Explaining about Clan Lobo ...

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Hannibal
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Explaining about Clan Lobo ...

Post by Hannibal » Tue Sep 23, 2008 12:04 am

Hi guys! I'm speaking to the vets here.

I thought there was a thread where Hryll, trew and Lardy were welcoming my influx of new players (thanx guys), but I can't find it, so am starting a new thread.

Sorry I didn't get round to explaining (except to Chris), but I wanted to see how it panned out a bit before I raised any expectations I might regret. The two games I started are now coming up to T5 and T3, without lots of M-3-in-3, and I see it seems to be working - 3 of Clan Lobo seem to like it enough to have signed up for Lardy's game just recently, so that it was able to start. Great!

"Lobo" is LOndon BOard Games Club, which I founded years ago, which meets at my home for face-to-face boardgaming. I always said I could get 20-30 players to at least TRY WoK, and they'd be players of the right type, keen on strategic games. I wanted US to get the site more "right" first, so that we didn't blow their try-it-once willingness. I don't think we'd reached that point, even after a year, but when I looked in after 6 months, it was back down to 4 vets looking for a game ... So I decided to go for it anyway.

As you fellow-vets will know, nearly all newbies disappear after one game, or even during their first game. Otherwise there'd be more still here? Sure, they should join clans and get help, but most don't, and I can see why.

So I decided I'd give it my best shot. I'm mentoring all of them, helping them past the mechanics, through the rules, encouraging and helping and chasing and trying to ensure an enjoyable ride in their first game. And it's showed me that that is what's needed - once you see the struggles some newbies have, you can understand why most give up and go away!

I'll give you two examples (out of many!!): Some screwed up their orders (SAOF) because it said "3 Armies 4" (line-break) missiles. So some put 4 for armies. Chris kindly responded by making the sublists one-type-per-line. We are NOT catering for the average; we are catering for who might get it wrong, and even the smartest got it wrong SOMEWHERE - and they tend to blame the site, don't enjoy, and go away.

You'll love the second example! : one player read "Max 3 POP-ARM (line-break) transforms", as meaning "Max 3 pop into arm". So he dutifully limited himself to ordering army-transforms where he stated the prov, the type of transform, and then put [03] in the last box, sticking to the max of 3 pop for transforms. Of course, that gives him 0.75 of an army from each transform, rounded down ... It's not his fault! But he'd have soon given up and gone elsewhere for fun. Fortunately, I was watching for such, and being a member of LBGC, I could ring him and explain, in time for him to change his SAOF orders. So he's happy to play on. OK, MOST people might not read it like that ... but some do, and others make different mistakes, even the smartest (and HE is pretty smart, too, it's our fault, not his, once you spot it.) I've suggested a re-wording to Chris, but he hasn't had time yet, has other priorities for WoK, so I'll continue to look out for about twelve common mistakes like that which tend to make newbies give up.

Especially as I approach a possible third game of newbies, from other LBGC-members who missed the first two boats, but are similarly into strategic games.

Creating Clan Lobo meant they were learning together, a training-ground with me mentoring and encouraging and chasing, and them feeling a kinship with the other members of the club, so less likely to let people down by going M-3 in 3 or 4.

Somebody found an objection: Clan Lobo is too big. Sorry, I thought bringing in 20 - 30 would be better than bringing in 10. My aim is to mentor and enthuse them, and then they can go join other clans and form their own clans. Maybe half of them will want to play again, which would be a huge improvement on our past average!

Clan Lobo is the training ground, then they are unleashed!

I hope it helps the site ... as well as being extra fun for LBGC as a one-off outside of our normal ftf gaming.

I won't be posting or scanning the forums often, but I'll happily answer queries and objections on THIS thread.

Our aim is to have fun, right?!

Han
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Post by Lardmaster » Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:48 am

Han, I think what you have tried to do/are doing is brilliant.

I don't think there was a complaint that the Clan was too big as it's obvious what is going on, more that as in my game that has just kicked off it complicates the "no more than 2 players per clan per game" rule is all.

From a mentoring poiunt of view whenever a new person joins any of my games I always contact them and offer to help them out doing their orders etc. Unfortunatley most never reply and it's usually thoise players that never submit a turn. Not really sure what we can do about that tbh. The whole idea about forcing new people to join a clan was en effort to try and counter the problem of someone misinterpreting the order form/rules. In effect that's what you have done, perhaps we should re-introduce that rule? Difficulty there of course is there are only really three active clans atm.
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Post by trewqh » Tue Sep 23, 2008 11:44 am

When I think about the huge amount of work it must take to do what you are now doing I can only admire that you are willing to do that for the community (while not even getting the simplest reward of enjoying a game).

For that I award you with my personal The All-time Best Animator of WoK Spirit Medal! :cheers:


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I probably do need to mention that GM Chris' godly status prevents me from diminishing him with trying to express my gratitude for what he is doing with mere human words or earthly awards. (And those who know me a bit know that I'm more a man of bombast than a man of irony) :wink:
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Post by Hryllantre » Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:07 pm

It is wonderful for WOK to have such a dedicated member as you HAN you have hatched your recruitment plan brilliantly. When I first joined WOK Pyschokiller (I think) took me through my first set of orders whilst we talked on Mirc, to not of had that level of guidance would surely of meant a spoiled SAOF.

Clan numbers in this instance are irrelevant as Clan LOBO are playing and gaining experience amongst themselves, this is the best way to nuture players. If HAN can train 30 new players himself then the key point for WOK's future is communication, using the ingame messaging system in tandem with the Chat facility is crucial for retention of new players, how we actually get new players to use these facilities is another matter...

Thanks HAN I think you have been incredibly brave introducing your gaming community to WOK (from a WoW pov)... Good on you mate :D

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Post by korexus » Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:16 pm

Lardmaster wrote:From a mentoring poiunt of view whenever a new person joins any of my games I always contact them and offer to help them out doing their orders etc. Unfortunatley most never reply and it's usually thoise players that never submit a turn.
Exactly. While Han's support is obviously going to help the new guys stick around, the flip side is that they have to see him again if they quit. Many new players don't know anyone here which makes it easier for them to walk away.
Not really sure what we can do about that tbh. The whole idea about forcing new people to join a clan was en effort to try and counter the problem of someone misinterpreting the order form/rules. In effect that's what you have done, perhaps we should re-introduce that rule? Difficulty there of course is there are only really three active clans atm.
We should indeed, and with the new influx the membership could be big enough to have several clans going strongly again. I'm certain that having an experienced player help with the first few turns is the only way to get into WoK. While a clanmate might not be quite so dedicated as Han is being, he would also only need to guide one person instead of 20 which would make the job much easier.

Thanks for all the work, Han.



Chris.
With Great Power comes Great Irritability

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