Newcomer Review

[TheSmithofTime]

From what I can tell, this server seems to have a cool group of people who play on it. Currently I can’t give a full review, but I did want to share with people who view these reviews some information before attempting to play. Especially if you are like me and come from viewing one of the streamers who play on this server and thought it might be fun to give RedM RP ago for the first time.

• To keep mind: This is my first time playing on any server in RedM other than the primary Red Dead Redemption Online.

Here are my thoughts as a newcomer to this server:

• I would suggest putting in your Discord a channel where it explains to people step by step how to get a job and the requirements that need to be met to get that job.
  - Relying on newcomers accessing the /guide command, is well, not reliable.

• If not the above suggestion, I would see if there are players or staff members who would like to become a “Welcome Committee” as a job, to help new players, as at least where I started in Strawberry, there was a Welcoming Center, which would work wonderfully for RP and allow for players to know where they can go to get the basics from someone.
  - Reason I say this is because there are so many channels in the current discord, and the website doesn’t provide enough relevant information for newcomers to fully get started and have a successful opportunity.

My personal issue happened when I applied to be a Doctor (I noticed in Saint Denis that at night my time, there was not a Doctor on staff, and I thought it would be a good RP opportunity and a way to help people. - At the time there were a lot of deaths going on).

• First, I asked around town, In Character, if people knew where I could apply to get a job. - Most people did not know or only had a vague idea.

• Second, I went to the website, which unfortanutely did not help other than a list of possible jobs (not how to obtain said jobs or links to how).

• Third, I looked in what help I could get from the in-game information, which did not provide me with enough to go off.

• Fourth, I submitted a ticket, as after a while I found someone who was kind enough to help me find the answer of where to apply for a job.

  • Once I submitted a ticket, the staff was kind in their reply and let me know to go to another Discord asscoiated with the main one for jobs and follow the previous formats of people who applied. I will add as it is important information I asked if there was anything else I needed to do. I was told “No, happy rping!” It was a kind and mostly formal interaction.
  • I followed the format, someone gave me the Role of Doctor, I went and I logged in so that I could go to a Doctor’s Office in hopes to find information in a Doctor’s office of where I should begin (notably looking for this information in the associated Discord server, which from what I found was not pinned or had been made into a channel of “Introductory to Doctor” or other fashion.) I clocked in as a Doctor once I got to Rhodes, but this is where things went south.

• There was a traveling Doctor, who I believe was doing a supply run, who when I RPed with her, noticed I was new, and I believe noticed that I, per their Doctor role rules was not yet supposed to be a Doctor rules to which I was not made aware (remember when I asked if there is anything else I needed to do in my ticket?).

• I think perhaps there needs to be some training in how to handle these situations, as I was met with a seperate staff member on discord and this person in-person trying to chat with me at the same time. Perhaps just an adjustment in communication practices.

• Importantly, adjusting how I was talked to in-game would be appreciated, as I was not pulled aside and this was RPed, while politely from my end and understanding from my end, very strict, fast and with little effort to fully understand the issue from my end. It was more a “We are now cancelling you being a Doctor, we do not apologize for the misunderstanding” and there wasn’t any follow up with me. It was rather an embarrassing experience for me as a player around other players.

• I will add, I was told what was required and where I could submit my application in the future, just so anyone who reading this understands, I don’t mean to be unfair in my examination of how I was being treated.

• One problem being, there was no attempt to remedy the situation or pull me aside and say “Well, how long are you looking to play for? Perhaps we could find a Doctor you could intern with during that required week, so you learn the job and are ready when it is time for you to take on the role”.

• Second problem, I had asked the other staff member who was communicating with me through Discord if they wanted the transcript of the ticket I had submitted about the job with the response I had gotten so that they can address what instructions need to be given to people other than: “follow the Format of the people above you, have fun”.

• I went to go take a shower, as it had been a while since I had heard from this staff member and figuring that individual had other obligations in their day, figured they would get back to me at their earliest convenience.

• I came back to no longer being in that server. Which made no sense to me, as if I was going to play for that week and then re-apply to be a Doctor, why kick me?

This is a huge block of text, I apologize, but I think people need to be made aware, and hopefully staff as well on how processes can improve in the future. As economy is really important in a server and not giving someone the appropriate tools and explanations does not help them succeed.

Honestly the embarrassment, the confusion, the non-guidance or follow-up and the abrupt dissmissal was really a turn off for this server.

I believe I might try this server again later, but for now I think I will look elsewhere for a server. If a staff member who interacted with me in this (and knows this story as it occured this morning) would like to approach me to explain what occured and follow-up with me, please feel free to message on discord. I will not be advertising my information here.

Thank you for reading. I wish you all the best.