We learn best when interacting with that which we are learning. Perhaps at some later date the Newbie would enter into the world through a \"Birth Cavern\" where he/she would be walked through the basic functions of all of those features through a set of battles and purchases and getting their first quest which would be to train and learn how to navigate through the World of Plane Shift.
Take the NPCs, Not easy to get information out of them, now is it? I understand that there is a basic \"talking\" program which hangs on key words and phrases to render a series of sentences out of the NPC back to the player. Great if one knows what kind of information to pump for, but for the \"newbie\" knowing what questions to ask in his/her first few days (perhaps weeks at this point) is frustrating especially when the NPC is calling you some not so nice things when you phrase a question wrong or - Gods forbid, misspell a word. Take that librarian, If I had a sword why I would cut out his tongue for his verbal abuse.
How about a tutorial NPC one who is more interactive that a newbie can go to and be prompted to ask the right things?
Instead of trying to figure out the right phrases this particular NPC will prompt a person it greets with suggestions on how to talk to other NPCs. This NPC would express the need for proper spelling, some grammar, and also give hints as to what questions are most often asked and get a quality response, such as \"What is your Name?\" \"What is your job?\" etc.
Part of the first quest would train you to look for loot after a kill. In many of the RPG games I have played before the loot falls out of the dead monster and you take it. In PS you have to click on the creature to find the loot. So I killed several rats which I walked away from before I found out that they have loot.
Through I have skills and I have trained (I think) with NPCs, I have no idea what these numbers mean nor do I even know if I really trained since when I click train on those that do train another window opens up. I have a suspicion that I am supposed to pay for training ? but nothing has indicated or came right out and said training cost something Nor have the NPCs said how much they want for training me ? Logically when one clicks on ?Train? that would prompt the NPC to say ?I train in X and Y, X costs $$ and Y costs $$$.?
The tutorial Quest would lead you to have to open up those windows and look at them, each part being explained as to what it does, what it means and hints given as to how you go about improving skills, stats etc. Like using the Potions ? I had to ask to find out how to use it, in a tutorial quest would have included the use of a potion walking one through each step, click on which button, move the potion to the character picture ? poof ? potion taken. Let?s say a set up battle where the player kills a rat, taking 50% HP damage, he it told to use the rat pelt and eye to sell to a merchant NPC and is told to buy a Potion of healing, then walked though how to use it regaining his HP for the next tutorial test.
I read a thread about food ? Perhaps the Training quest would include a few notes on eating and drinking and why one would do so. I saw another character carrying around a mug ? I assume she bought that for a reason ? there is no indication in game or in guide as to why one needs a mug.
I bought Lesser Potion of Healing. Hovering my cursor over the item I just get a name, it would be helpful to get some stats with that ? say 10% Healing or something along those lines thus one knows what they are getting. (Another side hint).
Having a goal or a general idea of what to do would be nice. The Tutorial Quest would point out in general terms the direction to go next. EXAMPLE: it would tell you that you need to make money and the best way to do that would be killing rats in the sewer. Perhaps it could tell one their options when it comes to training. Right now I have no clue where my character needs to go after I kill rats ? do I need a sword or a pick axe? Am I well suited for magic? Which NPC(s) would be the best ones to go to first for a quest? Do I need a sword before I get a quest? In the tutorial these basic questions would be asked, setting a firm foundation for game play. EXAMPLE: the Tutorial NPC would suggest that I kill rats and get a sword before visiting Herbert Long The Wayist to start training for Magic, Or Susan MacBeth the Warrior who would train me in sword play, or Prwyll Fyrn the Alchemist who would train me in alchemy. Here I have three options and a clue as to my options for developing my character.
Right now the Newbie is stumbling around in the Dark (Literally too with the black bug issue:)) Having a bit of training and introduction into the World of Plane Shift through experience would enable a newbie, the chance to have the very basic skills he/she needs to get into the game soonest and start playing with a basic idea of his/her options.
