Tutorial Level Select - Practical Considerations for Story Introductions

Enodoc · January 2021

We saw in yesterday's reveal stream that a "Level Select" system is being implemented with Blackwood after a new Tutorial, which will allow you to choose where you start your adventure. The short clips showed portal archways which contained the Greymoor, Summerset and Elsweyr loading screen art. We've been asking for this sort of thing for years of course, but the question is - does the "Level Select" system take you into the former Tutorial quests, or does it bypass those as though you had "skipped Tutorial"?

Each of the Chapter Tutorial quests was designed as an introduction to that Chapter's story, so it would be a shame to lose those forever, and it would be best to adapt those properly into each Chapter questline. This was already done with Soul Shriven in Coldharbour, where the original base-game Tutorial had its "Tutorial" elements removed and became just the first quest of the Main Questline. This would create a more complete story experience for the player, rather than just bypassing that introduction quest completely.

Still hoping for a way for existing characters to complete those introductory quests too... (not really for the Skill Point, although that would be nice, but for the story introduction that those characters otherwise miss). It would be great if completing the relevant Prologue quest automatically leads you straight into the relevant Chapter introduction.

adriant1978 · January 2021

Enodoc wrote: »

We saw in yesterday's reveal stream that a "Level Select" system is being implemented with Blackwood after a new Tutorial, which will allow you to choose where you start your adventure. The short clips showed portal archways which contained the Greymoor, Summerset and Elsweyr loading screen art. We've been asking for this sort of thing for years of course, but the question is - does the "Level Select" system take you into the former Tutorial quests, or does it bypass those as though you had "skipped Tutorial"?.

Now that I think about it, I fear you may be right. From the devs' point of view it's a win because it would mean they only have to maintain one single tutorial experience rather than an ever increasing number of them from each new chapter.

As someone who works maintaining IT systems I totally get that. As a player it makes me sad.

SgtNuttzmeg · January 2021

What I want to see from this is ZOS actually teaching new players to LA weave. I think any tutorial revamp would be incomplete without a proper explanation of this vital mechanic.

VaranisArano · January 2021

I'd like for the game to begin with the player character losing their soul. That's a huge plot hole if you do any number of base game quests before you start the main quest.

But I'll settle for players getting more agency in how to experience the game chronologically as opposed to only ever being shoved straight into the newest Chapter and nevermind that the year-long story already started with the Q1 dungeons/Chapter Prologue.

Enodoc · January 2021

Would be interesting to see also if the "hub" is a one-time thing or somewhere you can get back to in order to start other stories.

ectoplasmicninja · January 2021

VaranisArano wrote: »

I'd like for the game to begin with the player character losing their soul. That's a huge plot hole if you do any number of base game quests before you start the main quest.

Agreed. It would be nice if when we get to the point of escaping Coldharbour, the spirit of the Prophet could tell us that now that we have escaped the God of Schemes, we are free to choose our own path, and then we see our options - the base alliance beginner zone where we would wash up as always, and then all the other tutorial options, even if they are just invitation letters on a table.

Jayne_Doe · January 2021

Since the Coldharbour intro quest is already in the game, there's no point in starting out with losing your soul during the tutorial. I hope that what happen is if you choose to start in your alliance, you go through the portal and get snatched and sacrificed and wind up in Coldharbour.

If you decide to go to Morrowind, you get shipwrecked along the way and play through that tutorial (with the tutorial elements removed). Same for Summerset, Elsweyr, and Greymoor. But, if they did that, then they'd still have to create an intro quest for each new chapter, which maybe they don't want to do any more. But, I think that's still a possibility. New players would have a choice of where to go, and then would go right into the intro quest for that content.

That's my hope, anyway.

Enodoc · January 2021

Jayne_Doe wrote: »

If you decide to go to Morrowind, you get shipwrecked along the way and play through that tutorial (with the tutorial elements removed). Same for Summerset, Elsweyr, and Greymoor. But, if they did that, then they'd still have to create an intro quest for each new chapter, which maybe they don't want to do any more. But, I think that's still a possibility. New players would have a choice of where to go, and then would go right into the intro quest for that content.

Yeah this would be ideal. And for the "intro quest", I don't see that as much of a problem in theory, as it will allow them to better create that as a proper "intro quest" rather than something that's designed as a Tutorial.

The good thing about all the previous Tutorial quests is that they would still be pretty good short quests without the tutorial elements.

Aliyavana · January 2021

Jayne_Doe wrote: »

Since the Coldharbour intro quest is already in the game, there's no point in starting out with losing your soul during the tutorial. I hope that what happen is if you choose to start in your alliance, you go through the portal and get snatched and sacrificed and wind up in Coldharbour.

If you decide to go to Morrowind, you get shipwrecked along the way and play through that tutorial (with the tutorial elements removed). Same for Summerset, Elsweyr, and Greymoor. But, if they did that, then they'd still have to create an intro quest for each new chapter, which maybe they don't want to do any more. But, I think that's still a possibility. New players would have a choice of where to go, and then would go right into the intro quest for that content.

That's my hope, anyway.

you would also be missing out on a skill point if you don't choose a chapter

VaranisArano · January 2021

Jayne_Doe wrote: »

Since the Coldharbour intro quest is already in the game, there's no point in starting out with losing your soul during the tutorial. I hope that what happen is if you choose to start in your alliance, you go through the portal and get snatched and sacrificed and wind up in Coldharbour.

If you decide to go to Morrowind, you get shipwrecked along the way and play through that tutorial (with the tutorial elements removed). Same for Summerset, Elsweyr, and Greymoor. But, if they did that, then they'd still have to create an intro quest for each new chapter, which maybe they don't want to do any more. But, I think that's still a possibility. New players would have a choice of where to go, and then would go right into the intro quest for that content.

That's my hope, anyway.

I'd prefer to have the Coldharbor tutorial be revamped and made into the main tutorial, and then you go where you want.

Why?

Skipping the part where you lose your soul is a giant plot hole. Being the Vestige explains everything from why you seek skyshards, why you rez, and how you can use wayshrines, to why you can happily survive stuff that should have killed a person with a soul in a number of base game and several DLC questlines. Even Morrowind, the first Chapter to start new players in that zone, had a quest that relied on your "soulless" nature as the Vestige. So much of the game assumes you've done the Coldharbor start to the main quest.

Sure, players don't have to go through ESO chronologically anymore. There will always be some plot holes.

But there's no reason why ZOS can't address this big one now that they are finally looking at how to best start new players on their journey through ESO.

LaerothKeykalyn · January 2021

New tutorial room

VaranisArano · January 2021

Elfdominion4 wrote: »

New tutorial room

I hope that the Character Creation screen has better lighting than that!

I hate picking creating in lantern light only to see my character in natural light and go, "Oh, so that's what your hair color looks like."

GrimTheReaper45 · January 2021

Id really prefer if it went select your path and then do that tutorial

Also someone posted about this being adamantine tower, If thats true I would consider that a loss. Really hope at some point we can go to there as part of the game. Seems like wasted potential.

Enodoc · January 2021

GrimTheReaper45 wrote: »

Also someone posted about this being adamantine tower, If thats true I would consider that a loss. Really hope at some point we can go to there as part of the game. Seems like wasted potential.

Yeah that was also me

Wanted to keep the gameplay and story considerations separate from the lore ones.

Here's the lore thread if anyone wants to drop in: Adamantine Tower is now a game mechanic gimmick, and (still) looks Ayleid.

TheRimOfTheSky · March 2021

Agreed, there are many possible issues with the tutorial that need to be resolved before it goes up for testing (with Update 30 I believe)