Teaching EQ

[YurienStonebow]

i was recently told the local university was looking for regular schmucks to teach some leisure/recreation classes. friend at the school suggested i teach others how to play EQ, just like in a guild. i shrugged it off not really considering it but out of curiosity how would i start? char creation, pro/con of races, etc....pays really well and since i'm jobless right now it might help. any ideas?

[Akishka]

How many days do you have? Is it a full semester class or just one of those 'one night only' things? If you had a full semester, I'd start out with the lore of the game before you ever moved into actually playing, something to grab their attention. If one night, I'd probably just start out with a visual aid of the character select screen and go from there.

[Itek]

Um... I just don't see it working out...

Itek: Ok, I'd like to teach a class for RecServices... Playing EQ.
RecServicesRep: Ok, what kind of equipment will you need? I've never heard of this game.
Itek: Ok, well each person in the class will need a P-2 500MHz with 256Mb RAM, a GeForce2 video card, a sound card, a ..... (insert here) speakers, a nice monitor ... oh and the fee includes a $30 software license, and since the class will go on for 4 months another $40 in additional license fees.
RSR: Um... you want 24 computers in a lab and the FEE will be $70 each? What game is this?
Itek: It's an online role-playing game... Graphical MUD is the simple way to describe it to RecServices.

I think we can figure that the interview will go down hill from there.

BUT let's presume you can sell it better than I can.

Itek: Ok, we have a one hour block each week in the lab. Let's get started. I've preinstalled and patched each computer. All you need to do is setup your new accounts from these EQ:Platinum boxes I've given you.
(20 minutes pass)
Itek: Ok, now let's move on to character creation....
(40 minutes pass)
Itek: Ok, that's all the time we have for today. You have the boxes, so if you have computers at home that meet the requirements go ahead and install and patch at home, this could take a while if you are using dial-up services. You are expected to finish character creation by next class. Remember to pick (server-name) as your server for character creation. I'll see you all next time. If you need extra help I'll stick around for an hour and I'll be an hour early to class next time.

week later....

Itek: Ok, we are all here (or most of us) and we all have characters on -server- (or most of us) so let's log in to the tutorial and we'll try to get through that today...

**hour spent finishing character creation and walk-thru's of the tutorial**

Itek: Ok, next time we'll group up and try to get everyone to level 4 or 5 so they can get their second set of spells.

Week 3: Finish tutorial zone (expected level 4-5)
Week 4: Buying spells
Week 5: 20 different newbie zone quest sets...
Week 6: PoK tour
Week 7: Begging for power-leveling
Week 8: Grouping up to pull the stragglers to level 20
Week 9: LDoN's for lowbies
Week 10 - Week 16: Grouping and hunting, with one week to discuss tradeskills.

Grading scale:

A: Level 50+
A-: Level 44+
B+: Level 39+
B: Level 34+
B-: Level 29+
C+: Level 24+
C: Level 19+
C-: Level 14+
D+: Level 9+
D: Level 5+
D-: Level 2-4
F: Level 1, or character on wrong server, or failed tutorial.

Bonus: plus one grade (plus, minus, even) for each tradeskill over 175
Bonus: plus one grade (plus, minus, even) for each 200 LDoN points

(If someone can get 50+ in 16 /played hours more power to them.)

Now let's be realistic... a random group of 24 strangers isn't a guild. It's not even close. You'd be extremely lucky if half of them had similar in-game interests. Can you imagine the nightmare of a guild of 24 newbies when 6 of them want to go to BlackBurrow and the rest want to go to Befallen? Gahh!! Crushbone or The Warrens? Paludal or a "hot zone"?

If you can sell the idea and make some folding cash give it a whirl. Just know ahead of time you aren't creating a guild, just a fresh batch of EQ addicts.

[Akishka]

Hmm, I didn't picture it as a hands on type classroom. I mean, it certainly could be but I know first hand the challenges of that. Your right, people would be everywhere. I can't keep 30 people together on a basic statistical package, you'd never be able to do it in Everquest.

My thought was more, you'd have people interested enough in computer gaming to have the system set up at home. You'd use overheads or maybe one master computer projected to the big screen to demonstrate what you are talking about that day. Letting them all be game playing while you are there would be chaos. Perhaps have 'homework' assignments with a Q&A for last week's homework at the beginning of each meeting. You could even throw in a bit of the online classroom atmosphere and have them meet you at some time during the week in game (while they were at home) to turn in a collect quest, prove their level or even show off their new dye job. If it was a twice a week class, you could meet once on campus and once in game.

As for the fees, ever taken a wine tasting class?

[YurienStonebow]

the class is however long i want it to be. it is a continuing ed class so at most it would be 6 weekends or a regular 5 day class. i didn't plan on giving everyone a computer in the class. too costly. just make the requirements that they ahve to ahve one before signing up. i figured char creation and explaining the differences would be something for at least one class and as homework make them pick their own chars with stat distribution. after that then i would explain the basics of combat and magic etc... show them how to get the basic armor and such, where to hunt in the beginning, proper grouping ettiquette(sp) basically, i was thinking of taking one of the original guides and breaking it down for the newbies

[Aryse Andenter]

Just explaining the interface and text commands would easily take one class. I can see it being really beneficial to anyone who was already interested in playing. When I learned to play someone sat down with me for a week, basically, answering all my questions - and then when my brother started to play, I did the same thing for him. I can see people who would be interested in playing but are intimidated by the sheer amount of knowledge you have to have to even start being interested in it as a c.ed class, but I wonder how many of them there would really be?

[LadyAnnaAnna]

One thing I think of, looking at my own school, is that if you could book the lab time, it would be easily possible to do. I only go to a community college and we have great labs. All over campus, bout 16 of them I think (with an enrollment of about 7,000 students or so in a quarter) and all of them have at least 30 computers with at least P3s, 80gig hd, and 256mg of ram.
Then there is the graphic design lab.... *sudder with desire* Those are some really <explitative deleted>ing machines

(BTW, I deleted my own swear word )

[YurienStonebow]

What would you like to be taught as a newbie?

ok read my new topic line and answer the question. if you knew EQ was a great game from friends and wnated to play, what exactly would you want to know how to do? how to kill the gods doesn't count nor how to get into PoTime. jsut newbie stuff.

as for the lab i can get in if i want. I don't see how i can get xx number of EQ for a demo though unless I make it where they buy a copy as part of the fee. guess i could always give a platnium edition and a game card to the class included in the fee.......ummmm 25-30 for the cd and another 20ish for the card...roughly 50 for the supplies and then another 15 for the instructor........is 65 too much to be taught how to play the game?

[Agosia]

I read somewhere on the web about a year ago about a college class that had the students play EQ. Think it was a touchy feely psycology or sociology type class though, with students interacting with the player base and given assignments to do in game. Was a quite interesting read, but have no clue where it is.

[Aryse Andenter]

Thinking back... a lot of the things I needed help with were stuff like:

navigation: maps/compass/loc numbers & neg & pos/using books/using portals/magus/common names for zones/opening doors (and keyboard command for that)/climbing ladders/swimming - plus, using the mouse - double click for auto run, navigating with only the mouse or only the keyboard
interface: making more windows, colouring text, sorting it where I wanted, finding new pieces for my interface and installing them, opening and closing different parts with keyboard commands as I needed them
lingo: abreviations for spells/zones, common expressions
speaking: tell/say/hail/auction/joining, leaving and creating channels/group chat/guild chat/shout/emotes - who each reaches, plus when to use each. Also, reply, return target, etc.
NPCs: hailing, continuing the conversation ([ ]), handing stuff to them unstacked, using the find command, faction, conning with c or right click, opening vendor windows & how to buy and sell, using the guild master
Classes: what abilities each have, what buffs from each, their general function in a group, what stats are most important in their gear and in their creation
Skills: alternatives in how to raise them, what each does, when to train, what weapons to use, what spells to use
resources: websites and message boards for class, guild, magelo, soe site, lucy, allakhazam's, eqtraders!

[YurienStonebow]

Aryse thanks for the suggestions. i've been asking every tech head and gamer i know for advice. yours was the first past toon creation :>

[perryslots]

SRY to say this but i find theres just one problem

most schools have a system of computers (most)
therefore they all have the same IP address
with everquest it requires 1 IP address per person
i tried it with my stepfathers and my computer at the same time so i could teach (what little i know) to my little sister-didnt work

what could work is an at home course if you were willing to stay up all night (i wouldnt mind this) and say to everybodyto come on for an hour once they have recieved all the software from the school so you can give them lessons whenever they come on. That way they also arent restricted to a 1 hour class period. Unforunatly it would not be a teacher helping you every step pf the way-teacher pushes the buttons for cus you need help kinda course.(no offense

-just my input

o BTW if a teacher in my high school started an EQ course-that would be my first choice over anything-even my ultmut frisbee course.

[YurienStonebow]

let me make this simple for everyone cause all say it....NO COMPUTERS FOR THE CLASS :P

i'm only planning on showing them the beginnings of EQ......how to use magic, different servers, newbie armor, websites, etc.....not going to issue anybody a copy of the game

[Akishka]

If you are going to show them how to use magic, you can't discriminate against the melee Probably best to review what makes a weapon 'good' and maybe just a very basic idea of what things are worth in the economy.

[NerissaGoldenrose]

SRY to say this but i find theres just one problem

most schools have a system of computers (most)
therefore they all have the same IP address
with everquest it requires 1 IP address per person
i tried it with my stepfathers and my computer at the same time so i could teach (what little i know) to my little sister-didnt work

Actually, no, most schools' computer systems don't all share the same IP address. Most schools that actually HAVE a lab of computers connected to the internet have a range of IP addresses assigned to them (in the same way businesses do), which they can assign to whatever compters they wish, and even if they didn't, a properly-configured router would do the trick. At my house, we're running 4 computers on what our ISP thinks is a single IP address, and all playing EQ together. It's not that tough, and required relatively little cost in hardware to set up, including the optional hub we're using because 3 of them are on the opposite side of a rather large room from the router, and we only wanted to run one cable around the edge of the room.