More Emphasis on RTFM

Desertfox · Post by **Desertfox** » 2007-09-27 09:39

[R-MOD]Wasteland wrote:There you go! I'll fashion you into a liberal yet!

Well first of all, I only played Wake for 1942. I played BF2 for maybe a week before finding PR and making the switch, so I couldn't say. But I'm sure I would be pissed off. The noob used a team asset that he didn't know how to use. He screwed everybody else over. Why did you think that wouldn't piss me off?

And as I said before, I have yet to see a stupid question asked in ArmA. Every once in a while you get a question like "I'm stuck on free look, how do I fix it?" But hitting 0-0-7 to fix the headbug is not in the manual, and it's not something most people would remember from online reading without having experienced the headbug themselves.

No, sorry.

I think there is actually, I remember vaguely seeing some of the tips in a file a long time ago.

pasfreak · Post by **pasfreak** » 2007-09-27 14:09

thats a little off topic

i think the post that said you need to read through the manual before the shortcut appears is a good idea.

something needs to be done. why do you think we lost so many new players on .6? because they didn't know how to play the game, and they gave up.

Eddiereyes909 · Post by **Eddiereyes909** » 2007-09-27 21:52

pasfreak wrote:thats a little off topic

i think the post that said you need to read through the manual before the shortcut appears is a good idea.

something needs to be done. why do you think we lost so many new players on .6? because they didn't know how to play the game, and they gave up.

if they wernt willing to play as the game was made, then i feel no remorse for them

Sgt_Canadian_Floss · Post by **Sgt_Canadian_Floss** » 2007-09-27 22:06

Each time I get a new manual for a game, I read it while im taking a ****
because I dont have anything else to do.
But usually, I go on the internet to learn how to play BEFORE i buy the game
Helps alot and you dont look like a newb.
If the new guys could do that it be kind of great

pasfreak · Post by **pasfreak** » 2007-09-27 23:58

well, they're not

we have to devise a way to encourage them to

STRONGLY encourage.

Safekeeper · Post by **Safekeeper** » 2007-09-28 00:16

something needs to be done. why do you think we lost so many new players on .6? because they didn't know how to play the game, and they gave up.

The worst thing is that PR is not complicated at all. Once you know how to play, it's so ridiculously easy that it's a joke. It's just that it's pretty opaque so that guessing how to do things isn't too easy.

pasfreak · Post by **pasfreak** » 2007-09-28 05:24

maybe we should use mac OSX's design features to make PR more user friendly!

I'm serious!

Wasteland · Post by **Wasteland** » 2007-09-28 11:45

pasfreak wrote:well, they're not

we have to devise a way to encourage them to

STRONGLY encourage.

I suggest handing names, addresses, and a baseball bat to Vikingo. Anybody with me?

pasfreak · Post by **pasfreak** » 2007-09-30 06:29

okay, i am reviving this because it needs to get somewhere and it is important.

please cut the chat and get to a serious solution to a serious issue.

we already know we have noobs coming into pr every day and they don't know how to play the game. half of them leave, the other half just piss people off.

-=Rhodesy_77=- · Post by **-=Rhodesy_77=-** » 2007-09-30 08:01

why dosnt some make like a intro movie just giveing a breif over view of the important things in the mid and maybe have it play after you install or somthin... but nothin to long or boring or it would be of no use...

pasfreak · Post by **pasfreak** » 2007-09-30 17:48

apparently its too much work

Ragni<RangersPL> · Post by **Ragni<RangersPL>** » 2007-09-30 18:02

How about making some single player tutorial mission (a lot of work) or some tutorial video with subtitles in several different languages (less work)?

Post by **BlakeJr** » 2007-09-30 18:20

-=Rhodesy_77=- wrote:why dosnt some make like a intro movie just giveing a breif over view of the important things in the mid and maybe have it play after you install or somthin... but nothin to long or boring or it would be of no use...

Glad you volunteered!

No, the only valid options are these:

"tricking" the player with a phony shortcut that actually leads to the player guide
Massive advertising the guide during install
Actually blocking download of the client until player has read the manual and accepted the terms.

The last option is not really valid though... Or is it?

Then again, most players will just skim though the guide and absorb nothing or even worse, just click on "I accept" and continue the install.
At best, the above list gives us a green light to go ahead and abuse new players who refuse to listen to advice and who can not be arsed to read the guide...

pasfreak · Post by **pasfreak** » 2007-09-30 23:23

i vote yes

JustMe · Post by **JustMe** » 2007-09-30 23:31

I didnt delete my pdf, & im sure some do , but probably not all. i find the QM messaes very helpful in learing where or why i cant find or get a kit.
but ya know people is people, there are those who will read a manual & those who wont. i doubt you will change those who wont even thought it would be good.

i consider myself noob, but i was tellin my SL other day what a officer kit was & wher eto get one & what a bunke was, & that it took long time for crate to fall, all the basics, kinda made me feel un-noobish

Post by **BlakeJr** » 2007-10-01 03:52

JustMe wrote:I didnt delete my pdf, & im sure some do , but probably not all. i find the QM messaes very helpful in learing where or why i cant find or get a kit.
but ya know people is people, there are those who will read a manual & those who wont. i doubt you will change those who wont even thought it would be good.

i consider myself noob, but i was tellin my SL other day what a officer kit was & wher eto get one & what a bunke was, & that it took long time for crate to fall, all the basics, kinda made me feel un-noobish

But he listened to your advice right?
That meant he was learning in the right way, sort of...

Being the platoon sergeant kicking that fresh 2nd Lieutenant in the arse every time he steps in a pile of dogpooh.

But seriously, word of mouth teaching in game is an important part in integrating new players.

JustMe · Post by **JustMe** » 2007-10-01 10:41

[R-MOD]BlakeJr wrote:But he listened to your advice right?
That meant he was learning in the right way, sort of...
Being the platoon sergeant kicking that fresh 2nd Lieutenant in the arse every time he steps in a pile of dogpooh.

But seriously, word of mouth teaching in game is an important part in integrating new players.

yeah i mean he listened, wasnt a prik, was very nice guy who i could tell either didnt read the manual or read it & just forgot a few things , cause i know it took me a few readnings to be honest. i just answered his questions . i could tell he was a vanilla player he certainly wasnt a noob to the game, just to the mod.

Post by **Deadfast** » 2007-10-01 14:16

What about something really nasty like password hidden in the manual ?

Before the installation starts it would ask you for the password.

Of course you would have to READ the manual to find it, so no flashy bold double-size "password", but something like this:
...you cannot place a rallypoint (pesvord: teamwork) unless...
(it would have to be misspelled because of search engines)

Post by **OkitaMakoto** » 2007-10-01 14:27

What we should do is make a test level. Where it is the potential new player and Eggman on an island. Eggman is armed to the teeth with requestable kits, but the player only starts off with a knife. In order to defeat Eggman, the player must use every PR tactic and tool to his/her advantage. When the dust settles, if the players has defeated Eggman, then, only then, will they be given access to public PR servers.

[EC]DR.NOobFragger · Post by **[EC]DR.NOobFragger** » 2007-10-01 15:15

lol i started this game at .5 and when .6 came out i still read the manual... but i think alot has to do with people no wanting to help the newbs... like i was on battlearena and some guy was asking what thr shovel did...and someone told him to press alt+f4 to use it.. and he actually did... but he said it still didnt work... then he told him to press Ctrl+Alt+F4... and then i told him not to press anything and i told him that they are used to help build commander assests such as sandbags or bunkers and next time to read the manual... and i even gave a happy face