Tutorials - When is it too much?
by Masaki Oyata · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 01/27/2012 (12:08 pm) · 7 replies
There are a lot of games nowadays that tend to baby a player sometimes to the point of minutia. This was a topic in a video I watched, Sequelitis Megaman. One of the things I tend to agree with is that when a game constantly tells you how to do something new, it gets annoying. Usually when someone sits down to play a game, they either read the instruction manual or start playing and hit buttons. This should at least cover the basic actions in the game.
Games should organically teach you how to play the game. The only time there should be a tutorial is for systems that could be complex or new. The best use of a tutorial system for new players is Skullgirls. It teaches you how to play a fighting game. What block strings are, cross-ups, etc.
How do you approach teaching someone to play a game?
Games should organically teach you how to play the game. The only time there should be a tutorial is for systems that could be complex or new. The best use of a tutorial system for new players is Skullgirls. It teaches you how to play a fighting game. What block strings are, cross-ups, etc.
How do you approach teaching someone to play a game?
#2
01/31/2012 (5:26 am)
Valve's Portal and Portal 2 are the best examples of teaching players I think. You can play through them with a developer commentary explaining their design decisions. 
#3
Arma is a good example of the first.
FreeSpace is a good example of the second.
HalfLife2+ is a great example of annoying me with a pop-up text hint of what key to use which I cannot disable ...
01/31/2012 (6:19 am)
Like Tuomas, I prefer tutorials to be independant of the main game, and have their own button on the main menu. Failing that, to be skippable.Arma is a good example of the first.
FreeSpace is a good example of the second.
HalfLife2+ is a great example of annoying me with a pop-up text hint of what key to use which I cannot disable ...
#4
01/31/2012 (9:37 am)
And don't get me started on The Force Unleashed - on the PC the hints are worse than useless if you've remapped your keys (which I ALWAYS do) because they're hardcoded to the defaults. 
#5
If you already know you can easily blow through the level though, and it's not exactly a boring level either. They have still been entertaining, but just not quite as challenging as others.
Of course that's a PS3 game, but I imagine it could be incorporated to a degree in a PC game. Show the user the basic functions as they play through the initial level have them refer to the manual for all the other stuff.
02/08/2012 (7:27 am)
I like the way it was done in the uncharted series. Your first level is a super easy level where all the basic functions are used and each step it tells you how to use it and waits for you to do it successfully before moving on. If you already know you can easily blow through the level though, and it's not exactly a boring level either. They have still been entertaining, but just not quite as challenging as others.
Of course that's a PS3 game, but I imagine it could be incorporated to a degree in a PC game. Show the user the basic functions as they play through the initial level have them refer to the manual for all the other stuff.
#6
Bottom line is it should be skippable or not part of the main game.
Part of the fun of playing a game used to be figuring out how to play the game.
02/08/2012 (1:04 pm)
In Oblivion people cannot skip the Tutorial (dungeon) unless they load a mod. Consequently there are a LOT of alternate start mods. That should tell you what players think about forced tutorials.Bottom line is it should be skippable or not part of the main game.
Part of the fun of playing a game used to be figuring out how to play the game.
#7
02/09/2012 (3:09 am)
I think everyone like to feel smart, a tutorial should do just the right amount of hand holding to present the problem to the player and make him feel good because he figured it all out without hand holding. 
Torque 3D Owner Tuomas Kaukoranta