Gates Closed

[Muratus del Mur]

MD is constantly dropping traffic at an alarming rate. There are a big list of things that i want to do to make it more enjoyable to repair existing things, and so on... i am kind of tired of explaining and repeating all that.
Most active veterans are active because of loyatly, and i appreciate that the most...but loyalty alone does not apply to new players. I might have gone to far with the directions i developed MD, i might have missed out important things .. i dont know..or maybe i now.

The gates are closed, for now. I have the feeling that the 100+ players that come in each day simply vanish or some hungry shade eats them for dinner

I was always developing MD as i felt like, and i don't mean it in a rude way but actual how i FEEL, like instinct. Thats what i am doing now too, folowing my instinct but also my feelings, and i cant say i have happy feelings about MD right this moment.

I wont give more explanations, they will make you sad and depressed i'm afraid.

Nothing allready inside md is in any danger, things should go on as usual, so dont worry about that. I just feel like closing the doors a bit and rest for a while, looking how existing guests go away or feel like home. Hard to explain, easier to feel.

[Tarquinus]

Mur, do what you need to do. You are right to follow your intuition.

Know that those of us who are loyal to you will remain so, and remain grateful for all your efforts.

[Chewett]

You know we have always stuck by you however much we dislike some of the things you do (not dislikling you, disliking actions is different)

I cant wait for the next wave of genius to sweep over MD and change it radically again.

[Deatznce0]

This is pretty interesting, lets see our own enclosed family prosper and grow...

I believe you have made a wise choice.

[cryxus]

Sometimes our feelings are the best indicators of a more correct choice... i hope good feelings flourish, and someday the gates open again but if they don't then i'll be happy with the way things turned out anyhow, love the game Mur, and you know it'll stick with me well beyond the immediate future. Thanks once again for a masterfully created world (i don't wanna call it a game because it's so much more) and i look forward to continuing to enjoy the game as much as i ever have.


~Cryxus

[Asterdai]

There is So much for me to see and do in MD, and even though i like speaking to new people, i havnt spoken to half that already frequent the world, So this will be awesome for me

More Attention!! yay!!


I dont think you should feel dismayed about how new people seem to come and go, though it is essential for you to think about it and adjusts things, to make them stay, but... There are so many people who LOVE MD right now, i think all you guys who put so much effort into making things work, all you veterens, have created something where i feel at home,
Even if Big changes are made and people get upset, its not essentialy how the archer acts in battle or who is king, that bothers me, its the People.

They are the ones who are leading me on a journey throught this complex world of principles, lands, shades/angiens, how the lands interact with each other etc and do the RP and make quests to keep my brain ticking, and you have created a great format for with these things can thrive, making me yearn for more knowledge and yearn for WP as well so that i can use Spells in my RP, to back myself up When Grasan decides to try and taint me . I find out something new everyday, be it a characters personality, or even just something to make me laugh, its allways been the people who have drawn me back. im just glad there are these veterens that come on every day (and not just the amazing RPC's) and speak with me, and roleplay, and make quests and as long as they are there, so will i be x

I am guessing things havent gone as you hoped they would, and you are taking a step back, to see if this Format is working at the moment, without your intervention. And at the end of the day i think you are right to do so, If anything was to happen to you in Real life MUR what would happen to the game if it was left "half finished" maybe people would eventually filter away im not sure, But i believe the game IS stable enough as it is at the moment to remain.

All the things you have been doing...

Taking away "control" from RPC (who had to essentially be chosen and monitered by you)
Taking away ultimate power (to ban etc...) from people who may abuse the power beyond anyone elses control if you are not there,
Creating a "community" based hierarchy with kings, that can be elected from majority (you know veterens will exist here and love it, you know that they will (as they have a "value" which is put forward with their argument, based on activity days so forth) choose someone who wont muck things up, for everyone else (hopefully!)
Creating a wish shop, so that people could advance their own character the way they want without having you watching over them.
The same for Items, which, with lots of new materials and veterens who can now create them, people will not have to hope that one appears when they role-play, that they can work hard to get the required materials and make something that they want to role-play with,

This is my view anyway, and i think its grand, because i wouldn want MD to end, if you were to not be here anymore x Mur forbid

I think you mentioned that you would like to play a character of your own, as well, instead of monitering, i hope that is the case! And i look forward to role-playing with you without knowing!

Asterdai

Edited November 7, 2009 by Asterdai

[AqlBeast]

I'll stick by you buddy.

[Udgard]

Well, I"m certainly not going to be eaten by the shades.. At least I'll still stick around even if I am eaten.
If I remember correctly, I think you said you miss the times when you had the time to walk around the realm as a player, not as Mur, and enjoy the game as a player. With the current circumstance, maybe now you'll be able to find the time to have that fun again =) Don't worry, we'll all still be around to play with.

[Leixer]

Few were called, some where chosen, but only few listened. It may be a lost for MD but the truth is, its their lost not yours. they were given the chance, but they took it for granted, quitting for not learning the game in a couple of days, only shows how immature and undeserving they are. Quality is better than quantity

[Jubaris]

yes i think its a good idea, it will perhaps show how are the newbies settling in, what needs to be changed at the start (perhaps more attractive intro and starting tasks?)

I'll stick with MD for a long time, no matter the population (or anything else), altough thats the biggest problem about it (unless this new flu epidemic kills me... >.>)

[Prince Marvolo]

*Looks at the mental chain around his leg*
I wont run away >.<

[Totenkopf]

closed systems breed entropy
it's Discordia's way

[Mya Celestia]

*smiles* Maybe it is time to come out and join us for a while. Your world is so beautiful. You should get to enjoy it as well.

Thank you for all that you do. *hug*

[Handy Pockets]

Mur,I tried to express my feelings for this world, but my words were dull. Then I remembered a poem I wrote
for the Willow. The poem speaks of the seeds, the friends and how we come together every night in some form to
celebrate. For this world, I thank you.


We tend the seeds here everynight.
Sun shines to us in every light.
No matter the prevailing winds.
Our seeds know how to wrap and twined.
Our emotions glowing ever bright.

Friends we see here every fortnight.
They see what eyes see; true delight.
Against the ones who might be blind.
We tend the seeds here everynight.

Then standing together in their sight.
Inviting gold and shining armor of knights.
And when our friendships glue and bind.
We know the stories and poems did wind.
Together we stand here to share our delight.
We tend the seeds here everynight.

Edited November 8, 2009 by Handy Pockets

[Muratus del Mur]

Thank you all for your kind words.

update:
it seems md keeps dropping at THE SAME RATE, that is at least weird. Basicaly it means that with or without new players there is no difference. I was expecting things to drop at a much much higher rate. Only logical explanation i can think of is that new accounts somehow get stuck at some point, and no new players manage to enter the game (for many month not just now). But this obviously is wrong. There are new players around some realy started to become popular and move toward "old players".

So how can that be?

Maybe there is gameplay issue, causing old players to remain due to loyalty towards this project and new players to leave because of SOMETHING that makes them leave.

Since the gate will stay close anyway, maybe its a good time to think about this, talk to new players see what drives them away or where was the last point you could get in touch with them.

something else ... i don't know if it makes any sense, but i feel like i am having a break. I feel md much closer to me now... The gates will open eventualy, but untill then, i hide the key and you are all inside with me .... MUHAHAHAHAA

[Chewett]

Now this is the Real Mur! The Mur that started this prodject, talked with us and played with us.

Come play MD, its pretty good, and Take a break, We arnt a load of noobs pushing for features. We are merely players that play for fun.

[Firsanthalas]

Personally I blame the lack of muffins. Everyone loves free muffins. Although if you have too many muffins for too long you might find you are unable to reach the keyboard, or your fingers are too big to press individual keys. Solution!! Run around MD a bit more in between muffins.

[Fenrir Greycloth]

Mostplayers come in expecting runescape or some kind of graphics.

Some players come in looking for friends and a community.

The players who stay are those who found friends. There are the exceptions but the large majority are those seeking friends.

[Death Bell]

well.. the basic thing that happens is ... i have seen many players with age 1 or 2 (the arrows over there heads) they ask in the chat somewhere what are they supposed to do, or where they are supposed to get creatures or how to train them...
so i click on there name and send them a brief explanation of what they need to do. but if i just saw my sent messages today and i still had like 5 or 6 of those messages.. which means they didn''t read it at all.

so maybe when they start it self you can make sure its somehow.. i don't know how but some how clearly shown them the only way to grow is to fight other players and not computer related creatures.

and mur you sure about the story mode thingy where they can't move? maybe from now on you should put it so even in story mode people can walk around. but they can't buy or fight anything

Edited November 8, 2009 by Death Bell

[Muratus del Mur]

If they fight the shade ambush and STILL don't know how to recruit creatures, well, thats ridiculous.
If they do not reach the aramory in the first place, thats an other thing, why could that be?


storymode wait time ...
its part of the filters so to say, requireing patience and curiosity from the new players. It worked untill a point, i don't know why its no longer.
Maybe adding SOMETHING interesting to storymode, like a annimation that keeps changing or something, but no interaction.

Maybe add a break to storymode just after you receive the cube. You could have a break and dont get into the cube imediatly but roam around untill you can get into the cube much later after you already get a general taste of the game. It would lose some of the concept but maybe its worth. Cube was supposed to be instnatly usable once activate, meaning you touch it you get cought in it, but, things cna change if needed.

im thinking...
what about those that do storymode and yet dissapear at some point, miraculosly. We are talking about over 100 new players daily, all the new ones (except very few) and few old ones. Its something.

[Prince Marvolo]

I think people want to START playing when they login, not do a very long tutorial, so the break in story mode can be good.

And those that go away after story mode just dont like the game?
I tried A Lot of RPGs for like.. 1 day?
Mainly cause they were boring...

Maybe pple think that of MD too?

Well, at the beginning stages, there are almost no pple to interact with...
And then again, everyone just sits a GGG

[Death Bell]

yeah marvolo makes sense... since these days alot of broswer games are poping up its better if you out a break in the sotry mode or something like you mentioned so they can get a taste of the game. not many people have patience (but they will learn to after playing MD :S hehe)

and yeah we need more role playing people like "Z" who seriously take their role to a high limit. Z is always in that place next to the tree (even though he is idle he is there).. maybe you can encourage people to be like that so that more places will get populated. Granos stays in that dark fountain place most of the time. like that if we could get afew places populated then it will be awesum. And like awi stays two steps inside MDa..

and when i say they don't know where to recruit creatures i mean new ones.. because they can only buy armor and barren soul at the start and need more VP or ve to buy the grasan right ?

[Fenrir Greycloth]

I suppose something like that could work but to much freedom without direction is daunting. We need to have a better way to communicate with new players... Something like a mentoring system.

Have members of live help be automatically signed to new members. So when a live help member is online and a new player joins, they are signed to an online ACTIVE live help member.

Then they should sen then a welcome message ad speak with them. Get them interested in the game.

[Grido]

[quote name='Fenrir Greycloth' date='08 November 2009 - 08:35 PM' timestamp='1257712503' post='47001']
I suppose something like that could work but to much freedom without direction is daunting. We need to have a better way to communicate with new players... Something like a mentoring system.

Have members of live help be automatically signed to new members. So when a live help member is online and a new player joins, they are signed to an online ACTIVE live help member.

Then they should sen then a welcome message ad speak with them. Get them interested in the game.
[/quote]

I almost want to shout at you....

[Fenrir Greycloth]

Burns constantly complains about having nothing to do...

And lol.