PlaneShift story and intro

[Brinnen1]

What is the story in PlaneShift? How does it start and where do you, as a player, come in?

You can see from some PlaneShift staff interviews the following statement:

http://news.mmosite.com/data/p/u/2006/03/24/194048044.html

...a virtual fantasy world in which a player can start as a peasant in search of fame and become an hero...

Become a hero doing what exactly? When you start the game, even from a tutorial area, you artificially materialize in the middle of some random city area with a very mundane feel to everything.

Here are some rough (video) examples of how an RPG/MMORPG experience can start:

Dungeon Siege Intro & Gameplay

Age of Conan Intro & Gameplay

This is only about intros and the beginning of a story, not those specific games as a whole. Some of you might have heard that AoC has been a disaster but that is because of the failed promises and the gameplay after you leave Tortage, which is the starting area and intro you see in the video. Most agree that Tortage isn't too bad of an experience (although, even that could be better) but it doesn't carry into the rest of the game.

Again, these are only rough examples, so I don't want people getting hung up on specifics to those games. The idea is an intro and a starting experience with an interesting story and quests.

Is everything well in Yliakum or do the creatures from Stone Labyrinths attack from time to time? Instead of an artificial and instanced tutorial area, why not have players start in a village close to Stone Labyrinths, since they're supposed to start as "peasants", and have that village be attacked by some creatures? What happens after is up to a writer's imagination but once the beginning area is over, those "peasants" lives can lead them onto very different paths.

It is not a bad idea to implement some voice acting into the starting area. Some developers have already tried voice recording of Yliakum history, so have them try some voice acting, that is if they're not too shy on a mic.

If you like this idea, don't be shy, say something. Feel free to even write example intro scenarios that you would find interesting.

Avoid any cynical replies or avoid replying at all. The thread is meant as an interesting discussion to improve a player's starting experience.

[Caarrie]

remember everything about planeshift is a work in progress and more things will be added as the dev team works out what they will be

[Bamko]

While I respect the original post, I think becoming a "hero in training" by some sort of special decree, is kind out of character, and those videos, while I would like to see more stuff like that, I would want it integrated into roleplay.  those do not, at least from those videos, seem like MMORPG, seemed to be one player against a world of NPC.  we actually get to interact with each other in PS!  Of course, that means we each can not be the unstoppable juggernaut of infinite doom. 

I have met a few heros ingame.  Much like real life, they do not have capes or super powers, nor do they have the whole plot written around them.  In the one, he had a serious of 2 or 3 choice to make to save the woman.  I have hundreds of choices all of the time...

apples and oranges.  Want a hack and slash game where you do not have to develop your character, and you have very limited choices, then perhaps a MMORPG is not what you are looking for.

I suggest you stay around, and see what kind of hero you want to be.

Now, back to point.  Should we have a "area" where stone labyrynth monsters come out of, and the guards keep them somewhat in check, where we can go into area and do great things, yeah, I like that idea.  Somehow getting a metal wall hanging made for an NPC does not seem that heroic.  But, what about helping new visitors to yliakum, and teaching them how to find their own way?  Works for me

[Kieve]

The general idea for the tutorial right now is simply to teach the mechanics and the general behavior [expected of characters] in the main game. With things constantly under development, being updated, and generally improved upon, it would not benefit anyone to advertise situations or areas that, as of this time, do not exist or are inaccessible. Likewise, bear in mind that it was not too very long ago that we lacked a tutorial at all, and the area itself is fairly new.

That is not to say your ideas here are without merit - quite the opposite! Merely that, at this point in time, our focus is on developing the main content of the game, and its storyline.