Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

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Dundridge Dreadlow
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Dundridge Dreadlow »

What about (to slightly misquote Red Dwarf)
..skins like Action Man, plastic underpants and a trademark.
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PS. Kitely is awesome.
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Ilan Tochner
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Ilan Tochner »

Whatever world we build to replace the Kitely Plaza will be an always-on world (once it becomes our official greeting world) so people won't arrive to it from a transfer station.

I think that for the foreseeable future, the great majority of new users who actually go inworld (and not just visit the Kitely website) will continue to be people who have experience using Second Life or OpenSim-based grids. I therefore think that the target audience should be those people and not someone who is new to SL-derived viewers. The main goal, IMO, is therefore to get SL and OpenSim veterans to understand the value of choosing Kitely over SL or some other OpenSim-based grid. We can have a small area close to the landing point provide some slides for using the basic functions of the viewer but I don't think that should be the main focus of that world.
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Dot Macchi »

Thanks, Ilan. That helps to narrow down what is needed in terms of information, and clarifies the audience and some of the priorities for the welcome area. I'll look through the thread so far, and see if it is possible to summarise various options in the light of this.
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Dot Macchi »

From Kitely's point of view, as Ilan made clear: "The main goal, IMO, is therefore to get SL and OpenSim veterans to understand the value of choosing Kitely over SL or some other OpenSim-based grid."

This brought to mind Allen's earlier post (http://www.kitely.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=4022#p4022)
Allen Partridge wrote:I'd suggest we start with 'What makes Kitely special?'
  • People who've come in are looking for basic info.
  • They probably want to spruce up their avie.
  • Meeting people and creating something are two good things to contribute to ongoing involvement.
So I'd say, keep it 'small' and 'simple' is the best possible idea. It should teach the Kitely differentiators without 'overtly teaching.' [...]
Kitely's Differentiators:
Smart Money: Kitely is priced by minutes you spend in world -- usually about 20 cents an hour (and some worlds are free.)
You are in Charge: Get your very own sim for free and do whatever you like with it.
Share, Swap & Sell: List the things you create on Kitely Marketplace -- the virtual marketplace that serves all grids
Other key Kitely differentiators are:
  • Megaregions (mentioned by quite a few in this thread)
  • The ease of OAR import and export
  • The fact that Hypergrid connection is on the to-do list ;)
All these could be subjects covered in an information area. Dundridge, Graham, Paul, Allen and Sierra (among others) made helpful suggestions how this might be done. However, this sort of detail might be a later step than where we are at the moment.

First impressions count
Sierra summarised it thus: "Noobies want to feel welcomed as part of the family. They want to feel safe, wanted, and informed. Established members are looking to be involvement in the community — they are generally looking for more advanced information & often for people." Her post contains many suggestions for how this might be achieved.

Kitting out a new avie
Ada recounted her experiences of visiting OSgrid, being able to kit out a new avie quickly and easily. This she was able to do on her own because of the layout and structure of the welcome region. "Well designed streets and every shop the same so I could kind of scoop through with my camera, pick up boxes and folders, and then head over to the sandbox to get set up." In a later post Ada suggested ways to meet the basic needs of kitting out an avie.

Encouraging people to spend time in the area, ready to greet and help those arriving
One regular suggestion seems to be for a naturalistic setting, at least for part of the welcome area. Rikku argued as follows: "More water & plant life very few places I have ever seen that were very popular based mostly on a a concrete neighborhood as many enjoy a forest or garden scene"

Graham suggested a village-like setting, including a cafe.

Single region or megaregion?
Opinions are divided on whether the welcome area should be a single region (Ada, Dot, Danko) or a megaregion (Rikku, Minethere, Sherrie). If the latter, it seems that there should be substantial bodies of water -- as Graham put it: "If you want to use a megaregion, don't feel you have to build over all of it. Have woods, fields, creeks and bays and take some of the learning trails down there. That way it's less of a ghost-town and you can always adapt an area or throw up a sky-platform for a training space for classes if and when needed."
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Olivia Lothiriel »

Olivia is seeing 2 different visions from 2 sides ,
I propose a build off with 2 welcome centers that go in Opposite directions regarding the hub's layout that can already be seen in the discussions ,
Do a resident Vote to see who win's? let the residents decide final one :D

Just a thought anyway, your pal Olivia :mrgreen:


Edited* Btw whatever happens kitely has some of best builders it will be a success that's a guarantee :D
Last edited by Olivia Lothiriel on Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Allen Partridge »

Great summary Dot. Wow, what an impressive example of evolving group conversation - it makes me really wish I could go through and like individual elements listed in the summary. Mostly I really respect so many great opinions and solid reasons. Should make for a very interesting conversation / next steps.
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Ruby O'Degee »

Disclaimer: This is my village wish list (highlight, underline and bold the word wish).

What Kitely offers is flexibility. Why not use its flexibility to build a village that shrinks and expands? A flexible village will look less empty when not used, and it can always be expanded to accommodate additional shops or events.

1. I would like to see a village build (2 X 2) . With the exception of median parks to separate building traffic, I think parks and gardens are what many Kitely builders already offer free to Kitely visitors. Why not direct visitors to gardens and park made by residents? Its the best way to advertise what Kitely offers to its residents - lots of space, artistic diversity and building material.

2. Village/cottage theme - where kites are flown on a March windy day. I would like to see new structures, not structures seen other places. Adapted structures might be usable. I like plazas, Greek and Roman theme builds, but those nice builds are already well done elsewhere.

3 I would like to see requirements for building be posted prior to building. I know that much was learned during the first plaza build. It would be nice to know in advance of building/volunteering what was learned and what we can do again.

4. I would like to see the following build components be permanently included in the flexible village build:
A. Landing Spot (two identical spots on either end of region). If it were possible to separate the landing coming in from worlds and the landing coming in from the vertex, there would be less jump clutter at the landing spot.

B. Greeting Center near the Landing Spot for confused travelers and folks who want to chat or meet. An optional teleport to a training or building college could be located a teleport away (likely up or way over). When the training or building college is not being used for classes, it could be used for other events, a sort of multipurpose build. If and when the use of the multipurpose build is overwhelmed with requests for use, another structure could be built a teleport away (up or over, OARed for use on a time to time basis). OARS are a wonderful thing. I am not sure a permanent training center is needed at all.

C. From the Greeting Center a"long" walk over a bridge to the Shopping Squares far away from the landing spot. The shops could be built around simple square or rectangle walkways with the "median" parks in the center (companion kites to fly & take home in the spring/sumer, skating in the winter & a spooky cemetery/pumpkin patch in the fall) - Window boxes, shingles, hanging signs, cobble sidewalks. Exterior options of 2 or 3 styles, one or 2 stories with clean details. Seaside or inland, it matters not. An Inland village is more unique, but water is inevitable and a great traffic median.

Shops should remain 512 or 1024 structures and open to shop owner interior decoration (G-rated).

D. Another possible option (at another level, up and away) - a flexible Builder's Showcase that changes out from time to time. The first builds from the plaza could be 1st builds displayed (not all at once). The art gallery & cafe could be an permanent showcase build. I am not sure whether this option is necessary either.

E. What I don't think the Village needs is competing activity builds, because clubs, runways and presentation builds can be stored until there is a need for those builds. A permanent hypergrid depot of some type should be planned for the time when it comes. A depot works well with a village theme.

While I am interested in community, I think community comes about naturally when there is a common purpose or location that stirs interest and inspiration. What a village build shouldn't do is compete with itself or the paying/hardworking builders who support it.
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Johnny Magic »

I agree with the general concepts people have put forward in this thread. As Danko said, there was an attempt to do too much in the current plaza. I agree that it should be small, clear and simple enough to navigate that a HUD is not necessary. It would be nice to have lots of good, clear, graphic explanations about the benefits of Kitely compared to other grids. Yes, the whole mega-region thing is incredible for the price but let's show people how much they can do with one region before worrying about filling 4 or 9 or more! A small welcome area that is full of energy and information would be better than a huge one full of empty buildings and shops. It could always be scaled up if necessary down the line. I, too, like the OS Grid welcome areas...straight-forward, free packages of useful stuff to get started, a few landmarks to interesting areas, and a path to follow when you first enter, explaining things as you move along. Providing a "yellow brick road" through all the information we are trying to convey would give visitors a focus and a good introduction to what Kitely has to offer. As they moved along, they would see clear, simple graphic explanations of what this world has to offer, how it is different from others and how much it costs. This is not the place to wow people with textures, scripts, and amazing designs. They can be given the opportunity to check these things out later with a few teleport stations to various regions around Kitely. As I have said in the other thread, I am more than willing to help out in any way I can.
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Allen Partridge »

A thought about this:

An exotic kite shop

A challenge from the kite shop operator (NPC)

Fly kite(s)
NPC's Flying Kites
(As Dun mentioned) could the NPC's give quests that lead to understanding Kitely Differentiators?
Windsurfing?
Hang gliding?
Parachuting?

Create a crystal clear brand identity associated with freedom & Learn the Kitely differentiators along the way
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Re: Kitely welcome area: What does it need to include?

Post by Olivia Lothiriel »

Always private welcome centers too as took a trip to see Sri Isodhyana it is really nice also very well built, it is very well is on pare with sims 3 or secondlife standards in terms of high quality..
I would have to say this builder of that world sould be asked to maybe give some feedback on this or even helping with a build..
But just a thought that's all :)

I will be taking a long vacation and look forward to seeing the welcome center in the future as I know everyone can do it and will,
..your Pal Olivia :mrgreen:
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