Tutorial to learn games [BETA]

[sourisdudesert]

We are now experimenting tutorials to learn new games on BGA.

For some years, it is possible to add "comments" on game replays. Some of you may also found that they were able to create tutorials from these comments. However, we were not really satisfied of the quality of this and we never made this really "public".

This is going to change now. We drastically improved the quality of the tool, and now we are able to create real tutorials based on replays.

To demonstrate this, we created 2 demo tutorials:

• A tutorial to learn Bubblee Pop (quite simple game).
• A tutorial to learn Neutreeko (very very simple game).

These tutorials are integrated with the BGA translation system, so they are available in all languages (as soon as they are translated by players).

We need your feedback on these tutorials, before deciding if we want to go further. Your feedback is of course more valuable if you don't know these games.

Thanks a lot for your comments!


Quick FAQ

Why did you use replays to create tutorials?

If you want to build a tutorial for a board game, you need opponents that are playing their moves. You can do this by creating an Artificial Intelligence or by using an existing game "replay". Using "replay" has two benefits:
_ while developing an AI can be as long and difficult than creating a new BGA game, replays are already there on BGA.
_ we want to "force" the player to play specific moves during the tutorial, in order to explain the rules in the order we decide. Building a tutorial while letting the player play anything he wants is possible but would make the explanation more confuse.

Do you plan to create tutorials for all games?

No.

We will decide for each game, depending on its popularity, complexity, and of course your demands.

Will there be several tutorials per game? What is an "official tutorial"?

There will be ONE official tutorial per game.

There can be an unlimited number of non-official tutorial for each game.

The official tutorial is the only one shown in the game page, and the only one translated by the community.

We want to introduce later tutorials for variants/expansions, but not for now.

Will everyone be allowed to create tutorials?

Yes, but only the developers of a game and the BGA admins will be able to publish an "official tutorial", after a review process.

A "tutorial design guidelines" will be available in the future to make sure the quality of the tutorials are good.

Can I build a tutorial now?

No, please.

This is an experiment, so what we want now is improving the tool to make sure it is good. If you build a tutorial right now it may stop working if we change something on the system.

Will you build a tutorial on how to build tutorials?

This would be soooooo cool

[Romain672]

It seem possible to use this tool for create a strategic guide who just totally explain what happen in one game on high level.

Of course, it would not be official, but you can per example add some tutorial link to the strategy page of some game.

Do you think it could be appropriate?

[sourisdudesert]

It seem possible to use this tool for create a strategic guide who just totally explain what happen in one game on high level.

This is totally possible, like it was before with "replay comments".

[JollyBird]

I "played" both tutorials 2 times;
- Bubblee Pop I already know and play often
- Neutreeko I don't remember playing; so it was new to me.

Some first impressions and thoughts:
# I like the idea of creating good tutorials to learn new games a lot.
Now most of the time I first watch a/some video(s) if possible, than read a review and the rules, before starting/joining a new game.
# I think tutorials will work best with not too difficult games; with difficult games maybe better more shorter tutorials than one big one.
# In both games I didn't like that the tutorial chatbox covered great part of the playingarea/board.
Maybe making it moveable so that a player can put it out of the way; would be a improvement.

Neutreeko:
The tutorial was very clear and explained in a very easy to follow and logical way the game.

Bubblee Pop:
Hard to comment because I already know the game very good.
The order of explaining things doesn't seem very natural to me.
Showing some moves in a row was a bit quick to follow imo.

Question:
Will it be possible to use parts of (different) replays to make a good tutorial?

Maybe it would be easier to comment on these tutorials if there was a way to do it when playing the tutorial;
like in the gamechat or so.

To me it would be great if at the end of a tutorial it would be possible to finish the game on your own by making your own moves.
Probably hard to implement though.

[sourisdudesert]

Thanks for your feedback.

# In both games I didn't like that the tutorial chatbox covered great part of the playingarea/board.

I'd like to have more feedback on that.

Basically we have 2 choices for the tutorial instructions:

• 1. Like it is now: a "Bubble" which is attached to a specific element and allow to show it very specifically (but it may hide some game elements).
• 2. A "little window" which hide less important interface elements, but which is far from the game element it is supposed to described.

For now we chose 1.

Will it be possible to use parts of (different) replays to make a good tutorial?

At least for now this is not possible. If really good concrete use case appear in the futur we may consider this.

[JollyBird]

Thanks for your feedback.

# In both games I didn't like that the tutorial chatbox covered great part of the playingarea/board.

I'd like to have more feedback on that.

Basically we have 2 choices for the tutorial instructions:

• 1. Like it is now: a "Bubble" which is attached to a specific element and allow to show it very specifically (but it may hide some game elements).
• 2. A "little window" which hide less important interface elements, but which is far from the game element it is supposed to described.

For now we chose 1.

Yes, I also prefer option 1; being attached to a specific element and giving some explanation worked really wel.
I think I meaned especially the first few chatboxes that give some introduction info on the game(play).
When I'm curious about a new game I just want/need to see the whole playarea/board
to get a good first impression and be able to understand about what the info is, I think.

[tchobello]

I've played them both.

The bubble sometimes covers a little too much the game area.
Might be better to highlight the item in yellow for instance and display the explanation outside under a yellow background...

"Forcing" the player to interact is a fantastic idea.

Could be great to make a tutorial not from the very beginning or to get a fast forward feature to jump directly to interesting parts of the game.

[Romain672]

So after checking a review of one of my hanabi game (with only basic stuff : message and button to next move), please note it's a review not a tutorial ( https://boardgamearena.com/archive/repl ... ;&tutorial ) , some remark :
- I wanted more than one time to move the window of tips for see the situation. I understood I needed to click on the '-', but it doesn't seem obvious.
- One time, when I wanted to click on the '-' I miss the button and click on the window : so the game goes on the next tip, which wasn't what I wanted. (Is it possible to not advance to the next tip when you doesn't click on 'next', or to have a way to goes back to the previous tip? Like make the tutorial start at the move of the previous tip even if the replay start again, something like that but with the display of the tip : https://boardgamearena.com/archive/repl ... l;&goto=12# ).

( - minor but, at the end there is a message 'You are now ready for your first game' but it wasn't a tutorial for a new player.
- When I check my notifications 'https://boardgamearena.com/playernotif', check a comment, and click on a link to a tutorial, the link doesn't work : the link try to open '/archive/replay/200114-1142/?table=62825923&player=84207926&comments=56345382;56345382;&tutorial' instead of 'https://boardgamearena.com/archive/repl ... ;&tutorial'.
- you can't check the replay from another player pov even if you click on the logo on the bottom up left corner. But I understand it could confuse some persons.)

[yoyote]

So after checking a review of one of my hanabi game (with only basic stuff : message and button to next move), please note it's a review not a tutorial ( https://boardgamearena.com/archive/repl ... ;&tutorial ) , [...]

I open the link, just by curiosity, and I was surprised to see that the name of the main player is replaced by mine (here Romain672 by yoyote). I don't know if it's wanted, but when there appears 'Romain672' in comments, it's strange. Maybe the variable 'login' be that canis used placed in comments.

[Kentezzz]

I would rather have bot's. I can learn from that just as well as the tutorials. Plus it would be nice to not play power gamer while I am trying to learn and actually be able to play a game sooner instead of waiting for the desired amount of players to join.