Richard's heart is in the right place with this. He wants the game to be a lot more accessible to lower levels, draw in more players, try and open the game up from the elites, and to draw in more players.
The problem with that is trying to strike the balance between the Patricians and the Plebians. Plebs want more opened to them, more power, more capability, while the Patricians want nothing for it. Vets know the game inside out, backwards and forwards. Plebs are still trying to figure out how to swap ammos.
Partly, this is due to bad tutorials, bad expectations from the devs, and toxicity from vets who are tired of helping nublets learn the game. I'm guilty of it myself, even though I've helped at least.... 10-20 nublet crews? Not just a single novice, but the entire crew. They learn as much as they can, but Guns is not a simple game, even if it's a simple premise. But that's neither here nor there to this discussion.
You can only offer the newer players so much, and can only give them so much. Higher levels need something too, to keep them in the game. Not as much, I don't think, since we are (mostly) all friends here, and come to have a good time with one another. The core game is sound. It's what the newer players have to walk into that fails them. The core game doesn't need too much in the way of changing, with the exception of minor tweaks to balance meta and try and keep the game alive, but it doesn't need to change too overly much.
My point is this; if you want to help newer players, fix the Tutorials, again. Have the players have an impact on tutorials, with some oversight so that newer players aren't innundated with information.
Loosen up on the engineering tutorial, let the player try to fix the armor with whatever tool he or she likes, and see how effective or ineffective a tool is. Give them an actual 'combat scenario' where the armor is taking damage for a few seconds, and they fail if they let the armor fall.
Expand the Gunner tutorial, and make it an actual tutorial, not an on rails mortar shooter. Teach them to use different ammunition, use several different weapon types, and actually have a similar combat scenario, better than the one we currently have.
Pilot is the one that I honestly think is okay, no complaints on my memories of that one.
As for Novice DM... honestly? If you're below a certain level, make it a requirement. People who are quick-playing need at least a match or two playing against AI, with allied crew, in order to learn the game. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, it needs to be a requirement before you're allowed into regular play. It teaches, reinforces, and expands a novice's knowledge base so that they can actually play the game. Just make it an extension of the matchmaker and match list if you're below level 5. You'll actually understand the bleeding game if you go through the tutorials, and a few matches there will have you in regular play in a moment.
