(which I haven't tested yet).  Yet, this computer is more than capable of playing the Sims 3, WoW, and other highly graphics-intensive games.  Not on the highest settings, sure, but not on "hunt around for any hidden settings I missed that I might be able to turn off", either.This extremely limited focus of what graphics cards can deal with it was a problem last time I was here, and helped to discourage about 6 people I wanted to introduce to it...  none of them could get it to run; which was among the top reasons I left myself.  It's fine to say that you can buy a computer able to run it for a few hundred dollars, but honestly, you expect new players who haven't even been able to get the game to run, to go out and buy a new computer for a single game? 

And hand in hand with that is my second point.  The settings page should not be stuffed full of options that crash the game for the majority of users (sound on (system), fullscreen mode, etc. etc.) which the users must then come to the forum, do a bunch of searching, find the problem, go back to the settings, uncheck the little box, then try again, only to repeat the process for the next problem.  If they cause problems for a majority of players (or I would go so far as to say even a good strong minority) then remove the option altogether, or at least note next to the setting itself, 'may cause instability' or whatever, as was done with the VBO.



And the biggest cause for my disappointment?  Things have progressed so much in the game itself, yet these problems still exist or are even worse than when I was here before!  Getting a maximum amount of players into/accessible to the game itself with a minimum of fuss should be one of the top priorities.  There was hardly anything but fighting introduced last time I played here, yet I loved it just the same.  It was not the lack of in-game goodies that drove me away these last three years; it was all my RP friends, who could not get into the game and so asked me to go play elsewhere, where they had no problems getting in (well, and some RL stuff as well, but still.  RL stuff=limited time=play game my friends can play too)

It's very pretty, but I kindof agree with Caarrie.  At the very least, you should tone down the background contrast, so it isn't bright bright white in one spot and very dark grey in the other...  like, light grey to mid grey, maybe.  That would do a lot to tone down the 'too busy' feel.

I agree with Raa 100%.  I also voted 'To hell with those who don't RP', but meant it as 'those who choose not to' rather than 'those who don't know how yet'.  I'm always up for helping to teach someone how to RP...  as long as they have a willingness to learn it.

I think shifting the focus away from RP will replace quality of players with quantities of players.  It's a balance only the head staff can decide on, but personally, I would be very sada to see the focus shift away from RP..  and then would go find another game that does focus on RP.

As things stand, RP is encouraged but not enforced.  Those that do not want to RP can still have fun here.  I think it's a good mix.

Actual RP-focused MMORPG's are relatively small as a general rule.  For an incomplete game, the playerbase here, honestly, is huge.  Of the two other 'good' (IMHO) RP MMORPG's I've played, the playerbase here is about double one of them, and triple the other, based solely on number of players online at any given time.  I recall not so long ago throwing a party in the staff channel when we hit 65 players online in the smaller (and IMO better) of them...  first time it had ever happened.  And that is, by most accounts, a thriving RPG.

As much as I hate to say it for certain personal reasons...  I think Prolix actually has a brilliant solution.  Of course, it won't expose all the problems, because a large part of the frustration for new players is not in necessarily the 'doing', but finding out what to do and how to do it (that is another conversation entirely, however).  However, knocking everyone down to beginner status again, you will suddenly hear great clamors over problems newbies face, instead of the occasional poorly-communicated complaint from someone no one knows (which, let's face it, it is human nature to partially 'ignore' those you don't know as well.)

Feel free to drop me a /tell if I'm on when you are, name's Myshka in game.  My beginning experience was very different...  people were helpful to me from the start, and within a day or two I was pretty involved in RP.  Just bad luck, I guess.  :-/

I think the idea there was 'IF your guild has a private message board, THEN you would agree to give settings members access'.