As a Beginner, What Would You Like to Know?

[DW_Ant]

I'm working on a tutorial level for players that are new to the server.

My question is:
What would you like to know when you first entered the server and how did you find your answer?

Topics I plan on covering as follows (in order):
1. Player spawns with certain weapons (introduce that each spawn differs from map-to-map)
2. The door to the next room is set on a timer (how long should it take for a player to get settled? Should it be a Team Progress Volume instead? I was planning on introducing the Team Progress Volume at a later state to keep things very simple at the beginning. Should the door wait until a rank 1 player is ready?)
3. Introduce the Assault aspect. The players will complete various 0-score objectives at the beginning.
4. The players will encounter defending monsters. 0-score, no damage.
5. At this part I would like to separate the rank 1's from the rank 2-4's. Rank 2-4's either have a choice, enter an infinite Iso Combat-like section, or become a friendly player monster for the Rank 1's (via Monster Selection menu). Only human players may progress the map. This will prevent the high levels from rushing the map.
6. At this stage, the monsters will deal damage (and gives points).

When the player dies:
If there aren't any survivors: a no xp resurrection event is triggered.
When there are other survivors: Display a warning about the piercing factor. Also give them a warning that the dead could become hostile monsters.
When a rank 1 player dies, then they are given an introduction to the player monster system.

7. There is an infinite resurrection shrine at various places. Introduce concept of resurrections (through shrines and critical objectives).
8. Every time the resurrection shrine is used (& it resurrects at least a player), all score modifiers for every monster for the current section decreases (less xp).
9. Introduce Experience Triggers (justify why it's important not to rush?)

10. The 3 main RPG classes should be introduced (briefly). The player will learn about the particular class when entering through a doorway. Not sure how this will be done without text. Perhaps a instigator-only cutscene? Showing the strength/weaknesses of the class. For example for the Paladin class: there is an AI player that'll represent the Paladin. The player will see that Paladin complete the following tasks:

• Taking numerous damage from monsters
• Attacking a monster (for awhile)
• Spawn health for others and self
• Various powerup abilities such as Armor Supremacy, Life Cord, and Spirits

Introduce threat?
Section 10 can be skipped. The player doesn't have to watch any cutscene to progress.

Should these cutscenes be watched while the rank 1 player is dead?

At this point, the player will get into advanced topics:
11. Infinite monsters. Small critters like the flies or pupae.
12. During the infinite monster section, the player must take some sort of objective piece up to another point in the map (a very easy/small jump trial).
13. That objective piece spawns a elemental resistant robot. This robot is immune to all resistances (but lightning). The player must find a link gun to kill the monster.
14. When players reach to safety from the infinite monsters, the game will introduce the concept of elemental resistant monsters.

• Robots are typically weak on lightning, but resistant on physical and poison
• Undead are typically immune to poison
• Lightning-based monsters (such as electric slith, electric dragon) are lightning resistant
• Which monsters are cold resistant, fire resistant, etc...

15. Not sure if this is necessary: Next room, the players lose all of their weapons and given a Bio Rifle, Shock Rifle, Minigun, Flame Thrower. Only elemental resistant monsters will spawn.
16. Next room, many supplies are given: Weapons, Ammo, Respawning adren pills and DWAdren pills (good spot to introduce weapon-stay weapons vs one-time pickup weapons... Introduce which items respawn?)
17. I think this is a good spot to introduce Team Progress volumes. Can't advance until majority of the players are ready.
18. At this point, the infinite resurrections are not accessible. Players are given a warning that they can lose the game if everyone dies. The last room is a boss fight. The boss spawns weak minions. The player must go through a simple sequence to make the boss vulnerable (TBA).



Some misc notes

• Normal player monsters will be enabled (including dedicated monsters). When the first hostile player monster spawns, messages will warn the players that they should expect to encounter a hostile player monster.
  It should be okay to allow player monsters here due to infinite friendly player monsters (if there are any volunteers), low level protection, and infinite respawns.
• I don't think it's relevant to introduce the Level Limiter. They can find out when they are beating the easy maps very easily.
• I don't want to introduce the End Game xp score requirement since that is at risk for being changed.
• I don't want to introduce the Necromancer Class since that class is at risk for significant changes. I also don't want to get them excited for that class if they can't even become that class.
• Should the rank system be introduced? If so, when?
• Level limit cut off for this map is 50. You can't gain exp when you hit rank 2 (excluding dedicated monsters and exp healing ability).
• Vehicles? Should we have them?
• When should the ME wiki url be displayed?

That's the current plan. Let me know if any of the topics stated above is irrelevant and should be removed. Let me know if there are any topics that should be covered for this tutorial level.[/color]

[Habulin]

Is it possible to add a quiz into the game? Like after a certain amount of *quests* the player has to answer correct to all upcoming questions. When answering wrong a penalty would maybe be somethink to think about. Or maybe you could add little side rooms with locked doors that give certain bonuses like a shield pack ect. The door would only open when the player solves a riddle which would be writen right next to the door. It could be either a interactive object or a time span in which the door is opened and then again closed. If the door gets closed the player that is inside instantly dies. This is only a little thing I came up when I read your post. Your idea about the whole thing is very good as I often encountered new players constantly asking questions about things they didn't understand. Even though I tried to answer their quesions as much as I could I told them that it is good to check the forum and the wiki but some still insisted to keep dieing. I hope your project will find it's right path. Utnile then I wish you luck.

PS: I am going to think about it a bit more.
LP Habulin

[DW_Ant]

Is it possible to add a quiz into the game? Like after a certain amount of *quests* the player has to answer correct to all upcoming questions.

It's possible, but I don't think a quiz is necessary. It'll slow the game play down.

Besides, the real quiz will come in through other maps, and the penalty for taking the wrong action often leads to taking damage.

[Azmodan]

That tutorial gives hope that some people may actually learn a bit :P

I like the idea so thanks for investing a lot of time in this Ant.

First of all, there is a combat section for rank 2-4 but noone above lvl 50 gets exp on the map? Guess you missed a bit there^^

Let me give you my thoughts about several points:

2. No team progress plz, takes long enough sometimes to gather the people for team volumes on different maps like the last part of nocturne, if they are new you have to force them around a bit with cutscenes so they get into motion. (Or suddenly elevate the floor to 45° so they slide into the next bit :sangel: )
I would say, with downloading time 2 minutes should be enough.

6.a a warning about the piercing would be nice all the time, not just in the tutorial. Something like: "Azmodan is out, piercing is now at 50%"

7. very important since its the first thing every new player asks when they enter the server: when do I get to play.

10. This is where I would put the links to the wiki since its one thing the wiki actually helps with (or so I hope), more information about the classes, abilities, requirements and costs.
When introducing the Berserker you can put info there that the weapon enchantments are found on the wiki.
When introducing the Support you can put info there that the pets can be found on the wiki (If I get the pictures and some HP and damage info. But I need to talk to you about pets anyways :ssmirk: )
When introducing the Paladin well... put it first so you can say "additional info about the the resistances and HP and such is on the wiki :stongue:

Also, don't show them any rank 4 stuff in the previews, it takes ages to get to rank 4 and I don't think a new player should chose a class because of stuff it gets on rank 4 since many of them won't ever get there.

If you force the rank 1 players to watch the cutscenes only when they are dead, there might be some who don't die^^. But an option to watch any of the cutscenes while you are dead would be nice (Spawn as PM into a room where you can trigger the stuff for yourself? idk about such stuff^^)

15. It is necessary, it hurts to see people above lvl 80 still shooting at gold angus with shock, or at E-Slith with LG or at enlightened with shock or LG... also a possibility to give a link to the wiki to see the monster resis we got on the monsters so far (or not since its only 1 package although there are some interesting facts in there like Skaarj lords doing fire damage and Skaarj Berserkers having 50% physical resistance)

16. I think you should introduce that not every vehicle in the game will respawn either, or that they might have major respawning times like a redeemer too. Don't think vehicles are necessary in the tutorial although I would love if the new players learn about the fact that vehicles CAN BE OBJECTIVES and that it is not a great idea to rush off with them and fuck up the map. (Although there aren't any of those maps online at the moment)

The ranking system should be introduced since it's the key point to everything in the rpg system. Maybe that will stop people from complaining that a rank 3 Paladin can take more damage then a rank 1 Berserker.
As to the point to where to introduce it.... I would try it in point 10.
When you start with the paladin doing different tasks let it spawn medkit lvl 2 (rank1) lvl 4 (rank 2) and lvl 5 (rank 3). To show how a higher rank can improve your abilities. Same could be done with support spawning 1-3 ammo packs or the berserker increasing his fire rate by 25,50,75% with trigger happy.
And it is important to tell them that a higher rank will increase your caps on HP, ammo and so on so the specializing into resistances doesn't happen with just choosing the class but with higher ranks as well. Not an easy thing to do though, I'll admit that.

[Thwart]

As a beginner, I would like to know where the Gold Shards are at? :swondering:

[SomethingToSay]

I don't know what gold shards are, but where are the relics 8-) lol.


I think if you're going to have people who have died and are waiting for next objective sent off into their own 1 player land it could be a bit weird, and every thing they're shown should be skippable, so if they already understand elemental resistance monsters, they can go on to the next thing. Also, if they die, start this 1 player quest, and 10 seconds later the rez point is hit, then what?

Most things I think are better off just by experimenting and playing with other players, or stuff like infinite monsters could just be a loading page line about "occasionally, monsters will infinitely spawn, and are worth 0 XP" etc. Not worth doing some tutorial for that.

Threat's pretty much always been my biggest question, I didn't realize when you make a spirit it only affects monsters alive(which makes it pretty crappy and mostly useless by itself), and I've always wondered if that is the same for weapon makers. When a berserk rolls a weapon, does the threat only apply to monsters alive? Of course they can just roll infinite times anyway if they have the adren :/



Something that a lot of the berserks, and early levels in particular, keep failing to understand horribly is the fact that they're meant to be cannonballs. They do tons of damage, rack up crazy XP, then die. They whine about not getting XP, but if they have damage masteries fully up and a few other weapon master techniques, they can easily get far more XP in just 1 life than a paladin can for half the map.

I do recall Sal seeming to not get this, unless he was just irked and trolling; he was calling Capn Crunch OP and whatever because Crunch lived the longest, but Crunch ended up being alive a good 5-10 minutes longer than everyone and still was well behind in total points(this was probably around a month ago, so he was only ~10 or less levels ahead of sal), so what's that matter, since as I recall Ant saying, everyone's main goal is just to level up?


When you select a class, you have to understand the implications. When you select paladin, you're not going to get jack for XP, even if you outlive people. When you select Berserk and get the masteries up, you're going to get tons of points and beat everyone up, but yes, for a while, you'll die more often. It happens.