From One Day New, To One Week Old On BL - Bootleggers Insided?
blflag
As You Might Recall..
I still remember last week, BL was a new rpg-game for me to try. [blflag, was a new player here on BL. But after 9 days on this game, I'm tempted to say I am now 9 days old. Surely not old enough to be a rockstar BL player, but definitely a good start. And most importantly, I have done my best to have a quick feel of the game in such few days. So how is my feel on the game now when compared to the first three days. Is it as easy as it seems for a new player stick to BL?
Motivation To Stick To The Game
My first three days here on BL, have been overwhelming. A lot of you helped me in different ways: with cars, money and advice. While these were in no way a kick-start to making a player rank up or climb the ladder from level 0 scum, these were immensely a boost in aspects like:
1) motivation to stick to the game
2) a boost in participating in greater things like OCs (be it bank OC or Booze OC).
Early Challenges Faced By New Players
Being in an online game like this one where you have like 300 players online at one time, is not an easy thing for a new comer. Specially when you are joining in 3 or 4 months after the game has already kicked off. If you are an old player, got killed and coming back - you already have a mindset with a clear road plan and most probably getting a hand from your friends or crew. The story greatly varies in both of these scenarios.
First challenge of the game, is to rank up from Scum to Thug or Gangster. These ranks I felt were the first ranks that stand a better chance of getting noticed for an OC. Being a scum, you are just ignored, full stop. I found the advice of advanced players very helpful. Because they supported me morally and told me they have been there, it is hard at first, but then you will make your way. That is a tremendous moral boost. If I was not interacting with people around, I were on my way to leave this game after my first couple of failed attempts. Just image! What can a new comer do on day 1 other than doing petty crimes? Nothing! NO, don't say bootlegging!
Second challenge of the game even if you attain rank Thug or Gangster, is to have enough cash to buy the most expensive cars in the game - the Duesenberg. There are two crazy truth linked to this car:
1) it is way too expensive. Dear old players, getting the price that high up does not help at all for new players. You have been in that difficult shoe on your first day, why not use it as a lesson to help people behind you?
2) most of the high ranks in this game demands a driver to use a Duesenberg. I have already done 10 OCs. I saw in a couple of them that Beauford does the job pretty well and is affordable price wise. So why do you need to make the life of starters even more difficult?
Further more, a new comer has very limited entry point. It is difficult for a new comer to have enough cash to participate in OCs - buying the necessary stuffs for it is quite high in terms of money.
Going deeper down the rabbit hole, a third aspect that I see as much of a challenge too, is surviving being 'shot at'. It seems you can get killed for the most ridiculous thing that you can imagine. I did not made any offense to any of you, still someone shot at me. I was lucky enough to have only taken damage (Big shout-out to my crew SO and fellow mate Neoskill for the support). Sticking to the first couple of days and trying to get attention in OCs, are already time and energy consuming. I do not need a party breaker.
Wait a minute! (To my shooter) Are you telling me, you welcome me as a starter, gave me so much nice mail chat, then decided to throw your poisonous 'lime water' on me and then shoot me just because I refused to steal a car from your crew? Wow! This is insane man.
This aspect of the game is something that needs more attention, in my humble opinion, for a better approach that can empower a low rank or starter more. Just because of lame players like this, a starter could very much say good bye to this game. I did not because I was lucky enough to have the following:
1) moral support and friendship of other players
2) I was welcomed by a very nice crew - Sector Omerta (You guys rock!)
3) I integrated the Buzz writer group
I had this thought when I got shot; what if the above three were not in my equation. This very well could have been 'that second moment' of the game where I would have left.
Things That A Starter & Anyone Needs To Do
From my own 'starter' experience so far and from interaction with a lot of experienced people around here, there are three vital things that a player needs to do:
1) get as much rank experience as you can - do a crazy amount of petty crimes, car theft and bootlegging across states. This has consumed so much of my time since a week now. My weekend got absorbed with this as I kept on juggling my iphone to click this and that on BL to keep 'being in it'.
2) do Missions to at least level 13 - ranking up seems to be dictated by missions count. You cannot get pass Assassin if Mission 13 is not complete.
3) OC with high ranks to get more ranking experience. This I am yet to confirm, I have heard from some of you. What is your take on this?
The Great Stuffs So Far
I am convinced that for any person to stay long enough in this game, you need one important thing to held on to; that is Friendship. This can take any form, one-to-one interaction with other players on a personal level, interaction with the general BL community through the forums and by being in more specialised groups like either a Crew or Buzz Writers.
I can say that intuitively, I like to make friends, voicing out and reaching out to others. This helped me since day 1 on making friends, interacting with others and even being part of a Crew and being a Buzz Writer. Many of you bootmailed me to say you were surprised to see how a new comer with such low rank, could be part of those groups. I have only one advice to stress and re-iterate: be yourself and reach out to people. Your character in this game is not immortal, your time spent and energy spent will all go in vain just being killed. The only thing that will help you when you 're-incarnate' or get back (whatever you call this), is the moral support and friends that you make. So if you are still playing alone, I would seriously question your presence here. Sure I have also find some of the players to be on the evil side, playing the pain-giver. But the good part is more than doing a remarkable job.
High ranks, even though most of them seem to be "rank-minded", are also comprised of good, sensible and helpful people. High ranks like Zohra, ATATURK, Ragabonz, rMrM, TonyCS, Nidaaal, Beerus, DasShrooms, Horis, CaveJohnson, Deuce, DeaDRabbitS, BuLLS and a bunch of others. (Sorry I could not mention all of them, the list just seems so long). I am very thankful to all of you.
On the other side of the game, there are those that form part of the management aspects of the game. Even these people seem welcoming. Seniorita Claartje participated in my first own-lead OC. I was trying to help another low rank by leading an OC. I got to the sudden truth that I was leading an OC when I am still a low rank. People will not join and indeed I had a moment of doubt at one point. I thought I was going to get stuck with that OC. There at that last minute, that lady came in the picture out-of-nowhere and all kicked off successfully. Buzz boss and Editor TrevorPhilips is inspiring. Not only he coordinates and write all these stuffs amazingly, he was very open to welcoming my entry for a review and to give me a kick-start to the BL Buzz world. Refutwo has also been helpful beyond expectation. He always give a reply and encouragement. Finally, I would like to mention a word about Mika. This guy is doing a great job in the background. Thank you for all you do!
To Conclude..
It goes without saying that my scenario cannot be completely extrapolated to the scenario of all new starters. I was lucky enough. This, not all players will have and who knows may be I was the first in that stance. So assuming a new player does not have all these, I would say this game has a considerate playing curve for a new player. Except if he has real life friends playing it already (as most of you have) and if he can spend on Gold.
But there is a hope for all new players as this BL community is made up of awesome people who reach out. While the starting curve is a moot point, the strength of the community evens it out.
Till next time,
Happy Bootlegging Bootleggers!
// blflag \\
