Tutorial without text.

Kyon

Member
Hi everyone,
so I started working on this project a month ago just to test something I thought of (which was a slowmotion effect). And it has become an actual game I guess I want to finish and release.
Anyway, I am having trouble with the start of the game. and how to explain the mechanics.

What I think works is how it starts right now. You are in some sort of barn, in which I will add some narrative design but that irrelevant for now. But you first learn how to jump (because you have to), then you pull a lever and you notice light coming from some window, and you learn you can grab ledges (because obviously you're gonna try and jump there). Afterwards you get thrown in a small dialogue so you know the dialogue mechanics.



Anyway, I'm having trouble with how to explain the bow mechanics. Which can be quite tough to understand.
At the moment it's when you hold your RMB you grab your bow and stretch the arrow. You aim towards your mouse. And you release with LMB.
But with a gamepad it's when you hold the left shoulder/trigger, and you aim with the right joystick (which can be tricky the first time) and release with left shoulder/trigger.

Oh and also when you hold it longer it will power-up.

I am thinking I need a non-threatening way for people to experiment the mechanics on. But which is also necessary to continue the level (like how I explained the jumping). And isn't too "tutorial-ish".
I think dropping an enemy right away is a bit too much. (I will do an enemy after you've finished the non-threatening part though)
Any ideas? Also, I'm planning to do no text at all. But I was thinking, in a situation where you can't go on before you done the bow-mechanics, people would just start trying buttons right? So text wouldn't be needed? Any thoughts about that?



Thanks a lot.
Kyon.
 
You want people to think what the dev would have done with the bow mechanics? :D Thats a bit fun to be honest :D
Without texts, you may try showing it with holograms instead. Otherwise, how can they know all the buttons?
 
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PhenomenalDev

Guest
Have a target that must be initially shot to get through and then a stronger target that can only be destroyed using a charged arrow. The target can be something that naturally flows into the next section of the narrative such as rocks blocking a cave.
 

Kyon

Member
You want people to think what the dev would have done with the bow mechanics? :D Thats a bit fun to be honest :D
Without texts, you may try showing it with holograms instead. Otherwise, how can they know all the buttons?
Hmm yeah maybe you're right.
I was thinking of putting controls somewhere in the main menu, but not in-game.
Do you think it wouldn't be that bad to just put text in the middle of the screen sometimes to show what you have to do?

Have a target that must be initially shot to get through and then a stronger target that can only be destroyed using a charged arrow. The target can be something that naturally flows into the next section of the narrative such as rocks blocking a cave.
Hmm yeah something like that is great.
Maybe some small puzzle would be nice, like shooting through rope so a block falls and you need that to jump over something. hmm..
 
Hmm yeah maybe you're right.
I was thinking of putting controls somewhere in the main menu, but not in-game.
Do you think it wouldn't be that bad to just put text in the middle of the screen sometimes to show what you have to do?


Hmm yeah something like that is great.
Maybe some small puzzle would be nice, like shooting through rope so a block falls and you need that to jump over something. hmm..
Depends on how you write the string, check how Kingdom: New Lands did (
) thats a random gameplay video.

You may show controls while loading too btw.
 
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PhenomenalDev

Guest
Hmm yeah maybe you're right.
I was thinking of putting controls somewhere in the main menu, but not in-game.
Do you think it wouldn't be that bad to just put text in the middle of the screen sometimes to show what you have to do?
I think a certain aesthetic is presented by having no on screen controls or overbearning UI but if you don't feel that's integral to the design of your game then you can. I feel like your game would fit this style however.
 

Kyon

Member
Depends on how you write the string, check how Kingdom: New Lands did (
) thats a random gameplay video.

You may show controls while loading too btw.
I often see screenshots of that game but never knew the name, thanks. Looks amazing. And the controls in the screen aren't that distracting.

I think a certain aesthetic is presented by having no on screen controls or overbearning UI but if you don't feel that's integral to the design of your game then you can. I feel like your game would fit this style however.
So I stole the minimalist aesthetic of Kingdom: New Lands and it doesn't look terrible.
What do you think?





Also what's the proper word for stretching the string of your bow? Nock isn't a real word but is something I remember from old fantasy movies or something haha.
English is not my first language so what's the best way to explain this?
Also would this text be clear enough?
 
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PhenomenalDev

Guest
I often see screenshots of that game but never knew the name, thanks. Looks amazing. And the controls in the screen aren't that distracting.



So I stole the minimalist aesthetic of Kingdom: New Lands and it doesn't look terrible.
What do you think?





Also what's the proper word for stretching the string of your bow? Nock isn't a real word but is something I remember from old fantasy movies or something haha.
English is not my first language so what's the best way to explain this?
Also would this text be clear enough?
Looks great! It's really fitting. To nock an arrow is to put it onto the string in the correct area and to pull it back before firing is to draw it (so it would be Hold LT to draw).
 

Kyon

Member
Looks great! It's really fitting. To nock an arrow is to put it onto the string in the correct area and to pull it back before firing is to draw it (so it would be Hold LT to draw).
Aaah draw! Thanks!! :)


For the charging up. I'm going to let a character (another "magic bowman") walk with you in the beginning of the game, and you will notice him charging his bow up the longer he stretches it.
That might hopefully let the player understand the mechanics of charging up without text.
 
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PhenomenalDev

Guest
Aaah draw! Thanks!! :)


For the charging up. I'm going to let a character (another "magic bowman") walk with you in the beginning of the game, and you will notice him charging his bow up the longer he stretches it.
That might hopefully let the player understand the mechanics of charging up without text.
Seems like a good idea, just don't make it too forced and make sure the player sees it.
 
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