N00b non-command based help

[jmordetsky]

Recently, on a saturday down day, I was playing another mud.

(gasp blasphemy)

The syntax was similar to arm, but different enough to be an annoyance.

At some point while I was struggling to get something from my backpack, i paused for a moment and thought:

"omg, I'm fucking n00b."

Panic set in, but I eventually realized that this was a grand opportunity to relate to that strange creature the n00b on our home world of zalanthas.

After this profound revelation...I realized that my biggest gripe with this help system at the time was that I needed to type "help command".

But, being a clueless n00b, I didn't know what "command was".

I kept thinking, "For fucks sake, it's "EP TORCH" on arm...how the fuck do I light this crappy torch."

help light ....nada
help torch ....naga
help ep ....nada

Here I was stuck, and I thought, you know...n00bs must do the same thing on arm.

So....What I propose is, we as the player base come up with what I would like to dub:

"scenario based help links"

These would consits of questions like:

How do I use a light or a torch?
Help it's dark!?!?!
How do I ride an animal?
How do fight?
How do I buy things?
There's a templar here, and he is really pissed at me. What do I do?

We could then break them into groups and link them to the help files...post them on a url and let n00bs browse the groups. Maybe allwo them to be googled.

Thoughts?

If there is enough support, I'll post an email where they can be mailed and manage the first iteration.

[Maybe42or54]

Maybe a web of links?
Like skill branching. You can click on the various links to find out about each way to do it. Then those branch a little more and so on.

[Trenidor]

type in on the online search through the help files: "faq" with no quotes...
http://www.armageddon.org/cgi-bin/help_index/search

[ashyom]

FYI
This already exists.
type help newbie
at bottom, you will see a list of commands..such as help faq - the faq's have various topics that address what you're proposing.

[moab]

After reading the links posted in reply I have to say that they don't offer the solution that jmordetsky was suggesting.

His idea does have merit and the newbie helpfiles are useful.

Even if all they did was back-link to the original helpfile.

[jmordetsky]

After reading the links posted in reply I have to say that they don't offer the solution that jmordetsky was suggesting.

His idea does have merit and the newbie helpfiles are useful.

Even if all they did was back-link to the original helpfile.

Agreed, the stuff pointed out isn't really in depth, or expanisive. If we all kicked in troublesome points we've encountered in the form of scenario's we might be able to really expand that FAQ.

[ashyom]

I wasn't sure if ya'all knew about the faqs.  We're always open to suggestions on how to make them more useful.
-Ashyom

[amoeba]

I wasn't sure if ya'all knew about the faqs.  We're always open to suggestions on how to make them more useful.
-Ashyom

I see two problems with the current faqs. One they are scattered in a number of places, this leads to the second problem,  being static pages updating them is problamatic and time consuming, and often leads to more chaos as more get added.  I don't think the content is the issue. The content is quite good, rather it is the orginazation, and maintenace overhead that is at the core of the problem.  

Being the computer weenie that I am, I would suggest a more automated system.  To that effect I have dummied up an automated system usering phpmyfaq.  I hacked this together in about an hour, in between other work duties.  I tweaked the stylesheet somewhat and put in some sample questions and answers.  It would need further tweaking, for example I don't like it requireing an email address to ask a question, (lie to it for now).  Anyone can ask a question, and anyone can answer a question, but the answers only get posted after an administrator has approved it.

The sample demo is at http://mars.sweye.com/phpmyfaq. If a staff member wants access to the administration side of it, you know how to get ahold of me.  I will leave the demo up for a couple of days and delete it sometime after the weekend.

edited: Erm, it helps if I open port 80 on the firewall to that machine huh?  Thats what I get for waiting until I get home to check it.  The link works now.