2011-10-07, 06:50 PM
while having text explanations that float over buttons is helpful, I think it would be nice to have a more controlled introduction to the game. It is helpful to walk users through each of the different parts of your game such as fighting monsters, catching monsters, traveling, index and items bag, and whatever other features are in your game, pointing out conditions and locations of buttons.
While you might think that forced tutorials are tedious, or that your game is self explanatory because of its easy to read buttons and its similarity to Pokemon, I would like to encourage you to make a tutorial for a few reasons.
1. you made the game, you know how it works inside and out, the users don't.
2. popular video games, no matter how complicated are successful because they are good at training the player to use their game.
3. if you play pokemon you know it always starts with a tutorial (that doesn't explicitly state that it is a tutorial, but if you notice that the NPC's guide you through it).
4. not everyone who will try to play your game has played pokemon or a lot of browser games (think of the children-lol).
Anyway I thought it might be helpful and acclimate to the purpose of your game, cause you also need to give them a goal. I hope you will consider doing this.
While you might think that forced tutorials are tedious, or that your game is self explanatory because of its easy to read buttons and its similarity to Pokemon, I would like to encourage you to make a tutorial for a few reasons.
1. you made the game, you know how it works inside and out, the users don't.
2. popular video games, no matter how complicated are successful because they are good at training the player to use their game.
3. if you play pokemon you know it always starts with a tutorial (that doesn't explicitly state that it is a tutorial, but if you notice that the NPC's guide you through it).
4. not everyone who will try to play your game has played pokemon or a lot of browser games (think of the children-lol).
Anyway I thought it might be helpful and acclimate to the purpose of your game, cause you also need to give them a goal. I hope you will consider doing this.