So… Completely different thought, but still in line with NPE. I’m using an * to mark my comments vs what we currently have… Sorry for the wall of text, but i wanted to be through.
So right now our NPE is as follows (correct me if I’m wrong), you get the game on steam or playstation store, you launch it, create a character (with every aspect being able to be changed again later, i don’t remember if there is info there to tell you that…), Pick if you want to start on a tranquil or hostile world (or something like that), you walk down a hallway, up a ramp, meet the elder who grunts and waves at the totem and warp augment, you are directed (via text objectives on screen) to load up the totem and point at the planet to open up your first warp portal.
*So far I don’t see any hiccups (let me know if you think we need changes to this first 5min), probably ok here, maybe some little more info about hostile enemies being able to be ran from or fought could help, idk… I’d say putting them on a local planet instead of a main universe planet, but only if reclaim is permitted after tutorial as a minimum, otherwise straight to mmo i think is better…
Once on the planet you are instructed via objectives of some things to do, but you can largely ignore these and play for quite awhile in clear daylight. If you follow the objectives you are directed to gather things to make a campfire, crafting table, wooden tools, a beacon and fuel, and place so many blocks to make your first “structure”.
*That is where I’d say a little firmer hand could help… Things like highlighted menus, maybe a dream bubble of sources of wood and leaves, told to handcraft a woden axe before you cut so many trees with a totem, make a hammer before you start whacking rocks with the totem.
Next you are directed to make a plow, and plant some seeds, then to find either a portal or make a warp augment and warp conduit and travel to another planet. I think once you’re there it just says to gather some resources then return via warp back to your home beacon…
*At least that is what i remember (i could be way off on my memory here), I’d argue the farming is a little tedious to be shown so early, but fine, and the planet travel is probably fine but I’d argue it should just be via warp, not portal, not yet. And on the other planet instead of gathering resources, you are encouraged to make a location marker and/or find a settlement probably the capital via the “warp to current planet” trick that takes you just outside that planet’s capital. Then after walking around the city for some amount of meters, you are encouraged to either travel through a portal (if an active one is nearby, use highlights to show what the purple portal icon on the compass if so), or return to santium and direct you to the warp home feature, (if you go through the portal it just has you walk around a little bit more then do the warp home thing)
***Now where a mechanic I feel should be added for the sake of NPE, have them now that they are home and have learned basic travel, have them do a special “reclaim” where they make a blueprint out of their plots, and now can place it on other planets. IF they are on a tutorial planet, now they move to MMO, if not then have them put it down either elsewhere on the same planet, OR place it on another planet (via warp to location marker if in MMO, otherwise they just pick a new spot on the MMO planet they end up “spawning to” based on their pick in the first 5min). After they put down the blueprint, they are shown a cutscene that displays highlights of different things in the game, like high level mining, exos, meteors hunting, glimpses of advanced farming, shops/malls, and perhaps glimpses of a couple portal hubs), then they are shown the “featured social channels” in the menus, namely the links to the official forums, and the discord (don’t have to click them, but are told that they are great ways to find and connect with the community). Told “welcome to boundless” and given a special box in the exchange that gives them a basic grapple, some coins, and a chunk of xp. End tutorial.
*If blueprints aren’t a thing that could be added yet, i guess standard reclaim works too, but I think the idea of being able to move your build will help the NPE so much more than just standard reclaim (although standard reclaim should be told to them too so they know their stuff is saved should they quit and comeback later).
