On the whole, I'm loving the game.
But... I would definitely recommend enhancing the current tutorial(s) a bit.
I think it would make it much easier for new players to ramp smoothly.
Some thoughts and recommendations:
- When you start the game, it is hard to know whether you should do the tutorial or play the campaign. I did both, starting with the tutorial. I found that the campaign actually offered much better instruction, which seems somewhat odd. Perhaps it would make sense to provide the "lighter weight" campaign tutorial, and then use the formal "tutorial" for a deeper dive into controls and strategy.
- In both scenarios (campaign and tutorial), user is greeted with quite a few icons, buttons, suboptions, etc. You don't get a breather, and the action just starts right away. It would be better IMHO to start with a bog basic orientation to the interface. "This area of the interface is where you could find.."
- Some text instructions don't stay on the screen long enough.
- To remedy the above, please make it possible to review text instructions after they disappear from the screen.
- Some commands don't seem to be covered in the tutorial, and cold perhaps be added. For example, ctrl+click to center on a unit. Or commanding a unit to follow a formed-up troop (blue arrow), which seems to actually incorporate the unit into the formation.
- Include some rudimentary explanation (and experimentation with) of the basic move commands, like a-move (a key), add move (d key, I think), patrol key (p?), and sequential ordering (shift key). Not sure if these were all covered.
- Slow down and add detail on the explanation of structure construction and the concept of "tree" progression (ex. you need this upgrade to build...).
- Slow down and add detail on the concept of unit production. It took me a while to understand what was happening when I produced one unit. I clicked the "Brute" production a bunch of times, and a bunch of brutes popped out. I then focused on other things, and more brutes popped, and I said to myself "why did that happen?" I had to go back, restart, click the button once, watch what happened. Then I started to understand. And it also took me a while to notice the queue of troop production.
- Introduce the concept of control groups in the tutorial. it is in the campaign, but not the tutorial.
- Explain the types of troops in more detail. Give the user the opty to test/experience what they do individually.
- Slow down and add more detail to explanation of resources. Make user do some resource management exercises. I'm still not sure I understand that aspect of the game entirely.
- There is an interface in the top right that I have totally ignored. I know they have something to do with resources, but those screen controls are almost totally non-referenced by the tutorial (maybe one reference to accessing the quanta interface, but what else do those screen controls do???).
- Maybe, separate from the game, create an area on the website where users can look up specific troops and their purposes. Blizzard has done this pretty well for starcraft. You can get a summary of each unit and its purpose. Maybe you already have this, and I just haven't found it. I frankly haven't looked yet, but would like to see it. You could address each unit's purpose, behavior, AI/logic, have videos of actual game performance, etc.
- Add more "loading tips" to the game. Or do daily tips, or whatever. Again, this is something that Blizzard has utilized well, and it helps people learn the game and improve gradually.
Just some ideas. All I'm saying is I had to WORK to ramp-up on the interface.
The tutorial didn't spoon feed me, and I wanted it to.
Other thoughts... how about adding some OPTIONAL subtle color coding to reflect purposes/specializations of ships & units? I have to do the hover thing to figure it out at the moment. Over time, this will surely get better... but the learning curve....
I just think more players would enjoy the game if you make it easier for them to ramp.
