How Enigma is Played and What This Means for the Tutorial

[Andreas Lochmann]

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all doing well and that you had a good start to the new 
year. :-)

We originally planned a new tutorial for Enigma 1.30; actually even two 
level packs:
- One for absolute beginners,
- and one for experienced gamers who just play Enigma for the first time 
(but know other games).

However, it turned out that we had different views on the tutorial, 
based on different assumptions on how new players approach Enigma:

Hypothesis 1:
New players play Enigma's levels in the proposed sequence, starting with 
Tutorial, then Enigma I, then Enigma II, etc. Skipping levels from time 
to time, but gradually learning new items as they appear. Consequently, 
the tutorial should only demonstrate the most basic objects, and all 
other objects are gradually introduced by levels in the regular Enigma 
packs.

Hypothesis 2:
New players click on levels randomly, and would soon encounter lots and 
lots of levels with objects unknown to them. For example, after playing 
the tutorial, the player should be prepared for a level like 
"Enigmaparcour I". Consequently, the tutorial should demonstrate every 
object that appears on a regular basis.

There are alternatives involving more than just the tutorial; for 
example, Enigma could memorize which introduction levels have been 
solved and lock levels with unknown objects until the necessary 
introduction levels have been solved (with option "play this level 
anyway" or "disable locking as a whole" or something).

What do you think of these three approaches?

Best,
Andreas