UI-Personify Tips.

problem:

Currently you have i think 3-4 forms of tips. [1]The small tips that points out a portion of the map with a stick. [2]The tutorials that you run through that teach you the main concepts of the game, and [3]the warning tips that appear in the top-center of the HUD. The issue is that they feel pretty abstract and forced. You never really know who is giving you the advice apart from "the game", and it leads to little interest in the tips sometime, especially [3] ones. There are actually a fourth kind of tip [4] the kind you gain by pressing the (i) info button, but those are tips you look into, rather then ones you have to be interested in, so they aren't the core of the problem being discussed.

idea/solution:

The idea is pretty simple. As 22cans has mentioned, they plan to have a helper demigod collect belief in the imperial age, so why not take that demigod and introduce them earlier as a sort of secretary/adviser to you who gives you the tips and tutorials currently given in [2][3] and maybe even add flavor to [4]. So now instead of just having a generic "a follower is lost" message with "help`em" sounds, you could see the face of a panicked demigod to draw your attention and express feelings that could otherwise not be fully realized with just the body language of your followers. It might even give you the option to add flavor to otherwise dry tutorial messages, by having them come from a groveling source that boosts your ego and helps you feel more godly (until the demigod gains more power and becomes complacent and starts to be less impressed/thankful to you). Maybe you can even save the demigod from under a rock or something early on to introduce tutorials. Having the [1] tips come from at then unknown whispers of the demigod who is trapped. You could then use the demigod to help the narrative along, maybe even explain/wise-crack about how silly strikers are if they are never changed. It would also introduce early on the concept that the game world has polytheism and you aren't the only powerful entity in the game, but that there are lesser gods about, even if they(the demigod) are fairly powerless at that point. Overall though, i think it would give you a very strong narrative tool to help link and explain concepts that are currently very abstract in the game in a more palatable way.


goals/perks (TL;DR):
-root tips in a concept that is less abstract.
-add a tool for easier narrative.
-introduce the concept of a polytheistic ecosystem early.
-introduce a helper Demigod early, then expand their powers in later ages.
-Gives you a form of communication that you may otherwise not get in offline play (apart from the fake conversations in the pvp temple)

potential concerns:

-It could potentially lower the connection you feel with your people if it garners too much attention early. So the demigod should not introduced before you meet your first people, so some tips may need to be handled in the old system, but around when you start tutorials could be good. I think as long as they stay as a floating head of sorts before they are formally given powers in the imperial age they probably overly hog your attention away from your people.

-Could end up w/ paper-clip/banzai-buddy/navi syndrome where they become overly annoying without a clear "don't bother me until i call on you again" option. So you may need to sacrifice HUD space to add a button that calls on them, to show that you want their help again.

-May seem too childish/condescending, though you've mentioned plans of adding a demigod in later ages so you likely have plans for this, still having tips given through a personified system could add to the condescending atmosphere some players are feeling (with stickers and such). There are however examples of this system in games like simcity or civilization in the form of advisers so it can be done in a respectful manor.

Closing statements:

Well that's the idea as it stands now, if any one has any commentary on how it can be improved , or any additional concerns I'll gladly edit them in.