So that is the "new" new player tutorial experience. It's a whole lot better than what we had before. You learn on the fly that you'll need to lead targets, the pen indication marker to help with aiming and learning general weak spots, and a very brief lesson on cover and flanking.
Compared to the previous tutorial, this is a huge improvement.
Benefits and drawbacks:
- BENEFITS:
- Teaches leading targets
- Teaches basic UI features. Minimap and HP/Module components.
- Teaches basics of consumables
- Teaches basics of equipment
- Teaches basics of crew skills
- DRAWBCKS:
- Only introduces players to large equipment
- Encourages usage of equipment that shouldn't be a primary consideration outside of a few tanks
- Encourages capping without explaining cap mechanics or how resets work
- Does not explain armor angling
- Does not explain ammunition types
- Does not explain basics of tank classes
- Does not explain basics of spotting/bush mechanics when shooting.
At the end of the day, this tutorial is far superior to what was previously in place. But how can it be improved?
For the Consumables: A brief, 30 second voice over, can explain the difference between large and small consumables. As it is now, it forces players to use large kits only. Most likely to encourage their use as primary consumables, but letting players know the difference and to make the choice for themselves would be a good addition.
For the Equipment: Another area where, when the tutorial prompts you to mount some equipment, a few options should be made available with an explanation of what each type of benefit each piece of equipment does. As it is now, it throws a tool box at a new player, a piece of equipment with little value outside of slow and bulky heavy vehicles. I'd prefer to see something far more combat beneficial, say a gun laying drive, rammer, or vents, as they're almost defacto equipment for players who understand the game.
For the Capping: Capping has a place in this game, no debate. A primary goal it is not, as almost every base is wide open and you've given away your position. You might put some pressure on the enemy to react, but you're not going to have much more advantage beyond that. Having an enemy bot or two head to your own cap and have you reset it and explain how resets work would be a far more beneficial avenue to go down in teaching cap. Players will understand the cap alarms and how to reset and just how often you're giving up a boat load of advantages when capping.
NOTE: This is not me saying capping is bad. It's a tool to use but simply going into the cap at every opportunity is going to give you more headaches than benefits.
Armor Angling: Again, a small voice over during a match or during a specific part of one of the 4 games in the tutorial saying "armor is more effective when not flat-on to the enemy, angling it makes it thicker"
Ammo Types: While the tutorial is walking you through mounting equipment and consumables, it would also be a good time to explain some basics about ammunition and when/how to use it.
Tank classes: This one will be tricky and would probably take a whole new tutorial match to demonstrate properly as there's always a vehicle or five that don't go with the idea of their tank class (FCM 50t, for example, is played very much like a medium)
Vision and spotting mechanics: While the game does explain that you'll be spotted firing from a bush, adding in a demonstration of transparency mechanics and explaining the delays to 6th sense and how long you remain lit afterwards can go a long way towards alleviating one of the biggest new player complaints: being shot unspotted or failing to understand 6th sense.
So that's my take on the new tutorial. It's far better than what was once in place, but far from covering everything what's essential and does set up new players for some future bad habits. The change in your free 100% crew is also not welcome, it used to be you could sit on that 100% crew token until you unlocked a specific tank that you wanted, then could plop them in. Now you've no choice but to use that free 100% crew (with a 6th sense commander) on whatever tier 3 tank is on the line you picked.
P.S: A finale note here, while I do appreciate some effort being spent on the new player experience now, this was something that needed to be done years ago. On NA this is a waste, our market is mature and the new players trickle in. Over at EU and RU these ideas and efforts will probably result in more new players and a much better player retention rate.
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