Are YOU awesome? volunteer for the Tutorial Demo project!

[chompers]

Just curious if people here would be interested in contributing to some sort of tutorial demo project?

The way it would work, you'd need a group of people to play several scripted games, one or two others in spectator mode recording it. There'd also be someone in-game named 'Tutorial' who's job would be to say certain lines at certain times, probably using a series of binds.

Ideally, there'd be someone with demo editing / machinima skills to cut the whole thing together, or at least someone willing to learn the tools.

Plus a few people to write the scripts for the different tutorials, and you'd probably need some manager type to schedule and organise everything, and keep everyone informed.

As for the scripted games... there's a whole lot of things in trem to cover, here's some ideas to start off:

The basics: using the armory, the weapons & items, classes, booster and other buildings, basic traps and defenses, show stage 1 - 3 for each team.

Human Building: show some bad bases getting worked by aliens, and some good bases in action.

Human base moving: show a well orchestrated move, and also a half-assed move getting broken by aliens. Show effective use of say_team.

Effects of Feeding vs. Ramboing vs. Co-ordinated assault.

Alien Building: LOL trapper goes where? Forward boosters etc...

Using the Alien classes effectively.

Maybe something on griefer ettiquette and callvotes.

So, who would be up for something like that? It could end up being a fairly major undertaking, but it would be worthwhile to have a series of tutorial demos so that UnnamedPlayer knows how to trade in his helmet for a BSuit and is less likely to accidentally decon the armory.

Please post if you'd like to contribute and what you'd like to do. I'd be in as a player or the Tutorial text spammer guy, and could probably help with writing scripts, as well as maybe setting up bind files for people to deliver the scripted text in game.

EDIT
Nosfore has set up a wiki so that everyone can contribute scripts and other ideas. Here is the link: http://tremulousdemo.pbwiki.com/

This is a community project, not something for just one or two people to write, so Go to the wiki now! Have your Say! Do your Part! Make History!

[chompers]

P.S. The end result would be .dm format demo files, not video files, so they'd be small enough that they could possibly be included in the next release, and could even run off the main menu- that is, if Timbo and the other dev's think it's a worthwhile idea.

[Henners]

Sounds good to me - sign me up. I'm not much of a builder, but I can handle all of the weapons and alien classes (with poss exception of basilisk) very well.

[PIE]

Might be nice if people recording (including the tutorial guy who should be recording as well), had pretty good system specs, and wherever this was done is not prone to lag.... i'm not exactly sure how editing demo files would go though..

Suggested additional topics -
Blocking (show to watch out for bigger aliens because they can't get around you/ get on the walls ceiling).

How get get a better gun :roll: .

Explain stages.


Don't get too deep into strategy.. just enough where they can go in and play the game without asking 1000 questions and causing trouble.

EDIT: If i'm around (I only play during certain times during the week) I'd be up for some of the filler stuff.. such as if you need to demonstrate feeding, or show a human getting wasted by an acid tube...

[Lava Croft]

Count the SATGNU crew in, we already toyed with this idea. We even toyed with the idea of holding open Tutorial nights on SATGNU, for new players willing to learn.

[Mwa]

Brillant idea.
There should be some amusing parts too, such as people going out and tyrants dropping on their heads, ect. :>

[PIE]

Brillant idea.
There should be some amusing parts too, such as people going out and tyrants dropping on their heads, ect. :>

Easter egg bloopers video with staged bloopers... lol
or maybe it could be unlockable for someone who bothered to watch all of them.

[StVald]

Id like to join as well, and I think the rest of the }MG{ team would probably like to do this as well. I have been long thinking about making some form of interactive tutorial... but I don't want to have to script AI for on so using human actors sounds like a good alternative. This also lets me get my feet wet in some machinima... something I have really been wanting to try out (we can even make a trem movie some day). Will you, chompers, teach us how to use the tools to work with these demo files?

[Cowsaysmoo]

count me in as a player, I'm good with about any class, not great with the basi tho...


you can contact me using msn or email: vhpieter[at]gmail[dot]com (I don't like spamcrawlers)

[chompers]

Will you, chompers, teach us how to use the tools to work with these demo files?

Nope, I've never been involved with machinima before either.

There was talk of a trem machinima on this board earlier, so hopefully someone here knows what the deal is with q3 demo files. I remember something called "film at 11" that could edit demo files, but that was back in the quake 1 days.. I did a quick google on it just now, and couldn't cant find anything as yet for the quake 3 engine.

Hopefully someone here knows more about this.

Worst case scenario I guess is running the demos through fraps then using a video editor. If we go this route, I can publish the end result in flash, but it would be much better to have edited demo files if at all posible, or if we're slick enough in game - unedited demo files.

[Rippy]

Hey, at least give me some credit for thinking up the tutorial idea If the game had a good enough trigger system, I'd be making a map for this purpose.

Anyway, credit aside (not actually a big deal, just felt like making it look like one >_>), I'd be willing to help with the scripting of it. I could write out the whole scripts (tutorial text dialogs, actor actions, etc) for the base building tutorials.

Also, to have some kind of audio, maybe we could have Microsoft Narrator narrating the tutorial dialogs? Either that, or someone could actually record themselves saying them, and someone else could splice the audio properly. (I could do audio editing in that case)

[chompers]

Yes of course, full credit and kudos to Rippy for mentioning a tutorial map, and I'm glad you're willing to turn your attention this way instead of pursuing the tutorial map, because somethnig like this will need all the help it can get. The project co-ordinator spot is open if you want it. (I sure don't )

Still haven't found anything in the way of quake 3 demo editors, closest I could find was ARGUS. I think maybe there never was one for quake 3 engine, which will make things harder.

[kozak6]

I'd volunteer if I hadn't accidently broken Tremulous.

[PIE]

I'm glad you're willing to turn your attention this way instead of pursuing the tutorial map, because somethnig like this will need all the help it can get.

Its too bad though that something couldn't be figured out... because a tutorial map is more interactive.. and people tend to learn and be more interested in that sort of thing.... stupid radiant.... you can always go make thorn's disco map for him!.. or maybe the video could even use a generic map or 2?

[Rippy]

I'm glad you're willing to turn your attention this way instead of pursuing the tutorial map, because somethnig like this will need all the help it can get.

Its too bad though that something couldn't be figured out... because a tutorial map is more interactive.. and people tend to learn and be more interested in that sort of thing.... stupid radiant.... you can always go make thorn's disco map for him!.. or maybe the video could even use a generic map or 2?

That's what I think.. it's just so much easier to learn when you're actually doing it. You also remember better. It really is a shame.

[MrNoodles]

You guys are forgetting one important fact. Idiots are always idiots no matter what you do for them. The people that want to be good will at least browse the documentation and idiots WON'T - whether it's a video or a doc.

It sounds like a noble project but face it - you dont have to be a rocket scientist to play. A little reading, a little button mashing, and you have the tools to be decent.

Today I saw an idiot ask everyone how to evolve. He couldnt even read Q=Evolve ON HIS OWN SCREEN!!

[chompers]

I think that the benefits of an interactive tute would only apply to the most basic elements of the game though, learning to use the armory for example.

You could do a map like that, there are triggers to detect if you have certain weapons or equipment and there are triggers to print messages and so forth. You'd have to destroy eggs or telenodes etc. for points, you couldnt show stage 2 or 3 though, at least not in the current version.

But Tremulous is all about teamwork, and you can't learn that in a single player tutorial. Some short demos of things like base moves going wrong, or dretches feeding to stage three in front of turrets could show a hell of a lot, especially with a running commentary on what mistakes are being made.

[KorJax]

Count me in.  I can build for aliens realitivly well, and play as them too (although im not exactly a killing machine).

[[HUN]Oli]

Count me in also, im l33t and usually have 90-125 fps

[JohnBristow]

I would love to. Though I am not the best player as alien, I totally rock socks as human. Please PM me if I can help in any way..

[JohnBristow]

Oh, and I forgot to mention what I can do....I can either be a spectator (boring, but I can), or I could be someone who demonstrates stuff, ie how to trade in at armoury, how to use a lucy (lol, newbs+lucy=pain and destruction.....)

[Teiman]

I dont think is need good conexion or good machine to play as "actor" on this "film".

I guest the devs can able a tiny "demo browser" :

Play
Tutorial ->
Mods
Quit

..you press tutorial...

* Tutorial *

Aliens: how to play as dretch
Aliens: how to evolve, fight
Humans: human gameplay
Advanced tutorial: humans building, turrets
Advanced tutorial: alien buildings, acid & trappers
whatever

Even short films (short demos) can help. For a tutorial music can help, and the dynamics sould be fast, or will be boring. The most important, Imho, is "Have fun doing!".  I guest the people here is perfect to do that work.

[Rippy]

I would say the available tutorials would be:

Tremulous overview: Describes the extreme basics of game mechanics, stage advancement, credits/EP gaining, etc.
Alien overview: describes the basic pros and cons of each alien evo and structure.
Humans: an alien perspective: Talks about how to combat human weapons, armour and structures.
Human overview: describes the basic pros and cons of each human upgrade and structure.
Aliens, a human perspective: Talks about how to combat alien evos and structures.

Other than that, I don't think any more tutorials would be required. The rest is more advanced stuff. All newbies really need to know is how to use humans/aliens, combat enemies, and build a proper base. Base moving, things like that, are best learned when watching them in a game. You don't NEED them to play, so a tutorial video wouldn't really be necessary.

(maybe each overview could be split into two, instead having one about how to properly build for each team, and one about using the upgrades of each team.)

[next_ghost]

There should also be some alien movement obstacle course. Possibly an egg and overmind that cannot be deconstructed (out of reach for granger) in a spawning room with teleports leading to each course. When you pass through the teleport, you get enough evo to evolve into the proper class and when you finish each course, there will be teleport to the next course that will give you just enough evo to evolve to the next class. There should be:

Basic wallwalking - big open area with a narrow bridge that goes upside down and sideways and when you go too far to the edge (like on ATCS when you touch the blue forcefield outside), you'll fall into bottomless abyss like the one on uncreation.
Advanced wallwalking - the bridge will have lots of crap on it you'll have to wallwalk over and if you do it wrong, you'll fall. There should also be something to make you do the course as fast as possible, for example some closing door that will reopen when you return to the starting point of the course again.
Marauder walljumping - first some vertical shaft climbing (like when you have to climb out from underground on tremor) and then some walljump-only movement (another bottomless abyss with just walls to bounce from, no floor or ceiling).
Dragoon pouncing - you'll pounce between small platforms, if you miss, you die, again with some time limit.

[JohnBristow]

There should also be some alien movement obstacle course. Possibly an egg and overmind that cannot be deconstructed (out of reach for granger) in a spawning room with teleports leading to each course. When you pass through the teleport, you get enough evo to evolve into the proper class and when you finish each course, there will be teleport to the next course that will give you just enough evo to evolve to the next class. There should be:

Basic wallwalking - big open area with a narrow bridge that goes upside down and sideways and when you go too far to the edge (like on ATCS when you touch the blue forcefield outside), you'll fall into bottomless abyss like the one on uncreation.
Advanced wallwalking - the bridge will have lots of crap on it you'll have to wallwalk over and if you do it wrong, you'll fall. There should also be something to make you do the course as fast as possible, for example some closing door that will reopen when you return to the starting point of the course again.
Marauder walljumping - first some vertical shaft climbing (like when you have to climb out from underground on tremor) and then some walljump-only movement (another bottomless abyss with just walls to bounce from, no floor or ceiling).
Dragoon pouncing - you'll pounce between small platforms, if you miss, you die, again with some time limit.

The only problem with tht is the time limit. Newbies have extreme difficulty with aliens (most do, anyways), and a time limit would just make them mad. They should have the option of time limit, or none at all.

[next_ghost]

The only problem with tht is the time limit. Newbies have extreme difficulty with aliens (most do, anyways), and a time limit would just make them mad. They should have the option of time limit, or none at all.

You can always make several exits labeled "n00b" that would not close, "average" that would close slowly and "1337" that would close fast to let only really skilled players through.

[Nosfore]

Great idea!

Count me in!

I may be contacted at fbolduc at hotmail dot com.

Maybe we could play with the demo script on a Wiki?

[dolby]

If you guys get around to making this I'd be happy to do the voice over for the tutorial.  Just send me a script.

[vcxzet]

If you guys get around to making this I'd be happy to do the voice over for the tutorial.  Just send me a script.

yay!

[vcxzet]

btw I was thinking of converting one of the existing maps to an interactive tutorial map plus it would contain some parts of the manuals showing alien human models