@eonwind

We could add a map but we would need someone to make one, easier might be to just add iron next to levrus and tell the player they can mine there.

@sarco
Minning is not something you need to teach, hold a rick pick and click dig or /dig. Telling them about how you can only mine in certain spots need explaining.

@jilata

Every skill you will need to use in the tutorial will be given to the player if they don't start with it.at least level one

@novacadian

Many different trainers can be set in the tutorial, but if we do suggest they train we can give a selection based on the NPC.

@Aiwendil, i have a few responses for you.

Pop ups will be used to explain certain basics of the game but they are not very good at allowing lots of detail. I think I'll head them up with **READ IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT <TOPIC>** then if the player wants to read or not they know what they will be missing. Everything in the pop ups will also be included in a edit of the help file i will be making to match the tutorial once it is done.

Tutorial quests will be 100% limited to the tutorial, what i was making reference too was the possibility that you could revisit the tutorial at a later point for other quests, no real reason in not reusing this area later in the game. Bit of a waste if we don't reuse it.

The only thing like skill quest locks I've planed are race specific responses in reference to details like where they come from, how long they have been in Ylakium etc...

In regards to voices they will be gone from the tutorial as it might well evolve later and there is no point in making  anything so fixed as a dialog line until the tutorial is so complete it would be not worth making any further changes.

@ Talad

I've used that page a basis of my planning the new tutorial, npc settings, quest content, settings info to be given, additional props and other bits a pieces. There is however one impression i got from that page which I'm not going to develop in my remake for now.

This bit can be summed up with this line "The area has been reassigned to be (or outright created as) the regional assessment center for the Hydlaa region. The situation is critical, new waves of invasions coming from the Labyrinths".

With the game as it stands, there are no invasions from the stone labyrinths or anything even close to it. If you ignore that fact then there are also no stone labyrinth map(s) for you to explore and following on from that there aren't even any physical bronze door(s) for you to know where the entrances are.... So if we make the tutorial really heavy in regards to invasions, and the player(s) get into the game wanting to know about it and all the current players and npcs have nothing to say to you about it or any idea what these 'new waves of invasions' you are talking about are, that for me would a terrible way to introduce the game.

Because of this i have decided to scale it back, the stone labyrinth and all that stuff will be mentioned but not as a big overview for the tutorial. Once I've done this rework to add in a heavier reference to the labyrinth once the real in game world is more pointed in that direction would be easy.

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As an end comment, all the talking with people I've done in game and on IRC about this new design every comment has been positive and ill be using a number of little things people have mentioned. So please, if anyone has ideas about interesting little things i should say or let people know from NPCs or add to the tutorial let me know here and I'll let you know if I'll steal your idea or not.

Welcome to the ‘We're Remaking the tutorial so it’s fun and interesting thread’.

So something we will be doing over the next few months in between the other things we're working on is remaking the tutorial quests, if you haven’t done it you can see what you do here Tutorial_Walk_Through.

The reason for this is that it is the first taste that players get of the game and it is boring and uninteresting.

So what’s my overall plan?

Remove as much of the mechanics as I can from quests. You don’t need to tell players how to move, or how to interact with things in so much detail in the quests. It’s obvious and players aren’t that stupid. This means i will make the  quests me an introduction to the settings of PlaneShift and a real introduction to the game and where you have found yourself. Mechanics will be mixed in where fitting and the rest of it will be in on screen pop up messages triggered either by the end of the quest, or my walking certain points on the ground and then of course by a new and I hope better help file.

I will be including race specific and maybe gender specific responses.

I will be adding many more items to the tutorial, full sets of baking equipment, full sets of crafting equipment and other stalls with items on.. this is just to make the place more ‘alive’ and to give players more to go and click on.

I will be using proximity triggers so, for example, if you are sent to fight rats a popup will tell you about all the combat options.

We have discussed making the tutorial freely accessible so you can come and go and means we can link things the NPCs tell you to quests you do outside of the tutorial and you can be sent back in future quests (THIS IS TENTATIVE at best but an idea).

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So the new overview...

Quest 1: Abelia, the baker is paid to welcome people to Hydlaa, either visitors or those feeling stone labyrinth invasions with a welcome gift of a selection of food stuffs.

What do you learn;
Where you are? – Ylakium, the 7 levels, the dome, Hydlaa.
Where you came from, the fact your race entered though a portal or was made by the gods and how long ago it was.
Who’s in control, the Octarchy and basic government set up rules and laws.

Other: some spattering of skills you can do and gives you a selection of food stuffs to get started.

Ends with her giving you a small snack for Neave, and off you go to her.

Onscreen popup – information about the basic windows and what they are, and text to point you to the help file for more detailed info.


Quest 2: Neave, the black smith makes weapons for the local garrison and teaches you about the crafting side of PS.

You give her the lunch and get talking
You learn about the skills, the trainers, who does what, about the other cites and trade routes.
You find out she is a crafter and gives you a repaired weapon that Ibhaar asks for.

Onscreen popup – Information about using containers and crafting mechanics and points you to the help file.



Quest 3: Ibhaar, the annoyed warrior sent to look after the hydlaa welcome post, teaches you about all the combat in PS.

You give the blade to Ibhaar and you learn about who he is.
You learn about combat and weapon and armor types, good places to train and what you should start killing
That he use to be station the bronze doors and that they protect from what is found in the stone lybrinth.
He offers you one of his old blades and you get to pick one, he then says there have been some rats about that really annoy him and sends you off to kill one if you want with your new weapon.
He also tells you about the different styles of combat Weapons Vs Magic and mutters some not very flattering things about Orphia which then means off you go to her.
If you kill a rat and return to him you will have the option of giving him the items you have looted for a  small reward.

Onscreen popup – information about the combat sections and stances and send you to the help file for more detailed info.


Quest 4: Orphia, the mage sent to help the injured new comers to Hydlaa and teaches you about magic and the ways.

You start by saying what Ibhaar said about her, and she laughs and just says it’s because he is stuck here and he would like to be off at the bronze doors.

She teaches you the basics about magic and the different Ways and Circles and asks what you think sounds most interesting. You answer and she then gives you a glyph for that way. She will also mention that you should start off by seeing Levrus if you are interested in following magic.

Onscreen popup – details about using glyphs and research spells and sends you to the help file for more details.

Quest 5: Xargon, the government official who looks after the welcome post.

He will officially welcome you to Hydlaa, and tell you in more details about what you can find and do, temple, tavern, smithy, arena, plaza, library etc...

Maybe give you a few items. ‘Letter from a friend’ or something equivalent.

You then get sent to Xenak,

Quest 6 a/b.

A, will be the ‘I wana skip the tutorial option’ but will say something alongs the lines of ‘Are you sure you want to enter Hydlaa without talking the the welcome staff, they have many things to give you and lots to tell you about living in Hydlaa that will make you start here much easier.’

B, Will be the ‘I have completed the tutorial option’ when he welcomes you to Hydlaa and off you go to play.

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What you should bear in mind is that once I’m done writing all this up and as I've tried to indicate is that there will be a story of sorts that guides you from one NPC to the next, like it is now but will be settings heavy and not so much mechanic info. It will be made very clear many many times that the help file is where you need to go for details on the mechanics. These quests will also be covered in basic settings info, everything that I think the player should know and that I can get in and makes sense to say by the NPC.

Finally this is just a draft of what I am planning, what I would like to hear about is suggestions about how to make the tutorial more fun/better/interesting.

Do you like you the suggested path between npcs?
Would you do it differently?
Would you add more and make it really complex?
Would you like to see a simple intro to the game that pulls players in to they make it though the gate?
Do you love it the way it is and hope I don’t touch it at all?
Are there settings you think are vital to cover that I have explicitly mentioned?
Are there some items that a player should be given to make the first few hours of game player easier (they will get a weapon and glyph and lots of items of food)?
How long do you think it should take to complete all five quests?
Would more stalls and 'shops' make it looks more alive and interesting?
What about adding a mount so players can see we have them?
What props would help draw someone into the game?

I'm making a push to get the settings we have written released, some books were recently released (https://twitter.com/PlaneShift , https://twitter.com/Venalan ), I've got some more books coming soon. And the current prospects are also helping with new settings for a number of different topics, also more books coming soon.

Well you will just have to wait for Weltall and/or Talad to see your request and have them look at the back ups. I would also suggest file petition which I see you have done. Good luck on hoping the back up is recent.

My last post prompted one player to contact me about helping with settings which is fantastic as I didn't expect any to. If any one else would like to join him(?) please don't hesitate form contacting me we can always do with the help. The first thing you'd be asked to do is come up with a piece of content on any topic to create. So even if you only want to do one book or piece of work you would love to see in game you can.

I hope to see my in boxed filled

I really need to point out that I did essentially all of the work listed above myself, the only bits I didn't were from Talad who added 'quest notes' to a few quests and Daxa and Sarva who helped with a lot of the quest testing which was great hugely appreciated by me.