Extensive new player in-game guide

[ekzarh]

IMO one of big and solvable game issues is that you cannot learn the game without grinding wikis, patchnotes and forums.
Obviously I don't have exact numbers but most players just come to the website, register and hit the Play button. and if something puzzles them too much or they die they just quit.

Beginner quest was a small step forward but it was done long ago and no progress on that issue from that time.

There are 3 parts which I think could improve user experience a lot.

1. Controls
All (I mean each and every) key combination must be shown and explained inside of game.
Try to play using only keys shown in game (menus and that's it).
You'll feel the game really inconvenient if you need to click each item, drag it and put into container (you don't know about wheel key or shit+click, remember)

2. Death
New players don't have a slightest clue about inheritance, and what may cause death. The must be full explanation about cave-ins, drowning, starvation, aggresive animals, criminal players, inheritance etc.

3. Safety
Compeherensive and full explanation about other players hostility, the need of walls and claims.

I ensure you that player who is initially informed that they can and most probably would die the moment they see another player would stay in game with much higher chance than they do now.

Regarding peaceful mechanics (silk,steel, mining, taming) same approach may be considered. There is positive part of exploring the game and discovering things on one side and frustration when you have no idea how to do some thing and must go to wiki on the other.
Since majority of modern gamers are either spoiled or stupid or lazy or adults who value their time - only 1% of gamers would genuinely enjoy solving the puzzles on how to tame that f***n cow. Others will be frustrated with that and it will subtract points from their 'patience meter' until it reaches zero and they quit.

IMO this can be considered a main game design rule: "If some mechanic or feature is not compeherensively explained to a new player inside the game - this mechanic does not exist".

[Burinn]

Not having any idea what I was doing for the first couple months was a definitive part of my Haven experience, although I imagine not everyone has the temperament to deal with that.

Something like this would definitely help with player retention.

[sMartins]

I'm agree only on 1)Controls...and maybe some indication in the character creation that you can inherit your char....not agree on gameplay features explanation....

[Paradoxs]

Id like it if the game gave new players a jump start into understanding certain mechanics while not disclosing all of them, get them going, but dont cover everything. That way the frustration of the super early game is mitigated to a degree while the puzzle solving of how to do this or that remains intact as a enjoyable part of the game

[Moonpoppy]

a tutorial which would occur before entering the game would be great! As long as there is also a skip button

[Aranmor]

a tutorial which would occur before entering the game would be great! As long as there is also a skip button

I genuinely agree.

But thoughts about making alts pain in the butt due to initial tutorial still doesnt leave me. Normal behavior is 1 world 1 character+inherited ones so for 'normal' players that's not a bother. On the other hand, alt maker would probably script it.

[jorb]

Some ingame help topics would be a good thing. The only problem is continual maintenance of them.