I checked our VSB gang web/forum and i was surprised. Our web is cca 1 year old. Before that time, we used forum of madbrahmin.cz, in Czech Rep (and Slovakia) well know fansite about Fallout serie, but now people who wants to know more about Fonline (2238), they are redirecting to our web. So i can tell, that almost all of czech/slovak Fallout players, who want to try Fonline, visit madbrahmin.cz, and majority of them go to our web, then register.
Back to topic. I looked to number of people who registered and post at least one post (= they fill aplication to our gang or they asked for help,..). The number is equal to 230. 230 players registred because they want to try Fonline. And my question is, where are they? Why they dont play anymore. I know that even we gave them acces to our mumble, to our forum, they often play alone and then they disapear.
Now compare it with this statistic
http://fodev.net/forum/index.php?topic=11089.0, from Czecho-Slovakia there are cca 13 percent of players. (of course that many of players did not answer in that poll, but same in other gangs... it is best gathered statistic we have anyway).
And now different aproach. One newbie registered, tried fonline and after few hours he left andpost to our forum that this game is too hardcore for him. Yes, it is. It is the way we (who stays here) like it, but for newbies, it is hell.
So i like every changes that could helpo newbies, call it "safe zones" near NCR,.. start up quests or this mechanism, that could replace quest making. I will like to see even start location like vault, where you will try to learn basics, you can do there few levels, learn how to craft, steal... and then you will be kicked to Hell