Simply having a 'good idea' list that can be muted for new users would be plenty on this, just something to make steemit.chat, the avatar option and maybe a help channel be known.

There definitely needs to be some sort of guidance for new users. I remember having no idea how to get started when I first joined, and it took a couple weeks before I even realized Steemit Chat existed. It was like feeling my way around in a dark room, slowly learning the contours of the furniture.

I very much approach Steemit (and just about anything in life) as some form of game

Life is always more interesting when you treat it as a game! Even at work, gamification is used on the internal company web site. You get a certain number of points for every code check in, employee peer review, and post on the firm's internal social network (designed to promote the sharing of business knowledge). I'm currently an "Apprentice User" with around 200 points.

I've talked on the badges with a few users which we may try providing on our own to people.

Sounds like the seed of a great new Steemit project! Habe you mentioned it to @good-karma ? I wonder if he would be willing to build an achievement system into some new version of the eSteem mobile app.