The Future... How to best transform new modders into valuable members?

[Epistolary Richard]

Yes, Bwian, you can certainly believe me that the effective use of time is one of my uppermost concerns. As I said in my last post about prospective feedback:

"But what it would achieve would be to place the emphasis on the learner to produce something based on tutorials and so forth before actually looking to more experienced members to provide guidance. And experienced members, not being in a direct one to one situation, would also have flexibility about their own involvement."

Thus new modders will still have to start down the road themselves, albeit with a good map, but know that further along they will be able to stop off an ask directions.

[Bwian]

When a modder wants to begin their long and arduous jorney to Modder-dom, the Tuorials section is where they should always start. Most of the basic functions they want to mess with are covered there.

One thing that SHOULD be there, stickied and bold as it can be made, is a list of the tools needed to mad any particular area of the game.

To change models you need:
CAS plugin ( post a link )
3DS Max ( version whatever onwards )

To change skins you need:
Photoshop, GIMP, etc.

To Text edit you need:
Notepad

Then they can go to the Tutorials and look for the basic how-to, and get started. Then, when they get stuck, they can ask questions to get help. This is why I made the point earlier about the un-sung skill of asking a good question. I have seen so many newbies flamed inforums for asking for help in such a way as to appear a complete idiot. They weren't...but the way they asked for help made them appear so.

If they can't get SOMETHING to work from the tutorials, we have to ask oursleves:

1) Are the tutorials clear enough and not full of conflictuing advice or errors
2) Is the modder-to-be so far out of their depth that they have no hope of making it to the surface!

I consider that making it through the Tutorial and actually having the content work is soemthing of a 'rite of passage'. Perhaps we should have a set of standard 'challenges' that sit in the Tutorial section!

So..you want to be a Modder!

Make a cube-man and have it appear in game. Send in a screenshot to prove you did it

Change the colour of the cloak of the Spartan Hoplite to green ...

Make the unit size smaller and post the code you used to do it.

Then give an award 'Registered Modder' to those that make it.

Or this could just be a cheap way for me to finally get myself an award after all my hard work

[Byzantine Emperor]

Someone should write a book:

'The Ultimate guide to Rome Total War Modding'

THAT would be a good read.

BTW, I am all up for the 'apprentice' or 'tutor' idea because I learned everything by tutorials and things do get tricky. I did ask tonnes of questions but few of them got good answers.

[Bwian]

Sadly, not getting good answers to a lot of questions shows, in all truth, how few experts we have once you get beyond the basics.

For example..... I asked a question about particle effects in BI rather than RTW, since the effects do not seem to work with the BI stucture. Total answers.....2. Only a couple of people had played with these effects and had any luck...or were prepared to offer a suggestion.

I have seen this pattern with most of the specialised areas of mod making, and I think this is a necesary are for concern if anyone is thinking about being a 'tutor' or taking on an apprentice. There may be a rush of volunteers, but there would be a limit to how many people could be taught or coached at any one time.

The other thing I would like to see ( perhaps ER could pop up a stckied post ) would be how many people are actually willing to go to 'modding school'. After all, the discussion of how we would go about improving these people is pointless if there are no volunteers with the necessary willpower and determination to survive the process! What do they want to learn.... do they have the software to use ( and know how to use it to at least a basic level) and aetheywilling to indenture themselves to a master and learn !

Personally...I would have no problem helping someone to put models in game and mess with animations, but would DEFINITELY not teach someone to use Max, 'help' them aquire software, or any such stuff that a tutorial should cover ( if they follow it carefully )