Daft tutorials that basically call me stupid

[leaderproxima]

Everyone has had this at one point in their gaming 'lives'. Picture the scenario, you have just bought that game you have been looking forward to for ages, you boot it up, watch the cutscenes and then you get dumped into the game thinking; "Lets do this." Well thats not gonna happen becuase what do they do they give you a ultra (and i mean ULTRA) basic tutorial not fit for a 3 year old. Yes, this may not seem so bad for a 3 year old playing a game for a 3 year old, but what about these games that are made for 15 to 18 year olds, do they really need to be told hold to play a video game when they have most likely played them for most of their life?

What do you think of the stupid tutorials? I personally think they should be made less simple, leave out the 'how to jump' and the 'Hiding behind a wall means people cant shoot you' bits and just tell us stuff that we wouldnt know becuase its unique to the game.

 

[Scrustle]

The issue is more with a well explained tutorial rather than one that patronises you. It's good to explain as clearly as possible how your game works, but if you do it in a way that feels unnatural and obvious then it's not fun and will looks condescending. Extra Credits did an episode on it:

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/tutorials-101

 

[DoPo]

Well, the tutorial assumes that you are not all that familiar not only with the game but with the genre or maybe viceo games as a whole. So, they have to teach you how to play - not how to play this game but how to play.

Saying that, it's really frustrating when these kinds of tutorials are forced on you. The vast majority of people who pick up the game didn't do it by drawing lots - they knew what they were doing. If you had to give them a tutorial, just show them the unique things this particular title has to offer, so for example maybe you have a cover mechanic that works slightly differently, or maybe you don't have one. That sort of thing.

But perhaps the worst kinds of tutorials are the ones that assume that your character in-game is a complete moron. When you get praise for jumping I feel as if I'm playing a "special" kid that somebody picked up to send to war (or whatever) for the lulz.

 

[leaderproxima]

I agree completely, they should take a page out of the book of games that give you the choice to skip the tutorials. To make it much easier on us and themselves but still leave it open for newbies and younguns to get on with games they should add the ability to skip the basic tutorial content, not including stuff that is unqiue to each game, into all games.

 

[RJ 17]

My favorite tutorial was for Portal 2.
Wheatley: "Go ahead and try to say something."
*press A to speak...Chell Jumps*
Wheatley: "Alright, you just jumped. But try saying "apple". Aaaaaapple."
*press A to say Apple...Chell jumps again*
Wheatley: "Alright, you're a good jumper. At least you've got that going for you.

More on topic, tutorials are meant to assume that any given game that you play is the first game that you've ever played, which is why many of them seem to be designed for down-doobie-do-down-downies.

 

[AdorkableSoul]

Then, there's LA Noire, which lets you skip the entire Beat Cop section of the game (that's a good hour or so's gameplay, by the way) in order to avoid any sort of hand-holding when you play through a second time.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Time for Egoraptor to explain!

 

[Wolfram23]

My favorite tutorial was for Portal 2.
Wheatley: "Go ahead and try to say something."
*press A to speak...Chell Jumps*
Wheatley: "Alright, you just jumped. But try saying "apple". Aaaaaapple."
*press A to say Apple...Chell jumps again*
Wheatley: "Alright, you're a good jumper. At least you've got that going for you.

More on topic, tutorials are meant to assume that any given game that you play is the first game that you've ever played, which is why many of them seem to be designed for down-doobie-do-down-downies.

What are you talking about? A makes you walk backwards!

[small]Kidding, of course[/small]

OT: I think it's best to just have a simple question at the beginning - Tutorial: Yes/No? If you pick No, then they might give you some hints about particular stuff in the game like combat mechanics or whatever, but it should be very unobtrusive. If you pick yes, then I don't mind it being "made for a 3 year old" aka anybody brand new to gaming.

Definitely, though, the lack of game manuals (or manuals of any substance) must contribute to the rise of basic tutorials. I used to get a game and start playing right away, and then occasionally looking at the manual as needed. That night (or any forced breaks like for dinner) I'd typically spend reading the manual front to back. As such, I never needed tutorials. Even if I didn't read the manual, it was there as a reference. Nowadays we don't have that, we have online walk-throughs.

 

[Scrustle]

Time for Egoraptor to explain!
-video snip-

I love that video. One of the best on the internet. It's insightful and educational, easy to understand and completely hilarious. As Egoraptor says himself, it's FUCKING GEEEEEEEEENIUUUUS!!!

 

[Yopaz]

My favorite tutorial was for Portal 2.
Wheatley: "Go ahead and try to say something."
*press A to speak...Chell Jumps*
Wheatley: "Alright, you just jumped. But try saying "apple". Aaaaaapple."
*press A to say Apple...Chell jumps again*
Wheatley: "Alright, you're a good jumper. At least you've got that going for you.

More on topic, tutorials are meant to assume that any given game that you play is the first game that you've ever played, which is why many of them seem to be designed for down-doobie-do-down-downies.

What are you talking about? A makes you walk backwards!

[small]Kidding, of course[/small]

OT: I think it's best to just have a simple question at the beginning - Tutorial: Yes/No? If you pick No, then they might give you some hints about particular stuff in the game like combat mechanics or whatever, but it should be very unobtrusive. If you pick yes, then I don't mind it being "made for a 3 year old" aka anybody brand new to gaming.

Definitely, though, the lack of game manuals (or manuals of any substance) must contribute to the rise of basic tutorials. I used to get a game and start playing right away, and then occasionally looking at the manual as needed. That night (or any forced breaks like for dinner) I'd typically spend reading the manual front to back. As such, I never needed tutorials. Even if I didn't read the manual, it was there as a reference. Nowadays we don't have that, we have online walk-throughs.

I really hope you were kidding... A makes you go sideways.

OT: I can't think of tutorials I really hate right now, but there are some. Need For Speed The Run got a few annoying moments where right before a turn they come with "Use the handbrake to cut corners" then because you're unable to do so because there was a GOD DAMN POPUP you can't do that and crashes into the wall.

There are great tutorials like Banjo Kazooie where you get the question if you want to do it or not, or Xenoblade whiich basically throws you right into things, but at a really low difficulty. Seriously, the first boss is kinda a tutorial even though he's hard.

 

[RJ 17]

Time for Egoraptor to explain!

Damn, beat me to the video. Didn't think to post it in my first response. God I love that video though.

Best quote: "I'M SERIOUS!.........This game makes my dick ROCK hard!"

 

[telocaster]

Time for Egoraptor to explain!

I fucking love egoraptor's videos. I personally prefer the one where he bashes Castlevania 2: Simons Quest

On topic: the early Pokemon games did not hold your hand. They just had a short little cutscene that quickly teaches you how to catch Pokemon

 

[Wolfram23]

I really hope you were kidding... A makes you go sideways.

Face, meet palm.

Yeahhhh let's pretend I meant to be wrong.

 

[Bostur]

Maybe it's time that games have several tutorials.

Please select a tutorial:
1. If you have never touched a controller before.
2. If you have never tried this genre before.
3. If you are familiar with this genre but haven't played this game before.
4. Skip all tutorials.

Some old manuals used to have quickstart guides for people familiar with a franchise, to explain the new features. Tutorials should do something similar.

 

[Rivenart]

Ghost Trick is probably the worst one I've seen. The game isn't bad but the tutorial spans the entire game, even the ending when I worked out the puzzle right away I reminded me how to do things again...500 times before actually letting me get on with it.
It doesn't call you stupid but implies it my constant reiteration of ever tiny and frequently pointless detail or the game was designed for Gold fish. So many points I either wanted to quit or put my head though a pane of glass.
In a way it ends up completely destroying the puzzles though lack of self discovery and covers part of the story with the same problem.

 

[DoPo]

For bad examples, look at Skyward Sword.

Fi pops out to explain everything you've already figured out, about five seconds after you did.

"Oh, a new area, I should explore."
"MASTER, THERE IS A 95% CHANCE THAT THIS IS A NEW AREA YOU SHOULD EXPLORE"

"Now that I have a bow, I can kill those far-off enemies."
"MASTER, THERE IS A 92% CHANCE THAT YOU CAN NOW USE YOUR BOW TO KILL THOSE FAR AWAY ENEMIES"

"Oh, Link is flashing and beeping. I'm low on hearts, I should do something about that"
"MASTER, YOU ARE LOW ON HEARTS YOU SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT"

This brings memories of Fable...oh the memories. Every time you get low on health, which means about 1/5, you hear that old annoying guy say "Be careful, hero, you are low on health. Do you have any potions, of food?" and he keeps doing that all the time you are under 1/5 of your health. Also, throughout the whole game.

Maybe it's time that games have several tutorials.

Please select a tutorial:
1. If you have never touched a controller before.
2. If you have never tried this genre before.
3. If you are familiar with this genre but haven't played this game before.
4. Skip all tutorials.

Some old manuals used to have quickstart guides for people familiar with a franchise, to explain the new features. Tutorials should do something similar.

Bloodlines had something vaguely similar. You can run the tutorial level, to learn how to sneak (crouch) and fight (press the attack button) and those sorts of things, or you could just listen to a breakdown of the most important aspects of the game (frenzy, feeding) or you can just leave.

 

[Twilight_guy]

I think the idea that everyone shares the same set of cultural norms and codes is idiotic and we as gamers are blind to our own biases. Aside from that, I think tutorials need more work and creative design and I think one of the first steps to getting to that point is to teach everyone to critically analyze and determine why bad things are bad and good things are good.

 

[TheLastSamurai14]

]Damn, beat me to the video. Didn't think to post it in my first response. God I love that video though.

Best quote: "I'M SERIOUS!.........This game makes my dick ROCK hard!"

I personally prefer the longer "rock hard" quote.

"WHY MEGA MAN X IS SO FUCKING GOOD THAT IT MAKES MY DICK ROCK HARD!"

Also, that intro stage truly is "fucking genius", because it's seamlessly integrated into the gameplay without all the "*bwoop* MEGA MAN, MEGA MAN!".

...Sorry, I just love how well Egoraptor is able to explain all that shit.