Learning The Game, FAQ, and Wiki

[x4000]

Environ is a hostile place, but the game itself endeavors to teach you everything you need to know as you get started.  However, if you wish to know more about how the game works before playing, or if you're the sort of person who simply prefers external manuals, then these are the links for you!

A Valley Without Wind Wiki: Learning The Game

Getting Started Guide

What Are All These Maps For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Multiplayer Co-Op: Differences From Solo Play, And Other Notes

[HellishFiend]

Recently picked up the game and tried it out. One thing I would definitely make sure and add to the tombstones in the tutorial is a note about what is NOT available to the player yet at civilization level 1. I wasted a bit of time trying to build up my settlement at the start, and didn't realize for a while that there wasnt anything I could do yet! 

In fact, for those like me, it would be great to have a summary somewhere in-game as to what gets unlocked at what level. That should also keep people interested in getting deeper into the game, as well.

[x4000]

Recently picked up the game and tried it out. One thing I would definitely make sure and add to the tombstones in the tutorial is a note about what is NOT available to the player yet at civilization level 1. I wasted a bit of time trying to build up my settlement at the start, and didn't realize for a while that there wasnt anything I could do yet! 

In fact, for those like me, it would be great to have a summary somewhere in-game as to what gets unlocked at what level. That should also keep people interested in getting deeper into the game, as well.

Actually, your inference of what's not available there is incorrect -- you're perfectly able to build up your settlement at tier 1.  We're working on an extended in-game tutorial for guardian powers, that's one of those things that's lacking in-game but which we're trying rectify this week. You're far from the only one confused about those at the moment!

[HellishFiend]

Really? Interesting. I clicked on just about every button I could find in every menu I could find, and could not seem to find anything that wasnt unavailable to me. Looking forward to finding out what else I can tinker with.

[tigersfan]

Really? Interesting. I clicked on just about every button I could find in every menu I could find, and could not seem to find anything that wasnt unavailable to me. Looking forward to finding out what else I can tinker with.

Here is the progression we plan to incorporate into the game:

1. Get granite.  Then get and use a residential and storage tower NPC.

2. Get Purple shards. Now get a Stonebinder Tri-Tower.

3. Now that your Stonebinder should be at level 3, get blue shards and use an Aquaurgists Well.

4. Now that you can make windshelters when you want, get green shards and make a Lumbermancy Focal Station.

From this point, all the guardian power buildings should be available to you, assuming you have the proper materials.

[HellishFiend]

Good to know! However, I have an issue with the following (dont worry about answering unless you want to, I'm just providing from the perspective of a brand new player, these are the things I am not clear on)

- No idea how to go about seeking out and obtaining granite, aside from happening across it randomly
- No idea how to seek out and recruit NPCs
- No clear "initial set of goals" to work at until I get an idea what I want to accomplish with the game

Right now, the only thing I have really been doing is going after missions, exploring random areas and looking at the maps to see which rooms have extra resources I can harvest, waiting for things to become clear, or to figure out something else I can do.

[x4000]

Yep, that's what we're talking about -- adding a bit more direction after that point.  Don't worry!

[eRe4s3r]

I agree with HellishFiend (The post above me was not there a minute ago, blimey ,p)

I seem to be again totally direction less and left without any guidance after the tutorial.

->
1. Get granite.  Then get and use a residential and storage tower NPC.
2. Get Purple shards. Now get a Stonebinder Tri-Tower.
3. Now that your Stonebinder should be at level 3, get blue shards and use an Aquaurgists Well.
4. Now that you can make windshelters when you want, get green shards and make a Lumbermancy Focal Station.

You can make it a toggle but i feel as if this whole build-up phase needs a feature rich (meaning not just a "go there, fetch that" quest style) tutorial that leads us from start of the game to stage 4

After all, the game only really "starts" proper after you got to stage 4 - and for the first continent it seems to me this ought to be a tutorial/scripted section for the very first continent. And this should cover all gameplay related elements as well in the process (resistances, shields, spells, materials, where to get what, easy way to find where to get what, etc.)

After this level-up to stage 4 phase the over-arching goals should be revealed (not before) so that clutter and confusion are kept to a minimum.

call it the "tutorial mode" or whatever because after the first time and barring heavy changes this is then no longer needed. I also think the text and dialog for that first "tutorial mode" peek into the game should be of particular importance and written with great care. This is what sets the game up - if the learning curve is a cliff, then that would be bad ;p)

(to me, its a black hole, because i am a bit confused with old/new information right now)

[HellishFiend]

eRe4s3r raises a good idea: perhaps the entire first continent should be one giant tutorial?

I think for this type of game, having 3 ways of starting the game would be ideal:

1) The entire first continent is a giant tutorial, and at the end of the tutorial, you have a semi-developed continent and a clear idea of what else you'd like to do with the game, and how to do it.
2) (For veterans) You start the game at the end of the tutorial with a developed settlement, and can pick up the game with a newly generated world as if you had played the tutorial
3) (For hardcore veterans) You start the game with a fresh character, fresh settlement, no inventory, and no tutorial, so you can have the experience of starting a newly generated world without anything to dictate how your first continent gets developed.

Those three options should provide people who love to "re-roll" their world all the time plenty of choice on how they go about doing so.

[x4000]

Bear in mind, the game starts right away -- there are a few macro-game things you cannot do until you get up your first three guardian power buildings, and we're going to script that out.  But for the rest, you can pursue all sorts of other goals and make progress toward beating the overlord right away.

[eRe4s3r]

By the way... if "camera follows mouse pointer" is checked, the camera moves when we are in the info tabs and dialog stuff and encyclopedia stuff and "Tutorial Tips"... very disorienting

Speaking of .. things

I also think the health blobs should not "swirl" into you - that looks very weird and is actually kind distracting in combat, when getting close to them, a small light beam in the direction

And what would a post of me be without a mockup ;P

Mhhh, might be not the right topic ;P

Still think we need more faint/pulsing glow. Optional, but makes effects stand out more, needs to be drawn on-top of all effects and scale/dim depending on its function.

Pulsate on things that swirl static in the map... ;P

Wow i just noticed that this is totally in the wrong place (i guess) for talking about tutorials and graphics.. i only read HellishFiend's post, didn't even notice this is a sticky for info ;p

[HellishFiend]

I personally think this is an appropriate topic to discuss tutorials (people will be coming into this topic looking for info on how they can expect to "learn the game". Maybe not graphics, though. 

[x4000]

Please just give us a bit of time on those!  We really do want to hear feedback, but right now we already have a raft of plans on the tutorials, and having lots of feedback on what needs to be covered at this stage is overwhelming rather than helpful.  I hope to get most/all of those things in tomorrow, but we'll see.  There's still ocean stuff and some physics stuff that needs fixing before beta phase 3, as well.

[HellishFiend]

You got it. 

[Dizzard]

So where is the elusive granite? :S