For New players (newbies :))

Crispix

I had an idea not that long ago. I dont know if anyone has posted it. As you already know, for NS, there is the help information boxes that appear when you have the option turned off. The help boxes explaining such as the structures, and ammo, health pack information or whatever there is. Well I would again add those into NS2, but as well, maybe have a voice actor (voice over) maybe explain as well with the dialogue of what you are able to do. It would really help a lot for new players, and I do see a lot of people that are going to be interested in NS2 but have no idea how to play NS. Because in NS you always have newbs asking, "where do I get ammo" "how come you have a shotgun and I dont, I cant get it from the armory" yadda yadda. Well if they were to read the help boxes, or read the guide it would help, but as you know, most players are lazy to read it. Having a voice over would help tons. Even if the voice over might be hard to pull off, a seperate marine training or alien training level would be cool. Sorta implement the same idea as CS:CZ or HL training. Again sorry if someone already suggested it. I just thought it would make things easier.

Keep up the good work NS2 team. Proud of you guys. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

Lt.Realness

2 years ago or something like that there was a team working on an ns_tutorial map. I don't know what happened to that and them. It looked pretty promising (they released a video).

demm

I think NS2 definitively needs a playable tutorial. I know this was much discussed for NS1 but never implemented. But since NS2 will be a commercial game I think it is a must that it has a tutorial. Absolutely no one reads the manual of a game before they start playing. And even if they start playing and have some kind of problem most people still won't read the manual.
I think the voice-overs during the game would be too distracting and people wouldn't pay attention or just turn them off. So I vote for a mandatory tutorial that everyone has to complete before being able to join a server. This tutorial could have someone explaining everything as a voice-over.

PS: I know some people don't like to be forced to play the tutorial, but I think it would still be good. Maybe the tutorial could actually be fun to play (maybe even include some jokes), so that nobody is repelled by the tutorial.

Lt.Realness

Another problem these days is, that most people want to skip the tutorial or just play it and test stuff out without listening to what the instructor says (maybe a prob of the current "I'm so pro I don't need a tutorial generation" kids).

Maybe it should be like it is with America's Army. Where you NEED to pass basic training for both races and get familiar with everything. Nothing is more annoying than some newbees destroying the game with their destructive behaviour.

Voodo_HUN

they released that tutorial, but it was a mod, with installer

Sarisel

Have a tutorial, but also have a console command that allows you to skip it. That way really new people will have to play it, while experienced players will know what to toggle in order to bypass it on reinstalls.

MasterPTG

Fortress Forever (www.fortress-forever.com) is having the same sorta problem. Many people don't understand that the point of Fortress forever is to steal the enemy flag or protect your own, not DM on the bridge or courtyard.

I think having a clean, clear-cut HUD would enable NS to go beyond a tutorial and instead immerse the player into the environment.

Default settings could enable a max-help setting, that would point out important spots on the map, unbuilt structures and fellow marines. It could point out important spots in the map or where action is taking place. These are imho, the only things that really matter. Waypts, unbuilt buildings, other marines, important spots, alien structures, (seeable) aliens, and where the action is. Given these key bits of information, one can get into the game immediately and start fragging.

The default sens. also needs to be...high given the amount of CS'ers who tone down their MS sensitivity to 1.

The kharaa need the same information: Waypts, unbuilt blobs of goo, marine structures, other aliens, marines, important spots and where the action is.

Seriously, all of that can be placed on the hud with very little effort.

Green triangles (or swords, knives, cannon, fang, whatever) can stand for a friendly unit. Red triangles (or swords, knives, cannon, fang, whatever) can stand for a enemy unit.

Green squares (or an icon of some sort like a bridge or arch or whatever) can stand for friendly structures. Red squares (or an icon of some sort like a bridge or arch or whatever) can stand for enemy structures.

White circles can stand for important places in the map (weldables, switches, whatever).

Waypts can be small flashing rotating dark-orange hollow pentagons.

White squares (or whatever icon you like... I sorta like an arch or bridge.) can be unbuilt friendly structures.

As for showing where the action is...have the green triangles (or guns or whatever) blink red until the 'battle' is over.

A tutorial is not needed. One could be included, but I know I'd just play the game. If I can't make sense of the game within a fair amount of time (30 minutes), the game sux ballz and should never be played again. But I'm pretty patient. Others would spend 2 minutes and if they can't figure out WTH to do, they'd quit the game. They'd also quit if it requires them to go through a tutorial.

Making a VERY VERY godly HUD is your best option, imho.