Guide Tab in PDA

Jamezorg

I've watched a lot of people playing this game for the very first time. They get in, they break limestone when it tells them to, they check the crafting menus and then they quit. Then they come back a few days later and have forgotten what to do. I ask them 'what did it tell you to do? With the pointer and all?" And they'll say they don't remember, and they swim around aimlessly before I have to show them.

Which is why I think this game needs a guide tab. It tells you the basics, like break limestone to find minerals, this is limestone [picture], or catch and cook fish, or create a scanner to scan fragments on the sea floor.

Just a handy little place for new players to remember what they've forgotten.

0x6A7232

Jamezorg wrote: »

I've watched a lot of people playing this game for the very first time. They get in, they break limestone when it tells them to, they check the crafting menus and then they quit. Then they come back a few days later and have forgotten what to do. I ask them 'what did it tell you to do? With the pointer and all?" And they'll say they don't remember, and they swim around aimlessly before I have to show them.

Which is why I think this game needs a guide tab. It tells you the basics, like break limestone to find minerals, this is limestone [picture], or catch and cook fish, or create a scanner to scan fragments on the sea floor.

Just a handy little place for new players to remember what they've forgotten.

I agree, but how do other games handle this? Subnautica can't be the first game that will cause you to die if you can't remember how to use the in-game scavenging methods.

Phoenix223

0x6A7232 wrote: »

Jamezorg wrote: »

I've watched a lot of people playing this game for the very first time. They get in, they break limestone when it tells them to, they check the crafting menus and then they quit. Then they come back a few days later and have forgotten what to do. I ask them 'what did it tell you to do? With the pointer and all?" And they'll say they don't remember, and they swim around aimlessly before I have to show them.

Which is why I think this game needs a guide tab. It tells you the basics, like break limestone to find minerals, this is limestone [picture], or catch and cook fish, or create a scanner to scan fragments on the sea floor.

Just a handy little place for new players to remember what they've forgotten.

I agree, but how do other games handle this? Subnautica can't be the first game that will cause you to die if you can't remember how to use the in-game scavenging methods.

Kingdom Hearts II displays guides every time you access a new feature (such as the Drive Forms or the Abilities screen), and they have a help screen that allows you to review each gaming tip. Maybe something similar can be implemented here under the existing Data Bank tab. As the player progresses, new survival data is added to review later.

Action: Break a Limestone
Data Bank Entry: Acquiring Resources

Action: Eat Something
Data Bank Entry: Food and Water

Action: Base Hull Breach
Data Bank Entry: Repairing Damage

ThePassionateGamer

I think is is a good idea to have a place where you can review the tutorial hints you already got. But remember the whole system is still a bit work in progress and iirc they don't want to take the player by the hand for each step of the way. They want the player to try things out.