"A Newbie's Guide to Gaia Online"

[Gavyn the Mighty]

I am Gavyn the Mighty and I approve of this message.

"I just made a new mule recently and had a PM awaiting me when it was created. It told me of this lovely new guide that Gaia put together.

http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/welcome-to-gaia/a-newbie-s-guide-to-gaia-online/t.88226899/

However, I wanted to stop reading it when I got to:
'One of the fastest, easiest ways to get gold is actually by buying items from the cash shop and selling them on the marketplace! You can purchase Gaia Cash here.'

Right off the bat you are basically telling any user that if they want to be successful on this site (from a gold perspective) that they should pay up real money. While I don't question this statement's validity (you most certainly can quickly get gold by buying and selling)... I think it is potentially extremely harmful to the site as a whole to be pushing gaia cash from the outset of account creation. Not only that, but, those pop-up adds, newbies get those too. Maybe hold off on those pop-ups until their account is a week old so they aren't immediately bombarded? It will likely cause people who sign up to check the site out to not want to stay around all that long, IMO.

Other than the Gaia Cash aspect... I think having a PM waiting for the new user, linking to this guide is a good thing, as it immediately helps newbies know what the site is all about. The guild is fairly simple, yet informative.

Overall, I don't think cash should proverbially be pushed down people's throats immediately when they start; but, it seems like that is what is happening.

gaia_spoons What say you GCD? What are your feelings on this new newbie guide and how Gaia Cash is being pushed on newbies from the outset?"

Art by Samanthai

[King Awesomolocity]

Some of the richest people that I know of have spent very little, if any real life money on Gaia.
Off the top of my head B R A I N, Wagnas, Son Zack, Devon, Jackalust (and the list goes on)
I'm fairly certain that none of them have spent money on Gaia.

So I feel that Gaia's statement is inaccurate, considering most of the richest users have spent the near the lowest amount of money.

Edit: A beginner's guide though is a nice idea.
Too bad they're pushing cash on people right off the bat.

~King Awesome

[Slick Southpaw]

I don't mind that gCash is an option up front and explaining what it is, but I'm iffy on the explanation (in regards to the PM).

GCash is not required to enjoy the site, after all. There are different paths a new user can take to be successful 3nodding

[Kid Jak]

Slick Southpaw

I don't mind that gCash is an option up front and explaining what it is, but I'm iffy on the explanation (in regards to the PM).

GCash is not required to enjoy the site, after all. There are different paths a new user can take to be successful 3nodding

yeah they just need to grab booty not buy booty.

[Myrielle]

King Awesomolocity

Some of the richest people that I know of have spent very little, if any real life money on Gaia.
Off the top of my head B R A I N, Alexi_Jamison, Wagnas, Son Zack, Devon, Jackalust (and the list goes on)
I'm fairly certain that none of them have spent money on Gaia.

So I feel that Gaia's statement is inaccurate, considering most of the richest users have spent the near the lowest amount of money.

Edit: A beginner's guide though is a nice idea.
Too bad they're pushing cash on people right off the bat.

~King Awesome

Alexi is part of Club Verge. He had to pay $100, at least.

[King Awesomolocity]

Myrielle

King Awesomolocity

Some of the richest people that I know of have spent very little, if any real life money on Gaia.
Off the top of my head B R A I N, Alexi_Jamison, Wagnas, Son Zack, Devon, Jackalust (and the list goes on)
I'm fairly certain that none of them have spent money on Gaia.

So I feel that Gaia's statement is inaccurate, considering most of the richest users have spent the near the lowest amount of money.

Edit: A beginner's guide though is a nice idea.
Too bad they're pushing cash on people right off the bat.

~King Awesome

Alexi is part of Club Verge. He had to pay $100, at least.

Oh. That he is.
Oops. Lol.
But...the point being that most of the richer people on Gaia spend less money than some of Gaia's "middle class". :3

~King Awesome

[Yeata Zi]

Eh.

I'm not surprised.

[Myrielle]

King Awesomolocity

Myrielle

King Awesomolocity

Some of the richest people that I know of have spent very little, if any real life money on Gaia.
Off the top of my head B R A I N, Alexi_Jamison, Wagnas, Son Zack, Devon, Jackalust (and the list goes on)
I'm fairly certain that none of them have spent money on Gaia.

So I feel that Gaia's statement is inaccurate, considering most of the richest users have spent the near the lowest amount of money.

Edit: A beginner's guide though is a nice idea.
Too bad they're pushing cash on people right off the bat.

~King Awesome

Alexi is part of Club Verge. He had to pay $100, at least.

Oh. That he is.
Oops. Lol.
But...the point being that most of the richer people on Gaia spend less money than some of Gaia's "middle class". :3

~King Awesome

True that. You guys sure work a mean magic with investments, let me tell you.

[King Awesomolocity]

Slick Southpaw

I don't mind that gCash is an option up front and explaining what it is, but I'm iffy on the explanation (in regards to the PM).

GCash is not required to enjoy the site, after all. There are different paths a new user can take to be successful 3nodding

Just realized I had you ignore listed for some reason. O_O
Just fixed that. Lol.

Anyways, yeah. That last bit is exactly what I say to new users. :3

~King Awesome

[King Awesomolocity]

Myrielle

True that. You guys sure work a mean magic with investments, let me tell you.

Investments of time tend to be more rewarding than investments of cash, no matter how hard Gaia tries to challenge that.
Now, when Gaia re-releases the gold medal, I'll ragequit. Lol.

~King Awesome

[Slick Southpaw]

King Awesomolocity

Slick Southpaw

I don't mind that gCash is an option up front and explaining what it is, but I'm iffy on the explanation (in regards to the PM).

GCash is not required to enjoy the site, after all. There are different paths a new user can take to be successful 3nodding

Just realized I had you ignore listed for some reason. O_O
Just fixed that. Lol.

Anyways, yeah. That last bit is exactly what I say to new users. :3

~King Awesome

s'all good. heart

And agreed. I know I won't ever be rich cos I can't vend to save my life (and I think I've spent maaaaybe a grand total of $50 or $60 since I joined the site in uh, 2006ish) but there's other ways to do it, for sure!

I'm quite impressed with the varieties of options Gaia gives for users, I'm just not too thrilled that the implication that gCash is only the route to success.

[Myrielle]

King Awesomolocity

Myrielle

True that. You guys sure work a mean magic with investments, let me tell you.

Investments of time tend to be more rewarding than investments of cash, no matter how hard Gaia tries to challenge that.
Now, when Gaia re-releases the gold medal, I'll ragequit. Lol.

~King Awesome

You and Ma Ajmala. sad

[King Awesomolocity]

Slick Southpaw

King Awesomolocity

Slick Southpaw

I don't mind that gCash is an option up front and explaining what it is, but I'm iffy on the explanation (in regards to the PM).

GCash is not required to enjoy the site, after all. There are different paths a new user can take to be successful 3nodding

Just realized I had you ignore listed for some reason. O_O
Just fixed that. Lol.

Anyways, yeah. That last bit is exactly what I say to new users. :3

~King Awesome

s'all good. heart

And agreed. I know I won't ever be rich cos I can't vend to save my life (and I think I've spent maaaaybe a grand total of $50 or $60 since I joined the site in uh, 2006ish) but there's other ways to do it, for sure!

I'm quite impressed with the varieties of options Gaia gives for users, I'm just not too thrilled that the implication that gCash is only the route to success.

Exactly. Their wording is annoying and (I would say suspiciously cash grabby, but...everything is now, so it's not suspicious) cash grabby.
Even mentioning that buying low and selling high on the market is a way to success would be good.
Pretty sure it used to say that on the front page. You know, until the new CEO took over.

~King Awesome

[King Awesomolocity]

Myrielle

King Awesomolocity

Myrielle

True that. You guys sure work a mean magic with investments, let me tell you.

Investments of time tend to be more rewarding than investments of cash, no matter how hard Gaia tries to challenge that.
Now, when Gaia re-releases the gold medal, I'll ragequit. Lol.

~King Awesome

You and Ma Ajmala. sad

Angelic Halo was previously untouchable until Gaia changed that. If they screw up 2/3 of the untouchables, I won't be happy. (The other untouchable is the 2003 easter egg)

~King Awesome

[Gavyn the Mighty]

Yeata Zi

Eh.

I'm not surprised.

I am Gavyn the Mighty and I approve of this message.

" Me either, unfortunately. "

Art by Samanthai