We're starting a Faq:)
by Scott Kane · in Torque Game Builder · 10/19/2006 (4:43 pm) · 29 replies
Hi Everyone,
I'm a new intern with GG and the subject says it all, I'm currently in the process of scanning through the forums hunting for burning questions but figured it would be better to ask the board regulars for any particularly common questions that might be useful to include in the FAQ.
Please let me know if there are any basic questions you'd like to see addressed.
I'm a new intern with GG and the subject says it all, I'm currently in the process of scanning through the forums hunting for burning questions but figured it would be better to ask the board regulars for any particularly common questions that might be useful to include in the FAQ.
Please let me know if there are any basic questions you'd like to see addressed.
#3
How do I change the cursor icon?
How do I load and display a .gui?
How do I make fonts?
How do the "schedule" commands work?
Does it run on Windows 98?
How do I pause streaming audio?
How do I pause the game when the window loses focus?
I know there are probably lots more but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
10/19/2006 (8:06 pm)
I'm not sure if these will make "good" FA Q's but I've seen them multiple times. How do I change the cursor icon?
How do I load and display a .gui?
How do I make fonts?
How do the "schedule" commands work?
Does it run on Windows 98?
How do I pause streaming audio?
How do I pause the game when the window loses focus?
I know there are probably lots more but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
#4
10/19/2006 (11:56 pm)
The answers should also be clearly marked if they require source code changes.
#5
10/20/2006 (12:34 am)
Question - when will the documentation be formatted in an easy to find and easy to reference manner? Google search, forums TDN - it's to much, really?
#6
10/20/2006 (9:16 am)
The reason that people post questions that have already been answered in previous posts is because it is difficult to find stuff with the current method of forum search. Now that so many search queries result in indiecongames 404 errors, the situation has become a little chaotic. Upgrading forum search would solve many problems.
#7
Actually TGB comes packed with some good documentation... Open your TGB folder and then open the documentation folder... within that you will find a folder labeled reference and one labeled tutorials, both filled with great information. If you go into the reference folder and open up "TGB Reference.pdf" you will find a full list of well described functions that are clearly bookmarked (I always have this open when I'm working on a project in TGB).
10/20/2006 (9:14 pm)
@Michael \"Evic\" WalesActually TGB comes packed with some good documentation... Open your TGB folder and then open the documentation folder... within that you will find a folder labeled reference and one labeled tutorials, both filled with great information. If you go into the reference folder and open up "TGB Reference.pdf" you will find a full list of well described functions that are clearly bookmarked (I always have this open when I'm working on a project in TGB).
#8
"we are starting a fa.."
anyways.. yay! give me a good starting point when I finish my TGE game.. :)
TomFeni
10/20/2006 (10:43 pm)
I almost thought that said something else.."we are starting a fa.."
anyways.. yay! give me a good starting point when I finish my TGE game.. :)
TomFeni
#9
10/21/2006 (12:00 pm)
LOL Tom... I was going to say that too. "FAQ" should really be capitalized...!
#10
And the Google search that was supposed to be so great and make things a lot easier when it was implemented is on the verge of useless...
10/21/2006 (12:07 pm)
@Chris - Yes, TGB is the exception here. The documentation is good, but not great. The fact that you have to have 3 browsers open (Resources, Forums, TDN) and a few PDFs while working is a bit much.And the Google search that was supposed to be so great and make things a lot easier when it was implemented is on the verge of useless...
#11
As to the Google search, we can't fix Google's problems, but are working closely with them to make things work again since we switched to Akamai's servers. If you know of a better search appliance company than Google, please let us know.
Feel free to link us to some documentation that you feel is appropriate, so we can learn from them. We know our docs need to be better, but we thought we were making pretty good progress on TGB. This FAQ idea is one of the things we are trying to do to make docs better.
-Jeff Tunnell, GG
10/21/2006 (12:37 pm)
Hey Michael. Thanks for the encouragement and support. Do you have a useful suggestion about how we can make the docs better? I just bought Flash Studio 8 for $695, and I had to look at the docs in a book that I had to pay an extra $69.95 for, in a browser opened to their site, and in a help browser. Since that didn't really cover it, I also had a 3rd party wiki opened in another tab. If you have a suggestion about how we can better make docs than in easily printable .pdfs, let us know.As to the Google search, we can't fix Google's problems, but are working closely with them to make things work again since we switched to Akamai's servers. If you know of a better search appliance company than Google, please let us know.
Feel free to link us to some documentation that you feel is appropriate, so we can learn from them. We know our docs need to be better, but we thought we were making pretty good progress on TGB. This FAQ idea is one of the things we are trying to do to make docs better.
-Jeff Tunnell, GG
#13
As long as you are working on it that is great. I'm not sure on the underlying details of your server situation, but it doesn't seem like a Google problem to me, seems like your Google appliance is misconfigured. In fact - you should have saved the money and just had your search box up there automatically search Google with a "site:garagegames.com" appended to it, that's much more reliable.
I think the TGB documentation should be a model for the rest of the GG suite - TGE is severely lacking unless you dip into the Resources section.
Why are there so many places for documentation to exist? We have the TDN (which is awesome and we've discussed this one-on-one in the past when I tried to start the same prior to the announcement of TDN), Resources (which should be molded into the TDN somehow, there's no reason for these 2 differing locations), the forums (which are an excellent tool for immediate answers to your questions, but hard to refer back to in search of a previously answered question).
I think the glue that holds this all together is the search function - it needs to incorporate the forums and the TDN (which would house the now-defunct Resources section). The TDN needs to be more heavily incorporated into the garagegames.com site and not just a subdomain stuck off on the side of it.
Finally, TorqueScript, is a shared asset amongst virtually the entire GG suite - it shouldn't be a limited priviledge to those who own TGE. There have been many times where I feel at odds with myself, wanting to respect the TGE license I hold but wanting to link someone to a TGE-based TorqueScript resource that will answer their question. I honestly don't know the answer to this problem, but non-TGE owners are only getting 10% usage out of the TorqueScript documentation that does exist (they only get to see the years old "demo/preview" pages).
BTW: An official FAQ, I think is pointless, as in the terms of creating some new asset. This is what the TDN is for!!! Hell, I'll go start a FAQ right now (there should be one already, right?). By creating some new asset you are only segregating the documentation further.
10/22/2006 (12:52 am)
@JeffAs long as you are working on it that is great. I'm not sure on the underlying details of your server situation, but it doesn't seem like a Google problem to me, seems like your Google appliance is misconfigured. In fact - you should have saved the money and just had your search box up there automatically search Google with a "site:garagegames.com" appended to it, that's much more reliable.
I think the TGB documentation should be a model for the rest of the GG suite - TGE is severely lacking unless you dip into the Resources section.
Why are there so many places for documentation to exist? We have the TDN (which is awesome and we've discussed this one-on-one in the past when I tried to start the same prior to the announcement of TDN), Resources (which should be molded into the TDN somehow, there's no reason for these 2 differing locations), the forums (which are an excellent tool for immediate answers to your questions, but hard to refer back to in search of a previously answered question).
I think the glue that holds this all together is the search function - it needs to incorporate the forums and the TDN (which would house the now-defunct Resources section). The TDN needs to be more heavily incorporated into the garagegames.com site and not just a subdomain stuck off on the side of it.
Finally, TorqueScript, is a shared asset amongst virtually the entire GG suite - it shouldn't be a limited priviledge to those who own TGE. There have been many times where I feel at odds with myself, wanting to respect the TGE license I hold but wanting to link someone to a TGE-based TorqueScript resource that will answer their question. I honestly don't know the answer to this problem, but non-TGE owners are only getting 10% usage out of the TorqueScript documentation that does exist (they only get to see the years old "demo/preview" pages).
BTW: An official FAQ, I think is pointless, as in the terms of creating some new asset. This is what the TDN is for!!! Hell, I'll go start a FAQ right now (there should be one already, right?). By creating some new asset you are only segregating the documentation further.
#14
10/23/2006 (8:57 am)
Many thanks for your suggestions guys: just adding the obligatory after weekend bump :)
#15
10/23/2006 (9:18 am)
Many thanks for you suggestions guys: just adding the obligatory after weekend bump :)
#16
@Michael
The primary purpose for this FAQ is for pre-purchase questions, such as "Does GG have any plans to implement real-time networking?" or "Can I make XXXX game without touching source?" This FAQ will be linked from the appropriate TGB web pages.
Naturally, in compiling frequently asked questions, we are finding quite a few that are more technical, post-purchase questions, such as "I made a menu then built myproject. When I loaded back up to do work, the menu is missing from the list in the Gui Builder middle tab. Has anyone else had this problem?" (noted by Ben above). These questions will be posted in TDN as a TGB FAQ, or appended to an existing FAQ, if some motivated community member were to start one. ;)
10/23/2006 (11:01 am)
Quote:BTW: An official FAQ, I think is pointless, as in the terms of creating some new asset. This is what the TDN is for!!! Hell, I'll go start a FAQ right now (there should be one already, right?). By creating some new asset you are only segregating the documentation further.
@Michael
The primary purpose for this FAQ is for pre-purchase questions, such as "Does GG have any plans to implement real-time networking?" or "Can I make XXXX game without touching source?" This FAQ will be linked from the appropriate TGB web pages.
Naturally, in compiling frequently asked questions, we are finding quite a few that are more technical, post-purchase questions, such as "I made a menu then built myproject. When I loaded back up to do work, the menu is missing from the list in the Gui Builder middle tab. Has anyone else had this problem?" (noted by Ben above). These questions will be posted in TDN as a TGB FAQ, or appended to an existing FAQ, if some motivated community member were to start one. ;)
#17
Please, for the love of mankind, place a QnA in regards to the networking code and it's future plans. This is the single most asked question, period.
10/23/2006 (1:02 pm)
Ah - a prepurchase FAQ, that makes all the difference in the world then.Please, for the love of mankind, place a QnA in regards to the networking code and it's future plans. This is the single most asked question, period.
#18
Since I'm responsible for compiling the fact would you mind giving me a few examples of the most common questions you've read regarding the networking?
What would you like us to address?
10/23/2006 (3:29 pm)
@MichaelSince I'm responsible for compiling the fact would you mind giving me a few examples of the most common questions you've read regarding the networking?
What would you like us to address?
#19
Because we've kinda shot ourselves in the foot by revealing future plans in the past, we have been practicing restraint when answering questions about what new features and feature changes/updates are coming up for TGB. It's hard to make everyone happy. It would be nice to be open about future plans, but in my experience it can lead to dissapointment or resentment when a community member takes the suggestion of possible future functionality as a promise. People tend to forget that plans and priorities can change and until a feature is officially released, there is absolutely no guaranty that it will ever be released.
As far as real-time networking, we can't say when we will release it or even when it will be worked on. All I can say is that it's definitely something that many of us want to see happen.
10/23/2006 (4:05 pm)
@MichaelBecause we've kinda shot ourselves in the foot by revealing future plans in the past, we have been practicing restraint when answering questions about what new features and feature changes/updates are coming up for TGB. It's hard to make everyone happy. It would be nice to be open about future plans, but in my experience it can lead to dissapointment or resentment when a community member takes the suggestion of possible future functionality as a promise. People tend to forget that plans and priorities can change and until a feature is officially released, there is absolutely no guaranty that it will ever be released.
As far as real-time networking, we can't say when we will release it or even when it will be worked on. All I can say is that it's definitely something that many of us want to see happen.
#20
As far as FAQ goes... well here's a basic question (my attempt to get this thread back on track):
Can I make a game without having to write any code (script or sourcecode)?
10/23/2006 (5:12 pm)
Wow... i didn't even know real time networking was being considered for TGB... sweet.As far as FAQ goes... well here's a basic question (my attempt to get this thread back on track):
Can I make a game without having to write any code (script or sourcecode)?
Associate Ray Gebhardt