When a tutorial in a game stretches out far too long, do you also picture yourself punching the tutorial npc in the throat and running away?

I’ve been going through some older rpgs, and I’ve found that the tutorials are both entirely out of character and mind numbing. It’s hard not to envision myself taking my time back by violence. Anyone else do something similar or am I peculiar?

Comments

MajorMajormajormajor @lemmy.ca 1w ago
"Hey you, you're finally awake."
- twelvety @fedia.io 1w ago
  Beat me to it. This unskippable sequence has stopped me replaying Skyrim at least twice.
  
  Berttheduck @lemmy.ml 1w ago
  There are multiple mods which redo the start, some even have totally different locations and challenges compared to the default.
  Been to long since I played to remember what they are called but worth a look maybe.
- IndescribablySad@threads.net @sh.itjust.works 1w ago
  What an excellent opening line!
Blackmist @feddit.uk 1w ago
The tutorial of Monster Hunter World is the most obnoxious shit I've ever seen. Multiple full pages of text it expects you to read and absorb.
Save that shit for the wiki.
- dan1101 @lemmy.world 1w ago
  So many Japanese games love making you read pages of text. I was watching a Dunkey video on the new Pokemon and the tutorial was long and strict and lots of text.
Berttheduck @lemmy.ml 1w ago
So portal 1 is about 75% tutorial but it's done so well you don't mind.
The long grind tutorials have definitely put me off games before though especially in some older games.
- IndescribablySad@threads.net @sh.itjust.works 1w ago
  If the tutorial is just playing the game, I’m fine with it. If the tutorial is 261% lore relevant, I’m fine with it. If the tutorial is entertaining, I’m fine with it. (Portal/lisa/undertale) If one more old man micromanages my battle against a goddamn training dummy, I’m sending unkind emails.
  
  Berttheduck @lemmy.ml 1w ago
  That seems reasonable. Far cry Blood Dragon had a really entertaining tutorial. Very tongue in cheek funny and lots of sarcastic comments from the main character.
  
  village604 @adultswim.fan 1w ago
  What about games with no tutorials what so ever?
ZoteTheMighty @lemmy.zip 1w ago
The tutorial for Hollow Knight: Silksong was definitely super long. Took me about 50 hours to get 100%, and a lot more to master it, and I still struggled when I played the main game of Silksong. I didn't mind the extra long tutorial though, it was extremely well made.
- Motorheadbanger @lemmy.world 1w ago
  OTOH, making you pay for the tutorial is bonkers
Hossenfeffer @feddit.uk 1w ago
A lot of older games assumed you’d never played a video game before so had quite extended tutorials. It’s a tough balance to get it right for complete novices and gnarled grognards alike.
- iegod @lemmy.zip 4d ago
  By old you mean not-old surely. 2010+. Actual old games had no such concepts.
  
  Hossenfeffer @feddit.uk 4d ago
  Perhaps not but they did have printed manuals.
- IndescribablySad@threads.net @sh.itjust.works 1w ago
  Creating two tutorials and an option to skip the tutorial is a foolproof solution. Give the absolute basics to players, don’t tell them they can sprint while they can only just walk. Three sentences or less. Preferably less- show, don’t tell. Dump the succinctly phrased advanced information in menus, if you can’t figure out how to organically offer it. Maybe let players unlock the information, a la Tunic.
  I realize this is a big ask for older games, but I’m constantly baffled that modern games can’t manage it. It feels like the result of feature creep
slazer2au @lemmy.world 1w ago
Sometimes, yes.
Or shooting them.
burntbacon @discuss.tchncs.de 1w ago
Considering that violence against npcs who have unskippable text or are veritably annoying is documented everywhere and seemingly laughed at by everyone,* I'd say you're not the only one. I know I've done it. How many memes have been reposted about an npc feeling dread as they watch the player character quicksave?
Tutorial specific is rare for me. I can't think of too many tutorials I get annoyed at.
*Just thinking off the top of my head: mods for children in skyrim, I know I saw videos about the subject in fable, there's an anime right now (shangri-la frontier) that dedicates a big chunk of the first episode to a character being exultant for the five seconds an annoying npc can be attacked, the memes I mentioned, oh god, the amount of hate patches gets, etc.
- IndescribablySad@threads.net @sh.itjust.works 1w ago
  Considering that violence against npcs who have unskippable text or are veritably annoying is documented everywhere and seemingly laughed at by everyone
  I honestly avoid gaming communities like the plague, so I appreciate you delving into places where I will not tread.
AceFuzzLord @lemmy.zip 1w ago
I never think about violence against the tutorial NPCs if the game doesn't have me beating them, but I'll gladly admit to being a full-time hater of games where the tutorial is either too long or too handholdy.
Games like Portal or Baba Is You? Perfect! Barely even feel any sort of tutorialization of any part of the game.
Games like Final Fantasy X? The tutorial goes on a little too long for me. Every few feet more enemies coming in and now we get to learn some new battle mrchanic. Or have some other dialogue slowing me down.
I think Fallout New Vegas does a real good job by allowing you to do as much as you want and just leave. The section at Doc Mitchell's house is also quick enough I'm not gonna scream.
Hell, even BioShock can sometimes feel a little lengthy when you combine the intro sequences and tutorial, at least up until you get your first plasmid.
chilicheeselies @lemmy.world 1w ago
This is why I dont care for any games made by cd projekt red. Tutorial goes on for fucking hours. Jesus christ let me just play.
SaraTonin @lemmy.world 1w ago
One of the Tomb Raider games was some ridiculous discount on Steam, so i bought it. Cue interminable cutscenes and being given very brief control in order to walk a couple of paces forward before another cutscene. Or, even worse, the game taking over control of Lara for you.
I’d been playing 15-20 minutes - maybe even a little bit longer - when i decided “fuck this”, turned it off and never booted it again. Call me weird but i play games to play them. If it’s been that long and I’ve not experienced any gameplay then I’m not interested.
- IndescribablySad@threads.net @sh.itjust.works 1w ago
  The Elden ring approach would have worked out better. Start in the middle of the action, “sink or swim, removed”, and then things slow down. Give me a taste of the game before I die of old age!
Tonava @sopuli.xyz 1w ago
Never - but if the tutorial is too boring, I just give up, quit the game and never open it again. If the tutorial is that tedious, I won't enjoy the game either, so it's just a waste of time. There's always more important stuff than some annoying game that won't even let me play it
Venus_Ziegenfalle @feddit.org 1w ago
"Ow, stop that nonsense!"
melonhusk @sh.itjust.works 4d ago

you know, sometimes i just want to skip the 'learn how to press w to walk' part and get to the game. is that too much to ask? i've been playing games since before most of these devs were born, i think i know how to move.

31 Comments