Ingame Tutorial.

[BaneOfGiygas]

Learning through observation, participation, and/or being murdered and being able to hop right in and get the vague gist of what's going on is part of what defines the Goonstation experience, really.

Duh, its not meant to be a replacement for that, but more or less a small thing that tells you da rules, or rather, how the interface works.

It isn't a replacement for that, but TheWorst brought up a very good point: The contrast between a sterile, tutorial environment and the madcap nonsense of the station proper is simply too harsh, and would deter many a potential player. Best to throw them right into the thick of things and weed out the people who don't feel up for it right off the bat.

Besides, there are two servers that also basically serve this purpose: LLJK #1 and #2, both of which have very low population counts and a much more forgiving atmosphere in most cases, allowing for a much more controlled environment (about as controlled as Goon can be, anyways) in which things can be learned in relative safety (again, about as safe as Goon can be).