ID:194465
 
Directed towards our newer users, but no one in particular:
I'm really glad you're all lending an actual voice to the boards, but this is getting to be too much... =)

Before you post to the forums about an error you're getting, could you check to see if you can't figure it out yourself? Look at the lines closely; you might find the answer sooner than you think.

Also, try to reduce the scale a bit; that is, make a smaller question, include less questions, or make your question more specific. For example, 'how do I make a combat system', while a valid question, is a heck of a lot of work to reply to. The same question addressed as 'how would I make a combat system that clicks to attack and subtracts a random number of hit points' would be much, much, much easier to reply to.

As an aside, remember that in anything you do, start small, then work big. Try to get a working model of your game as quickly as possible before you go into detail with your code. For example, before going into a full-fledged combat system, just make some code for Click() that subtracts hit points from a target. Then when you're testing it out, click on every mob to see the effects of damage and stuff.

I don't want to discourage you from posting here or anything... that's the last thing I want to do! =)

But I was wondering if you could slow down a little, and check the forums to see if something has already been asked before. Try to see if your error has been seen before. Buy the Dream Maker Manual if you can afford it (trust me, it will be the best $20 you've spent), and read the online guide. Reread the online guide as often as possible. Double-check your code. See if you can make the code yourself, then debug it yourself.

...And save me some time to finish my many games before I get old enough to have to pay my own room and board. =)


[edited] One more thing... the forum comes fully-featured with an Edit function and a Delete function. All you have to do is click on a post made by you. If you make a double-post, just delete the second or first post. If you make an error, feel free to correct it. =)
On 2/24/01 4:21 am Spuzzum wrote:
Directed towards our newer users, but no one in particular:
I'm really glad you're all lending an actual voice to the boards, but this is getting to be too much... =)


I also don't want to discourage anyone from posting, and also have some suggestions...

One thing to think about is when someone says "Please just give me the code for this" or "I don't want to try and understand that please just tell me exactly what changes are needed for my game", what they are saying is:

"I don't want to take the time to learn something here or make use of any of the many resources available to help me, but I do want YOU to take the time to understand what I need and write a part of my game for me."

When someone asks for help in a way that says they are not going to put out effort but they do expect you to put out effort, well their question is a lot less likely to be answered.

On the other hand, in general, when someone puts out any amount of effort to understand what they are doing before posting a question, then we usually try our utmost to help.

There are lots of docs and samples available, but I know that it's not enough and we need more. Those with the knowledge are putting a chunk of their time into trying to improve the tutorial/getting started material, and hopefully things will get easier for newcomers.