Question...

[Snowreap]

yes, the examples you give are pure time sink. there's no need for those.

but suppose your game has basic melee moves, and it also has ranged combat, and then it has combos on top of that. you need to give the player some content that requires melee moves only, so that s/he can get comfortable with that, then add in some content that requires kiting, then finally some content that requires combos to get past.

a tutorial tells you that these features exist, but it doesn't give you a good opportunity to practice the basics before moving on to the next skill. unless it's a good tutorial, which most aren't. training content is an excellent way to fulfill the need for a tutorial while also immediately immersing the player in the game. that's one of the things that makes Portal so much fun -- the whole time you're doing the tutorial you think you're playing the game. it's only at the last level that you discover that the game hasn't started yet.

-ken