The Help channel

I just wanted to check with other players and see if they were noticing the same thing I have been. Before the Help chat command was changed to /hc the Help channel on my server, Protector, was used quite a bit. I used to see players using it several times a day, at least. Now, ever since the change, it is basically completely silent. I actually had to check and see if I still had it enabled on my chat window, as I have not seen anything in Help for weeks.

I'm wondering if the change in commands has kept all the newer players from being able to use it. /Help seemed like such an intuitive way to use it.

Any similar experiences to mine out there?

I agree.

I added a bind to help out so that it announces it every time I talk in that channel:
/bind KEY "startchat /hc [/hc to chat here]: "

It usually follows with at least one person thanking me for the command, and several minutes of channel activity. lol

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I'm wondering if the change in commands has kept all the newer players from being able to use it. /Help seemed like such an intuitive way to use it.

Any similar experiences to mine out there?

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Yes. The change killed Help channel dead for new players. Leading up to the change several issues ago, I used to monitor Help channel to answer questions for new players and team with them a bit. I've had *three* people come back to me after that and specifically say that they subscribed to the game because of what I showed them and the help I gave.

Since the Help Channel change I haven't done that once. The new players have vanished from the channel.


This is a change that really shot the game in the foot.

OK, I guess the next question, which is one that probably no one here can answer, would be: Has the menu that /Help brings up now actually been useful and "helpful" for players, compared to using the actual Help channel?

I just took a quick look around the Help menu, and I did not see one obvious reference to the Help channel in there. I would think something like that should be one of the first things a player sees when they open the Help menu.

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OK, I guess the next question, which is one that probably no one here can answer, would be: Has the menu that /Help brings up now actually been useful and "helpful" for players, compared to using the actual Help channel?

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I'd say no.

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You know... i knew something changed... but couldn't figure out what it was. Now I know how to talk on /help (err.. /hc) again.

Yeah.. that was a mistake on thier part, IMHO.