New Player Tutorial

[Yearworld]

There has been a request by some for a player made tutorial for new players. I have started one but I would be happy for help if anyone want to since it is a big job and I am by no means an expert on all aspects of the game. My hope is the tutorial will cover 2 things. 1. Basic Game mechanics showing new players how to play the game. 2. Basic Strategies for PBEM games. I can use all the help I can get so please post below or email me if you would like to help.

Thanks,

Yearworld.

[Yearworld]

Here is a document on basic early strategies for the Major Powers in an 1805 Campaign game. I created it from my own knowledge and from info I read about the game. If anyone wants to please read it and let me know where I made mistakes or can make additions to it. Also, as I have rarely played GB I could use some help creating strategies for it.

Thanks Yearworld

Download the attachment for a word file or dl an easier to read wordfile here:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dpednb

[Yearworld]

Here is a link to the start of the Basic Tutorial for new players which shows them how to play the game(no strategies). I have only done Setup so far(which took way longer than I thought). Let me know what you think. Critical comments are fine.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/g6o3rx

Thanks,

Yearworld

[Dancing Bear]

This is a very good start, with lots of excellent graphics to assist in the examples.

I would add a couple of things:

1) How to select a scenario
2) a brief description of the map (i.e. what is a port, what is a fortress, what do the money and manpower land values mean and where do I find this information, where are capitals, and maybe why each of these features is important. i.e. capitals required to collect tax (this might also go in stratagy).
3) That free-state forces can be added to any location controlled by the major power.
4) Fleets can be added to any controlled port or sea area on the map
5) the game uses "OK", while you use Okay, so maybe change your text to match the game buttons
6) A comment on the different game options, and that it is best to start with the default settings.
7) Maybe a section on what the the buttons on the main screen mean, and how the game operates by pop-up menus

Likely you can make reinforcement very similar to your set up section. Some comments on the reinforcement section.

Section C. Cavalry can be added to a garrison, if necessary, but cease to be cavalry and become infantry instead (there's a comment in the rule book about this).

Section F. Only some minor free states must be added during set up. Others will be added later during reinforcement in response to a DOW. On intial set-up free states may be placed in any territory controlled by the minor power (or for fleets in any port controlled by the major power or any sea area). For placement during a reinforcement phase in response to a DOW the forces can be only placed in the minor country itself (or minor conquored states, i.e. Norway in the case of Denmark), or in the case of fleets, in sea areas adjacent to the minor country.

You might also consider an advanced section, in which you explain how to add the alternate (and popular) soapyfrog counters, how to export the game log to a text file, and other items.

Thanks for looking at this, it would will be of great help to many players. Hopefully others will step up and assist on sections.

[kirk23_MatrixForum]

Hi Kevin,
              Thanks for taking the time to do this tutorial for all the new players,this is very much appreciated and a much needed addition to the game,there is no need to rush it just take your time,the game has been without a decent tutorial for months.[;)] 

[pzgndr]

Like for the updated game manual, I'm willing to edit, reformat and polish a pdf tutorial.  I could easily update the other tutorial but it would be lots better to have some veterans discuss typical opening setups and early moves for the different countries.  Note there are some important changes in v1.08 so that would be a good baseline for the tutorial.

[Yearworld]

DB: Thanks for reading the tutorial and giving me advice on what I missed. Your post is exactly the kind of help I need for when I miss things. I will put all your suggestions into the Tutorial. And thank you for doing it so quickly.

Hellfirejet: I will do it as quick as I can but it will take awhile. I am doing the Diplomacy phase today. Thanks for saying its no rush.

Pzgndr: Thanks! I am glad you volunteered to make it a PDF and polish it when it is done. I could use some help on opening move strategies from other players when I do it for the strategies portion of the tutorial. Question: Can I continue to do the basics mechanics part of the tutorial or should I wait for v. 1.08? I will wait for 1.08 before I do any strategies but should I wait for the basic tutorial as well?

Thanks all

Yearworld

[kirk23_MatrixForum]

ORIGINAL: pzgndr

Like for the updated game manual, I'm willing to edit, reformat and polish a pdf tutorial.  I could easily update the other tutorial but it would be lots better to have some veterans discuss typical opening setups and early moves for the different countries.  Note there are some important changes in v1.08 so that would be a good baseline for the tutorial.

Hi pzgndr can you give us a clue to the important changes in 1.08,plus any idea when it might be available for download?[;)]

[kirk23_MatrixForum]

ORIGINAL: Yearworld


DB: Thanks for reading the tutorial and giving me advice on what I missed. Your post is exactly the kind of help I need for when I miss things. I will put all your suggestions into the Tutorial. And thank you for doing it so quickly.

Hellfirejet: I will do it as quick as I can but it will take awhile. I am doing the Diplomacy phase today. Thanks for saying its no rush.

Pzgndr: Thanks! I am glad you volunteered to make it a PDF and polish it when it is done. I could use some help on opening move strategies from other players when I do it for the strategies portion of the tutorial. Question: Can I continue to do the basics mechanics part of the tutorial or should I wait for v. 1.08? I will wait for 1.08 before I do any strategies but should I wait for the basic tutorial as well?

Thanks all

Yearworld

Hi Yearworld, how is the diplomacy doing,at war with anyone yet hehehehehe[:)]

Excellent first installment off the tutorial by the way cheers.[&o]

[pzgndr]

Hi pzgndr can you give us a clue to the important changes in 1.08,plus any idea when it might be available for download?

Nothing earth-shattering, just a couple of interface changes like new menu buttons for phase skipping and AAR mode. So screenshots taken in v1.07 would look a little different to newbies starting out with v1.08 and later. There are a lot of bug fixes in v1.08 plus the sim dip/eco phases for pbem. Should be a very solid version to move forward with and use for tutorial examples.

[Yearworld]

Is there any way I could get an early/beta copy of 1.08. I don't want to do a whole tutorial and then find out many things have changed so my screen shots don't look right. Just an update I worked on the Diplomacy phase yesterday and it will hopefully be done soon.

Yearworld

[Marshall Ellis]

Yearworld:

1.08.00 is released for BETA.
1.08.01 is ready for BETA but Matrix is a little backed up rt now.
1.08.02 is ALMOST ready for BETA (Hopefully released this week for BETA). This may allow us to skip 1.08.01 BETA release.

[Yearworld]

Thanks Marshall. If the 1.802 will be released soon I will wait for it. Thanks!

Yearworld

[Marshall Ellis]

That might be best anyway since the 1.08.01 BETA still has the reinf phase error in PBEM games which can be worked around by creating a backup BUT is still a bit of a pain.

[Triboga]

Yearworld... [&o][&o]

[Dancing Bear]

Marshall, there are a few small suggestions made in Mantis that would slightly change the game graphics. These are:
Mantis 651; change the header for revenue from the coins, which is confusingly similar to the cash on had total, to the word "Taxes"
Mantis 660: Changing the colour of the sieging force indicator box from white (confusingly similar to the besieged white box indicator) to black (same as blockading fleet)
Mantis 578: Adding a pay for supply button (required to make sieging easier). might be done by combining the add and remove leader functions into a single button (i.e. the add leader button becomes a "re-assign" leader lists leaders in same area assigned to different corps as possible to re-assign, so there is no need to a remove leader button).

Should these be changed before Yearworld completes his tutorial?

[Marshall Ellis]

I like all of these BUT I'm just not there yet. I'm not sure one needs to be done before the other BUT his tutorial could be changed when these are added, no?

[Yearworld]

Yes. I'll just do the tutorial as best I can and save the files so I can change it later if I have to. I am working on the Diplomacy Phase(1/2 done), Reinforcement(almost done) and naval phase(almost done).

Yearword

[Dancing Bear]

Hi Yearworld
I know you have busy with a couple of scenarios, but have you looked at your tutorial recently?

[Yearworld]

Hi DB

Sorry this sort of got lost for awhile. I had some of it complete but then 1.08 screenshots changed some and I had to start over. I will try to get started again.

Yearworld