HELPING NEW PLAYERS
HELPING RETURNEES
If a player has played Fed before in the past, she should already know how much fun the game is, so you won't have to persuade her to give it a try. However, you may have to get her to understand and accept the changes.
It is important that returnees understand that Fed2 is a different game. As far as the game play goes, there's a list of the way things have changed at http://www.ibgames.net/fed2/manuals/changes.html. Most people agree that most of the changes are positive ones, but some may mourn the loss of their favorite feature, whether it's spybeams, painting ships, the Duke puzzle or fighting. Play up the new stuff, such as the more flexible comms channels, the relay command, futures trading or FedTerm's auto-mapping. If there's something you think is particularly nifty in Fed2, don't be afraid to talk about it.
If the player asks for groats to pay off her ship loan, explain that players have to work their way through the ranks in Fed2 and cannot be bankrolled by other players. You need to convince her that the lower ranks are important and shouldn't be rushed through.
Ask the player what name they used to use in their version of Fed. If you were also a player at the same time, even if you don't remember them, you might have some friends in common, so ask what duchy she was in, who her friends were... try to make some kind of connection. As with all types of new player, the aim is to make her a part of the community, so she will come back again.
