Encountering threats (tutorial shades)

[Mallos]

After having spent over 2 and a half years not defeating the tutorial shades at mp5, I would like to document a few of the effects of leaving them around. This means to not finish the tutorial in its current state.

To start, the tutorial shades are the NPCs you encounter on your way back from the Aramory to the Path of Loneliness while following your scroll's directions, as part of the tutorial for the game. They initially appear at the Old Man's Road to block your progress north, and continue to show up at the House of Liquid Dust and finally the Fields of Abandonment. Defeating the last shade "Road Shade" initiates story mode and sets you on the path to completing the tutorial. Refraining from doing so will keep you from removing certain limitations your account endures while beginning the game or upgrading mind powers. There are two main limitations I have noticed that I will now describe.

You will not get to pick your next principle. For instance, going from mp4 to mp5 will leave you at x/5 (x being the number of previously selected principles, 5 being your current mind power) so someone who has 4 principles will be Mind Power 4/5 until they finish the tutorial and select a fifth principle, becoming Mind Power 5/5. You could also be MP 2/4 or MP 0/5 for example, but you will not be able to pick the max amount of principles available to your mind power until you finish the tutorial (this might not be the case for mind powers other than 3, 4 and 5, as other mind power levels can have some interesting implications). This seems to suggest a degree of partiality in your character until you deal with the shades and finish the tutorial.

You will be very limited on where you can move to without aid. You can still access locations but you will need to do so through other means than using arrows and clickies (as they will not show up), such as being ported or pulled by leash. The restricted locations are a bit variable and I will describe the factors that will be limiting you, as follows (warning, potential spoilers):

- Clearing out all the shades until the Fields of Abandonment will allow you to walk freely from that scene to anywhere south of it, but you cannot move north until finishing the tutorial. Accessing the mainlands from here will normally require going through Golemus and the Labyrinth.
- At the Gazebo of Equilibrium you can not move south, as well as at the Path of Loneliness you can not move north (since the bull will remain there). This combined with the above point makes scenes from the Paper Cabin through to the Path of Loneliness (and in some relation Necrovion) almost entirely inaccessible. You also can not move east to Berserker’s Way.
- The statue at the Marble Dale Park will not be there until you finish the puzzle, at which point it will appear then disappear when interacted with, allowing you to go underground. In its place will be a cover keeping you from going underground. An effect of finishing this puzzle before finishing the tutorial is that after finishing the tutorial the statue will reappear, and disappear when interacted with while not having to resolve the puzzle.
- The guards to Willow's Shop will not appear. This will keep you from being able to enter the shop.
- The guards to Loreroot will not appear. This keeps you from being able to enter or exit Loreroot through the front entrance.
- The slime at the Meeting of the Roads will not appear. This will keep you from walking south from that scene to the Fenth's Press.

Other implications of not finishing the tutorial may include fewer tools/resources and creatures available to you without spending wishpoints or obtaining pass papers or ports, as well as fewer item collecting locations and armor/weapons available and less possible token principle combinations. So asides from being able to sit and have a chat with a shade, a privilege not often obtained, refraining from defeating the tutorial shades comes with two main limitations being fewer principles and less accessible locations. Many might find this a very unattractive scenario to be in, but personally I quite liked it. Limiting myself in such a way was nice, to see how my behaviors in the realm had to change and adapt, and I still somewhat regret dealing with the last shade although doing so frees me to fulfill other responsibilities.

Perhaps a question to be asked is... Since defeating the tutorial shades frees us so much, what do we have to gain (or lose) from defeating the shades in Necrovion?
... I for one, would like to find out



(I know this isn't perfect evidence of my 2 and a half years at MP 5 and not finishing the tutorial, but it's the best I have screenshot wise. It's 3 pictures put together for slightly easier viewing, not having to link 3 images)

Edited September 30, 2016 by Mallos