Flash Tutorial

[Duffman]

*checks sticky.... *... Nope.. Ok... Probably suggested before so sorry in advance.

I would like to suggest some sort of tutorial feature. I mean the site already had the how to play page however if anyone has noticed it is very ineffecient because new people don't even bother to read them and ask in the game how to play.

My suggestion would be a feature that plays when the TAO game files aren't in cookies and the game is opened. It would show users, not tell them, how to move, attack, unit specifics and general tactics when playing like witch burn. It would be skipable for anyone who knows how to play already but hasn't got the files on their computer, and there should be a link on the server page to go to it.

I'm hopeing something like this would stop our ever-increasing n00bie problem.

[SlipknotiCX]

I had this idea myself, but decided not to post it since i'm a n00b myself :p But i'm all for this idea. Since I have camtasia and you can do voice narration....I'll make a vid showing how to play and upload it somewhere. Maybe :D

[drakonfire]

hmm... i tried to reply earlier but it gave me a stop error... grrr... that brown out did more damage than i thought...


anyway, IMO captions would probably be better than voice narration


and i totally agree that a tutorial would be a good thing, maybe just a small battle involving a knight, scout, pyro and cleric, that would give a good overview of units and their styles of attack

[SlipknotiCX]

Yeah, I don't have the best speaking voice LoL. I'll see about the captions though. Need extra software for that :p

[SlipknotiCX]

Ok, I got pretty much everything I need to make a tutorial on the game. The only thing I need is hosting for the video (Could be rather large so i'm gonna need some decent webspace), and some suggestions as to what I should put in the video. I know I know..the basics. But, I could use some ideas as to what else I should put in. Warning about rules, how not to be a n00b, how to post properly in the forums, how to get a gold account. Anything along those lines. You suggest it, i'll implement it ^_^.

[*The Nothing*]

Good idea guys, i like it, and slipknoticx, i would like to hear your voice......muhahaha

[Megabyte]

...i just always slapped the noobs and sent them to the "how to play" section. But videos are nice too.

[*The Nothing*]

Yes i agree totally, i think when you create an account, there should be this window that pops up, saying HOW TO PLAY YOU FREAKIN NOOBIE!!!!! and have instructions, hehe.

[SlipknotiCX]

Nothing, you Bad-Dawg :D . And lol, I usually do that too Megabyte. But i'd like to do this video...cuz when i'm not playing TAO, it's pretty much boring as all hell =\

[*The Nothing*]

And maybe you could explain with a brief message how to make these video's?

[SlipknotiCX]

Well, I was gonna use Virtual Dub and make subtitles....but I have camtasia and I found it easier to use "Hot Spots" in that than have to mess with timing in Virtual Dub. It's basically gonna look like a comic strip almost. A little speaking "could" above a unit that's gonna explain attacks and movement and what not. There's also options with the "cloud". You can make it a thinking cloud, there's arrows. So i'm basically gonna use camtasia studio and "Hot Spots" to explain everything in detail. From explaining the movement,attack,direction,pass and surrender buttons to basic scout LOS, to forum manners. If ya want the link to camtasia just pm me and i'll give it to ya. The hosting might be a problem though. Seeing as how i'm on 1-way cable (15kb up =\), it'll be virtually impossible to upload anything huge anywhere. So I will be releasing the video in about a month or so when I have access to high speed inet.

[thrdflrmshr]

What you need to do is record a mock game with a clan mate. Have it totally scripted out, so you know exactly how it goes. This is a great idea, but it doesn't need to go in the game. It needs to be on this website and linked to on the title screen of the game.

[SlipknotiCX]

Originally posted by thrdflrmshr
What you need to do is record a mock game with a clan mate. Have it totally scripted out, so you know exactly how it goes. This is a great idea, but it doesn't need to go in the game. It needs to be on this website and linked to on the title screen of the game.

This is what I plan on doing. But as far as it being on this site....i'd have to pass my work onto Bills or DR so they can get approval from Seed to be displayed on the how to play page or be linked from the loading screen. Once it's done i'll give a link to Bills or DR and let them decide if it's detailed enough and/or good enough for it to be posted. Either way i'll host it somewhere just in case they give it a no :p It's gonna be a little tough seeing as when I tried to record some battles/moves a while back....I kept getting the blue screen of death. But it'll get done and thanks for all the feedback peoplez ^_^

[Bottle]

Originally posted by drakonfire
and i totally agree that a tutorial would be a good thing, maybe just a small battle involving a knight, scout, pyro and cleric, that would give a good overview of units and their styles of attack

And a LW as well to stop people attacking the LW with knights.. Also would be able to show how to attack without moving using the LW. The tute mustn't be too long though, or some people will just skip it when they get bored. An alternative: when you make an account, you get the tutorial. This prevents what would become an annoyance. An enchanty and BW demonstration might be a good idea too as newbs often don't realise how useful they are until they play someone who uses them well.

[Duffman]

yes yes all good ideas. I like the runs on creation of new account.

Thrid Floor - newbs need to be forced to watch the tutorial otherwise they won't and we will just be telling them instead of reading the site to watch the tutorial and it won't solve anything.

[thrdflrmshr]

Then there needs to be an option to skip it, because people making new accounts that know how to play shouldn't be forced to watch.

Why don't you show a game with the two default setups and the first two moves, then show that you can go to settings and use the contraptions and change your layout, then show how to use each unit. It should be under 3 minutes, but be very informative.

[SlipknotiCX]

Originally posted by thrdflrmshr
Then there needs to be an option to skip it, because people making new accounts that know how to play shouldn't be forced to watch.

Why don't you show a game with the two default setups and the first two moves, then show that you can go to settings and use the contraptions and change your layout, then show how to use each unit. It should be under 3 minutes, but be very informative.

Yeah, definitely should be an option to skip it. That's the basis of site traffic "rules" on any website video/intro. I guess I should make the video in flash and have Seed incorporate some coding to skip it or have an option like:

I don't know how to play!

I know how to play, LET ME IN!

So far in the script I have:

Knight,Scout, Pyro, Cleric,Assassin, enchantress, LW and BW in the setup.

I'm leaning towards introduction tutorial. Like....before any of the units move, a tiny speaking bubble above them explaining who they are, point out their info (hp,power,armor, and turn recovery), and show them how to use the unit. Each unit will have 2 turns. 1. Moving and attacking. 2. Attacking and moving.

I added the Assassin simply because she attacks 4 tiles at once.

The first thing shown in the video will be the movement,attack,direction,pass turn, and surrender buttons. Then the tutorial will proceed to the units, their info and uses. Afterwards there will be credit to those who helped input the ideas and a little glimpse of gold account units to encourage going gold. If anyone has any other things they would like to see in the script, please feel free to share ideas. This will be done by the end of next month.

[Duffman]

Slipknot thats awesome man keep it up. However you gotta know even if you make it they might not put it in the game. You probably should ask DR before you keep making it if he wants it or not.

Oh and you might want to put stuff in there like changing your avatar and joining a clan in there too.

I think the best idea would be when you first create a new account to play it but also put a something in cookies or somewhere that remembers if the computer has created a new account before and if it has not to play it. However the first time it's show it should be forced to watch. If you somehow already know how to play and she shown the tutorial... live with it... I mean if i had to watch it everytime my username got cleared i'd be fine with it... at least it would cut down on the amount of n00bie questions.

[SlipknotiCX]

Originally posted by Duffman
Slipknot thats awesome man keep it up. However you gotta know even if you make it they might not put it in the game. You probably should ask DR before you keep making it if he wants it or not.

Oh and you might want to put stuff in there like changing your avatar and joining a clan in there too.

I think the best idea would be when you first create a new account to play it but also put a something in cookies or somewhere that remembers if the computer has created a new account before and if it has not to play it. However the first time it's show it should be forced to watch. If you somehow already know how to play and she shown the tutorial... live with it... I mean if i had to watch it everytime my username got cleared i'd be fine with it... at least it would cut down on the amount of n00bie questions.

I pm'd DR about it and no response. So either he doesn't really care or he's busy. Alright, i'll work in the settings function in the lobby and show about how many units can be played at one time and how to delete units and change your avatar. As far as the clan thing goes....now that I think about it....i'll add it in there ^_^

But even if it's not implemented in the game....i'm still gonna make it and upload it to my site just in case the "questions" come up. I enjoy making projects such as sites,videos,intro's and such....so this will keep me busy and even if no one even so much as gives a crap about it.....it will still be done :p Thanks for the input though.

[Bottle]

You don't want to make this too long. Remember many people are just playing this game on a whim because they have 5 spare minutes. If those 5 minutes are spent in a tutorial, they won't come back.

[SlipknotiCX]

Yeah, that's the main factor i'm considering. Besides, making it too long = bigger file size. I hate big files LoL