Beginners retention

It is quite obvious (I believe) that the quality of the game increase, imagination, creativity, but also frequency and availability of the games depend on the NUMBER of the players involved. It is equally obvious I think that the number of the players naturally is diminishing (deaths, disgust for the game, lack of time...) and we therefore continuously need new players. Finally, new players (who arrive often) need to STAY with us. And that's where we have a problem.

It's been probably at least 3 years I've been advocating here for a drastic LIMITATION of the access of the new players. I strongly, very strongly believe that players with less than maybe 50 or 100 games shouldn't have access (joining) to games other than Standard Rapid FFA or Teams.

Currently a lot of curious players come, join just any game and find themselves for instance in something dramatically different from standard (War for Throne for example, or King safety) or in antichess or in hyper...

I think they SHOULDN'T have access to blitz/bullet/hyper neither. Come on, they're discovering the game! They have FIRST begin by something basic, with no critical time constraint.

https://www.chess.com/variants/4-player-chess/game/30133914

Why do I strongly believe such a limitation should be implemented ASAP?

a) many of them come, are killed within seconds and then never come back (disgusted), and even are able to communicate saying that 4p chess is nonsense or BS. It's clearly very bad from marketing point of view and doesn't contribute to promote our beautiful hobby,

b) it's not good neither (from marketing point of view) that newcomers judge about 4p chess GENERALLY after maybe just 1-2 games in some weird variant,

c) if we want people to stay, they should first understand the main game, and rather calmly, without time pressure, hence Rapid and Standard FFA or Teams,

d) it is clearly very unfair for their opps, for whom it becomes much more complicated to win.

This is an interesting idea.

I think it would need to include a few of the 2P variants, a well. Obviously, things like 960, 3+, or KotH should be accessible. I think that Chaturanga, Gothic, and Duck would be good, as well.

Maybe when a player first joins it should suggest a game to play, maybe shows them the first few with bots

YouTube, maybe you could try to avoid your usual SPAM on the forums? Cf. the forum rule. You have to write relevant things, related to the topic. Here it is (as quite often with you) totally off-topic. Thank you.

i am agree with you, but this idea is not too ... brutal and injust for them? 

i am just a little worry by this strong rule, i think we can find an alternative solution less radical.

Basically what I suggest, that if a new player (or a beginner, under some number of games played so far) clicks on "JOIN", the thingy tells him "New players may only join Standard Rapid FFA or Teams game, as measure of protection. Once you've played 50 games, you will be able to join any game, whatever the timing, parameters or peculiarities". 

(Another solution could be even to avoid SHOWING other games to them, but I think it is not good: it's better to let them see that this game is very rich, and it would incite them to reach the requested level ASAP, it's a good teasing I believe as it creates a positive incentive, whereas currently we're creating unfortunately a negative one, for those who by chance join something very specific. For instance imagine someone who joins a WFT or King Safety game, it creates a bad understanding of what 4p chess is. And believe me I've already seen MANY players who join a WFT game, ruin it for other players , disconnect without saying good bye and we all have to wait for 2-3 min., and THEY NEVER COME BACK THEN, I've already checked many cases like that. What will they say about 4p chess later, what do you think?... Is it a good advertisement for us? I don't think so).

Here’s another option.

Instead of prohibiting new players from joining these games, you would instead have little “Recommended” icons next to the more standard variants.

I'm with ya, they should join whatever they want, but Indi's right. They should stick to rapid and the top players should help newer players out. Maybe in concurrence with the league, we can spectate the lower games, make the league more popular among them as well too

Yes, they would join regardless, wouldn't even notice there is an icon there. Basically when you're new to the 4p chess, EVERYTHING looks so complicated and a total magma, so you just click where you can

In my honest opinion, we should not just entirely prohibit them, we should have a starting survey to find out who players are and what they'd like to try. The following questions should be answered in the survey:

1. Is the player new to chess, and how strong they are at chess? It's not uncommon that the strong chess players find more interest in either variants similar to chess (Common tab) or highly complicated weird variants they'd like to try out.

2. What the player thinks about fairy pieces? If they utterly hate them from the mere idea, don't propose them to play variants with lots of fairies, but if they are positive about them enhancing the game then propose them to add some variants too.

3. What if the player dislikes all 4P/2P? Then sure, set those filters to default.

4. Add some secondary questions, i.e. do you want it to not be tactical or do you want crazyhouse-style tactics?

This way we can accommodate for all the types of the players, and most importantly allow for the enhanced retention of players, which is important. There should be a discouraged option to just remove all the limitations, but any player should be able to just do that if they go to settings for example.

After all, beginners may leave for a while but if you force a titled player wanting to try a variant their friend suggested them to play due to their playstyle you're probably losing a player who'd devote more games to that exact variant if they like it, and for sure they don't want to waste time on playing standard FFA if they don't like it for some reason.

I've worked for "some years" in web-marketing. And as far as I understood my job, I found out that if you want an effective flow, you must make it as simple as possible for the user.

Maybe when a member first goes to the Variants tab, there’s a pop up that gives the option of a tutorial.

why not add a rule « forbidden to beginners »

we put it or we don't put it

I insist, this idea should be given consideration. The fact that beginners join anything else but STANDARD RAPID FFA/TEAMS is very harmful and detrimental to the development of our game.

Someone totally new, curious about our nice game, and who joins a bullet, a blitz, a giveaway, or a weird variant, or something with fairy pieces, is not likely to stay with us. It is not good for the community and the enlargement of the players base and the retention.

In addition, such games (with total beginners) are boring and don't help THEM to discover the game correctly. 

Today a record was broken: I joined a blitz game where I found myself with THREE 0 GAMES players. THREE! Doesn't make sense, by any means. (And don't tell me "not to join unlimited games" because it only works correctly for Rapid, whereas in blitz and bullet there are not enough high level games).

https://www.chess.com/variants/4-player-chess/game/30723399

oh wow such an amazing record