Tides of War

Though I am thoroughly enjoying this game I think it is marred by the lack of from-first-principles (ab-initio if you want to get truly pretentious) tutorials. The training missions dump you in the middle of a rich environment where you could do just about anything you wanted to, so long as you know how to work the interface and how the vessels handle. I would recommend that future iterations of E:RT contain a set of low-level tutorials that build up the players' understanding of the game in a gradual way. It shouldn't be that difficult and few new objects (target buoys, etc) and some scripted missions should suffice.
Suggested surface tutorials.

1) Marker buoy slalom. A simple course indicated by a set of marker buoys (you know the style red and white with a light and bell on top) that requires the player to navigate around the course. This tutorial would guide the player through basic rudder and throttle control. Taking this further you could have several courses laid out in the mission so that the first course uses manual rudder control, the second uses the compass, a third introduces the radar portion of the tactical screen and uses single waypoints to navigate the course and a final course to demonstrate setting multiple waypoints on the tactical screen.

If done right with the ability to time a course this tutorial  may become a feature of the game in its own right (think of the training courses in Xwing)

2) Anti-ship Weapons demonstrations. Simple set of tutorials introducing all of the weapon systems available to surface ships for hitting other ships. Cannon practice on drone vessels and the use of torpedoes from PBT and destroyers again against drone vessels (static and moving). Demonstrate both issuing fire orders and how to take first person control over a weapon. Also introduce the auto-guns switch on the tactical screen.

3) Anti-aircraft weapons demonstration. Same as above for aircraft. Probably starting become common sense by this stage in the tutorial so level of detailed explanation could be reduced.

4) ASW. The most complex part of the game. Start the tutorial with blasting a surfaced submarine to bits (is it possible to remove the AI from a sub so it will just sit there and take a pounding?). Next set a target buoy and have the player hit it with hedgehog mines. Then set a stationary submarine at 20 feet and have the player make a depth charge run over it (if they dont managed this recommend they return the game to the vendor as they dont deserve to play this game  ). Then repeat the exercise with a submarine moving in a straight course so that the player has to lead the submarine when they deploy their charges. That should be enough the player could then be told to infer what they should do to hit subs at different depths and speeds.

5) Squadron controls. Demonstrate how to use the squadron control on the tactical screen to order friendly vessels around (assuming you outrank them).

Submarine tutorials.

1) Slalom rings

Similar to the surface ships but with the added dimension of getting the depth right as well. This would be cool to do in spectator mode.

2) Torpedo attacks

Practice at hitting a stationary and then a moving drone with torpedoes. This is very simlar to the first submarine training missions.

3) Surfacing and submerging. Demonstrates both surfacing and submerging and the delays involved.

That's enough for now.

More suggestions from on high later 

I agree!

I second that! excellent idea.
H.H.

Very nicely layed out suggestion.  It has been copied and added to our "next release" stack.  I'm sure you will see something much like this.  Thanks for taking the time and putting out the effort.
--East

That's great.    I'm chuffed you like the ideas.

My hat is off to you, Corp. Great job!