This is part two in a series where we'll be exploring how the tutorials of dark souls
are designed, and whether not they successfully prepare new players for the remainder of the
game.
Last time we discusses the Undead Asylum and found it to be a successful and overall enjoyable
tutorial, However this week, we'll be discussing Dark Souls 2 and the Things betwixt.
There are a full notable differences between both tutorials.
Namely… in this game it's fully optional.
Technically to finish the tutorial all you have to do is run straight to the firekeeper's
hut, and then straight out to Majula.
You encounter no enemies, no traps, and there's nothing to learn on this path.
It's short and quick, and this is great for veteran players, but the lack of guidance
or structure really hurts new player experience.
To put it in perspective, If the Undead \Asylum was designed this way, the Asylum demon fight
wouldnt exist, so that the player could run immediately to the main lobby, through the
boss room and leave for Firelink shrine before doing anything else.
But it's not necessarily a bad thing that the tutorial area is optional, and there are
some benefits to this, even for new players, but..
I'm getting ahead of myself, because there's a few things to iron out before we begin.
First, since the actual tutorial areas of Things Betwixt are far less linear and structured
than the Undead Asylum, rather than doing a step by step breakdown of the entire area,
we'll instead by picking apart specific aspects and parts of the tutorial, in order
to be more concise.
Since several of the areas are fairly superfluous and don't really have much going on, id
rather focus on other aspects in depth, as there are some really fascinating, and interesting
decisions that the developers made for this area, so I'd rather focus on those areas
in particular rather than areas which are fairly redundant.
There are several side effects of having an optional tutorial.
As we mentioned earlier, it means that the area is far less structured than the Undead
Asylum, or even the Cemetery of Ash.
This makes it much more difficult to ensure the player will take a certain course of action,
or that a specific order of events will occur.
A surprising effect of this is that there is no boss in this area at all.
This makes sense, as making one of the side tunnels lead to an optional boss fight would
feel forced, and be unnecessary, it does mean the area lacks a certain panache though.
While the first and third tutorials slowly build difficulty until the player finally
faces a boss at the end of the area, the second zone just.. ends.
Once players are finished exploring the side tunnels, they just leave for Majula.
It's not necessarily harmful per se, but it does result in this tutorial having a very
different feeling than the other games, resulting in the Things Betwixt feeling a bit flat.
But… enough about that.
Let's start out with a short area overview, and then I'll discuss a few things I think
are the main contributors to this area feeling so lackluster
After the player exits the bonfire room, they come across this long path with several fog
doors on either side.
Behind these doors are tombstones with control tutorials, and several pods of enemies to
practice on, as well as a few hidden items.
There are a few instances where these areas teach concepts such as how to traverse the
environment, or how to use height to get an advantage on an enemy.
However these situations are set up to explicitly show players how to use certain movement options,
or attacks, such as using a plunging attack on this enemy.
The problem with this sort of lesson is that it's explicitly stating a use of an attack
to the player, rather than letting them naturally form their own conclusions from their own
experiences.
The Asylum demon plunging attack was so effective because it shows just how much more damage
a plunging attack does compared to a normal attack, however basically every weapon deals
enough damage to 1 shot these guys, so the fact that a plunging attack 1 shots them isn't
very impressive, and makes it so that players don't really get to understand the full capabilities
of plunging attacks.
Rather than teaching that height equals combat advantage, the player is taught that plunging
attacks are situationally useful for instant kills against certain enemies.
If the player hesitates against the Asylum Demon, and doesn't press their advantage,
He'll jump up and knock them down, damaging them heavily.
However if a player doesn't press their advantage against this undead hell just… wait there.
It's a small difference but it completely changes the message.
However one of the things I find most puzzling about this area, is that they use tombstones
to teach players the controls.
I briefly covered how they were taught in Dark souls 1, and I feel they were handled
appropriately there, as they performed the job of teaching players controls, while also
building an association between player messages and advice.
The decision to use these tombstones, rather than the glowing messages is honestly confusing.
These sorts of messages are never really used for the remainder of the game, so teaching
new players that Tombstone = helpful tip is honestly really perplexing.
Sure they perform their primary purpose of teaching players the controls, and in the
end it's not going to ruin the game for a new player, but it just seems like a wasted
opportunity, especially because they already did it correct the first time.
If the developers were really dead set on the tombstone aesthetic, a simple fix would
be to have the glowing messages set directly in front of each tombstone, maintaining aesthetic,
while still building the idea that glowing message equals advice.
It's most likely that the developers assumed that players would either have that pre-existing
association, or that they would develop it on their own quickly.
This is a really big assumption though, and the idea that these associations already exist
is a symptom of a larger problem present in both Dark souls 2 and 3: that players will
already understand all the underlying game concepts.
That people already know that the glowing messages can either trick or help you, so
it's un necessary to develop those connotations early.
The problem with this is that it assumes that the players have at least some modicum of
knowledge about Dark Souls in general.
While Dark souls 1 sold quite well in it's first years, I think it's unhelpful to leave
those players new to the series in the dust.
However this entire argument forgets one very important aspect of the entire tutorial.
It's optional.
There isn't a ton of really great loot in any of the side tunnels, so most experienced
players will end up running directly to Majula, and only dip into one of the tunnels to grab
a specific item, or two.
The people who are dutifully exploring each side tunnel are the ones who are most likely
to really need those lessons about the game world, and to learn how things work.
If the tutorial is gonna be optional, then the optional parts really need to benefit
and teach the few players who will use them, rather than simply teaching them that R1 is
light attack and R2 is heavy attack.
I've really been harping on what this area does wrong though, so why don't we discuss
what it gets right.
First off it's simply a fun area to explore.
Dark souls 1 only had a few fights, and was extremely linear, however the myriad tunnels
make exploring the gnarled twisting roots of the Things Betwixt feel exciting.
There's a lot more combat this time around, and players are immediately challenged with
fighting a mix or ranged and melee enemies.
Fighting through pods of enemies before moving forward to explore more is honestly pretty
enjoyable, and is a great hook for new players.
Each tunnel is hidden behind a fog wall, and this is pretty questionable at first.
It definitely sends conflicting messages to new players, that fog walls are simply spooky
doors, but in reality the use of fog walls here is pretty clever.
First fog walls always give a feeling of tension which makes the act of exploring a lot more
fun, but they also have the side effect of being a very clear visual representation of
where the player has and hasn't been.
Many of the twisting tunnels look similar, and it would be easy for a new player to get
turned around and completely lost.
Since each tunnel is hidden behind a fog wall, if there isn't a fog wall in a tunnel, it
means the player has explored that segment in some way shape or form.
This is really great for letting players have fun in this area, without getting lost or
confused.
The presence of the petrified undead in one of the side tunnels who blocks access to a
fog wall also encourages players to later return and explore, and let's players know
that returning to an area with a new item to open up new paths is important in this
game.
Once again the use of a fog wall here is clever.
Up till now Fog walls have hidden a segment of the game which can be explored, and makes
the thought of coming back later much more tantalizing.
Players who thoroughly explored the area will stumble upon this ledge which gives them a
peek at the area stuck behind the statuesque undead.
This really drives home that some areas can later be returned to, in order to be explored
further.
There is no shortcut lesson in this tutorial.
One could argue that the ladder next to dyna and tillo is a shortcut, but in reality it's
mostly used to make reaching them more convenient for players returning later in the game.
This decision to remove a shortcut lesson is initially pretty questionable, as it was
done so elegantly in Dark souls 1, but it's actually incredibly apt for this b game, as
shortcuts are largely nonexistant, at least compared to Dark Souls 1.
Fast traveling is available as soon as you reach Majula, making the majority of shortcuts
unnecessary.
The elevator in the Undead Parish cuts off several minutes from the trip between the
parish and Firelink shrine, but there doesn't need to be a shortcut between majula and Harvest
valley for example, because every bonfire in the game is that shortcut.
This has a lot of effects on how the game feels and plays, and there's a lot to be
said there, but for the purpose of this video, all it means for us is that having a shortcut
present in the tutorial would ultimately be unnecessary, and the lack of one is an overall
good decision.
I guess my point is that less is more in some cases, and in this case removing something
really benefits the tutorial, and fits the game.
Another really well executed lesson is centered around the Cyclops located on a hidden patch
preceding the firekeeper's hut.
The lesson is admittedly well executed, but the message it sends doesn't really fit this
game.
Let me explain.
Players will initially see an item off the side of this wooden bridge, and begin searching
for a way to retrieve it.
They will find a hidden path behind some leaves, and follow the path, which is covered in massive
footprints.
This makes encountering the Cyclop itself much more intimidating when they reach the
top of the path.
They can take the item from behind him, but attempting to kill him will be quite difficult,
as the player deals very little damage; even if they return after visiting the firekeeper's
hut and have a real weapon.
Each of the Cyclops's attacks will deal a massive amount of damage to the player,
or kill them outright, so all that can be done is to swipe the item, and try to escape
over to the waterfall.
This is a really effective way to convey that certain areas just aren't supposed to be accessed
early, and just because you can go somewhere, doesn't mean you should.
Having a very difficult enemy present immediately in the very first section of the tutorial
and possibly as the first enemy players can face really drives this concept home.
The fact that the path is obscured leaves no doubt in the player's mind that they
aren't supposed to be here yet, even though they can access the area.
This lesson is one that I feel The Undead Asylum could have benefitted from, as the
first dark souls is very open, and many late game bosses can be fought extremely early.
However Dark souls 2 isn't really that kind of game.
It's notoriously linear compared to Dark souls 1, and the only area I can think of
that you can access significantly earlier than you're supposed to is Sinner's rise,
and the fight with the Lost Sinner.
So while this lesson is executed really well, it's kinda pointless, as it's one of the
few times in the game the player is exposed to an enemy who is leagues stronger than they
are at that point.
Now that we've explored most notable parts of the area, let's discuss the focus and purpose
of the Things Betwixt, because ultimately that's how we determine whether or not the
area acts as a successful tutorial.
While the first Dark Souls tutorial focused on teaching game philosophies and world design,
and as we'll cover next time, Dark Souls 3's tutorial focuses on combat, The Things
Betwixt is very obviously focused on controls.
This is a valid decision by the Developers, as that is what tutorials are traditionally
used for.
However the dark souls series is challenging, and that challenge is due to the game design,
not the controls, which I personally find very intuitive, (at least with a controller).
Combat and level navigation on the other hand are far less intuitive, especially for new
players.
In my opinion focusing on these things instead is far more effective for this kind of game,
and makes the new player experience much more enjoyable.
In Dark souls 1 world exploration is one of the more difficult and confusing parts of
the game for new players.
Therefore having a tutorial which teaches some rules about the world and game as a whole
makes sense.
Conversely the main challenge of Dark Souls 3 is definitely combat, especially against
non-boss enemies as they are more difficult compared to the other games.
Therefore it makes sense that dark souls 3's tutorial would center around combat, as we'll
later discuss.
I would argue that one of the most difficult things for new players in Dark Souls 2 is
traversing the environment, as almost every area has a gimmick or difficult hazard to
overcome.
It's something I think most veteran players overlook, but for new players the poisonous
trenches of Harvest valley, the Lava pools of the Iron Keep, and the Clutching Darkness
of The Gutter can all be very challenging, and frustrating to traverse.
It would make more sense to me if the game prepared players for these types of challenges
in some way, and what better place to teach them than in the tutorial?
One could argue that the cliffs on the side of some of the more narrow paths teach this,
but that connection feels very weak, as all you need to traverse the cliffs is basic space
awareness.
You could argue that it doesn't matter that the tutorial only teaches controls, and that
new players will either learn the hard way, or pick things up over the course of the game.
Dark souls is supposed to be hard after all, and so if new people don't get something
then they deserve to have a harder time.
The issue is that this argument misses the point, and is undervaluing how much a proper
tutorial can help improve a new player's experience.
Despite what many think, Dark Souls isn't supposed to be a frustrating or rage inducing
game.
The Dark Souls series is simply designed to be challenging and punishing, while remaining
an overall enjoyable experience.
While many people find this challenge to be frustrating, that frustration is almost always
due to a perceived unfairness in the game.
1 hit kill moves, hidden traps, and environmental hazards all feel unfair to a player who isn't
prepared for them, and this often leads to frustration.
However when a game intentionally prepares players to memorize a boss's movement, check
every corner for traps, and to play cautiously around a hazard, the game becomes much more
enjoyable for new players.
This is why something like the boulder trap from dark souls 1 is so effective.
It punishes players lightly in the first area of the game, preparing them for a later point
when being hit by a boulder will be a bit more painful.
And that's why I find the Dark souls 2 tutorial such a lost opportunity.
They had a whole area in which to teach a player, and ultimately, they teach them very
little.
Ultimately this makes the game a bit more frustrating; Just a bit less enjoyable, and
overall?
less fun.
But…
That's my opinion, and I'm curious as to what you think.
Do you think that the Things Betwixt Is a successful tutorial?
Do you disagree with my assertions?
Let me know in the comments!
We're over halfway through this series, and next time we'll be exploring Dark Souls
3's Cemetery of Ash.
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I'm loving this series so much, and so I hope you guys will stick around!
Either way, thank you for your continued support..
And I'll see you in the next one.
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