Wiki / Modes
First steps (the tutorial)
A short lesson of eight steps over a real fight with a training dummy; it explains the stamina bar and the chain.
Status: Rebuilt on 14 Nov 2026 after the owner's play test (not yet play-checked again; the new lines are drafts) · Last checked: 14 Nov 2026
A one-minute lesson for someone who has never played. A small card over a real fight with a training dummy shows one step at a time. Each step waits until you have really done it, says "Good.", then moves on.
How to start it
- It is offered the first time you press Fight ("First time here? Learn the basics in a minute.").
- Any time later: Settings, Help, First steps.
- There is a Skip.
The eight steps
The card counts the steps itself ("4 of 8"). Lines marked (draft) are not yet approved by the owner.
| # | The line on the card | The smaller line under it | What you must do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Move. | Walk a little way | |
| 2 | Jump. Hold it a moment for a higher one. | Jump | |
| 3 | Tap the big button. That is a light hit. (On a computer it names the attack key.) | The gold bar by your damage number is stamina. A hit that lands costs a little, a miss costs more. It refills when you rest. (draft) | A light attack |
| 4 | Three presses, three hits. Press again when the weapon glows. (draft) | A soft double beat sounds with the glow. The hits must land. (draft) | The weapon's string: all three hits landed on the dummy in one go. No timing needed |
| 5 | Now the same, each press right on the glow. (draft) | A press on the glow costs no stamina when it lands, and gives a little back. (draft) | A perfect chain twice in one string: the second and the third hit both pressed on the glow |
| 6 | Hold it. That is a heavy one. It takes its time. | A heavy attack | |
| 7 | Guard just as the hit lands. Not before. | Each hit you stop drains the gold bar. Empty, your hits are weak and your skills are off until it comes back. (draft) | A perfect guard. Three plain blocks are accepted too |
| 8 | That is everything you need. The rest is practice and evenings. | Fight, or Again |
Steps 4 and 5 show three small marks on the card, one per hit, which light up as each hit is done. In step 5 one press off the glow puts the marks out and the string must be started again.
Hints when the timing is wrong
"That was held. Just a tap." · "Not quite. Wait for the blink." · "Hold it longer." · "Not yet. Guard as the hit lands." · "Keep going. All three." (the string was dropped; draft) · "Closer. The hits must land." (step 4, swings in the air; draft)
With other weapons
- The bar's words come from the weapon: "gold" and "stamina", or "blue" and "magic" with a staff.
- The string comes from the weapon's own moves, three hits at most. The greatsword's string has two hits, so its card says "Two presses, two hits" and shows two marks. Dual wield and punches have four hits; the lesson asks for the first three.
- With a staff or a bow, a hit of step 4 counts when the shot leaves the weapon.
- Dual wield and the bow guard with a dodge: their guard line says "Each dodge drains the gold bar."
Not taught yet
Skills, the ultimate, the back dodge, the charged tackle and the shield bash are left for a second, optional lesson, which is planned and not built.
Nerd section: the exact numbers
Timings
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| "Good." stays | 0.9 seconds, and 2.5 seconds on the steps that have a smaller line, so it can be read |
| The dummy in the guard step | Walks up and taps one light hit every 2.4 seconds |
| The stage | Always Pine ridge, whatever stage is picked on the fight setup |
What the smaller lines are checked against
The words follow the fight's own rules (Stamina); no number is printed on the card.
| The card says | The rule |
|---|---|
| A hit that lands costs a little, a miss costs more | A landed light costs less than a missed one (see the stamina page for today's numbers) |
| It refills when you rest | The bar refills by itself only while doing nothing, a moment after the last cost |
| A press on the glow costs no stamina when it lands, and gives a little back | A perfect-chained hit that lands costs nothing and returns a little. If it misses, it costs like any miss |
| Each hit you stop drains the gold bar | Holding the guard costs nothing; each blocked hit does |
| Empty, your hits are weak and your skills are off | Recovery mode: attacks stay as fast but do less, skills are off. Attacking is NOT blocked |
History and tracking
- Eight steps since 14 Nov 2026 (it was seven): the new step 4 "chain" asks for the three-hit string with no timing, and step 5 "perfect chain" asks for the second and the third hit on the glow (before: one timed press). The first design (the interface lab) still lists seven steps.
- To check, row 6, still quotes the old step 4 line.
- The lines of this lesson are tracked in docs/tracking/surfaces.md.