Tips for Teaching New Players?

[Squidyfoo]

I was wondering if anyone had tips for teaching new players. I want to gauge their interest while also making sure it doesn't feel like they aren't contributing anything. It can be pretty overwhelming for new players and while I don't want them doing nothing, I also don't want them always asking me what to do. Not because I don't want to help but because I want them to feel comfortable enough to explore and do whatever they want to do. Any help would be appreciated!

[fabin]

never go attacking something before it attacks you first! most of the time i see new players doing that, they end up with a dent in their skulls. no one is gonna kite every mob from the get-go, and of course there are some more complex patterns, but always try to bait an attack from a mob first and see what their patterns are

[loopuleasa]

tips and tricks don't work

just have fun together

as long as you spend time together and communicate, you will be fine

[Squidyfoo]

22 minutes ago, loopuleasa said:

tips and tricks don't work

just have fun together

as long as you spend time together and communicate, you will be fine

That actually makes a lot of sense. Just talking to them while doing it and joking around like normal is a good idea! Thanks!

[chirsg]

My tip is, you will never get anyone to enjoy this game. 

People who like the game have it click with them within the first 10-20 minutes. Teaching new players comes after they enjoy the game, and at that point, they'll listen to almost anything.

49 minutes ago, Squidyfoo said:

I want to gauge their interest

This is a doomed task. Liking dst is binary. It's a yes/no. It's not "This game is alright" or "I don't mind this game"
People who tell you the game is ok have fewer than 5 hours logged.

 

Hate it or love it underdogs on top.

[SapoLover]

I am not much experienced teaching new players, but I'd say not to interfere so much in their natural learning. I've committed the mistake of overwhelming new people with information. Go at his pace, you'll both have more fun that way. I'd also pick a character that doesn't carry too hard such as Wilson, Woodie, Wormwood... but that last thing is a personal take.

[Squidyfoo]

3 minutes ago, chirsg said:

My tip is, you will never get anyone to enjoy this game. 

People who like the game have it click with them within the first 10-20 minutes. Teaching new players comes after they enjoy the game, and at that point, they'll listen to almost anything.

This is a doomed task. Liking dst is binary. It's a yes/no. It's not "This game is alright" or "I don't mind this game"
People who tell you the game is ok have fewer than 5 hours logged.

 

Hate it or love it underdogs on top.

I actually was a "This game is alright" with the game when I first played it and I would play it again and again because my friends would ask me. The game grew on me a bunch after a decent amount of playtime so I don't think that is necessarily always true. But yeah at the end of the day you can't force anyone to like it. You can keep asking them to play and if they are the lukewarm "This game is alright" maybe more playtime will turn that into a love for the game or they could stay the same who knows. Thanks for the insight!

[Mysterious box]

Don't be afraid to use grass suits if you lack access to science and log suits if you lack access to football helms.

[Mike23Ua]

LT, then actually look at, acknowledge and learn to use that crafting menu that now babysits you by categorizing every item you’ll need for any given situation.

(Winter gear in Winter Tab, Healing items in Health Tab etc..)

DST is nowhere near as complicated and “Figure it Out on Your Own” as the franchise once was.

[Mysterious box]

18 minutes ago, Mike23Ua said:

LT, then actually look at, acknowledge and learn to use that crafting menu that now babysits you by categorizing every item you’ll need for any given situation.

(Winter gear in Winter Tab, Healing items in Health Tab etc..)

DST is nowhere near as complicated and “Figure it Out on Your Own” as the franchise once was.

This is not a bad thing.

[Wormboi]

Use cooked green caps for early game sanity and not flowers or the garland

[Swiyss]

I have the best advice, let them play the game. They really want to experience it themselves and sometimes the challenge is something that'll frutrate them.

Just don't tell them anything unless they ask for, if you start rumbling and yapping about how the ruins or cc quest work they might just get annoyed really. I think that trying and dying again and again and again is their best weapon against the game since it's pretty much all about knowledge, to teach them to not quit.

Also good if they don't fight unless they have both armor on and a spear.

[gaymime]

oh, this is actually something i have a lot of experience with x''D i play with newbies and first-timers way more often than anyone else, i do have a few things i tell everyone who is just starting out

 

1 if you need sanity pick a flower. be patient and don't pick all of the flowers at once; even rotten petals make fresh garlands

2 if you are hungry it is ok to eat berries or seeds just please don't pick all of the berries in an area when you are already full, they do rot over time(picking all the seeds are fine though! fill your boot on seeds)

3 you can't catch that gobbler, it is better to just take the loss and pick berries in the evening whenever possible

4 it is ok to run away from that mob. you are not invincible and living to see another day is better than risking it all for a bit of silk/skin/meat

5 yes, that character IS cute<3 it is ok to play with them!

 

also, please, no "corrections" from the veterans. i know these aren't "optimal" but i can't just make someone beat celestial champion in their first hour of playing the game just so they don't "waste" flowers by yelling at them about their scrubbiness :/ that isn't how videogames work and we all know it. these are nuggets of advice for baby players not veterans or even mid-tiers

[Mysterious box]

2 hours ago, gaymime said:

2 if you are hungry it is ok to eat berries or seeds just please don't pick all of the berries in an area when you are already full, they do rot over time(picking all the seeds are fine though! fill your boot on seeds)

This advice really depends on if they're playing alone, with friends, or on a public server as the rot can and will be valuable to them and by the time they come around again it's very likely these will have regrown.

2 hours ago, gaymime said:

3 you can't catch that gobbler, it is better to just take the loss and pick berries in the evening whenever possible

They can lure them with a berry something even a new player can do but only if they know about it.

To add another tip of my own don't be afraid to sleep and even use straw rolls as survival is more important than efficiency.

 

[Mike23Ua]

There are several characters who actually need flower petals for their crafts, so please don’t pluck them all for low amounts of sanity.

[Evelo]

On 7/6/2024 at 2:26 PM, chirsg said:

"This game is alright"

My best friend says this. It isn't his favorite game but he enjoys it because I enjoy it and he likes it more than neutral.

Anyway, my tip for new players is: Start a solo world on Relaxed and practice killing shadow creatures when you are insane. You are going to be insane a lot, so avoiding how to die to them by killing them is important for a multitude of reasons. Biggest reason is, they will always be there one way or another.

[Uedo]

21 hours ago, Mike23Ua said:

There are several characters who actually need flower petals for their crafts, so please don’t pluck them all for low amounts of sanity.

I know this is a bit of a meme at this point on the forums, but it is absolutely fine to pick them for sanity. They respawn frequently in spring (or even rain?) and you can teach someone how to easily make a bug net to plant their own flowers. 

Edit for clarity: My tip is that whilst learning the game, you should be picking them whilst you learn other ways of dealing with your Hunger/Sanity/Health

[RozeMeteor]

3 minutes ago, Uedo said:

I know this is a bit of a meme at this point on the forums, but it is absolutely fine to pick them for sanity. They respawn frequently in spring (or even rain?) and you can teach someone how to easily make a bug net to plant their own flowers. 

Can't confirm if this is true or not but i guess they do respawn outside of these in the category of world natural growth in every season except winter, i've seen that on a beard video from some years back.. still i could be wrongh

[Uedo]

1 minute ago, RozeMeteor said:

Can't confirm if this is true or not but i guess they do respawn outside of these in the category of world natural growth in every season except winter, i've seen that on a beard video from some years back.. still i could be wrongh

Yeah it's true they respawn quite frequently, I guess I was referencing the fact that I think for a while people still argued that it was not fast enough - plus I defo remember a time they seemingly just never respawned (although that might be me misremembering from the original DS)

[reddocc]

10 booster shots and enough materials to craft more hearts, the best thing you can teach new players is to not be afraid of dying and trying again

[Cackenberg]

When playing with new players, in my opinion the experience is best if you change the settings to let the portal revive them while they get to know the game. Recently when i played with my friend who is new to this game, he felt guilty for dying so often, because I always stop what I was doing to bring him a telltale heart.

I also felt that setting the world reset timer to instant was a good way to balance the postern revival. When I messed up and died in winter, we ended up repeatedly reviving and dying together at the portal, successfully avoiding the world reset timer for a long time before I basically said, "We have to stop and restart, because this sucks and we aren't making headway." The world will still only be at risk of resetting if you, the more experienced player, also die at the same time.