This is part 2 of my suggestion.

Here's part 1 in post #87: https://forums.dust514.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=84956&p=5

Some time passes by and the player ends up in a boot camp of their chosen faction. Along with other recruits, the player is taught by a drill sergeant in a training area. The tutorial will be split into these categories:

Movement
In this tutorial, the player learns how to sprint, crouch, jump, and hurdle (if it's a future feature) in an obstacle course. After completing the course, the option to change controller/mouse and keyboard/Playstation Move Sharpshooter settings appears.

Shooting
In a shooting range, the shooting mechanics are explained and different weapons can be swapped out to try out other shooting methods and learn what is effective against shields and armor. How to use grenades will be taught here as well.

Vehicles
In an open area, the player learns how to control vehicles, how to call and recall them, and can change their vehicle settings at the end.

Miscellaneous
Squad orders, installations, hacking, melee, HUD, and orbital strikes are explained. The player is also killed on purpose to learn about the respawn screen.

After boot camp, the player is sent to their quarters. They recieve an e-mail welcoming them and suggests to start a tutorial to learn about the Neocom and chat functions. To guide the player, there will be arrows and voice recordings.

Battle
Explains the games modes and battle types in the Battle Finder, the starmap, and planetary conquest

Character
Explains the character sheet, how to skill points while suggesting what skill books to start with, the wallet, and augmentations

Fittings
Teaches how to modify fittings and gives starter fits of different roles to help decide what path to take.

Market
Shows what can be bought and explains that these items will be lost when killed in battle.

Social
Explains how to send and receive mail; how to use, create, and join chat channels; and how to create and join squads

Corporation
Explains what corporations are; how to to create, join leave them; and corporation roles

System Operation
Briefly explains that settings can be changed here

Help
Briefly explains that the tutorial is available here and can replay it at any time

*New* - Encyclopedia
Has more information about New Eden history, factions, items, etc. Similar to Mass Effect's Codex

After the player is done with the tutorial and graduates from Instant Battle Academy, he/she is free to leave a mark on New Eden.

I've seen your first post. Very Half-lifey or Dead Spacey. I kinda like anything that helps the player feel like a part of the game.
But what i like most is your suggestions about on the ground bootcamp. I made a long case last week regarding how critical this part is. Dust is different from many FPS regarding the gameplay. Ranges, efficiency vs shield armor, calling vehicle, orbital strikes, uplinks etc..

Everything needs to be explained. Not through pages of text but through actual gameplay. Every FPS out there has its own bootcamp. Even MAG, who had a very ****** NPE had a small (useless) bootcamp. Dust needs one even more. And PVE would be the PERFECT ground to set all those NPE trainings.

Overall, i'm liking everything i see in this thread. Makes obvious the fact that NPE is key to this game survival.

I'm not going to go as in depth as some of these people here, I just wanted to make a quick suggestion (which I know has been suggested before, but it's worth reiterating.

CCP: Hopefully at this point you realize that the transition from Academy to regular matches can be quite rough on new players. I've seen some disheartening posts from new players, where it sounds like thanks to the Academy they were having a lot of fun and getting a hang of the game, and then they got tossed in matches with full squads in proto gear and became frustrated.

I suggest that you smooth the transition by adding a couple more categories, like from 10,000 - 30,000 WP you go the 'Training Facility', and then from 30,000 to 60,000 WP you go to the 'Proving Grounds'. With a system like this, player will 'grow up' gradually with other players of a similar experience level before they get put into battles with closed beta veterans and the like. Maybe you could make it so they can choose their game mode in these areas, so they start getting used to the game.

And I have another suggestion, which you should take whether or not you choose to implement a system like I proposed: You should really notify players that a) they are in the Academy in the first place, and b) notify them when they have graduated from the Academy.

The reason why you would use a text tutorial is for cheaper and quicker globalization. As spoken tutorials do require revoice acting everyone

The reason why you would use a text tutorial is for cheaper and quicker globalization. As spoken tutorials do require revoice acting everyone

God, I'm glad. Absolutely NO voice acting at all. Besides, I'm deaf IRL. I have deaf buddies that play with me. I'm thankful for the in-game text chats, though.

First of all battle academy is cool and all but there needs to be public queues with gear level restriction afterward -
Highsec - Standard only, Lowsec - no prototype, Nullsec - anything goes. It only makes sense that prototype and advanced gear would be banned by Concord and fits containing them rendered INVALID in these areas.

Let players flag themselves for each security zone in the queue with ISk, SP gain, and salvage drop table bonuses for those that flag themselves for two or more - to keep the queues a poppin'.

Also, allowing players to respec at will in Battle academy would be a huge plus with one last repec at graduation. Also, battle academy should be a Higsec zone restriction on gear to keep idlers from boosting by keeping their WP low while packing on the SP to farm fellow academy members.

The reason why you would use a text tutorial is for cheaper and quicker globalization. As spoken tutorials do require revoice acting everyone

That sir, is why we have Subtitles for the folks who speak differing Languages

While true, ccp has already made efforts to localize Athena to other languages. As long as the voiced tutorials remain generic enough to be 'future proofed' it should be decent.

Today's Scenario:

Let us pretend you are the guy in charge in designing the entire new player experience. You have a team able to make new features and major changes to the game. Your job today is to draft a plan on improving, designing, goal setting, or storyboarding the entire experience. Use whatever means possible for in the game even if it means starting from the ground up.

Remember you are trying improve a section of the game for a player who doesn't know anything about Dust 514 and introduce the player to the ins and out of this game without having to leave the boundaries of the game so that players should not have to go to a wiki website to learn how to play or download Dust 514's users manual.

This thread is being watched so be thoughtful on your replies.

1. I would change the "news" window of the loading screen with every daily update. Report any changes to the game or upcoming events. Basically try to give information you currently only get from checking the forums and show new players (and old) that the game is regularly changing and growing.

2. Walk new players through in game communications. a quick video could show how to activate/switch voice to different channels and create/join squads. Teaching the use of mail, creating/joining channels and the notification tab would also be great.

3. Give new players an easy way to try all of the suit and weapon types. I would love to see prefabricated militia fittings like the starter fits only consumable (for ISK) on the market. HMG heavy, scout shotgun, mass driver logistics, scrambler rifle assault. Just buy a stack of whatever sounds good and jump into a match. This would require adding milita variants to a lot of guns, but I don't think that is a bad idea either. Skilling into a weapon (like mass drivers) because it sounds cool and deciding you don't like it is a bad and unnecessary experience.

---

Other thoughts:

The character creation/boot camp scenario at the beginning of System Shock 2 should be (re)played through by CCP for inspiration. A scripted, multi-path scenario that walks a new player through actually using weapons and equipment as well as interacting with the environment. Perhaps a coupon system that pays for the first couple of skill books (not skills) after completion of specific areas of training like Dropsuit Command, Dropsuit Upgrades and Weaponry.

Ok, I'm going to say what I would have liked to walk into the first time I played this game.
In this set of ideals I will try to present principles and points of view more than any actual #'s where they may apply, as the in game numbers and values are always changing anyhow. So here it goes.

--1. THE INTRO VIDEO--
a. The intro video should be changed. Launching the game one should meet a video that opens their view to New Eden and where DUST fits into it.

b. I imagine an outside in perspective. Meaning you open up with distant views: Solar systems, stars, suns, black holes consuming planetary bodies at a surreal distance.
Then you begin to inform the player of the solar systems, how the known systems are divided up amongst the 4 empires. Talk about how this space and the planets in these regions are important to them. (Perhaps throw in a little EVE background here to add to "Why are they fighting")

c. Then begin to show a few action scenes. I inagine a quick pacing range of images from the space conflicts of EVE down to the dirt where the metal meets the meat to a quick flash of death to a clone and the stripping force of it's conscience being spit into a new body.

(The first visual story point here being to start off from a vast perspective and begin to funnel down to what is happening. I lightly tried to apply the idea of a cycle from the beginning to the end of what you see. The concept of suns and stars, to a blackhole twisting matter into the unknown. To the end, where the life and death cycle of merc clones in conflict is seen on the ground)

--2. CHARACTER CREATION--
a. After the intro you go to your character creation much like you do now. The character creation process currently does it's purpose well I believe.

--3.THE MILITIA OFFICE--
a. After your character is created you should be ported to a militia office. This would be a governmental recruitment center that your character would first appear in. This would be the ideal place to interact with your first NPC's. I figure, faction officers, other mercs, concerned civilians. There are many possibilities.

(my thinking here is since it is your character's first time doing anything, that before you are allowed to be cloned repetetively and be shipped off anywhere you get educated here at the MO. Also this would maintain the character detail that the character you made is/was a citizen, not some conjured entity.

b. The point of the terminal is mostly for role play immersion efforts, but from here there could be learning terminals/videos/ exercises like some tutorials described in detail by others, and a port to the academy. The tutorials and battle simulators would be accessed via some neural/ virtual uplink.
Other applications of the Milita office could be implemented as well. It is a modular type of location that would provide expaination, involvement within locales of New Eden, and would help to make you feel like the game is bigger than you.

c. After you do what you want to do there you are finally issued your first batch of equipment that you own, given access to your portable merc quarters, and given cloning rights and resources. The milita office exploration and learning part could be optional with the choice upon arriving to go straight to your merc quarters, but you sould be issued better/more stuff if you go through it by your parent faction.)


(I feel a character, story immersion part is needed between character creation and ending up in the merc quarters, and that's the point of the Militia Office. Plus it has much unsaid potential for expansion I think.)

--4. MERC QUARTERS--
a. The Merc quarters is now yours. It is the habitat of your currently animated self. From here you should have access to news feeds all relevant and non relevant (immersion)

b. Within the merc quarters there should be 3 battle resources:
- CORP hiring resource. where corps could put up advertisements, applications, info, whatever you make available to them. Once you join a corp this terminal would become your corp battle finder area.
- Faction Battles. Since it was initially your chosen faction that sent you on your way there should be a division of battles so you can fight for them. I imagine loyaty points and faction discounts would work well with this idea.
- Finally a Freelance Digest, a insta battle/ pick your highest bidder battle finder. Basically a battle finding resource that doesn't fit into Corp or faction battles.

c. Essentially once your in your MQ either by direct skipping of the Militia Office services or by training in all prior exercises you are free to battle and explore the items, strategies, and play options all on your own.

d. The player should have access to information, fit and equipment resources, training videos/ tutorials via a kind of in game encyclopedia. I imagine an implanted PDA that can be accessed by thought. (there could be a neat interface that pops up with this info as if you had it indexed in your mind.

EDIT: Within the outline I see the ideas of others, myself, and what is already present in the game coming togerther to feel like you are indeed stepping into a large and expansive universe.

Backgrounds

Each race/bloodline combination should have a history that's fleshed out. Most of the background universe is just window-dressing at the moment, but I think fleshing out what the civilizations are, what they stand for, brief history, their combat ethos, and their aesthetics would help players identify more with who they're creating.

The current text blurbs are very short, and tell the uninformed little about the given factions and bloodlines. I think having the AI voice narrate an optional video about the civilization (similiar to PS-home vids) would aid in selection. I think of that as a "general" level selection. After actually making the character, a slightly longer introduction with a brief (also AI-read) description of your bloodline's place in all this would also be good.

An in-game reference kiosk in your MQ to look at the history/nature of other bloodlines and factions (with a spin given by your current faction) would also help immersion.

For instance, people can currently buy a "Khanid" Scrambler pistol in the store with a description that notes they are rarely seen outside the "kingdom". They can also pick Khanid as a race. In-game, this is mostly just confusing (Amarr Empire has a Kingdom in it? What?), but an introduction that gave an abstract-length version of the history and place in the empire would fix that. As-is, any background on the universe must be found on the net elsewhere, as there are no resources for that information in-game. The established lore is a strength of the game that should be used.

This becomes important when you're pitching something like faction warfare as well. If you're an EVE player, then you might already know what the factions are about. A new player (besides FW lacking any unique rewards or loyalty benefits) will find the FW conflicts utterly obtuse and no different from the random contractors mentioned in instant battles.

Tutorial

The current tutorials are very basic, and that's not bad necessarily. However, more complex functions of things like combat commands need to be communicated. I'd suggest a series of training missions (with no rewards) that instruct a player on basic concepts available from the same menu as the battle academy.

I'd break them up into categories, starting with something like HUD specifics (including things like range to target, weapon efficiency, and notifications). Mechanics like usage of supply depots to switch fits, ladder operation, and turret installation operation would also fit a basic mechanics sort of mission.

A mission that takes you through weapon usage would also be good, something that gives you instruction on how weapons have ideal ranges, and having them fire/aim at different static targets. That mission would also ideally introduce them to a variety of weapon types; a supply depot with a set of fittings using every weapon so they can swap out to fire at training dummies would be good here.

A mission that introduces squad orders would also be good. I'd suggest the tutorial demonstrating how to create a squad, then invite players. After a squad forms with the fake AI players, the player can be talked through executing squad orders on his/her static squad. Finally, the mission should demonstrate how to call off-map support like an orbital strike or call in a vehicle. The mission should emphasize the importance and benefits of being in a squad.

Lastly, a mission that allows players to experiment with vehicle controls might be useful. I'm not sure if "trial by fire" as far as learning vehicle mechanics is an intentional element or not. It seems... slightly odd that you can only learn the controls of tanks/dropships while under attack. If it's intended, then I suppose this one isn't necessary.

Just an off the cuff dumb idea and not a suggestion, so I hope I won't get roasted, but having some type of planet to planet transportation system, with costs based on the expected skill level, could allow people to self-segregate. The beginner would not have the coin to get there (to high level planets) and would get owned if they did. Also, due to the risk/reward concept the ISK and drops in those areas would attract higher level folks who wouldn't want to waste time stomping newbs.

Good players will go play for higher stakes as soon as they are able to pay for the entrance fee and not get stomped. If stomped, they can return. However, it might be necessary to deny access to some of the beginner "planets" eventually.

To me, this is a lot more fun that slapping people into a battle academy. It has the chance to add to the concept of the game itself (another type of progression) while serving a purpose. More fixes should end up with this type of effect instead of breaking something or acting like a clunky barrier that gets in the way of enjoyment.

I have to diagree.
The game gives you no information on a character, other than a back story before character creation.
My idea allows new players to: Test any race, and weapon prior to the SP dump that dust is, this would infact decrease the amount of mistakes made, by allowing players to see wether something is what they thought it would be or not. Take the medic(starter fit), it is in no way shape or form a preview of what a medic/logi is, a new player won't know this, unless he spends x amount of time looking thru every suit (implying that he understands the symbols for slot alocation).

After the academy, you then are put into the full game, where ISK, SP have to be carefully managed. I don't think we should force people to understand everything from scratch, without any real knowledge other than skirmish/ambush, and mispending.

The more players that leave the academy with understanding and a plan, the better our fights will become, what helps them, will also improve our game(to an extent, some people are just stupid)

Easy implement 3 mode which will get players ready for indebt fighting but taking steps:
Militia mode: were player can only use militia gear
Mercenary mode: players can use standerd and advanced gear, while restricting prototype gear
Elite mode: players can use any gear including prototype, this will be the only mode that will have PC, FW and all other good modes

This will balance the playing field and let new players adjust while they unlock more andvancd gear. Instead of being overwelmed by prototye players. Because new people tend to quit on this game when this happen