Newbie help concept

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Angeba
Posts: 88
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2011 11:23 pm

Newbie help concept

Post by Angeba »

Ideas for a XPilot in-game newbie help.

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* General newbie help ideas:
	* Refer the player to a more detailed manual (online or perhaps also
	  distributed with the client) for comprehensive information about
	  specific topics.  The newbie player would probably have to read
	  more than he could while playing if we told him everything in-game.
	* Add options:
		* to select how many newbie help topics/lines to display
		  maximally.
		* to set a time-out for newbie help topics.  Should be quite
		  long as default so that non native english speakers and
		  slow-readers can read it comfortably.  Keep in mind that
		  the player has more things to do than only read the newbie
		  help ...  Time-out should be per line of text, so that a
		  topic with 2 lines times-out after twice the time.
		* to set a key to acknowledge a newbie help topic, so that
		  it times out immediately making room for the next topic.
	* Remember which help topics have already been shown in this session
	  and using a status file (e.g. "$HOME/.bloodspilot-newbiehelp") also
	  overall.  Do not redisplay topics.
	  Add an option/button "restart newbie help", which erases the newbie-
	  help history, so that it restarts with the most basic topics.
	* In the config menus add mouse-over (bubble) help or click help.
	  Display the help text that comes with each option.
	* Reserve the upper area of the window exclusively for the newbie help
	  (e.g. 8 lines as default).  If one topic uses more text than fits
	  into this area, use the newbie help acknowledge key to select the
	  next page.
	  The config help could also be displayed in this area and clicking
	  on the option name again would select the next page if one exists.
	* Finish the key config mode (kps).  Should be very useful.
	* Display messages from the warn() and error() functions additionally
	  in the newbie help area.  This will make them more noticeable than
	  their regular stdout location.  Messages from fatal() shouldn't
	  make sense to redirect, because the client would quit before the
	  newbie would read it.  The merely informative messages from
	  xpinfo(), should also not be redirected.  They are not really
	  important and would only distract.

* General client advice:
	* Describe elements of the client window:
		* menus
		* talk messages, game messages
		* scorelist:
			* names, status (waiting, playing, dead, robot, tank),
			  lives, score, teams
		* HUD (i.e. head up display, i.e. information layed over
		  the game world)
		* extended HUD values
		* HUD radar, HUD wall radar
		* visible area
	* welcome window:
		* local/internet buttons
		* server selection, extended information, ping time
	* extended configuration editing .xpilotrc

* Mention keys:
	* to control the ship
	* to use items (depending on availability, when picking up an item)
	* to (de-)activate mouse steering
	* to (team-)talk
		* client commands (\help)
		* server commands (/help)

* Give general map advice:
	* race map?
	* team play?  team immunity?
	* treasures?  deadly?  popping?
	* targets?  kills team?
	* limited lives?
	* max round time?

* Fuel warning when low:
	* which key?  To move close to a box.
	* no fuel boxes available?
		* self destruct key
	* NG server?
		* ship can still fly, but _very_ slowly
	* fuel items
	* fuel makes ship slower
Open for comments.

P.S.: Is there a better way of posting a tab-indented text on this forum than
enclosing it in {code}{/code} bbcode? Here the result looks rather small.
Last edited by Angeba on Sun Feb 20, 2011 9:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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