Is it worth hiding the depth of your game's systems from new players?
Many games--specifically, MMOs--have an almost completely consistent track record of making their mechanics start off incredibly simple. Many of them have interesting and complex mechanics, but, at the beginning of the game, they are consistently simple. Most MMOs start you off with one or two very basic combat abilities, and it takes quite a long time to unlock the complexity of your character.
There are, of course, valid reasons for doing this. It allows for players to be slowly immersed in complicated mechanics. It can make the game far less overwhelming for new players, potentially preventing them from being turned off by the complexity. It also allows for a clear feeling of progression, the mechanics of the game getting more complicated as you and your characters progresses. From a design standpoint, new abilities/mechanics are often some of the most anticipated and desirable rewards, so spreading them out over a long time could help insure that the player consistently has something to look forward to for a long period of time. But is it worth it?
