Making a more streamlined guide for beginners to moding

[Seiai]

@Mobbstar,@Corrosive,@DarkXero,@Kzisor,@Blueberrys,@_Q_,@RedRock911,

hi everyone!

u have all been very active on the modforums recently, so i just addressed u all.

i noticed that there's a lot of pple, who start modding, but either pick the wrong guides to start, or overlook the guides that they actually need, or are just too lazy to click the "getting started"-thread, which is like an inch away from the "start new topic button".

So i was considering, whether it might be a good idea, to make a more streamlined "where to start" guide, that points in all the right direction, and @PeterA maybe even pops up the first time a new user enters the two modforums and/or tries to start a thread in them. this would probably spare all the active pple on the forums and all the pple trying to start modding a lot of time and frustration and lower the entrance-barrier.

i would have the thread start off with the one thing that most pple are actually looking for, the extended-sample-character-template:

http://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/46849-tutorial-using-extended-sample-character-template/

i am even considering making a "bare minimum"-video here, explaining how to just download the mod, the mod tools, and start changing the artwork and see it take effect ingame, even before changing any code, just to lower the entrancebarrier again.

then a "but i dont understand programming" section, linking to https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming/programming/drawing-basics/p/intro-to-drawing# ,which i recently discovered is a really good tutorial for pple, who know nothing about programming, even if u just watch the intro of each section and then jump to the next.

then probably the more lua and DS specific guide from Kzisor http://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/50811-guide-modding-practices-series-index/

although i have to say, that the "CHAPTER 01: Before Beginning", is a really technical and tedious part and should maybe be called something more like "creating an efficient work environment", and not be chapter one.

this is way to complicated for most pple and especially if u dont even know yet, if u gonna invest more time. it even stopped me from reading the rest of the guide, when i started modding (which is a shame in hindsight, since it's a really good one and would have taught me a lot). the only real bare minimum should be notepad++.

and then just a link to the "getting started" thread from the DS-Forum, which covers a lot of topics http://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/28021-getting-started-guides-tutorials-and-examples/

and then the "getting started" thread from the DST-forums, which pretty much builds upon the above one http://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/47353-guide-getting-started-with-modding-dst-and-some-general-tips-for-ds-as-well/

pls give me your feedback, what u think about this!

[Kzisor]

@Seiai, the hardest thing for me was getting the time to actually create the guides I produced. The reason why I started doing mini-guides/tutorials is simply because I was asked to do a specific task by people that had no idea where to start. There is so much to learn about modding that it literally needs to have it's own section somewhere for the documentation, with mini-guides doing specific things like the second section of my modding practices series.

 

It should be noted that while yes the first chapter of my series is really technical it does save you a ton of time in the long run and if you're willing to stick it out it teaches you about more than just modding.

 

~Kzisor/Ysovuka

[Seiai]

@Seiai, the hardest thing for me was getting the time to actually cre

It should be noted that while yes the first chapter of my series is really technical it does save you a ton of time in the long run and if you're willing to stick it out it teaches you about more than just modding.

 

~Kzisor/Ysovuka

yeah, i know, but like i said, for pple who just start,who have no technical expertise, who have no idea if they will be investing more time into this, the chapter one is really a big barrier, wich is a shame, since the rest of your guide is really ******* great, and any new modder should read it.

and setting up an efficient working environment is also something, that u can do like after a week, when u notice "hey, i made a simple mod without to much effort, this is really cool, i guess i wanna keep modding and invest some more time in it, maybe even get some better programs and set everything up in a better way".

i dont wanna criticize u or start an argument with u, i love your guide and respect the time u invested in it, i just wanna lower the entrance-barrier for new modders and streamline the beginning phase a bit, and i think moving chapter one would do a lot towards that.

[Blueberrys]

@Seiai

I think a beginners guide would be great help for a lot of people. But like Kzisor said, it would take time like any other guide/tutorial. If you're willing to make it yourself and just need some help, I'd be happy to read it over and suggest ideas and such.

 

Unfortunately, the people who make threads without reading the stickies will continue to do so regardless of how many and how simple guides are available. The best approach would probably be to just direct them to the relevant guides/tutorials.

 

Also, for longer guides with chapters/sections, I think it's up to the readers to decide which parts they want to read or skip. For example, someone who has a basic understanding of variables and functions and is learning a new language wouldn't read an 'introduction to programming' chapter, and skip right to the syntax, key-words, etc.

[Seiai]

I think a beginners guide would be great help for a lot of people. But like Kzisor said, it would take time like any other guide/tutorial. If you're willing to make it yourself and just need some help, I'd be happy to read it over and suggest ideas and such.

yeah, thats what iam doin here. i dont think think it will be much more work than writing the top post here, i really just want to point pple in the right directions right at the begin. maybe ill make that video, that i talked about in the top post, but even that shouldnt be much work.

Unfortunately, the people who make threads without reading the stickies will continue to do so regardless of how many and how simple guides are available.

thats where the part comes in, where we would need the forums to have a popup.

theres really no excuse to make a "how do i mod thread", when there was a "how to mod"-popup when u entered the forum the first time and also when u tried to open you first thread here.

Also, for longer guides with chapters/sections, I think it's up to the readers to decide which parts they want to read or skip. For example, someone who has a basic understanding of variables and functions and is learning a new language wouldn't read an 'introduction to programming' chapter, and skip right to the syntax, key-words, etc.

yeah, well, a lot of new modder's here have no concept about programing and dont know yet, how much time they will want to invest, thats why i put an emphasis on that small restructure of Kzisor's guide. ofc its not absolutely necessary.

[Corrosive]

and @PeterA maybe even pops up the first time a new user enters the two modforums and/or tries to start a thread in them.

 

I couldn't help but imagine, as I read this, that you meant for a big image of Peter's face to appear on screen the first time someone joins the forum.

[Seiai]

I couldn't help but imagine, as I read this, that you meant for a big image of Peter's face to appear on screen the first time someone joins the forum.

ofc! and next to him a big speechbubble telling pple to check out the guide!

[RedRock911]

Don't forget the standalone lua! And maybe some tutorial pages. Many new people have never scripted extensively before. And they need a resource to get to understand the basics on how everything in lua works. Especially those who continuously ask relatively simple questions for months on end. Not that I know anyone who does that.......

[Mobbstar]

Honestly, I'd love to get the API docs fleshed out so everytime somebody asks "how to make mod?" you just have to paste "dontstarveapi.com" and done.

 

No matter what you decide to do against the "unorientated noobiness" of new modders, it all takes time to make. Since mods do so too, it's kinda difficult to do both at the same time...

[RedRock911]

Honestly, I'd love to get the API docs fleshed out so everytime somebody asks "how to make mod?" you just have to paste "dontstarveapi.com" and done.

 

No matter what you decide to do against the "unorientated noobiness" of new modders, it all takes time to make. Since mods do so too, it's kinda difficult to do both at the same time...

When i understand things better, I would really like to make a complete custom charecter tutorial, 

where you make a charecter, a hat or armor piece, and an equip item,

and then maybe an advanced one on how to make a charecter, with either a follower, or an effect (like an either the follower or the effect) with a function that does something, the new modder can pick which one they want to follow, and use it as a guide.

 

But right now, Im drawing rectangles and elipses,  and writing "hello world" like scripts, until i can better understand what it is i think i am doing, lol.