A new player status idea.
I used to play a game called Ultima online. Highly competitive and people will eat you alive. Player versus player. But new players had a new player status. Basically you couldn't kill them. And they couldn't do certain things until they revoked their new player status or the timer ran out.
And that game you couldn't go into certain areas without revoking your new player status. And then what she did that you're just like anyone else and you can be attacked and killed.
I think a modified version of that would be really cool for Aces High.
Nothing made me more uncomfortable than seeing a new player mercilessly killed over and over again trying to take off.
So here's my idea.
Give new players a flag where everyone knows they're a new player. The player can revoke this at any time but then they no longer have new player status. The new player status will be in effect for a certain number of hours. Or maybe a campaign or something. I would say go by the number of hours played. Or until the player revokes the new player status.
I don't think most people want to gang up on new players. Most people want to help them.
1. New player flag. An icon or different color that everyone can see is a new player.
2. Give them a new player zone on every map. Not that you have to change the maps but if they are within certain bases you can't shoot them down. If a player shoots at them, that player registers hits like kill-shooter, but takes no damage. They can still shoot down other players.
If an enemy does engage them and shoot them, they get hits on the new player and even a kill but it doesn't really kill them. The new player hears the pings and sees the damage but it doesn't really damage or hurt their plane. And then if they get shot down they get a message that they were shot down and the other guy get s a kill and hits count for stats. So they can learn what happened. And the enemy player that's shooting at them will know that they're shooting at a new player and probably helping them out. And that's only within a certain zone.
If the new player travels outside of the zone they get a message that they're going to be able to be shot down. And once they leave the zone they can't just run back into the zone until the next flight. So they can't just drive by somebody then run to their zone.
Allow the new players to do damage and shoot down other players though. As normal. I mean if you get shot down by a new player that has a new player flag, just take that as you need to do better. Lol!.
3. Get them on the radio right away. When they are in new player status, let them communicate with the immediate enemy plane they are fighting. Have it pop up on "local" type radio channel automatically. The vet player can help the new player and explain what's happening in the fight. I think it would encourage vet players to help them.
I think the number one thing people need to know how to do is communicate. Flag them on the radio channels. Again, allow the new player to revoke that status in case they don't want to be flagged. But let the autopilot explain stuff to them like that right away.
I believe people honestly want to help new players and they don't want to sit there and rake them over the coals and just get kills off of them.
While they're in new player status they might have some limitations. I haven't thought of everything but just the gist of this is going off of the game Ultima online.
