Welcome Area Suggestions

I think it's time for a refactoring of the welcome area. I think a lot of improvment could be made to helping new residents become famliar with Second Life by optimizing the welcome area for answering some of the most frequently asked questions.

However, the first problem is those darn vehicles.

Over the months that I've spent in the welcome area, I've noticed that a lot of new users come right off the arrival pads and walk straight over to the two rotating vehicles, then disappear.

Is it really a good idea to send newbies not one but TWO landmarks that encourages them to teleport away so quickly, before they finish walking down the boardwalk?

I often don't even have a chance to say Hi and offer assistance before some people are off and gone.

Vehicles are kinda neat and all, but really should they have first priority when a newbie comes off the telepad?

I think there are several concepts which people should learn about first before being teleported away from the welcome area.

I think the #1 problem that SL needs to address is getting people over the learning curve. Shuttling them away from the welcome area by the very first thing they encounter in the mainland doesn't seem like the best way to go about this.

I'd suggest putting anything that teleports someone away at the *end* of the boardwalk.

Also, there should be something to cleartly address the following questions which are asked by 90% of all newbies:

- What can I do here
- How do I make money
- Where do I get new clothes

THESE questions should be answered first and foremost.

Here's some other issues that the welcome area needs adjustment for:

In addition to answering the above three main FAQ's, something should give a brief explanation about in-world events and classes.

The touring balloon needs more Sky Guides or it needs to be moved somewhere off the main boardwalk. People are always asking for a tour, but there is rarely someone there who can give one.

The shooting gallery would be a lot better placed on the southern side of the boardwalk rather than the northern side. Too many people use the shooting gallery rez area as a nice place to shoot at people in the welcome landing area, and sometimes the sounds can get annoying with some of the machine guns.

There are no clear paths directing new users to the archery range or the lake with the canoes.

The new user build area in morris can be confusing for new residents because it doesn't clearly mark the edge of the build zone. Something at the entrance to that should clearly explain the "No Build" indicator at the top right corner of the screen. The fence surrounding the sandbox should be moved right up immediately next to the parcel border.

I think optimally, the welcome area should be a mesh of paths, sort of like how the paths in a theme park (ie Magic Kingdom) are laid out, with a main street which gets the new resident through the basic concepts and then branches out into the various other interests, which interconnect throughout the welcome region.

I've got an idea in my head as an example, but I'm really bad at drawing it out with a mouse in PSP =(

Kex, your idea of paths is a good one. I can imagine a Welcome Area where clearly marked and fenced trails radiate out in several directions:

* canoes
* shooting gallery (as you said, moved away from the Welcome Area)
* stage 4
* teaching stage
* archery
* build area

And *yes* someone please enclose the build areas with fences that are right on the edge of the parcel! Excellent idea.

As for the balloon tours, I'd volunteer to run them myself, but: 1) I have no idea who I would ask about that, and 2) the tour route is kind of boring.

Tell ya what... if someone asks for a balloon tour and no Sky Guides are around, IM me and if I have time, I'll give an unofficial tour in one of my balloons.

A lot of the help is along the boardwalk, there are a lot of little notes to answer basic questions. The problem is everyone (me included) mill around at the top of the boardwalk. Most new players never get the chance to walk all the way to the end of it.

I am sure it is intimidating to arrive into the world and instantly be surrounded by all the crazy people standing around. A somehow more gradual introduction would be welcomed, Im sure.

I agree the shooting gallery is too close, it ought to be opposite of the archery range. Archery is fun, but I doubt many even know its there, the shooting gallery near it might make it more accessible.

I also agree about the touring balloon. It looks very appealing and many want to take the ride. It is a bit disappointing to have to tell people asking they are out of luck. More Sky Pilots are needed, or automation for the ability to use solo might be an option.

With the influx of players, a rework of the welcome area ought to be looked at.

I agree with Cubey too, lol. The balloon tour route is a bit boring. Not a whole lot to see in the area though.

I would suggest west into the city sims, back NE across Darkwood, SE to Rizal, SW to Oak Grove, then back N over the new user build area, then back home.

That sounds like a good route, Loki. I used to take people on a long route that would go through Tan to see the Kazenojin complex in Gray, up to the north coast to see the various and sundry castles and back south and west.

I would help to have a list of intresting landmarks that you can see from the air.

Its basically the existing route with more of coverage of the city sims, and added Rizal, Oak Grove, and Morris. Its still a fairly short route, maybe 20 minutes, give or take, but its a good lenght to keep the user in the area and not feeling they are "locked in" to a huge block of time.

My Touring Hot Air Balloon has the extended tour you are referring to Loki. It has a built-in automated tour that will move from location to location, and return to the Welcome Area for the next tour. The tours can be updated via a notecard.

I offer free copies of my Touring Balloon to the Lindens and the Balloon Tour Group for free for anyone to use for giving newbies free tours (the Extended Welcome Tour or any tour for that matter).

The first thing they should see is a thing to give them a landmark BACK to the welcome area.

Well, the welcome area is their home location. They get a message not to worry about being lost that they can just teleport back.

Do any new players have any thoughts on their arrival and impressions of the welcome area?

Touring Balloon...

If you want to be a tour guide, contact Char Linden.

If the tour is too short or boring, get a Ramos balloon, I often use it instead of the 'official' one... assuning there's room to rez it.

And yes, we need more sky guides...

I agree with everything thats been said here...

I actualy didn't know of the build area, canoes, or archery targets untill I had been in SL for a few weeks and later while wandering around found those places and didn't even realize they were next to the welcome area untill venturing over a little more and oh there it was.

So yes more paths are definitly needed to those, they can even be dirt paths if nessisary.

The shooting gallery has always looked out of place to me, the coloring of it is totaly different from the surrounding and it justlooks like someone ploped it down there.

Also I think that looking at questions current newbies ask is a good way to decide what to put where.

Maybe have a "welcome wagon" area where people can stand around and chat also so you don't constantly have people surrounding the newbie pads, something near Stage 4 maybe? But it also shouldn't interfear with events... so I dunno.

But something would be good so you don't have people jumping on newbies throwing stuff at them (calling cards, *group invites*, items, etc.) that might confuse and scare off new people.

Maybe even keep the spawning pad area a "Linden Only" zone where others who are just loitering are told to move

"Welcome to SL, here is your hoverboard and gun, don't bother seeing user content" is the implicit message that the welcome area seems to give off. This has baffled me since they were built.

Upon my entry to SL,, way back when, I saw "Welcome, I'm Viola and here is a bulletin board of events, do you need help with anything?". That was a much different gestalt and one that gives a radically different impression of SL. I doubt I would have stayed if I had entered the "new" welcome area as it sounds like a war zone and invites folks to use one of the more flakey and least necessary aspects of SL (take a look at Ahern with terrain rendering off to see a pile of burried hoverboards).

I am loathe to say this, but DisneyWorld has engineered the initial experience way better.

Yeah... WDW doesn't have rollercoasters right inside the front gate. No park has attractions right there. They know people want to get a goodlook around frist.

The SL welcome area has, perhaps, too much to do RIGHT THERE. This, at a time when new users are still getting the hand of walking a talking... Something that's not usually a problem with most DWD vistitors.

There has long been a second welcome area. It was, at one time, actually used, but has been idle for months. It may still be wired in in case the main welcome area is full when someone teleports off the orientation island, but woe to the new user that gets sent there. No one will be there to greet them.

I wonder in LL would contract out for player-designed welcome area ideas. Put in your bids now! hehehe