Is the influx of new players, in your opinion, good or bad? Here's my take:

[Casimir]

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[Clockworkkiller]

more players = bigger server pop, keeps the mod healthy

more noobs = freekills

more people staying = more online buddies

Welcome to crpg, prepare your anus

[Phew]

My first experience was pretty bad. I had no idea what these slots were, how to manage my character, and how to fight the heavy armor guys. So as you can guess I quit for 8 months or so. Then I came back and for some reason my experience was a little bit better. I leveled up quickly, I made the right gear and build choices, and I got some friends to join. From then on out it was smooth sailing.

So like Joker was saying this game needs a better introduction. I mean sure we have a guides section but how many noobs actually go there before RQ'ing? We need a section on the website clearly visible explaining the mechanics of the mod. Maybe even a message in game every now and then reminding you to check out the website.

The first time someone logs in cRPG, it should just make them lvl 30 with a 24/15 build, with a kuyak and longsword. Save them the trouble of a year trying to learn a good build/gear combo; they'll jump right in and be killing machines in no time.

EDIT-I'm not saying "2h is OP" or whatever, just that a str build with a longsword doesn't have all the limitations that other builds/classes have to learn to mitigate. i.e. 1h/shield is very powerful in the right hands, but a newb would just say "all my thrusts and right swings glance, my shield doesn't actually block half the time, I'm slow with short reach, and it takes me 10 swings to kill anyone". Whereas a str build with a longsword can use any of their 4 attacks in any situation, swings fast enough to never get "spammed", has plenty of reach, will rarely glance, and will kill most people in a few swings.

[Osiris]

Joker there is only one problem with your spare peasant theory and its the reason most peasants get raped, Too many times have i thought oh a peasant with a practice sword or something ill let him live. Then lo and behold as i walk past i get hit like a fucking truck by said peasant with 9 power strike who knocks me on my ass and hits me while im down Too many fake peasants to risk letting them live

[RandomDude]

Joker there is only one problem with your spare peasant theory and its the reason most peasants get raped, Too many times have i thought oh a peasant with a practice sword or something ill let him live. Then lo and behold as i walk past i get hit like a fucking truck by said peasant with 9 power strike who knocks me on my ass and hits me while im down Too many fake peasants to risk letting them live

I played for a few rounds last night (was having a good session too until the laptop over heated) and saw a peasant with a wooden long sword. It looked like most people ignored him in favour of going for other people. If a peasant is in striking range I'll take a swing, if they're backing away there's no need to chase them.

[Joker86]

Joker there is only one problem with your spare peasant theory and its the reason most peasants get raped, Too many times have i thought oh a peasant with a practice sword or something ill let him live. Then lo and behold as i walk past i get hit like a fucking truck by said peasant with 9 power strike who knocks me on my ass and hits me while im down Too many fake peasants to risk letting them live

You are right, but with the time you know the usual suspects, and often neough you can judge by their movement and behaviour how experienced and self confident they are.

I played for a few rounds last night (was having a good session too until the laptop over heated) and saw a peasant with a wooden long sword. It looked like most people ignored him in favour of going for other people. If a peasant is in striking range I'll take a swing, if they're backing away there's no need to chase them.

That's how I keep it as well. If he is attacking me I will fight back, but I won't go after him actively if he tries to back off.

@my valour reduction idea: of course you guys are right, you can't see the level of the other guy and thus you should not be punished for killing him. But getting no rewards at all should still be okay, I think... 

[Macropus]

Personally, I wasn't getting frustrated when I started playing c-rpg, because I realized I was a noob and people around were pros.
It was more like...
"Oh, this guys wears a nice looking hood and he's a crossbowman, that's amazing!",
"What a knight over there, he looks so shiny and cool",
"Oh my god, this dude is amazing at killing those guys",
"I'm being fighting in such a big battle, there are so many players around, that's great!".

The frustration came a bit later, but at that time I was already highly addicted so I didn't quit anyway.

[Joker86]

The frustration came a bit later, but at that time I was already highly addicted so I didn't quit anyway.

The levels of addiction and frustration tolerance differ, though. And I can imagine a lot of situations which can be really frustrating in cRPG, not only for noobs. Especially since you are even more focused on winning the round than a generation 18 player who is on full masterwork items. And if you then see how your team screws things up by acting like the autowalker-Rambo-lemmings they are, ruining your multiplier, or how people kick you for the lulz, reducing your HP, or groups of clans hiding on purpose to have a great last stand where everyone who is already dead is forced to watch them go down gloriously, and you write something and get "relax, it's only a game" as answer, it's only natural to think "well, fuck you then" and quit. Those guys have an easy time messing around, they are already "powerful"...

And this is only one aspect of the whole matter.

[Kafein]

Like all competitive games, Warband is more difficult to get into as a new player the older it gets. At the time I tried Native MP for the first time, you were considered a good player if you could block single attacks correctly, catching up wasn't that hard. Having decent Native skills helps a lot with starting cRPG, and somehow at the time it was really fun to be a harmless peasant playing what was basically a survival game. Those that start cRPG right away without trying even Native MP first (I would highly recommend playing SP at hardest settings first) really do need to enjoy dying.

[Apollo]

This is my take on the influx of new players.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdofUBR3SJc

[Lord_Bernie_of_Voodoo]

Overall, it's good for the game. Even though a small percentage of all these new players will stick around, it's still good to populate servers, even if they are free kills. Also, am I the only guy who feels horrible killing the guy wearing peasant clothes with a short bow, regular arrows, a shield and a dinky 1H weapon?

[woody]

Er doh!

How can new players be anything but good if you like this mod?

[Nehvar]

Overall, it's good for the game. Even though a small percentage of all these new players will stick around, it's still good to populate servers, even if they are free kills. Also, am I the only guy who feels horrible killing the guy wearing peasant clothes with a short bow, regular arrows, a shield and a dinky 1H weapon?

Don't feel bad.  He had a bow so therefore he deserved it.

[Rumblood]

Don't feel bad.  He had a bow so therefore he deserved it.

Some wise guy told him that to make tons of gold he should go archer. Jerk move 

[Kafein]

When I'm sure some guy is a real peasant, sometimes I try to handicap myself before fighting them. When I have armor, I sheath my weapon and punch them instead. When I don't, I loot a pitch fork or something. I think everyone should take a step back and do this too from time to time, because you can see the stars in their lifeless eyeballs in the rare occurence they actually kill you.