Operation guide: NL-TR-1
| Operation | Guide | Story |
The first tutorial operation in Near Light, NL-TR-1, titled City Lights, introduces the player to the visibility mechanic which would become staple in NL operations and the use of City Neons and Operators' facing to counteract it.
Initially Kroos is deployed on C3, but she is unable to attack the Undertide Gloompincer on F4. Nearl then explains that the Gloompincer is shrouded by the darkness within the areas without visibility, where it becomes invisible. Kroos then suggests that she waits until she got a clear line of sight to the Gloompincer, but a second Gloompincer spawns from F1 and moves toward B9. At this point Nearl also explains that friendly units cannot be deployed on tiles without visibility, but a lamp post named City Neon is present on C4, which can be used to provide visibility to the nearby tiles; in case one haven't noticed it, the tiles adjacent to the aforementioned City Neon is lit, meaning that they have visibility.
Midnight is then deployed on C5 facing up to intercept the Gloompincer, and Nearl then explains that friendly units provide visibility to the nearby tiles, which will be expanded once they are accustomed to the darkness. True to what Nearl had said, the tiles in front and to the right of Midnight becomes visible, and a short while after, a radius of 3×3 tiles ahead of him becomes visible; if the player haven't noticed it before, the same radius ahead of Kroos also becomes visible a short while after she is deployed. Not long after, a third Gloompincer spawns from F1 and Beagle is deployed on E5 facing left to block it. Due to her facing, she will make the 3×3 tiles ahead of her visible after a while, allowing Kroos to attack the first Gloompincer and more of them that spawns later on, whittling their HP for Midnight to deal with them.
Nearl then mentions that City Neons can be activated at the cost of DP to expand its visibility radius right as an enemy is about to spawn from G8 – away from the others. To handle this, activate the City Neon on F7 so that D7 becomes visible, then deploy Melantha there facing up to make D8 visible, and deploy Hibiscus there facing left so she could heal Beagle and Midnight as well. A Nameless Independent Knight spawns from G8, but Melantha will easily take care of them.