I owe a great deal to Tap-Repeatedly.com. Without the opportunity that their editor and overlord, Steerpike, gave me, I wouldn't have been able to take the steps I have into writing about MMOGs on a permanent basis. It just so happens that my brother, Gregg B, also writes for Tap-Repeatedly.com and both he and Steerpike are complete amateurs when it comes to MMOG's. So much so, the most either have done in the genre is kill a carrion spider in Dark Age of Camelot and spend 8 minutes in Rift. Which I guess makes me my brothers polar opposite, because for the last ten years I've probably played nothing but MMOGs.
With that in mind and the final Beta weekend having arrived, I invited both Steerpike and my brother to join me in Tyria to let them finally play the game I've written about for so long. Gregg's Guild Wars 2 (Noob) Beta Impression is now live over at TAP and it really is a gem of a read.
In many respect I hope ArenaNet pay close attention to it as he raises some valid points many of us have championed for a long time: suitable tutorials for players completely new to the genre. Things those of us take for granted really can be quite overwhelming so head on over and take a read and lend them your comments, it really is well worth it.
You can contact the author of this post by email at lewisb@tentonhammer.com or follow them on Twitter @PersistentWorld
Comments
I must sort of admit that the beginning of the game is a death trap to new players.
If you have no idea what you're doing I can understand the intro being confusing, especially if several other players are involved in it. Many people also focus too much on the renown events, doing what I like to call collecting the candy papers and throwing away the candies. Sure, there's nothing wrong with collecting candy papers, but they're not why you should be buying candies.
Are you a guardian? Let me introduce you to my Flesh Golem, he's getting a bit hungry.
Agreed. For the absolute MMOG noob I'd have a hard time recommending anything other than playing a human to start, because that race has the most noob-friendly intro and starting zones.
I've heard it suggested that ArenaNet wants the Intro to, well, litteraly floor you, so that you can experience the downed state and work on rallying.
Personally, even though I'm no noob, I have to admit that I was completely lost as well when I made my first character (a charr) and got killed by the good Duke's specter.
I really do believe they could have inserted an entire tutorial area right in the beginning that people can just by pass if they want to and get right to the intro event. All they need to do is have that first cut scene character offer the player a choice, one that will lead them either into a tutorial area, or the other that will take them direcetly into the action.
It would be easy to insert and would be a huge help for tons of new players.
The problem with that, however, is that it might lessen the, "Oh My God!!! This game is amazing!!!" feel that you get from being thrown into the deep end right from the beginning and suffering the first great loss, making you more determined than ever to get it right.
Any loss they may suffer from those noobs who get turned off will, I believe, be countered by the fact that most will still move on, and as Gregg pointed out, find a nice, slow pace to truely introduce them to the world they have chosen to enter. After all...you just paid like 60 bucks for the game. Why not give it more than that first 10 mins? Can it get worse than dying right off the bat?
Galen
I don't think they need a full on new tutorial area so mush as just some tweaks. I suggest making the beginning more like the rest of the personal story by making it solo with the option to invite other players into it. Add a few more npcs fighting and maybe even some "guardian" type npcs that tag along with you right at the beginning to give a full feel. Show some npcs fighting that use the dodge mechanic and at some point on the way to the final boss maybe a quick cut scene telling you to hit "V" or the assigned button to dodge while fighting a mob. I would like to see something thrown in that actually makes you a hero, too, rather than just the fact we were there to witness it. For those who just want to skip it all, an option on that first npc, perhaps saying something to the effect of, "I don't have time for your problems, I have wars to get too." With a warning upon that selection saying, "You are leaving the starter tutorial. You will not be able to come back to this. Are you sure you want to continue?"
It's good to see the game from a person's perspective that is newer to the genre. A-Net needs to definitely tweak the opening experience for newer MMO gamers.
I've provided feedback at least 5 -8 times on the initial events feeling extremely un-heroic. As the article states (and I provided feedback in very similar words), getting one-shotted and spending the whole fight on the ground, and then being hailed as a hero is pretty under-whelming and doesn't feel heroic at all.
Also, a combat tutorial wouldn't be bad in the beginning, as was stated. I also provided feedback that getting people to a huge boss fight in the first few minutes of play is a nice goal, but it should not be implemented at the expense of everything else. I actually enjoyed some of the beginning boss fights on alts after I had already been through it once. Particularly bad was starting Mesmer off with a sword (BWE1) and then fighting the worm in the Norn area.
Add new comment