Teams unlock tutorial

Though there is a cool tutorial by KingRaptor covering unit types, several people have said they would like a mandatory tutorial that covers the strategy basics for teams, before nubz are allowed in the Teams room. Here is a short script proposal for such a mission. (I am looking at the mission editor but haven't figured it out yet) Do people think this covers what is needed?

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Map - Vittra
Assumes interface basics already known.
Start in North-West corner. Militia base in north, with HLTs and DDMs. Pillager artillery attacking that. Pirate team has mexes in mid. Pirate team has Warriors guarding south plateau. Pirate team has HLTs and a DDM guarding base on far south hill.

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VOICE 1 - Commander we've received a distress call from the colony on Planet 17. We're sending you in to assist the local defence militia.

VOICE 2 - This is Militia Chief Douglas Newbla. Our base is under attack and we don't know what to do! The enemy seems to completely outnumber us! Please help us.

VOICE 1 - Fools! They've spent their precious resources building up fancy defences while the pirate forces have controlled all the territory and minerals of this planet! With all those resources it is no wonder the pirates are winning. Commander you'll have to correct that.

VOICE 2 - We're under attack by artillery, from outside the range of our defensive guns! We're sitting ducks!

VOICE 1 - Commander, drop your factory and use glaives to help the local militia. These fast raiders will make short work of the slow clumsy enemy artilley.

*Objective 1 - Destroy artillery*

VOICE 1 - Good work Commander. I think the lesson here is clear. Instead of hiding in their base pretending that they are safe, the militia should have immediately expanded their control of the area with mobile units. I can assure you, Commander, that against any able opponent you will lose if you don't expand your territory right from the start of an engagement.

VOICE 2 - We'll be sure to capture more territory next time. But the enemy still has access to far more resources than us. We're sure to lose this fight!

VOICE 1 - OK Commander. Your raiders are designed to run into enemy territory and attack defenceless targets. See if you can't fix that by killing some of the enemy's resource buildings with your glaives.

*Objective 2 - Kill resource buildings (mex+wind)*

VOICE 1 - Great job Commander. The colony has a chance now that the enemy doesn't have so many resources. Crippling the enemy economy should always be a priority when fighting enemy Commanders, and you can't do that if you waste time hiding in your base building up an ideal force. Remember, expand and attack commander!

VOICE 2 - We'll build some resources of our own on the territory you've captured for us Commander, while you scout ahead.

VOICE 2 - Looks like the forces ahead are too strong for your raiders, Commander. They've got Riot units, which are slightly heavier units designed to kill groups of raiders quickly. What do we do now?

VOICE 1 - You can counter riot units with skirmishers, which can shoot from outside the riot unit's range. There's always a counter to the enemy strategy, remember that.

*Objective 3 - Kill riot units*

VOICE 2 - You got them. Ha, these pirates ain't so tough after all!

VOICE 1 - Not if you use the right tool for the job. But don't smoke up your battlesuit yet Commander. There's still some heavy defences protecting the pirate base. Neither riot units or raiders are going to cut the ice here. You'll need to try some artillery units to finish the job. Now that you have pushed the enemy back and taken the area's resources, you can bombard them from a distance and easily overwhelm even heavy defences!

*Objective 4 - Kill the HLTs, DDM and the remaining enemy base structures*

VOICE 2 - Thanks Commander! You've saved the colony. We're lucky you were in the area when this happened.

VOICE 1 - This colony wouldn't be standing without you. But don't forget the militia's mistakes Commander. Remember - expand and control territory right from the start. Attack the enemy's resources to cripple their economy. And know your units, so you can use the right unit for the right job. Thanks and good luck Commander.

*Congratulations you saved the colony* END

other than getting voices this is really easy

I really like the scenario :)
I think assaults should also be covered.
Before the last stage of the game, where you kill the enemy's base, there should be a 'practice what you've just learned' part: the enemy sends waves of units, which are all of the same type, e.g. all skirmishers, so they should be easy to counter.

How is this for the type of messages to for the autohosts to put up?:

quote: Hi NewPlayer, welcome to TEAMS - ALL WELCOME Springiee v. 12.34.56.78 This is the mixeded-skill teamgames server In this server you will play on a team of players against an opposing team. You will be expected to: - understand the basics of how the game is played - cooperate with and listen to your team - respect your opponents and teammates Teamgame overview at youtube.com/watch?v=abcdefg Tutorial mission at zero-k.info/Missions/Detail/242 Strategy guide at zero-k.info/Wiki/TeamsGuide

I have a brief guide to the teams mode done; how can I get it onto the wiki? Will I need to push it on with SVN?

Once that is up, and the partially-completed 1v1StrategyGuide is up, can somebody put the new welcome messages to the autohosts? Right now I have one for 1v1 which is basically identical to the teamgame one I posted earlier; they will need to be modified because two of the resources I linked to won't exist, but unless anyone has other ideas they seem fine.

What format should I make the welcome messages be in to put them up?

Sounds awesome and a great introduction to basic strategy.

I've only got one question:

quote: But don't smoke up your battlesuit yet Commander

I'm not up-to-date with ZK canon, but are Commanders inside the commander mechs? Or are Commanders the mechs themselves (ie, an AI or somesuch), or is the 'commander unit' just a unit controlled remotely by the real commander?

The game (usually) continues even if the commander dies, so it seems like calling it a battlesuit might be misleading. It might be a small point, but it's one of those 'polish' issues that it would be easy to fix up.

quote: You will be expected to: - understand the basics of how the game is played - cooperate with and listen to your team

I completely disagree with displaying this message. The wording here is extremely condescending and unfriendly. It won't encourage new players to get better at Zero-K, it will encourage them to piss off and go play something else.

Moreover, the entire notion behind it is backwards. Experienced players playing in the ALL WELCOME room should be expected to put up with players who haven't got the slightest idea how to play.

But by all means, continue on your mission to dissuade new players from taking up the game.

Yes, I do agree that the teams introduction page is well done. And we absolutely do need more and better ways to help new players understand how to play the game, how to play the game in multiplayer, and how to play the game in multiplayer well. Lyth and Dessard, your efforts here are commendable; please keep it up.

But please pay close attention to your tone when making anything for new players. It should in every way be welcoming and encouraging. It should never be commanding, forbidding, or condescending.

And finally, if your motivation for this entire project is to keep players from joining the Teams room if they're not ready, then you are making a fundamental error in your approach and your efforts are doomed to fail. Focus on helping new players learn, not on preventing them from playing.

I am fully supportive of a teams tutorial, and adamantly opposed to using it to unlock teams play.

That is great Dessard.

quote: Hi ..., welcome to TEAMS - ALL WELCOME Springiee v. ... This is the mixed-skill teamgames server You will be expected to: - understand the basics of how the game is played - cooperate with and listen to your team - respect your opponents and teammates Basic teams introduction at https://code.google.com/p/zero-k/wiki/TeamsIntro?ts=1386800605&updated=TeamsIntro

Sounds good to me. Helpful and friendly enough, and people will at least know there is something to read to learn to play.

quote: Moreover, the entire notion behind it is backwards. Experienced players playing in the ALL WELCOME room should be expected to put up with players who haven't got the slightest idea how to play.

Do you actually have any idea how hard it is to get anyone to play anywhere else? I always try to get people to go to Platinum or Hydrogen but either nobody will come, the vote fails or the vote passes but everyone moans about having to play proper games instead of just going to play their stupid 10v10 elsewhere.

quote: I think the Teams Intro page is well done, but I'd say the line quote: understand the basics of how the game is played should probably be removed

I disagree, I think people should understand the basics of the game before joining public games. When people with no clue how to play join the good players have to carry the team, which is not fun at all.

quote: quote: respect your opponents and teammates might be better reworded as quote: Be courteous and gracious to all players, especially newer ones

That is too flowery for me, I think something more along the lines of "Respect other players, especially newer ones" would be better.

quote: we all talk about this but nobody does it

We all talk about what but nobody does it?

EDIT: We need nested quotes.

The problem is very straight-forward.

Newbies like to play in The Big Game and will go to whatever room that is in.

A very small but very vocal group of experienced players like to play in The Big Game but don't like playing with newbies.

But when this group tries to exclude newbies from The Big Game, they suddenly discover that it's not such a big game after all, because almost everyone else except them is either a) a newbie or b) has no problem playing with newbies.

In short: If you can't get enough people to join you for A Big Game in the Experienced Players room that simply means that people would rather play with newbies (because it makes the game bigger) than with you. Too bad for you. You don't get to inflict your desires upon everyone else.

It's your choice. Play in Big Games and learn to get along with newbs, or play in small games and have the peace of mind knowing your game won't get ruined by people who don't know what they're doing.