A concept for a reworked tutorial
League is the most played game in the world; it has surpassed notable giants, such as World of Warcraft and Starcraft. It has become the most watched and played video game in the world. For good reason, the state of e-sports is where it is today, due to LOL. Yet, I think it is high-time to address, in my opinion, its greatest downfall—inaccessibility to new players.
The game is complicated. Remind yourself what it means to be a new player. There are 128 (and counting) unique champions and as many items. New players must navigate an unfamiliar layout, figure out multiple maps, and try to learn free-week champions that they are unable to play the next week. Is it any wonder that their first thoughts are…“What do I buy? What are summoner spells, runes, masteries? What’s this thing called a jungler? What is this useless thing called a ward…and why does it do no damage? And above all…why do I spend most of my games DEAD!??”
While I do not want to disparage the work put into the current tutorials, it is evident that League has outgrown these dated walkthroughs. Unfortunately, this means that there is simply too much information that is left for new players to “figure it out”. The old system must be removed to make way for a more detailed tutorial. Let me be clear, I don’t intend for just a longer explanation—this would become boring and could overload new players. Rather, I suggest an overarching teaching system divided into chapters. Each chapter would comprise of multiple lessons and mini-games. Each lesson would be short (perhaps 5-20 minutes per lesson). At the end of each chapter, there will be a pass/fail test to determine if you’re ready to move on. The breakup is as shown below.
Overarching teaching system: • Chapters o Lessons Tests
Once a chapter is complete, the user is granted a predetermined gift. For example, at the end of the first chapter, players would be given a basic set of runes (accompanied with an explanation of how to use them). Other bonuses could include: RP, runes, skins, icons, and experience. As an added benefit, this is a fantastic way to help level 30 players create new accounts without grinding quite as long and help delineate smurfs from new players. Example: I make a new account, play a few tests—and voila—I’m level 10, playing against my own level players, with a basic set of runes and masteries, and I am able to play whatever map/mode type I prefer.
With the tutorials broken down into chapters, this could allow for beginner, intermediate, and advanced challenges. As well as creating an expandable, flexible system.
Users can choose to play any lesson or test at any time. While they are meant to be somewhat sequential, they don’t have to be played in any specific order. The following list is an example breakdown of chapters and their respective rewards up to chapter 10.
Chapters:
- The Basics (advances you to level 2 upon completion)
- Champions (Unlocks annie, garen, and ashe)
- Items (Gives you 200 IP)
- Basic fighting (gives you bonus experience)
- Beginner Summoner Spells (100 RP)
- Runes and Masteries (rewards you with 2 sets of runes, one for ad, one for ap)
- Jungling (jungle camp icon)
- Item actives (300 IP)
- Intermediate fighting (4 win exp boost)
- Intermediate Summoner Spells: (Icon)
*All lessons give you small amounts of experience, upon completing them for the first time.
Along with lessons, you would be able to have a ‘Training’ tab that would allow you to practice skills with interactive activies: Mini-games:
- Dodging skill-shots (grants IP in relation to how long you survive. Bonus IP for hitting certain thresholds of time)
• The point of the game is to stay alive as long as possible.
• Game ends when you are hit with 3 skillshots. • You start out with the summoner spell “flash”. It has a 20 second cooldown. • You are in a small map.
You pick a champion. Enemy champions with skill-shots, such as Nidalee, Lux, Zyra, Morgana, will move throughout the map and throw their abilities at you. As time passes, the game will become more difficult. Champions will throw shots at the same time, and some will use brush to “surprise” you. Eventually, they may even use flash to before using a skill-shot.You gain points the longer the game continues. You can compare your points to the average of other users on the same champion or against your own past scores.
The game teaches users the speed of various skill-shots and their relative hit-boxes, allows users to practice “instant” decision making, teaches new players to strafe, and provides a way to “warm up” for an actual game.
- CSing minigame: (grants experience each time you play in relation to how well you CS. Bonus experience for the first time a certain number of CS is reached.
• You pick your champion: • You choose 5, 10, or 20 minute games. • CS is counted and you can see stats at the end of the game showing CS/minute, a chart to correlate game time to CS, and how you rate to other players using the same champion.
- Combat:
• You are playing as a ranged vs a melee. Your goal is to maintain a certain distance from your opponent, without backing away too far. It’s all about putting in as many autos as possible, while still staying safe. If they back up, push forward. If they advance on you, back up with them.
• You are playing melee vs ranged. Your goal is to stay alive. Use brush for cover and then last hit. Back up if you need. If your opponent over-extends, you punish him. If he backs up too far, you take as much cs as you need. Wait for an opportunity to kill him.
TLDR: Get rid of the current tutorial system. Implement a new, expandable system focused on specific scenarios, mini-games, and micro lessons. Chapters are broken in lessons, which comprise of information and have a short scripted scenario. Upon completing each chapter, the player receives a small bonus.
If you’ve read through the whole post, thank you. Please comment if you have something to add. Criticism is fine, negativity is not; please support your statements, so they become more than opinions.
