Tutorial #1 Dialog

Well, I'm not the best writer when it comes to fiction, and dialog has always been one of my weakest facets.  However, each mission will require a certain amount of dialog.  So, here's the basic dialog for the first tutorial mission.  It's a rough draft and does not necessarily reflect the final product.  It does provide some key events in the first tutorial.  First (like all missions), there will be a Briefing section.  This will occur outside of the ship, and I am considering 3D human avatars to facilitate this section.  Basically, this section will be a cut scene or an interactive cut scene (and this might depend on the mission).  After the cut scene, the player ends up in his fighter in space. 

All of the dialog originates from the instructor in the first tutorial.  While I do want some dialog interaction for each mission, that will come much later in the development cycle.  Here's what I have right now:

Battlestar Tutorial #1: Transcript

Pre-Mission Briefing:

Instructor:

Welcome to the Colonial Fleet’s Basic Flight School.  I am Lieutenant Terrance Duck, your flight instructor.  I’m flown combat missions for the last four years before transferring to this job.  My job is to get you nuggets ready for Combat Flight School and to get you out to the fleet.  I also answer to God.  Until you graduate from this school, you will be answerable to me.  I tell you to do something; I expect it to done.

Before I put you in a fighter, I expect you to be familiar with the basic controls.  First, you turn the fighter with the mouse.  Your fighter will turn faster the further the mouse pointer is from the center of the screen.  Second, thrust is control by pressing the W or S keys.  W will apply forward thrust.  S will cut all thrust to your fighter.  In addition, you can use the mouse scroll to apply thrust.  Scrolling up will apply a small percentage of thrust and scrolling down will reduce a small percentage of thrust.  Keep in mind that there is no friction in space.  When you apply thrust, you will travel in that until thrust is applied in a different direction.  If you cut thrust, you will continue to move along that last vector.  You can turn the ship all you want, you’ll still be travelling along that vector.  Finally, you can stop your fighter by pressing the Space key.  The space key applies inertial thrusters which will stop your fighter. 

So remember, Mouse pointer to turn, W and S for thrust and Space to stop.  If you can remember those, you’re ready for the first mission. 

Briefing:

Your first mission will be in a Scorpion Class Fighter.  It is an older fighter model and does not have the turning power of the new Vipers.  However, it’s an excellent fighter to begin your training.  I will fly us to a waypoint and stop the ship.  At that time, I will turn controls over to you.  You will turn the ship in the directions I specify.  I will then instruct you to go to each waypoint programmed into your Nav computer.  Once those are completed, you will bring the fighter to a full stop.  I will take control and land the bird on the Destroyer. 

Mission:

Okay, nugget.  We’re free and clear of objects.  You have control of the bird. 

First thing first.

I want you to practice turning. 

Turn left by moving the mouse pointer to the left part of the screen.

Good

Try that again.

Turn right by moving the mouse pointer to the right part of the screen.

You can also turn up and down by moving the mouse pointer in that direction.

Good

Try that again.

Now, I want you to find the first waypoint. 

It’s the red marker on your screen.

Keep turning until it is in the center of screen.

Good

Try that again.

We’re going to apply thrust. 

Press the W key to apply full thrust.

Keep the waypoint in front of the ship.

Good

Try that again.

I want to show you a key concept in space flight.

We are going to cut thrust.

Press S to cut thrust.

Good

Try that again.

We’re still travelling the waypoint.

Now turn the ship and look around.

Good

Try that again.

Now turn to the waypoint. 

Good

Try that again.

We’re still closing in on the waypoint.

Okay, waypoint one reached. 

After reaching a waypoint, it turns blue and the next waypoint turns red.

Find waypoint two and head towards it.

Remember to apply thrust by pressing W.

Good

Try that again.

Alright, I’m going to show you feature of the Scorpion: breaking.

Press the space bar to stop the ship.

Good

Try that again.

The space bar applies inertial thrusters that stop your fighter.

Now instead of pressing W for thrust, use your mouse scroll to scroll up to incrementally apply thrust.

The mouse scroll only applies a portion of the thrust. 

Good

Try that again.

As you continue to scroll, it applies more and more thrust until the maximum is reached.

If you only apply a small amount of thrust, you will accelerate slower and skid as you turn. 

Sometimes that’s a good thing.  It depends on the fight.

Now we’re going to reduce thrust with the mouse scroll.

Scroll down to reduce thrust. 

Continue to reduce thrust until there is no thrust.

Good

Try that again.

Now turn the ship and look around.

Good

Try that again.

Okay, enough fun and games, turn the ship back to the waypoint.

Good

Try that again.

When we reach the next waypoint, I want you to turn the ship and head to the next waypoint.

I’m not going to prompt you…  Unless you take too long.

Alright final waypoint has been reached.

After reaching the final waypoint, another waypoint will activate at the location of the closest battlestar or other landing platform. 

I want you to fly to back to the battlestar.

I’ll take control once you get us close enough and land this bird.

Landing will be another tutorial.

If you want to continue to practice, keep flying.  Just don’t get too close to the battlestar.

Conclusion of tutorial dialog.