Just Another Newbie Thread..

[Germidor]

Hi, just a few thoughts and impressions about my (albeit) short time on this RP server. 

1. LOL: So I spend about 30 minutes defining my Character (character build screen) only to find that in reality, I get dropped into the game wearing a pair of boxer shorts and no hair (Bald). 

2. Tricky: So I am obviously embarrassed and cold (well cool cos its hot in Los Santos) and make big steps towards the nearest clothing store, only to be confronted  with my first challenge, How to buy clothes? After floundering around for at least 10 minutes, I realise that you have to place your (pointer?) over the text for it to light up (go green) so you can use it. I then spend another few minutes figuring out how to move the camera so I can see my Character in his new attire. Thankfully you at least start off with $7k otherwise I would feel really stupid trying to move around. 

3. Stuff: So I read you need to grab a phone and a GPS MAP, popped into the local store, bought a Phone (I already had a GPS map somehow) also some food and water (necessities) left me totally skint, and I am not sure I really needed to fork out the $2k for the phone? 

4, Job: Get a job they said, but which one? On the map they are marked out with a Yellow Suitcase, but it doesn't state what type of job it is. So off I go, on foot, to seek out my new pastime and earn so much needed paper. Thankfully I meet a nice person willing to help, she orders a taxi so I can get to the Garbage Plant (I figured this was probably the easiest and safest job) but I don't have any cash left (see 3.) So she offered to pay for the taxi (wow cool, I also mentioned that her new haircut looked great , she was in the Barbers shop) but that wasn't possible, she opted to ride with me..  really cool , problem, how do I get into the taxi? 

5. Guides: There are a few guides on this forum, but nothing really in-depth, I was told press G to get into the taxi, press F to get out. So now as a Garbage Collector, I am messing around trying to get back into my truck, if I press G, he simply hops in and moves over to the passenger seat, so I press F, get out, walk back over to the drivers side, hop in and at the point where he sorta grabs the wheel, I press W and off we go, very tricky..  (more on this later) 

6. Immersion: Happy to be a Garbage Collector, but the immersion is slightly lost since I am still in my own clothes, a Garbage Collector Uniform would be something neat perhaps. anyhow I have a conversation ( still everything via text at this time, haven't worked out the 'speech' part yet) and someone suggests that Woodchopping is easier and more profitable, so I decide to give it a try. All I need are some wheels. 

7. Wheels: So another friend (I have met a few people by now) who is working as a Garbage Collector also has a car, and offers to take me to grab my own wheels, (I have earnt around $12k )  so off we go, stopped off at the bank to pick up my Salary (thanks) and then to the Car Salesroom. Managed to haggle a Warrener for $8k new Black, not the best but certainly better than walking. Thank my new buddy, and off I go, (still using the hop in and press W method). 

8. Shock and Horror: So I am almost at the Wood Cutting Factory, driving down one of the wood paths and there is a Green Van in front of me, just past a bend, I see him and immediately back up. so he can pass, (which I thought was a normal thing to do) he immediately drives straight forward and Rams me? And then continues to ram my car until I end up in a ditch, just the other side of the railway tracks, gets out of his Van and attacks my car with an AXE Screaming "Get out of the car" like DUDE what? I have locked my car and thankfully He can't smash through the window, he is now irate because I am not complying with the FEAR RP (sorry I will explain shortly) Anyway someone turns up, gets out of their car (and has a gun) Tells the guy to step away, stop attacking me and drive off! The guy doesn't comply (still going on about the FEAR RP) and attacks me again, the other guy shoots my attacker, he dies...  the guy drives off.. 

So, now here I am, my car is wrecked, I can't move, there is an irate dead guy and I am totally in shock and confused..  (welcome to RP) 

The guy respawns and returns to the scene, He wants to discuss the situation, and informs me that I can use N to press-to-talk.. (I had set it on voice activated) so we have a conversation. 

Him: Dude I am reporting you for non RP Play, you didn't FEAR RP 

Me: Ok, So I have been on this server for 6 Hours, 4 of those of which I have been driving a Garbage Truck in order to buy the car you just wrecked, Can't you see the NEW PLAYER above my head? 

Him: Yeah I am also a NEW PLAYER and I have been here a week, you should have FEAR RP'd 

Me: Hmm, so according to the rules, there should be some interaction before something like this happens, you just rammed me, and it all happened so quickly, what did you expect? It does state NEW PLAYER.. 

Him: I'm reporting you and the other guy for non RP 

Me: That should be interesting, he told you to move away etc, you attacked me again, he shot you, your own fault.. (he has been complaining about being dead) 

Him: (slowly beginning to realise the situation) 

Me: So what now? 

Him: Call a Mechanic, to come and get you (I complained about my wrecked car and costs etc, what did he expect to get out of the RP? ) and he adds that he will pay me $2k for the repairs. he also explains that someone stole his car and did the same thing to him (lol excuse, treat me as you would like to be treated etc..) 

Me: I suggest that if he wants proper RP then perhaps he should pick on someone without the NEW PLAYER tag, he goes off to grab the cash.. 

The Mechanic arrives, sees the Dead body, is reluctant to help me at first, I try to explain (poor RP, I am still trying to mentally sort out what happened etc) and she accepts my story, grabs my car and tows me ALL the way back to Santos. After a $2.5k repair bill, she leaves, I thank her and get into my car (G button) My Char sits in the drivers seat (probably because the engine had been turned off) but I can't drive it, or start the engine, so now I am really frustrated (and slightly pissed off) finally I manage to grab a Mechanic, he jumps in, drives around , my car is fine.. but I still can't drive it..  he works out the problem and tells me to press F to get into the car..  huh? So I do, and low-and-behold it works, damn, if only I had known that before..  so now feeling really dumb, and out-of-pocket (the Mechanic arrived before my attacker returned) I go to find somewhere to hide/sleep for the night.

9. Health: After this escapade I realise that I am almost dead (life bar at like 10) and so I eat some food, Drink some water (I had presumed once you are full it will re-generate) nothing doing, So I drive off to the nearest hospital, closed doors, try another one, closed doors again, someone is sat nearby, So I ask him how to sort it out (again non immersion, this is beginning to get to me, having to ask for help in a non IC way, simply because I don't (yet) know how to do such things. Thankfully he explains, and I wait for a Medic (truck) to arrive, one does, I try my best to ask for help, I don't quite understand what she wants from me (at this point the /do and /me commands etc are beginning to frustrate me) she administers some Pain Killers, I am at full health. I still haven't really gained much from the experience, it was all to quick and I felt really uncomfortable not being able to RP properly. (Can you purchase Pain Killers yourself?)

10. Unhelpful: Ok, I return to the server, and wtf? My black Warrener is now white?? I still want to give Wood-Cutting a go, so I set my course to the Wood Factory. Firstly I have to grab some fuel, oh and I remember reading about having to get a Driving Licence, so a quick stop at the Petrol Station and a Driving Test later (I passed, gota love Cruise Control) I head off to find my new career, (not forgetting to quit my Garbage Collector Job -fond memoires) Following the route, I end up at the Highway Toll booth, there is a crowd of people there (not feeling happy right now, strange place, strange people, I mean who hangs out at the Toll Booth) and I am trying to pay the $300, I type in /paytoll but to no avail, I get out of the car, it tells me to get into the car, I try again, the toll booth operator becomes irate (it seems to be  a thing?) I use /b to explain that I am trying but it isn't working? So he tells me to jump out of the car, he pays the toll, drives my car through the barrier, great, but I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO PAY? Someone else jumps in my car and drives it around (they laugh that he is stealing it) I feel really uncomfortable, unnatural situation, I don't wish to cause trouble, so I just go and collect my car, drive off. Now I don't wish to drive through the Toll Booth any more.

10: Wood-Cutter: Thankfully I already bought a Hatchet (self defence) and I am finding that Wood Cutting is easier (more relaxed) than Garbage Collecting, once I had worked out how it all works etc, but the run to and from the factory, once my Inventory is full is tedious, I decide to use my car, I parked it, went off to chop wood, someone tries to steal it.. sheesh..  so now I park it right next to me. Which again, is not really what I think would happen in RL, but such is life.  Making good money, lots of traffic through the woods, lots of police chases..  life certainly isn't boring up there. 

12. Fishing: After I had earnt my goal for the day (session) I decided to go off and do some shopping. found a cheaper Fishing Rod, decided to give it a go. it is supposed to be the most relaxing and lucrative (legal) job. So I fish, and now I have 10 Fish in my Inventory, but have no idea what to do with them? I also bought a bag, which I presumed would increase my Inventory space, I unfortunately clicked on Carry, so I now had a bag in my left hand, which I couldn't do anything with, and it didn't give me any extra INV space, I had to ask someone (again this breaks the immersion) how to resolve this, (use P to drop it) so now I have a bag which is completely useless as a bag. 

Basically, it is a steep learning curve, if you don't have a mentor to help you. There are things that aren't explained and I feel lost/inadequate a lot of the time. I worry about using the wrong commands or saying the wrong thing (I used / and asked a question: Do you know.. ) so basically the /do command, the person I was asking the question to reprimanded me for this (easy mistake to make) but eh, shit happens. I am not 100% sure if RP suits me, I want to immerse myself but the world I am in doesn't always lean itself towards it, there are varying degrees of helpfulness and patience, I have absolutely no idea how to rent/buy an apartment, I have very little confidence when having to ask people for help or assistance, there are some characters which are immersed and some are lame, some are outright rude and some are just dumb. I guess it is just like RL in that respect. 

TL/DR: I feel that having a Mentor for perhaps the first couple of hours would really help the newbies and improve the overall feel of the game. Having to learn the simple things by myself is a great way to learn but the experience is also detrimental to my 'in game fun' and immersion. especially if you come from GTA V online and are used to the controls there. 

As a foot note, I have to say that I would like to 'donate' and probably will if I continue to play (I only have 16 hours playtime) but I feel that the cost/benefits of donating are somewhat unbalanced. I can earn $10k in about 1 hour (legally) perhaps 2, so why would I pay £50+ for it? I can understand that the server wishes to keep the economy balanced and by allowing players to 'buy' themselves into the game would subtract from this ideal, but if you offer something substantial which is beneficial but doesn't tip the economy (perhaps a simple 1G Apartment) it might help players and increase the donations. 

 

 

[kenichis]

I don't agree with houses buyable with IRL money. Donations should be made if you enjoy the server and want to support it. Credits should only be able to be spent on things that don't make your character stronger.

Anyways, it gets confusing when you're new and when you do Freelance Jobs chances are you're gonna run into alot of new players who are also confused and might not understand the rules that well. If you keep going eventually you're gonna get how things work.

[Germidor]

Ok, so maybe the 'apartment' idea was a little OTT.  I am still looking into the possibilities .

To continue the Newbie theme.. 

1.  RP: My RP is getting better, I am slowly getting the hang of it. Not quite up to top standard yet, I still have to learn how to deal with certain situations, but I do feel I am becoming more relaxed.

2: Speeding: So I got clocked 2x, there seems to be cameras just when you drop of the highway into the city, 1st time was a $2000 fine (160 in an 80) which I went and paid, on the way back out I got caught again (doh) 130/80 and although I read the message I didn't quite understand that it meant I was due 'Jail Time'. I went and paid the fine and thought I was all good. (must remember to use the Cruise Control in the city from now on).

3. Farming: So I have worked out that for 'me' the best job is Farming. I just feel its more relaxing (and safer) than Wood Chopping and Garbage Collection is too tedious. You also get to wear a 'uniform' which gives it a more 'realistic' feel. and who doesn't want to drive a Tractor, come on be honest.. 

4. Stolen: Whilst Farming, someone dropped by and 'exchanged' my 100% Warrener for a wreck , I only noticed because it was parked differently once I returned to the Farm after a warehouse run. So I drove the 'exchange' vehicle (also a white Warrener) to the local Sheriffs Department, chatted with a Deputy, basically he said that I should check on it via the Mini Map, eventually it turned up near Pauls Farm, I drove the exchange car to it (yeah illegal cos now I am driving a stolen car lol)  it was wrecked too, called a Mechanic, paid the repair costs and things were good again. (Note to self Deputies aren't overly interested in catching car thieves). 

5. Cars: I have managed to sell my Warrener for $8k (which is what I paid for it) I don't understand why players are selling them for $16k at the Low End Market place, they only cost $10k from the dealerships..  (and who mods a Warrener? Really) Anyways, I bought an Isssi (Mini Cooper Clone) Soft Top, and went crazy and modded it to the 2nd grade (Engine/Transmission etc) probably cost too much for the vehicle it is, but I like it for now. 

6. Police: Well, due to no. 2 I was unaware that I had an open warrant for my arrest, driving through the city I was arrested (peacefully) and they found my gun I had in the glove box (So they didn't ask for my permission to search the vehicle, only my person, which I didn't protest at the time, however I might in future, need to clarify the local law.) I was taken in (Car impounded) and sat for around 15 minutes in a Jail Cell. After being released, there was nobody to ask about my stuff, and when I finally found an officer to talk to, he couldn't find anything. So what happened to it all, I can understand that the gun and Bobby Pins were taken away, but the rest? Phone Charger, Knife, Hatchet, Food, Water, Clothes, Radio , Bag, its all expensive stuff, this is where I really felt the RP experience had dropped off, and that the Police Department wasn't been run properly. 

I also checked once I had my Car returned to me, there was a bag in the Boot, but none of my stuff, Why couldn't the police Office  just dump it all in there, I would have had it returned once I took charge of my vehicle, so it would have been all good.  Maybe something to bring up later. 

7. Disconnected: So, on my way (late at night) back up the Highway to the Farm (ready for the next days tolling) I was disconnected, it took some time to get back into the game and when I did, someone was trying to jack my car (it was obviously just sat in the middle of the highway) and thankfully I ALWAYS lock it whilst driving, and I bet they were really shocked when I suddenly 'drop' right back into the game (I always drop in with a Hatchet in my hand too)  I unlocked my car, jumped in , locked it and drove off, lol, I guess they were shocked, but I definitely didn't want to have a conversation about it , there were 3 of them, and I was happy that I just managed to get away unscathed and drove off to find somewhere to rest for the night. 

8. TollBooth: Well, this is probably the least RP place on the whole server, I have been asked "if you have a small dick pay $300 or pay $600 for a big one" or "pay me money Bitch" or " I wouldn't pay $300 for that  trash, just turn it around and dump it", so yeah, I just roll up and pay nowadays, and if a couple of cars sneak through behind me, then I just think 'karma' for being such douchebags.. 

 

(more to follow later) 

Edited June 24, 2020 by Germidor

[Germidor]

Update: 

1. Money:  Although I enjoyed the sense of actually working as a Farmer, it becomes tedious after a while, especially if you are the only farmer or the other farmers don't wish to engage in conversation. So I have switched over to fishing on the Pier since this seems to be a place where things sometimes happen and you can get to meet some new people. Not always good people, but at least people. 

2. Vehicle: I have changed my Issi (Mini Cooper) to a F620 (Jaguar XF) and I am happy about it, I am still awaiting to sell my Issi (I upgraded it so its worth like 40K but I can't sell it for 32K) but I feel it is a car that only a certain type of people would like to buy. Either way I am going to loose money on it. I might have to keep it in the long run, it's a soft top after all, great for cruising in the Los Santos evening sun.

3: Weapon: Happily I managed to apply and be successful with my Firearms Licence. Today I bought a .50. What I didn't know was that if you have a Heavy, it is concealed, so now I will have to swap out, even more cost. I also don't have anywhere safe to store it. I will probably put in in my Issi, and leave the Issi in the garage. That way it is safe (if you can do that? ) I don't feel comfortable with a gun openly hanging off my back. 

4: Future: I am currently in an identity crisis. I don't think I have the mentality to be a 'gangster' or hardened Criminal. Being a Medic doesn't really draw me in, I am considering PD or perhaps something in a business sense. I keep an look in on the Forum, to see what opportunities there are. I will keep you posted. 

I haven't really been doing much apart from chillin and earning some more money, watching other people play out their lives, I am still trying to orientate myself to what I want to do in the future. I feel that is an issue with RP, if you wish to immense yourself fully, you really have to develop a character which is either akin to your own (IRL) or you have to be able to transpose yourself into something else. That is something not everyone can do.