Tutorial writing event

[Tsukihime]

There are a number of tutorials already on the website and also on these forums, but there are definitely a lot of scripts being posted that may or may not get enough exposure.


Or, people aren't sure how they could use them in their own projects.


So I was thinking maybe if there was an event geared towards tutorial-writing that focused on implementing a particular mechanic using a particular script (or set of scripts) of your choice, it may accomplish a number of things that would be beneficial for the community, including

• Showing what can be done with the maker
• Turning some creativity wheels
• Increased exposure to scripts

For users, it may also improve their writing skills, as tutorials and demonstrations require some more thought into how they are presented.
Thoughts?


Also, how many people actually visit the tutorial sections on these forums or the website?

 

[Napoleon]

Personally I didn't like them too much. Too much game-design-theory. I just wanted lots of information regarding RPG Maker itself. Including those details that are not listed in the [F1] either. But sadly nope .

Also a few days ago I made someone go through all those tutorials one by one. It helped a lot.

So my conclusion: It's all personal of course.

 

[Tsukihime]

There's quite a number of tutorials that explain how to accomplish X, using events, scripts, or a combination of both.


Rather than showing people what could be possible, you might focus on tutorials that basically show them what you do.


The tutorials could even be about things from a current project or something, lessons learned, and so on.


Lately I've been thinking what I could do with my scripts and figured instead of making "how to use my script" kind of tutorials I should just go with "how to climb up a wall with _______"

 

[Zoltor]

This is a awesome idea, infact I would go as far to say, it should be a annual event(say for 1 month every year, this event is held).

This would be so great, and I'm sure many great tutorials would be made due to such

 

[Tsukihime]

In terms of incentive, I suppose there should be rewards for spending the time to write something nice.


I'm not sure what would be good options here. Perhaps a set of forum badges for tutorial writing?


Criteria for determining whether a tutorial is good or not would also need to be designed, which may be somewhat difficult.


Mostly things like "presentation" and "clarity" would be used to determine whether a tutorial is well-done, as opposed to whether it's "useful" or not.

 

[Zoltor]

"Criteria for determining whether a tutorial is good or not would also need to be designed, which may be somewhat difficult"

Yea sigh, that's the hardest part. It's hard to judge something like a tutorial, but yea must be something along those lines.

Yea I don't think winners should get resource packs or whatnot. Although yea something like a special forum badge would be cool.

or

Since the admins around here are awesome artists, perhaps a free custom tile, sprite, text window graphic back or whatnot commission(something fairly small, nothing major) as well. That will give people an incentive, that's for sure(People would gladly stop whatever they're working on, to work on creating a high quality tutorial for the chance of winning such a sweet prize).

 

[Tsukihime]

I've changed the idea from a competition to more like a collaboration


http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/31212-community-tutorials/


Of course, if there are some excellent tutorials coming out of it and they get moved over to the official tutorials, might be nice to get some awards

 

[Napoleon]

Perhaps an extensive tutorial about window skins. I just had to make a quick explanation myself for someone:



And the help-file in Ace is still bugged after all that time... Still a 404 error when trying to open the help regarding the Window. They still didn't patch it. If I remember correctly, the file is present but the link is broken.

Note: Window skin used in the example is not mine.

 

[Shaz]

Really? I've never had a problem looking at the windowskin section of the help file.


The thing I worry about is that there are MANY people who are willing to help others by writing tutorials or creating videos, who really don't know themselves what they're doing. Opening it up to anyone/everyone means we're going to get a LOT of bad, bad tutorials, and people who expect to be rewarded for creating them and then upset when they're not


There are also people who really know their stuff, but are just not good at communicating it to others (sometimes I fall into that group myself).

 

[seita]

The thing I worry about is that there are MANY people who are willing to help others by writing tutorials or creating videos, who really don't know themselves what they're doing. Opening it up to anyone/everyone means we're going to get a LOT of bad, bad tutorials, and people who expect to be rewarded for creating them and then upset when they're not

A little tough love is necessary sometimes. It's one way people learn that they aren't good at doing something. If it's a bad tutorial, tell them it's bad and why it's bad, chin up and keep trying.

 

[Napoleon]

Really? I've never had a problem looking at the windowskin section of the help file.

I reinstalled several times and on 2 computers but still the same problem. I click on Window and then on:

See the detailed information on window skins.

and then "page not found". Guess it's just me again or some virus scanner blocking it .

...The thing I worry about is that there are MANY people who are willing to help others by writing tutorials or creating videos, who really don't know themselves what they're doing...

Well, people also create a LOT of bad games (empty levels, no story, total ripoffs, etc.). But there are always some people that like it. The same would apply to tutorials I assume. Besides, even the most experienced people sometimes don't know the most simple of things. Like ctrl+shift+f in the script editor.

I personally dislike video's lately. Mainly because of the Youtube commercials along with a lot of intro and other unrelated stuff in between like "Oh hi guys, my name is x, blabla. My weekend was great, I fed the dog, blablabla and oh-yeah about the tutorial...". Just a few screenshots with some text will do.

 

[Shaz]

Well, people also create a LOT of bad games (empty levels, no story, total ripoffs, etc.). But there are always some people that like it.

Completely different.


People creating crappy games are not setting out to teach others how to make crappy games. That's fine - they can make a game as good or as bad as they want, based on their preference and ability.


People creating tutorials ARE trying to teach others to do things the same way. So they should know what they're doing, and their way SHOULD be a good way to do it.


An example:


My pet peeve ... using parallel processes when you don't need to, and not adding Waits to them when you do use them.


If someone adds 100 parallel process events to a single map in their game because of a poorly thought out design, and it lags like crazy, that's their choice.


If they then write a tutorial that shows others how to accomplish something by adding 100 parallel process events to a single map, THAT'S a problem. Then we will start getting all these support threads created asking "why does my game run so slow?" and we'll have to help them troubleshoot to figure out why, and then we'll have to help them redesign the system to achieve the same thing WITHOUT using 100 parallel process events.


So what I'm saying is that they should know "best practices" before they start teaching others. You wouldn't want to learn how to ride a horse from someone who's never ridden a horse, or who's only been riding for a month and can barely stay in the saddle


Not knowing ctrl+shift+f in the script editor would only be a problem if you were writing a tutorial on how to use the script editor, and including a section specifically teaching people how to use the "find" function.


On the other ... I'm sure I've gone to the Window help numerous times and not had an error. Now I have to remember to try it again when I get home.

 

[GraveBusta]

Rarely is there such a thing as a wrong guide but not everyone perceives things the same way,so what might work for one person might not work for others.  The only time should one be upset over a guide is if the guide was a prank to harm annother's pc wich I have yet to see here in RPG maker unlike minecraft. So I am willing to thank any guide I see here.

 

[amerk]

If a guide creates more hassle than it's worth and generates problems that the end user cannot resolve, then it's wrong. As Shaz says, part of why so many wind up asking for help is because of being misinformed.

However, having said that, I've always taken it upon myself as my own responsibility to carefully select which guides I use, and to use only those guides that make enough sense for me to follow, and not to rely on a single point of view. Throughout the years of having used RPG Maker, I have seldom ever asked for help, because I tend to do my own research based on the guides and suggestions that are available. I don't just jump in, either, I usually skim through the major points of the guide, and I practice what I learn. If results are less than satisfactory I keep searching to find out why (am I using an incomplete guide and need a better guide, or did I do something wrong?).

Having ****ty guides isn't the problem, so long as the user takes responsibility for selecting the guides they deem the most helpful. Perhaps the users can decide which guides are the most helpful so that they'll rise to the top?

 

[GraveBusta]

If a guide creates more hassle than it's worth and generates problems that the end user cannot resolve, then it's wrong. As Shaz says, part of why so many wind up asking for help is because of being misinformed.

However, having said that, I've always taken it upon myself as my own responsibility to carefully select which guides I use, and to use only those guides that make enough sense for me to follow, and not to rely on a single point of view. Throughout the years of having used RPG Maker, I have seldom ever asked for help, because I tend to do my own research based on the guides and suggestions that are available. I don't just jump in, either, I usually skim through the major points of the guide, and I practice what I learn. If results are less than satisfactory I keep searching to find out why (am I using an incomplete guide and need a better guide, or did I do something wrong?).

Having ****ty guides isn't the problem, so long as the user takes responsibility for selecting the guides they deem the most helpful. Perhaps the users can decide which guides are the most helpful so that they'll rise to the top?

this is true but you gota admit though sometimes what is right for one person isnt right for everyone my experience with places outside here proved that to me the hard way

 

[amerk]

And in that regards, being able to rate a guide up or down is really the only option of ensuring good quality guides rise to the top (especially when there is no moderation going on), assuming everybody played nice and didn't rate everything equally or got into a rating war of sorts. Anything short of that may just make it too chaotic.

 

[GraveBusta]

And in that regards, being able to rate a guide up or down is really the only option of ensuring good quality guides rise to the top (especially when there is no moderation going on), assuming everybody played nice and didn't rate everything equally or got into a rating war of sorts. Anything short of that may just make it too chaotic.

guides are esential to surviving i admit that would help if rating wouldnt get corrupt like youtube

 

[Tsukihime]

The thing I worry about is that there are MANY people who are willing to help others by writing tutorials or creating videos, who really don't know themselves what they're doing. Opening it up to anyone/everyone means we're going to get a LOT of bad, bad tutorials, and people who expect to be rewarded for creating them and then upset when they're not


There are also people who really know their stuff, but are just not good at communicating it to others (sometimes I fall into that group myself).

Anyone can ask anyone to remove their tutorial, or parts of their tutorial.


If a tutorial is plain wrong, it can be removed.


If someone is not good at communicating, they can still write what they want down, and then others can try to make it clearer.

 

[Napoleon]

Ah okay I see and I agree. Bad tutorials can cause damage to new players.

But as long as other people can remove (parts) of it or rewrite it, it should be okay. Perhaps with like a mini disclaimer telling people (who are new to RPG Maker) to be careful with new guides as they may also contain bad info.

 

[Tsukihime]

If someone writes bad or uninformed articles, then correct them, rather than having them stay in the dark, or go through hoops to prove that they know what they're talking about.


Usually if someone is explained why they are wrong (this means they need to be told more than just LOLOLOL FAILLLLL!!!!) they will realize they are wrong and correct their errors.


If someone insists that they are correct and it is obviously wrong, then we can decide how it should be handled.