My suggestiin

Proposal: Improve the New Player Experience in Marathon Dear Bungie team, I am writing this as a player who genuinely enjoys Marathon and believes the game has much more depth and potential than many new players realize during their first few hours. I think one of Marathon’s biggest problems is not necessarily the depth of the game itself, but how difficult it is for a new player to discover that depth. From my own experience, the first 10 or so hours were the hardest part of getting into Marathon. At first, the game can feel visually unusual and somewhat difficult to understand. The movement, combat, sound design, maps, equipment, extraction mechanics and overall visual style take time to learn. Interestingly, after spending more time with the game, my perception changed completely. The more I understood the game, the better the graphics looked to me. The environments, lighting, animations, textures and overall visual presentation started to stand out much more. What initially looked simple or unusual became something that I now consider one of the most impressive visual presentations I have experienced in a game. I think this is an important problem because the game becomes much better once the player understands how to play it — but many players may leave before reaching that point. My suggestion: Marathon Academy / New Player Experience I believe Marathon would benefit enormously from an optional but strongly recommended in-game learning experience. Instead of only teaching players which buttons to press, it should teach them how Marathon is supposed to be played. For example: 1. Explain what Marathon actually is New players should immediately understand that Marathon is not simply another traditional FPS. Explain concepts such as: * Extraction * Risk versus reward * Choosing when to fight * Choosing when to avoid combat * Listening and observing * Managing resources * Preparing for the next run * The importance of successfully extracting A new player should understand the philosophy of the game before being thrown into it. 2. Teach decision-making, not just controls The most important lesson should be: You don’t have to fight everyone you see. A short scenario could demonstrate a player encountering another Runner. The player could be shown three possible decisions: * Fight * Hide/avoid * Communicate and cooperate Then explain the potential consequences of each. This would teach new players something that a normal FPS tutorial cannot. 3. Show a complete example run I think this could be extremely effective. Show an experienced Runner completing a short run: Deploy → explore → find objectives → encounter another player → make a decision → collect valuable resources → reach extraction → successfully extract. The player could then repeat a simplified version themselves. This would give new players a mental model of what they are actually trying to accomplish. 4. Add a visual/audio recognition tutorial Marathon relies heavily on environmental awareness and sound. New players should be taught to recognize: * Enemy sounds * Player movement * Weapon sounds * Important environmental audio * Visual clues * Dangerous areas * Useful locations * Signs that another player may be nearby This would help players understand why experienced players seem to know what is happening around them. 5. Explain the equipment and progression systems The game contains a lot of information that becomes meaningful only after playing for a while. A short interactive explanation could teach: * Weapons * Equipment * Resources * Upgrades * Loadouts * Risk * Rewards * What is worth taking * What is better left behind The important part would be explaining why something matters, rather than simply describing what it does. A YouTube-style introduction could also help I would strongly recommend creating an official Bungie video specifically designed for completely new players. Not a marketing trailer. Not a developer interview. A genuine “Welcome to Marathon” video. Something like: “Your First 30 Minutes in Marathon” It could explain the basic philosophy of the game, demonstrate a complete run and show new players what they should expect. It could then be linked directly from the game, PlayStation/Xbox/Steam pages and Bungie’s official channels. I think this would be especially useful because Marathon is a game that becomes much easier to appreciate once the player understands what they are looking at. The first impression problem I believe this is the most important point. A new player may initially see Marathon and think: “Why does this look strange? Why is the movement like this? What am I supposed to do? Why did I die? Why did I lose my equipment? Why should I care about this item?” But after enough time, those same players can start thinking: “I understand why that player moved there.” “I know when I should fight.” “I recognize that sound.” “I know what I need for my next run.” “I understand why this area is dangerous.” At that point, Marathon becomes a completely different experience. The challenge is getting players from the first mindset to the second one. I believe the game currently asks players to discover too much of this themselves. That can be rewarding for dedicated players, but it can also cause many potential players to quit before they ever discover what makes Marathon special. My overall suggestion I would not simplify Marathon. I would not make it less deep. I would not remove the complexity that makes the game unique. Instead, I would teach players how to understand that complexity. Give players a structured path through their first several hours so that they can gradually discover the deeper systems. Once a player understands the fundamentals, I believe Marathon’s depth becomes one of its greatest strengths. I am writing this because I genuinely like the game and want it to succeed. From my own experience, I almost needed to “survive” the first several hours before the game finally clicked for me. Once it did, my opinion of Marathon changed dramatically. I believe there are many other players who could have the same experience if they were simply given a better introduction. Please don’t make Marathon simpler. Make it easier to understand. Thank you for continuing to develop the game. — intoth3_psy