History Main / NoobCave

[[AC:ActionAdventure]]

** ''TheLegendOfZelda: [[TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle of Seasons]]'' had the ridiculously easy "Hero's Cave" where you find the sword. It was transformed into a BonusDungeon if ''Oracle of Ages'' is beaten first.

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[[AC:FirstPersonShooter]]

[[AC:HackAndSlash]]
* ''{{Diablo}} II's'' very first mission is to clear out a cave of zombies because they ''might'' attack the Rogue Encampment. Emphasis on might because the cave is full of low-level zombies and the weaksauce wannabe-giants that get killed with one hit once you reach level three, and then you meet up with a single rogue laying waste to twenty or so of them on top of evil amazon-chick reincarnated-and-then-re-killed-by-the-sentry corpses in the Cold Plains in the very next mission. Oh, and said sentry is ''just the guard to keep the difficult monsters from chasing you into the non-noob part of the first act.'' Yeah, way to spread your resources, Akara. Totally a Chessmaster when it comes to defending your peeps. *headdesk*

[[AC:{{MMORPG}}s]]

** Most of the starter zones mentioned above also have some sort of actual cave used for 1-2 quests (Forsaken have a mine, Dwarves/gnomes have a troll lair, for example. In a slight literality inversion blood elves get a tower and draenei a mountain valley.)

[[AC:PlatformGame]]

* ''{{KnucklesChaotix}}'' has a training world called Isolated Island where you can basically do whatever you want to get used to the controls.
** On a related note, ''{{SonicHeroes}}'' also has a training world (Sea Gate), which has the same purpose.

[[AC:RealTimeStrategy]]

[[AC:{{Roguelike}}]]

[[AC:RolePlayingGame]]

** There is also a small cave, for those who take the time to explore the valley.

* The Imperial Subterrane in ''TheElderScrolls IV: {{Oblivion}}''. To lesser extent, Addamasartus in in ''III: {{Morrowind}}''. Also Privateer's Hold in ''II: {{Daggerfall}}''. And, of course, the Imperial Prison in ''Arena''.

* The first cave in ''DragonQuestI'' game had no monsters in it.

* Viridian Forest, Union Cave, Petalburg Woods and Oreburgh Mine in the ''{{Pokemon}}'' games.
* The Heroes' Guild is TheNoobCave in ''{{Fable}} II''. Full of [[BigCreepyCrawlies beetles]] and not much else.

* Most of the ''{{Wizardry}}'' games start out with a "Noob Cave." The early games (I-V) usually had the "noob cave" as the first level of the dungeon. Wizardry VI took it to another level with a "noob castle" that you had to keep coming back to throughout the game, and Wizardry 8 forced you through a "noob monastery" which started out easy but increased the difficulty geometrically the longer you hung around in it, to discourage {{level grinding}}. Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant was the only one to have an optional "noob cave", although it was highly encouraged to help build player levels before heading further into the game.
* Eden Prime in ''MassEffect1''; Lazarus Station in ''MassEffect2''. Both have their game's respective tutorials, the [[RedShirt temporary squadmates]] (Richard [[LeeroyJenkins L. Jenkins]] and that Wilson guy) who are killed and then replaced (with Ashley and Miranda) within 15 minutes of gameplay, and a few not particularly strong enemies ([[MechaMooks weak geth and LOKI mechs]]). While you start off with all your basic weapons in [=ME1=], in [=ME2=] you're equipped with a heavy pistol you conveniently find next to your bed and a grenade launcher you steal off a dead guy halfway through the stage.

[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* The granddaddy of all ''DungeonsAndDragons'' adventure modules: ''B2: The Keep on the Borderlands'', is laid out as a series of Noob Caves ringing a box canyon. From left to right, each cave is populated with successively harder humanoid opponents.
** Another example would be the granddaddy's sister, "B3: Palace of the Silver Princess", a novice scenario in which a fairy-tale castle (which is nearly all underground passages for some reason) has had its residents TakenForGranite and been invaded by monsters. The first few rooms' descriptions actually talk the ''Dungeon Master'' through the process of running a game, much like a ChooseYourOwnAdventure book. YouCantGoHomeAgain in this one, because if you finish the scenario, the statues un-petrify and it goes back to being a peaceful community where there's no call for adventurers.

[[AC:VisualNovel]]
* [[AceAttorney Phoenix Wright's]] very first case can be considered a noob cave. There's only one witness, you have only 3 pieces of evidence to use, and the witness has so many obvious contradictions that pressing him is not even needed.

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*** This is actually a TIMED noob cave. You can select how much time you're given, but in order to get the best Seed rank in the beginning, you have to get as close to 0:00 as possible. [[spoiler: between 0:00 and 0:03, actually.]]

** The first cases of the later games also tend to be simpler than those that follow; since there's no investigation phase and the basic mechanics of the court system are explained in-game just in case someone's jumping into the series for the first time. That said, the first cases of part III and ''especially'' part IV are much, much, ''much'' harder than the first case of the first game.

*** This is actually a TIMED noob cave. You can select how much time you're given, but in order to get the best Seed rank in the beggining you have to get as close to 0:00 as possible. [[spoiler: between 0:00 and 0:03, actually.]]

[[AC:MMORPGs]]

* Numerous places in ''WorldOfWarcraft''. Northshire Abbey for humans, Coldridge Valley for dwarves and gnomes, Shadowglen for night elves, Valley of Trials for orcs and trolls, Red Cloud Mesa for tauren, Deathknell for undead, Ammen Vale for draenei, Sunstrider Isle for blood elves, and the Scarlet Enclave for death knights of all races. Other than Scarlet Enclave they can be revisited at higher levels (you can revisit the Enclave too, but the place has an advancing plotline and will be stuck in finished state with nothing else to do). Cataclysm expansion will also add starting zones for goblins and worgen and both of them will use the same plotline mechanism as the Enclave for their quests.

** The sequel, ''[[MajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', starts out with Link underground and [[ModeLock in the form of a Deku Scrub]]. Your new fairy, Tael, teaches you the basics by bossing you around (faeries are too small to open doors on their own.)

* Viridian Forest, Union Cave, Granite Cave and Oreburgh Mine in the ''{{Pokemon}}'' games.

* In ''LordOfTheRings Online'', for hobbits and men, the instance of Archet before its assault is the NoobCave. The gate you would normally use to leave the area is closed. Once you get to the main game, Archet is still accessible, but it's permanently changed by the events of the NoobCave. Thorin's Gate serves the same purpose for Elves and Dwarves, and it's similarly closed off from the rest of the world until you finish the introductory quests, but still accessible afterwards.

* In ''LordOfTheRings Online'', for hobbits and men, the instance of Archet before its assault is the NoobCave. The gate you would normally use to leave the area is closed. Once you get to the main game, Archet is still accessible, but it's permanently changed by the events of the NoobCave.

* The TropeNamer is Noob Cave, found on Mt. Noob in ''KingdomOfLoathing''. Once it contained only noncombats which could not damage you, but has since been revamped and now contains only combats... the only enemy being a [[CrateExpectations crate]], which ''also'' can't damage you.
--> The crate sits motionless, much as you'd expect.
** It's immediately followed by another, slightly more dangerous area called The Dire Warren, which is filled with [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin fluffy bunnies]]. You ''can'' lose a fight here, but only if you're really bad at the game.
* The Temple of Fiends from ''FinalFantasyI'' does double-duty as both the NoobCave and TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, the latter of which is the Temple of Fiends from [[TimeTravel 2000 years ago.]]
** In ''FinalFantasyIII'' the very first scene you see is your character falling through a hole into a cave, complete with a boss fight at the end of it.
** ''FinalFantasyIV'' has the Mist Cave as its initial dungeon; it's only one floor and relatively simple to traverse. Also, the Pirate Cave from ''FinalFantasyV'' and Narshe Mines in ''FinalFantasyVI'' count.
** ''FinalFantasyVIII'' has the Fire Cavern.
*** This is actually a TIMED noob cave. You can select how much time you're given, but in order to get the best Seed rank in the beggining you have to get as close to 0:00 as possible. [[spoiler: between 0:00 and 0:03, actually.]]
** ''FinalFantasyXI'' has the Zeruhn Mines, literally right next to Bastok Mines.

** In Oracle of Ages, [[DualWorldGameplay the Maku Path serves this purpose two times in a row.]] In the present, it's a straight line with a few press-switch-to-open-door puzzles. When you go to the past, you're introduced to the slightly more complicated collect-a-key-to-open-a-door-in-another-room puzzles.
** Ocarina Of Time has the kokiri training grounds where you get your first sword. Helpful signs show you how to pick up rocks, climb through small holes, control the camera, and avoid rolling boulders.
** The sequel, Majora's Mask, starts out with Link underground and [[ModeLock in the form of a Deku Scrub]]. Your new fairy, Tael, teaches you the basics by bossing you around (faeries are too small to open doors on their own.)

** Link to the Past has Hyrule Castle, crawling with guards, simple puzzles, and a [[EpicFlail ball-and-chain-wielding mini-boss]]. You get your sword as soon as you enter, and you can find the boomerang on your way out.

* The Beginner's Cave in the old Apple II [[http://tinyurl.com/yp692b Eamon computer game]].
* In the first ''{{Fallout}}'' game, the player takes control after stepping out of their Vault's entrance, and finds themself in a cave populated only by rats, which they must navigate to reach the greater game. Initially the player is unable to re-enter the Vault, but later in the game they must come back and pass through this first cave in order to return to their Vault and progress through the plot.
** Temple of Trials in ''Fallout 2'' is the Noob Cave. Vault 101 and the Super Duper Mart fill this role in ''{{Fallout 3}}''.
*** The cave beneath Springvale School in ''FallOut 3'' can also qualify, as it's more immediately accessible to newbie players, and it has the giant ants.
*** The former can be a ScrappyLevel for some characters, particularly those not being played for melee.
* In ''{{Arcanum}}'' the crash site where the game begins is a mountain valley inhabited by weak wolves, boars and small goblin-like creatures, obviously to grind up a level before leaving.
** There is also a small cave, for those who take the time to explore the valley.
* The ''GoldenSun'' series has one in each game: the Sol Sanctum in the original and Kandorean Temple in the sequel. The Sol Sanctum can't be revisited, while Kandorean Temple has nothing of worth for high-level characters besides a single Djinni needed for HundredPercentCompletion.
* ''PokemonMysteryDungeon'' had "Tiny Woods" which had only three floors, and was an extremely feature-limited version of the rest of the dungeons in the game. You were also unable to recruit new members there. The sequel had Beach Cave, which was equally short.
** And, ironically, one of the best places for finding useful items such as Stun Seeds.
* ''MetroidPrime'' starts in a derelict spaceship before moving on to the planet Tallon IV. Thanks to your partially complete equipment, it's the easiest level in the game.
* Planets Veldin, Aranos, Veldin again, and Kerwan in ''[[RatchetAndClank Ratchet & Clank]]'', ''Ratchet & Clank 2'', ''Ratchet & Clank 3'', and ''Ratchet & Clank Future'' respectively. The latter three all have bits that could be tricky for a first-time player, but apart from that, they fit the trope perfectly.
** However, you return to some of these places later in the game and they are much harder. [[spoiler: Veldin in ''[[RatchetAndClank Ratchet & Clank]]'' was home to the games final boss!]]

* The Imperial Subterrane in ''TheElderScrolls IV: Oblivion''. To lesser extent, Addamasartus in in ''III: Morrowind''. Also Privateer's Hold in ''II: Daggerfall''.
** And, of course, the Imperial Prison in ''Arena''.
*** ''Oblivion'' also has a dungeon right across the river from where you come out of prison. You may need to revisit it several times, but it's described by the game's strategy guide as a "Baby's First Dungeon".
* The game properly begins in one of these in ''TheLastRemnant''. The Ruins of Robelia Castle and The Gaslin Caves may also counts as this is where a lot of the gameplay is explained and they're the earliest and easiest missions.
* The first cave in ''DragonQuestI'' game had no monsters in it.

* Level 1 of ''PrinceOfPersia'' is somewhat like this, in that you can just run and jump to get the sword so you can fight off the average {{Mook}} that stands between you and the level exit (though SequenceBreaking makes even that one fight unnecessary). The most difficult part about the first level is to not fall into spiked pits, but playing cautiously can prevent that.
* ''{{Diablo}} II's'' very first mission is to clear out a cave of zombies because they ''might'' attack the Rogue Encampment. Emphasis on might because the cave is full of low-level zombies and the weaksauce wannabe-giants that get killed with one hit once you reach level three, and then you meet up with a single rogue laying waste to twenty or so of them on top of evil amazon-chick reincarnated-and-then-re-killed-by-the-sentry corpses in the Cold Plains in the very next mission. Oh, and said sentry is ''just the guard to keep the difficult monsters from chasing you into the non-noob part of the first act.'' Yeah, way to spread your resources, Akara. Totally a Chessmaster when it comes to defending your peeps. * headdesk*

* The First Cave in ''CaveStory'' is where you go and find your first weapon. [[spoiler:And where you can get the best weapon in the game, if you held on to it.]]
* Almost all the first levels in each campaign in ''Left4Dead''. Tanks [[strike:never seem to]] usually don't appear in the first levels and witches are never there either, allowing new players to get a feel for the game. And they better learn quickly since the second level will start ramping up the challenges.
* [[AceAttorney Phoenix Wright's]] very first case can be considered a noob cave. There's only one witness, you have only 3 pieces of evidence to use, and the witness has so many obvious contradictions that pressing him is not even needed.
** The first cases of the later games also tend to be simpler than those that follow; since there's no investigation phase and the basic mechanics of the court system are explained in-game just in case someone's jumping into the series for the first time. That said, the first cases of part III and ''especially'' part IV are much, much, ''much'' harder than the first case of the first game.
** Miles Edgeworth's game, ''Ace Attorney Investigations'', also follows the trope. In the first case you play, there's only two rooms to examine, there's only one person to cross examine, and most of the contradictions are easy to spot.

* In the ''{{Avernum}}'' games, there ''will'' be a first-level dungeon full of goblins, and you ''will'' go through it, or else get flattened by a slime or giant lizard elsewhere.
* ''{{Albion}}'' has one on the spaceship Toronto right at the beginning in the form of a less frequently visited area of the ship that you're not supposed to go to. There are no enemies, only puzzles and seemingly harmless cleaning robots. (Much later, you will find that these are actually Killer Cleaning Robots [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom of Doom]] that could each flatten a battalion of demons, but at this point they don't attack.) This dungeon is optional and easy enough to miss.
* Viridian Forest, Union Cave, Granite Cave and Oreburgh Mine in the ''Pokémon'' games.
* The Heroes' Guild is TheNoobCave in {{Fable}} II. Full of [[BigCreepyCrawlies beetles]] and not much else.
* In ''[[PlanescapeTorment Planescape: Torment]]'', the protagonist [[WakingUpAtTheMorgue Wakes Up At The Morgue]], and then has to leave, which is complicated by the fact that the morgue in question is staffed by members of a {{Cult}} that find his immortality blasphemous. This being ''Planescape: Torment'', however, the player is given ample opportunity to escape with only one "casualty" (and that was a zombie, so it hardly counts).
* Most of the {{Wizardry}} games start out with a "Noob Cave." The early games (Wizardry I-V) usually had the "noob cave" as the first level of the dungeon. Wizardry VI took it to another level with a "noob castle" that you had to keep coming back to throughout the game, and Wizardry 8 forced you through a "noob monastery" which started out easy but increased the difficulty geometrically the longer you hung around in it, to discourage {{level grinding}}. Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant was the only one to have an optional "noob cave", although it was highly encouraged to help build player levels before heading further into the game.
* {{Pikmin}} 2 has the emergence cave, which only has the weakest enemies, as well as no bosses or hazards. It is also where you first get purple pikmin and has only 2 floors.
* Eden Prime in ''MassEffect1''; Lazarus Station in ''MassEffect2''. Both have their game's respective tutorials, the [[RedShirt temporary squadmates]] (Richard [[LeeroyJenkins L. Jenkins]] and that Wilson guy) who are killed and then replaced (with Ashley and Miranda) within 15 minutes of gameplay, and a few not particularly strong enemies ([[MechaMooks weak geth and LOKI mechs]]). While you start off with all your basic weapons in [=ME1=], in [=ME2=] you're equipped with a heavy pistol you conveniently find next to your bed and a grenade launcher you steal off a dead guy halfway through the stage.

* The granddaddy of all ''DungeonsAndDragons'' adventure modules: ''B2: The Keep on the Borderlands'', is laid out as a series of Noob Caves ringing a box canyon. From left to right, each cave is populated with successively harder humanoid opponents.

*** This is actually a TIMED noob cave. You can select how much time you're given, but in order to get the best Seed rank in the beggining you have to get as close to 0:00 as possible.

* The TropeNamer is Noob Cave, found on Mt. Noob in ''KingdomOfLoathing''. It only has non-combat adventures, none of which can hurt you.

* Numerous places in ''WorldOfWarcraft''. Northshire Abbey for humans, Coldridge Valley for dwarves and gnomes, Shadowglen for night elves, Valley of Trials for orcs and trolls, Red Cloud Mesa for tauren, Deathknell for undead, Ammen Vale for draenei, Sunstrider Isle for blood elves, and the Scarlet Enclave for death knights of all races. Other than Scarlet Enclave they can be revisited at higher levels (you can revisit the Enclave too, but the place will be ruined and have no quests).
** The Deadmines and Ragefire Chasm, often being the first instanced dungeons players encounter, are probably more literal {{Noob Cave}}s.
** Most of the starter zones mentioned above also have some sort of actual cave used for 1-2 quests (Forsaken have a mine, Dwarves/gnomes have a troll lair, for example.)

** The first cases of the later games also tend to be simpler than those that follow; since there's no investigation phase and the basic mechanics of the court system are explained in-game just in case someone's jumping into the series for the first time. That said, the first cases of part III and''especially'' part IV are much, much, ''much'' harder than the first case of the first game.

** However, you return to some of these places later in the game and they are much harder. [[Spoiler: Veldin in ''[[RatchetAndClank Ratchet & Clank]]'' was home to the games final boss!]]