Right now the first level of the game on the Nautiloid serves as both a Prologue (introducing the main story) and as a Tutorial for the new player. I think it succeeds pretty well at the former, but not so much at the latter. So I wanted to see if we can get a discussion going specifically about the tutorial aspect and how it might be improved.
My first thought was that it might actually be advantageous to separate the Tutorial from the Prologue entirely, so that the Tutorial can be much more expansive or generic without burdening the main game's Prologue overmuch. Instead of something that happens in-story, a tutorial could be launched from the main menu as a general primer not just for BG3 but also for D&D more generally. You know for players who might not be totally familiar already. Something story adjacent, to use that horrid buzzword. A low stakes arena just to get the job done. The current prologue teaches you how to do the absolute basics, which is fine. Many people will have played enough games with similar features that they can dive in with no tutorial, and just need to be shown where the buttons are. Others I think might really benefit from something much more step by step.
I know that this is a big ask, but how about a tutorial that is actually presented as its own thing? Not directly connected to the main campaign, but which plays out over the course of a few little chapters, mini levels or tasks, which when completed will have introduced the entire User Interface to the player. This doesn't need to be voice acted, it could be simple text, and it could use stock characters rather than custom ones so its faster, but meant to showcase all the many things. Maybe 4 archetypal character classes warrior, wizard, priest and rogue? Just spitballing but the main game tabs I think should each get there own treatment, segmented in some way so that each gets an exposition going in order. Character Sheet, Equipment, Inventory, Spells, Journal etc. All the UI elements in turn. Portraits showing leadership position, how to chain/unchain characters, health experience or active effects (say from spells and the like) how to tell what's going on with the character from the portrait view or char sheet. Basically a tutorial mode that is more cordoned off and really tutors the whole way, driving it home, doesn't quit until everything have been given some treatment. Highlighting all the basic menus and essential mechanics, explaining in detail how to do all the standard actions. Prepare Spells. Rest. Barter. Combat Surfaces etc etc. Each with pop up guides and step by steps. I think it would be simpler to do as a stand alone quest, rather than as part of the main story arch trying to squeeze it all into the prologue. Nothing too fancy story-wise, it could be more the generic tropes or even comic or self effacing, since it's just an excuse to give the UI its own full treatment in a one-off mini-quest type tutorial.
It would be amusing for fan service if the Tutorial ended in a library, with "Tutorial Team" picking up a tome written by Volo... You know the one about the famous Mind Flaying of Baldur's Gate hehe, and when you crack open the book, boom - the Prologue.
But set up aside, which things would be good to have in a tutorial that aren't there currently?
Just using my archetype shorthand maybe something like...
Warrior: how to equip and toggle weapons, dual wield, shove, pin, second wind, rally and the like
Wizard: how to cast from scroll or write magic, prepare spells, summon, hotbar
Rogue: how to unchain from group, sneak, dash, backstab, steal, barter
Priest: how to help, heal, consume portions, cast water on a surface, revive, rest
Again not too fancy, there's overlap, but just getting a group of 4 together, to show how things work there in some basic set up. Maybe a tavern brawl? I don't care, could be anywhere. But how to select party members from the group or use various tabs to select them or get information about the party. Level Up. I don't need it to knock my socks off, just show me how everything is done, what's where, how its organized. How to understand the tabs/icons/menu's on the screen even if I've never played D&D before. This would be a really easy place to set up a kind of arena of classic tropes to show us the ropes. If that makes sense. Everything from how to light a torch, to straight up raising the dead. Just run through the gauntlet once, so every feature gets a little spotlight. This could of course all be done in the prologue too or at the crash site and geared around the protagonist, but then it would really diminish the pacing and probably drag on too long. I just think it might be simpler to pull off with a more generic presentation and 4 ready-mades, where we just go step by step.
Another approach, more involved, is to just make the Nautiloid in Hell tutorial a much more expansive tutorial. One that features a throw away rogue or spellcaster. They don't need to survive the crash. Or hell it could just be Gale or Shadowheart without breaking continuity with their intros on the beach, since they both already acknowledge seeing you "On the ship." Gale could just be on the ship instead of random warp point salutations. Doesn't have to be all chummy about it, it could be handled like Lae'zel 'no time to explain' style. This makes at least as much sense as meeting everyone on the beach, except here you could have clear reasons to immediately run into 3 people.
Us is fun, but doesn't teach us much. Maybe if Us was actually a rogue? I wish the standard party was larger than 4, because then you don't need to account for Charname's abilities, but even limited to 3 companions you could still make it work. In fact that would just teach the player how to reform their party (via conversation) in the Tutorial section, which would also be useful to know.
I can't tell you how many things I didn't even know were a thing, or how to do them, until I got well into the Goblin's camp during the first playthrough. I'd prefer that the tutorial didn't extent beyond the Nautiloid, but there's not enough going on in the Nautiloid prologue for the player to see everything they might need to consider themselves well and fully tutored. It should probably be the last thing out of EA, and maybe not the highest priority right now, since some stuff could be subject to change, but I really who love to see a tutorial that pulls out all the stops.
At the end of the tutorial, if player elects to do it, they shouldn't get experience but instead be able to buy their starting equipment. I think that would be a nice touch, without breaking the xp scale of the opening act.
But most importantly, we should be able to skip it entirely once we're done! If we want to haha
Honestly, it really doesn't need to be part of the main campaign, which is why I kinda liked the idea of separating it off a bit more with its own launch, another button in addition to New Game, Continue, Load game. Anyhow, that's what I was thinking just now, after playing the escape from the Nautiloid ship for like the 20th time. Lets make the Tutorial it's own thing, separate from the main game, and players who wish to bypass can just begin at the Cutscene Crash on the Beach.
best
Elk
Last edited by Black_Elk; 23/10/20 11:17 PM.
