New Resident (Newbie) Specific Client

In light of ESC's new "lighter" client made available for the expected influx of CSI:NY fans into SL, would it make sense for LL to develop their own "new resident" client. Sort of a stripped down, easier to use version?

I the reason I ask is, we all pretty much know that the current client isn't exactly the most user friendly environment out there and it can intimidate new people. Speaking from personal experience, I've seen a lot of people come and go in a relatively short time and not giving SL a real chance because they just found the viewer too difficult. The reason I know this is because they're still in my chatroom from time to time during my show and I'll ask them why I haven't seen them on SL since their rez day.

During my first couple of months "broadcasting" in SL I recieved a lot of "okay, i'm here...what now?" IM's from listeners outside of SL who - on my encouragement - took the plunge and came to check it out. I can count the ones still here on one hand.

Granted, for some folks SL just doesn't do it for them but again, talking to people who have come into chat since then, a lot say it was because of two things - performance (either SL's or their own computer system) - or - the learning curve was just too steep for them to stay and find out what it is about SL that we all love so much.

Would it make sense to offer new residents a lighter, easier, ESC style client and give them the option of "upgrading" to the regular client once they've been in-world for a while and gotten more comfortable?

I have to admit I haven't seen ESC's client but I'm tempted to check it out based on a couple of posts on these forums and after talking to a couple of friends who have tried it.

I could understand "intimidating" as a criticism since the viewer menus are filled with things most people will never use and it ends up obscuring the ones they do use or could be useful to them, but I don't really see a steep learning curve?

Use the arrows to move, type to chat, search and click Teleport to go somewhere. What's so difficult about that? (Not trying to be sarcastic, honest )

Maybe all those people are just trying to absorb too much in one sitting? Or friends introducing them to SL are forcing them to absorb too much by explaining far more than they really need to know to start.

I tend to agree with you with regards to the learning curve Kitty - I personally didn't find it hard to figure it out - but I can only relay what my listeners have told me and what others have said on this forum and in-world.

I would think that LL's own statistics point out a retention problem no matter how you analyze it. I know there are tons of reasons people sign up, take a peek, and walk away never to log in again but the reasons I mentioned in the first post are what I get back from people I talk to.

Maybe it wouldn't matter at all if there was an easier "newbie" client. I don't know if ESC has the capability in their viewer but I'd be interested to know how many new people rezzing in for the first time with their client are here in a month, 3 months, 6 months down the road, logging in and playing regularly versus those that come to SL the "old fashioned way" with the main client.

That is, assuming any signifigant number of new people DO log in via ESC's client. It doesn't look too good in that regard right now though...lol.

The biggest problem seems to be that people don't know what to do.

Joining SL is fairly similar to giving someone a computer when they've never used one before, or getting internet access for someone who's never used the internet before. There's lots you can do, but you're really just stomped for finding anything useful (to you) to actually do so people get frustrated and quit before they're over that initial hill.

I understand the intimidating factor, the client does need GUI improvements. For example, when you first appear in world and nothing around you is rezzed, or you're surrounded with gray people, it's not very obvious what's going on. Obviously they're still downloading, but with SL being unlike other games people don't expect this.

Making it more obvious with a more detailed status bar would be better, hell, I'd love one myself that indicates the loaded status of the current scene by reflecting how many objects have loaded out of all the objects my viewer is currently interested in (loaded would include all textures etc.).

Even if there were bars indicating the loading status of avatars as well it would be cool, allowing you to see that squishy faced person beside you is only 50% loaded which is why they look so weird (ie they don't have that dragon-head attached yet).

Heck, when you log-in you sometimes get a "Pre-loading" bar indicating that the client is waiting for some stuff to download instead of presenting you as a Ruth hanging in the air. If that were configurable to require more content before it lets you continue then it could be a good thing, so long as it provides you with options to char or teleport away or such if it's taking too long.