Once upon a time... or, How should the game begin?

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Which opening do you prefer?

  • Basic in-game tutorial level at the start, i.e. "a tutorial dungeon" of sorts

  • Optional non-story related tutorial level selectable from start up menu

  • No specific tutorial, only tips that can be viewed in a menu glossary at any time

  • Something else, totally unheard of that'll revolutionize game beginnings for years to come

  • What's a thuu-tho-ree-al...? (don't care, 'cause of course people who don't care still need to vote)


Results are only viewable after voting.
This is actually really important part of the game, the first impressions. At best the beginning can be the best part of the game. At worst, it can ruin it and make the player quit.

A lot of games have this repository-like ½ - 1 hour opening dungeon or set piece event that meticulously introduces every button and contraption you will be pressing during the game. From the basic WASD controls to "press LMB to fire your weapon", ctrl to crouch, e to interact, space to jump and so on, to introducing you the most common features like lockpicking a container and hacking and basic dialog sequence.

These advices are no doubt useful to be around. It might be someone's first game ever and he might not have any idea on what to do or how. And the opening dungeon or what ever can be somewhat useful to introduce the premise of the story. But...

But...

But...

This tutorial event will be there any and every time you pick up the game and start over. Every single time. And I've found this to actually be quite problematic, because the sort of tired unskippable repetition it produces. Even if it produces the initial story trappings while giving out the essential mechanics.

Think about the startup on Bethesda's games from Oblivion onwards. Think about the start up in Witcher 2 and 3. Just to give a few examples. There's always that 30 or so minute slog at the start where you do not make any significant choices, and the advice it offers you already know from the first time.

Some games start you off with a high level character to get a taster of how it will play, and then an amnesia strikes and you're puny again. The demos of Cyberpunk kinda gave an impression that this might be the case with CP too to some length (Keanu picking you up at the outskirts after being manhandled and saying you have a city to burn... kind of like saying, this is where the game actually starts).

New Vegas had a more open thing going on there, but I've lost count on how many times I quit during the opening sequence because if I did not do it, I'd have lost a couple of very valuable level ups and gear. It is kinda forced on you even there.

But then, think about Fallout 1 or Morrowind. You create your character, are given the first goal on your mission, and off you go into the strange world to finding things out by yourself, the setting, the gameplay, heck, even the story. I find that kind of initial uncertainty of "where am I, what should I do, where you I go since, I can really go anywhere" type of start much more engaging than a traditiona tutorial/story dungeon/setpiece.

I know CDPR has a something of an obsession for storytelling and "strong" narrative beginnings. But I would imagine that that could be produced by other means too, just for the sake of saving the repetition from the reruns. Now I do remember that you start from different locations based on your background, but that isn't really something I consider a problem if the opening is designed as freeform and without the sort of "essential" initial tasks whose rewards can't be neglected unless you want hard times.

So I suppose what I'm asking is, what kind of start would you want to see in Cyberpunk 2077?

There's a nifty poll too so you don't even have to post anything. Though of course it might be more constructive to post something about your vote; so others can bash it.
 
Drop us in a low risk mission. Two or three bad guy encounters. 3 different paths to see which playstyle the player prefers, and a small choice variation to show the player how their choice can affect the game

Like the beginning of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, without the plot points and seeing the main enemies. And make it something that’s skippable like in the Witcher 3.
 
I remember when games didn't have tutorials. You loaded it up, were handed a paddle, a boat and dropped in the rapids. So, there is that....

At this point I'm not a fan of tying the tutorial into the opening narrative. As was the case with TW3. Even if you can skip it.

I picked up Rise of the Tomb Raider recently and had never played any of the games in the series. I noticed this game provides tutorial related hints as you play through it. The first time you reach a point where you need to know a mechanic it explains it on the spot. It's a nice touch. If I had to vote I'd go with a similar concept.

I'm not sure what to add for the narrative itself. I get the feeling we're not getting a blank slate start. I'd prefer it be closer to blank instead of completely defined though. Fully defined opening narratives can fit oddly with highly player defined characters. But... I'm not sure we truly know how defined the character is going to be either....
 
I like to have choices. In the Tutorial of The Witcher 2 you were able to skip practicing by leaving the arena, or alternativly decide to fight more.
 
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Something like the OG Deus Ex's tutorial. You get a backstory for some of the characters, and it's a nice segue for the beginning of the game.
 
I think a built-into-the-story learn as you go with some basic guiding is the best approach, with several of the first scenes focused around specific mechanics but also character building. That's kinda how they did it in TW3.
 
There's a nifty poll too so you don't even have to post anything. Though of course it might be more constructive to post something about your vote; so others can bash it.

I'm going to post my opinion without voting then, because I'm a big boy who likes to game the system, how about that? :p

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Seriously speaking though, I loved the way they handled it in TW3: here's a sizeable starting location with all the basics at the players' reach. All they needed to do was to go get whatever opportunities the location offered them, have the initiative to learn how the game works. The more initiative the players had, the more they familiarized with the game's many gameplay aspects. (All while going through the story beats of the prologue at their preferred pace, thus learning how storylines and questing worked in the game for both rushed and slow playstyles, and also avoiding a little bit of the tediousness for non-newcomers by not making the experience something too overly focused on mechanics).

Players who enjoyed exploration could learn that the game had some decent enough incentives (like the Viper school weapons in this case) waiting for them if the dared to go off the beaten path. Players who liked to carefully manage Geralt's funds could learn that by earning and saving their money the best possible way, they could afford the Temerian armor set before leaving for Velen. And so on and so forth.

I'd like to see something similar in 2077, but adapted to the game's more open approach.

Regarding gameplay tips and the like, I'm OK with them as long as they can be disabled, re-enabled if the players desire (many players need reminders of how things work in-game, they might not have enough time or energy to keep the game as a mental priority), and be reachable through some sort of glossary/codex/manual. The best example I've seen so far of this concept in action is the advisors in Civilization V, great UX in that regard.
 
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I voted for the revolutionary tutorial system. But, I wish there was an option for 'tutorial as you meet that mechanic'.

As you start the game you are free to do what you want, and when you reach a mechanic there will be hints or tips on how to do it. These also should have an option to be disabled. Or better, not show up the second time you play the game from the start.

The game should have a glossary, where you can review in-game the mechanics you forgot, for people that need it to refresh the memory.

The movement keys, and camera, can be tied to an in-game event. Like being drunk, in a hospital etc.
 
I voted for something unheard of, but I don't really mean something unthinkable;

What I hope to see is a combination of tutorial level and lifepath origin story, with the tutorial components being skipable and hopefully some early game choices that have payoff later down the line. So that even the same origin story, but played differently would end up making some meaningful impact on mid- to endgame developments.

You could even add to the replay value by having the tutorial guide players away from a solution that a more veteran player would spot.
 
I think the Life Path choices offers the possibility of 3 different starting tutorials , each giving second and third play thru`s a new look for the players .
 
I think the Life Path choices offers the possibility of 3 different starting tutorials , each giving second and third play thru`s a new look for the players .

Yes this seems reasonable. I look forward to trying each. Except Nomad, because dirty!




Maybe do Streetkid twice, to compensate!

Nomad Life:



 
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I think the best opening for the game would be, or perhaps even should be, during the mission shown in the initial game play reveal. Beginning as soon as the elevator door opens and explaining the games core concepts, characters and abilities as you work your way through the building and leaving the characters lifepath and origins as something that is dealt with later during a flashback or something.
 
Morrowind/New Vegas/Witcher 3(Proper one in White Orchard) like introduction is like cats, fine too, albeit not a revolution, Johnny. It's not a dungeon, rather the tutorial microcosm inside the main game. Why not anything else?
Deus Ex style optional dungeon is very easy to miss, not just the dungeon but crucial story elements it contains (and it does) and considering the sheer size and how many mechanics are there to explain to a newcomer, there will be TOO MANY tips to read from the game menu.
 
Deus Ex style optional dungeon is very easy to miss, not just the dungeon but crucial story elements it contains (and it does) and considering the sheer size and how many mechanics are there to explain to a newcomer, there will be TOO MANY tips to read from the game menu.
What if I'm replaying the game and don't want to go throw the hassle of redoing tutorials? *COUGH* White Orchard *COUGH*. We already know Cyberpunk 2077 was/is being designed with replayability in mind, and I'd like an optional tutorial to go with the game so I don't have to do it every time I start a new game.

I also very much disagree with you on your sentiment on optional tutorials. The Deus Ex tutorial is one for the books. Not only does it teach the player the core mechanics with minimal consequences, it also serves as a precursor to the main story (a pre-prologue if you will). If you're worried about players missing the optional tutorial, you could simply make it mandatory the first time around. Deus Ex somewhat does this by asking if you the player want to play through the tutorial before starting a new save. Let's be real, Liberty Island basically serves as a tutorial mission.

But to be frank, if the first three Witcher's are anything to go by, I don't think we're getting an optional tutorial anyway. Watson could very well serve as Cyberpunk 2077's tutorial 'island'.
 
*COUGH* White Orchard *COUGH*.
No way, it's integral part of the story. You may as well not want to go through Skellige with that sentiment. Or Witcher 3 in general.
If you're worried about players missing the optional tutorial, you could simply make it mandatory the first time around.
How? How does the game should detect if the player is not playing it for the first time if it's say, ten years into the future, cloud saves, steam and gog all gone? No way, it will be madnatory anyway.
Watson could very well serve as Cyberpunk 2077's tutorial 'island'.
No. It will be three different 'tutorial islands', one per nomad, street kid, corpo.
 
If anyone remembers Oblivion`s tutorial . I had a save right before you leave the sewer so all i had to do was load that save and pick class , skills blah blah . Then leave missing all of the tutorial for a new game .
 
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