I mentioned this is the "your biggest change to IC" thread that was started by Torqez but on reflection think it deserves a thread of its own which is for various reasons.

For many years now NEW PLAYERS have come to IC and found a fairly confusing game, please imagine for a second that you have never played this game in your life, that you make an account, that your skip a lot of the introduction like most people do, that you have a click around on the guide or forum for 10 minutes and then jump into a round with some half breed race without a clue what your doing.

We all know these players, the players that show up with +30 Pop Growth and +40 Attack and stuff like that, the players who sign up with little training and little understanding of the game, and usually those players end up inactive very fast or end up been farmed to death.   Sure they could read all of the guide, they could spend many hours trawling over old forum posts and trying to LEARN how to play and what to do.

OR

They could simply be SHOWN how to play in a direct / easy to understand YouTube like video that could include film footage of the game (showing the different screen and explaining things) and it could also include slide show like parts filled with basic information and pictures and stuff. 

In my eyes a NEW PLAYER could spend a month reading old forum posts and going over the guide, or they could simply watch a detailed and well made film for 10 or 15 minutes and actually be SHOWN how to play this game, how to survive, how to build, how to win and so on.    The film itself would not only be a vital training tool for new players, it would not only increase the number of players who stay and who learn to understand the game more, but also its a great advertising tool, because if there is no swearing in said film then could plaster it everywhere, face book, twitter, other forums and so on.

My entire point with this idea is that many years ago now I learnt to play IC by sitting and watching a friend play who was a member of the Weedkillers family, its was by watching him and been SHOWN in a easy to understand way that taught me how to play, and think in some respects a training / learn how to play film would offer that to new players as well, a quick and easy to understand guide of how to play. 

15 Min Film:

- History of IC

- Basic Idea of IC

- Races (How To Build A Race) Examples of Banker / Attacker + Why Those Races

- Overview of Screens (Council / Relations / Market / Fleets)

- Overview of Units

- Overview of Resources

- Basic Round Start Guides (What to Build First)

- Talk About Activity

- Explain Ticks and Time

I think even in a brief 15 minute film you could fit in enough footage, enough slides, enough pictures, enough text information that someone watching it would come out perhaps 60% better prepared to play IC, that one film alone could not only act as an advertising tool but could also give totally new players the knowledge they need to stay active and to understand this game.

If done correctly the film could also answer questions like:

What type of game play does IC offer

Why should I play IC and who would it appeal to

Its a good way to prepare people for what is to come, a chance to let them now its not a flight sim game, its not a mortal combat like game, but is a game of strategy and building, a game of empires and fleets, its a game of planning and actions, a chance to rule the galaxy as a team.

I think overall a lot of people learn better and quicker by been shown how to play, a film in my eyes would give the perfect opportunity to do this, a straightforward easy to understand film aimed and bringing new players into the game and teaching them the information they need to know to play and survive.

I think best of all is that a YouTube / home made like film does not even have to cost much other than a few days with a video camera and some editing software and pictures.

For best effect there could be 3 or 4 films:

Learn How To Play Film

Advanced Attack Film

Advanced Banker Film

Top Tips Film

Put all of that in a easy to see section on the home page saying (LEARN HOW TO PLAY) make sure any new player can click in there and learn what they need to know in 1 film.   If they a really eager then they could also watch another 2 or 3 films as well and learn more ect. 

I have always said that when a totally new player joins this game you really need someone stud there to meet them saying (right let me show you how to play) but that is not possible is it.  But a film is.