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shasarak · 05-07-2008, 07:51 AM

While it's hard to disagree with such a reasonable statement

I might make one addition, which is that (IMO) there is something to be said for deliberately steering the game in a "jump right in" direction. I don't mean by this that the game should be so simple that you can learn all you need to know in 5 minutes; what I mean is that, given a choice between doing extensive reading up-front and engaging in extensive, step-by-step, in-game tutorials which convey the same information, I quite strongly favour the latter. My concentration span is not what it used to be, and I tend to get bogged down in very long, purely theoretical descriptions of things. I find it much easier to take information on board if I'm given an immediate, practical demonstration of how it applies.

Obviously it has to be possible to bypass in-game tutorials on your second and subsequent times around. And it does, unfortunately, require quite a lot of effort to make in-game tutorials that are genuinely informative and not boring. But, if you get it right, I think it's well worth the effort. I suspect it would also make the MUD more attractive to newbies too.

05-07-2008, 07:51 AM	#13
shasarak Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Emily's Shop Posts: 60	Re: When do you stop reading? While it's hard to disagree with such a reasonable statement I might make one addition, which is that (IMO) there is something to be said for deliberately steering the game in a "jump right in" direction. I don't mean by this that the game should be so simple that you can learn all you need to know in 5 minutes; what I mean is that, given a choice between doing extensive reading up-front and engaging in extensive, step-by-step, in-game tutorials which convey the same information, I quite strongly favour the latter. My concentration span is not what it used to be, and I tend to get bogged down in very long, purely theoretical descriptions of things. I find it much easier to take information on board if I'm given an immediate, practical demonstration of how it applies. Obviously it has to be possible to bypass in-game tutorials on your second and subsequent times around. And it does, unfortunately, require quite a lot of effort to make in-game tutorials that are genuinely informative and not boring. But, if you get it right, I think it's well worth the effort. I suspect it would also make the MUD more attractive to newbies too.