Proposals/Tutorials

In-game Tutorials

Author: BTAxis (talk, contrib)

This article describes a proposal for tutorials that will guide a new player around the interface and game elements. The purpose is to make the game more accessible while not forcing the player to read an external document such as a manual or the wiki.

What a tutorial looks like

A tutorial is simply a box on the screen that contains text. It is extremely similar to the currently existing Tip of the Day box. The tutorial box contains the following elements:

• The tutorial text. This text describes each control on the screen. It also mentions what the screen is for and what will be shown in it over the course of the game.
• A scrollbar for the text, if necessary
• A check box labeled "do not show me this tutorial again"
• An OK button

All tutorials should also be accessible from the UFOpaedia.

How tutorials should behave

• The tutorial should instantly be shown whenever the player enters the screen with which it is associated. The menu underneath should be temporarily disabled and time should be temporarily stopped, if applicable, until the tutorial is closed.
  
• The check box should apply only to that particular tutorial. All other tutorials should be unaffected.
  
• The player should be able to manually call up the tutorial for the currently active screen by pressing F1.
  
• In the game options there should be a check box labeled "show tutorials", which functions as a master switch for all tutorials. Close by there should be a button titled "reset all tutorials", which causes all tutorials to be shown again even if they were previously told to go away.