Strat is not very user friendly

[Fyre]

Hihi! I'm MrX from Taleworlds forums, been playing the original MnB since the beta, as well as Warband since open beta, and I'm attempting to get into strat. The reason I say attempting is because it's is ridiculously difficult for me to figure out how to get anything done. And this isn't my first attempt either. I've read through the FAQ, which was nice and apparently addressed a lot of things about battles and factions and stuff, but it really doesn't tell me how I'm supposed to do the basic things necessary to get myself into battles and factions and stuff. Like it took me a good 20 minutes searching these forums to find that I have to wait while on top of a village before I can enter it. Why do I have to wait? It makes no sense to me as a player, and it's anything but intuitive. Especially considering that there's nothing on the interface, AFAIK, that told me about that. Now I'm in the village and the only thing I appear to be able to do is to leave it. Nice. Why did I spend my time trying to get into the village if I can't do anything.
 
(and thats not the only example. Like I'm also trying to figure out why the big "warning your not inside a fief" thing is there when I'm clearly in a village, unless that doesn't count as a fief? sigh)

So I just spent a good bit of time trying to find out whether or not you can actually do things in a village, but of course there's no easy way to get this information. I either have to ask specifically on these forums or just live with not knowing. Clearly strat is tied directly to these forums in terms of playability, which it really shouldn't be imo.

It seems to me that the only way to figure out how to play strat is to get someone who already knows how to teach you, which doesn't really seem right for a game/mod. Basically I just feel a lot of it is counter-intuitive, at least at the early stages of the game which I never seem to get past.

So am I missing some obvious link to a tutorial or manual that tells me these things?

inb4:
your too stupid and it's obvious how to play. etc.

[Varyag]

More newbs is what we need here 

Hints: Upper left corner. Took me 2 seconds to figure this out when I first entered strategus 1 year ago. Nothing has changed since then

[Fyre]

More newbs is what we need here 

Hints: Upper left corner. Took me 2 seconds to figure this out when I first entered strategus 1 year ago.

Yes I just figured that out, but my point is why doesn't the menu for what I can do in the village appear when I click on the village, or when I enter the village, or in a place near the village name on the interface? That would make much more sense to me. I wouldn't think to go to my character page to earn money in a village. I would go to my character page to check my inventory or level up or something of that sort.

[Varyag]

[Oberyn]

Dude's got a point, we have very poor documentation regarding Strat, doesn't really encourage more players. A lot of people are always talking about doing a comprehensive Strat guide. Like me, they are lazy and nothing ever comes of it.

[Fyre]

Isn't it obvious? The devs don't have time for this noobish shit. They aren't getting paid to be noob (idiot?) friendly u know, unlike big companies full of very friendly, but unfortunately totally talentless people.

Yes I realized that they don't get paid, but I wouldn't call creating a user-friendly interface "noobish shit". I'd call it an element of good game design. Similarly I would call a manual and gameplay documentation an essential part of any game, though I realize that strat isn't finished yet and it would take a lot of time to create something like that. And I agree that the devs are very talented. Their talent really doesn't have any correlation to talent of the devs of larger companies, so I'm not sure what your getting at there. I'll also ignore you calling me an idiot

And your thread about the prosperity and transaction taxes helps show my point. The fact is, they don't seem to tell us what's going on, as far as I can see, and there's no easy way to figure it out. It seems like most things have been up to the players to figure out. Or if they do explain things, it's spread out over various threads on random pages and not very orginized, which really doesn't help someone like me who wants to be able to play the game without having to search through countless threads to figure out basic gameplay elements.

[Blondin]

Varyag you are a bit harsh, Fyre got a valid point, you need to test and figure out yourself how things work, and if you wasn't here since the beginning or in a clan you will have hard time to understand.

As said Oberyn there is no clear and precise documentation about Strat and there is each time new things implemented that we have to discover and understand, example : how transaction tax works, new speed movement (and rivers), etc.

Now i clearly understand that Strat is in beta, betatesters are scouts, taking the risk for others, but cRPG scouts are to lazy to report...
Anyway, i'm not sure there is an interest in terms of test to have new clan less players in Strat, it's quite rare that clanless discovered new bugs or exploits, those things are for hard gamers, hard gamers are often in a clan.

Finally, the best advice i could give you Fyre if you want to enjoy Strategus : join a clan! (experienced one ofc).

[VVarlord]

I think what will be pointed out to you is where on the profile page are you linked to strat? Your not. Its still in testing and unfinished, lots of things to be done and the last thing on the mind is making it pretty and user friendly.

[Fyre]

I think what will be pointed out to you is where on the profile page are you linked to strat? Your not. Its still in testing and unfinished, lots of things to be done and the last thing on the mind is making it pretty and user friendly.

Pretty != user friendly. Not sure what your getting at with the profile page thing. And I mentioned before I understand that it's not finished, so I'm saying that the things like the user interface and such really should be fixed before it is finished.

Varyag you are a bit harsh, Fyre got a valid point, you need to test and figure out yourself how things work, and if you wasn't here since the beginning or in a clan you will have hard time to understand.

As said Oberyn there is no clear and precise documentation about Strat and there is each time new things implemented that we have to discover and understand, example : how transaction tax works, new speed movement (and rivers), etc.

Now i clearly understand that Strat is in beta, betatesters are scouts, taking the risk for others, but cRPG scouts are to lazy to report...
Anyway, i'm not sure there is an interest in terms of test to have new clan less players in Strat, it's quite rare that clanless discovered new bugs or exploits, those things are for hard gamers, hard gamers are often in a clan.

Finaly, the best advice i could give you Fyre if you want to enjoy Strategus : join a clan! (experienced one ofc).

True, many of the more hardcore players are in clans, but most people do not join a clan before they start playing the game. They see if they like it and then join a clan. I for instance, already have a clan that may attempt to get integrated in strat if we can figure out how it works.

And in general, if only clanned players play the game, the playerbase is going to be the exact same people forever. Once people start leaving the amount of players will get smaller and smaller. If you want the game to stay alive it should be appealing and understandable by new players (not that I think cRPG/strat is at risk of dying, just in general terms).

[Turkhammer]

Isn't it obvious? The devs don't have time for this noobish shit. They aren't getting paid to be noob (idiot?) friendly u know, unlike big companies full of very friendly, but unfortunately totally talentless people.

Quit being a dick and just help already.  As if you weren't a noob at one point yourself.  You come across as a very self important, pompous ass.

[Turkhammer]

More newbs is what we need here 

Hints: Upper left corner. Took me 2 seconds to figure this out when I first entered strategus 1 year ago. Nothing has changed since then

We do need more newbs.  Every game needs newbs or it dies from lack of interest.

[Jarlek]

-snip-
So I just spent a good bit of time trying to find out whether or not you can actually do things in a village, but of course there's no easy way to get this information. I either have to ask specifically on these forums or just live with not knowing. Clearly strat is tied directly to these forums in terms of playability, which it really shouldn't be imo.

It seems to me that the only way to figure out how to play strat is to get someone who already knows how to teach you, which doesn't really seem right for a game/mod. Basically I just feel a lot of it is counter-intuitive, at least at the early stages of the game which I never seem to get past.
-snip-

Sorry to brake it for you, but it's not suposed to be non-forum dependent already. There is no link to strat from your character page, ingame or anywhere else execpt the forums (this is what VVar was talking about when he mentioned the profile page). Strat is in testing mode, as people already mentioned, and it is far, far away from being "user friendly and ready for the masses". If you want to figure stuff out in the semi-open round of strat, JUST after it started up again, you need to be two things. Patient and on the forums.

-snip-
True, many of the more hardcore players are in clans, but most people do not join a clan before they start playing the game. They see if they like it and then join a clan. I for instance, already have a clan that may attempt to get integrated in strat if we can figure out how it works.

And in general, if only clanned players play the game, the playerbase is going to be the exact same people forever. Once people start leaving the amount of players will get smaller and smaller. If you want the game to stay alive it should be appealing and understandable by new players (not that I think cRPG/strat is at risk of dying, just in general terms).

Again, sorry to break it for you but strat is currently only for the hardcare, so to speak. (It's a mod for an indie game, which is in beta which this strat is AGAIN a beta of! zomg!). They have just started introducing their first non-clan thing, trading, which I currently haven't seen started up yet (or someones buying all the trade goods before I get a chance!). Also, people that want to check out the game aren't really supposed to check strat if they are gonna play it or not. They are gonna (or at least should) check out cRPG to see if it is fun for them. I totally agree that it should be more friendly to clanless players, that's why it is not public-big-button-on-crpg-page yet, but still check-thread-at-forums stage.

Now, since nobody really helped you already. Let's check your problems:

I don't know what you have been doing but you are trying to join a fief and aren't able to. What I did was basically move myself into position (range) of the town, then used the menu on the left side to press "enter..." Then my character started moving towards it (you actually have to BE in the town to enter, nice addition I say) and when I logged on later, my character had gone there and had already entered. Are you sure your character is exactly atop the fief? Did you use the menu to "enter fief" or just moved your dude there manually?

And really, the "you are currently not in a fief" really should have given you a hint that you are, you know, NOT in a fief xD

Also: you are too stupid and it's obvious how to play! (inb4 ain't gonna work here!)

[Dehitay]

LMFAO
This is hilarious to me cause it so honestly points out one of the hugest flaws in crpg. The dev team has an unnaturally annoying habit of not documenting very important stuff. It's really not so hard either. They would only have to hire a single person to write stuff out for them, and there would be plenty of volunteers. Strategus is probly one of the all time greatest kicks in the ass to a new player. But it's not like games that don't bother explaining things are never popular. Civilization sure as hell took off for a game I didn't figure out how to play.

I just REALLY wish that they would have a PR or project planner style dev.

[Fyre]

Sorry to brake it for you, but it's not suposed to be non-forum dependent already. There is no link to strat from your character page, ingame or anywhere else execpt the forums (this is what VVar was talking about when he mentioned the profile page). Strat is in testing mode, as people already mentioned, and it is far, far away from being "user friendly and ready for the masses". If you want to figure stuff out in the semi-open round of strat, JUST after it started up again, you need to be two things. Patient and on the forums.
Again, sorry to break it for you but strat is currently only for the hardcare, so to speak. (It's a mod for an indie game, which is in beta which this strat is AGAIN a beta of! zomg!). They have just started introducing their first non-clan thing, trading, which I currently haven't seen started up yet (or someones buying all the trade goods before I get a chance!). Also, people that want to check out the game aren't really supposed to check strat if they are gonna play it or not. They are gonna (or at least should) check out cRPG to see if it is fun for them. I totally agree that it should be more friendly to clanless players, that's why it is not public-big-button-on-crpg-page yet, but still check-thread-at-forums stage.

Now, since nobody really helped you already. Let's check your problems:

I don't know what you have been doing but you are trying to join a fief and aren't able to. What I did was basically move myself into position (range) of the town, then used the menu on the left side to press "enter..." Then my character started moving towards it (you actually have to BE in the town to enter, nice addition I say) and when I logged on later, my character had gone there and had already entered. Are you sure your character is exactly atop the fief? Did you use the menu to "enter fief" or just moved your dude there manually?

And really, the "you are currently not in a fief" really should have given you a hint that you are, you know, NOT in a fief xD

Also: you are too stupid and it's obvious how to play! (inb4 ain't gonna work here!)

Alright, well maybe I'm a little early. I sorta thought the production was further on than it actually is. I think the points I made do still stand, especially if the devs wanna keep taking this farther and increasing it's popularity (and they've done a great job of that already).

And thanks, I managed to figure out all the problems in the OP.

[Winterly]

Quit being a dick and just help already.  As if you weren't a noob at one point yourself.  You come across as a very self important, pompous ass.

Thank you for laying that down, I was going to if nobody else did...This is also my first time on Strategus and I have read the FAQ, and Mr Fyre here has a very valid point.  While experienced players are already claiming territory and hording themselves, I'm stuck wondering what the hell am I supposed to do.