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A basic flightgear startup tutorial for noobs

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A basic flightgear startup tutorial for noobs

Postby Trez » Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:35 pm

Hi,

Recently i have been checking the mp map and i thought well... a lot of noobs. I kept checking it every day for about 1 1/2 week and noticed that allot of them disappear. my guess is they don't understand the game enough to keep playing (some say it's ugly and they don't know how to make it look better etc.)

So i thought about a tutorial integrated with flightgear that when you start up for the first time it asks you if you wan't to do a tutorial on how to use flightgear. if you choose yes it will take you to a specific airport with(parked) a specific plane (something small and easier than the c172) and show you the controls of flightgear and then how to fly the plane this tutorial must be short however and also a bit fun or else they won't wan't to play it.

This is a long term project but it will encourage new players to keep flying and to have more veterans playing, and to have a less crowded KSFO.

I hope to see some response :D
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Re: A basic flightgear startup tutorial for noobs

Postby Johan G » Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:59 pm

Trez wrote in Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:35 pm:I kept checking it every day for about 1 1/2 week and noticed that allot of them disappear.

I notice this often as well (the few times I'm flying).

Trez wrote in Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:35 pm:So i thought about a tutorial integrated with flightgear that when you start up for the first time it asks you if you wan't to do a tutorial on how to use flightgear.

Sounds like a good idea. :) I can't be of much help though, I'm a bit tight on time. :|

Trez wrote in Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:35 pm:...this tutorial must be short however and also a bit fun or else they won't wan't to play it.

A very good point I think.
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Re: A basic flightgear startup tutorial for noobs

Postby Hooray » Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:32 pm

Please don't send support requests by PM, instead post your questions on the forum so that all users can contribute and benefit
Thanks & all the best,
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Re: A basic flightgear startup tutorial for noobs

Postby Trez » Sun Apr 29, 2012 7:25 pm

thank you for the kind response i built the startup gui next i need a plane(very easy) and an airport(/two airports) for the tutorial any suggestions?
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Re: A basic flightgear startup tutorial for noobs

Postby Hooray » Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:23 pm

I would suggest to favor those aircraft and airports which are generally considered "well developed" or actively maintained, and which are featured in "suggested flights" or "suggested aircraft" respectively. So the wiki should contain some good suggestions (i.e. see past newsletters).

In other words, I'd suggest to pick "ingredients" (airports, aircraft) which are unlikely to frustrate people due to some shortcomings and which are unlikely to be abadoned soon.

For instance, if you want to keep it simple, picking the c172p and some airport like KSFO or KOAK should be simple enough: people don't need to download/install additional stuff (aircraft/scenery), and one of the simplest tutorials could be flying straight and level, doing turns, doing standard rate turns etc.

Basically, most flight instruction stuff could be turned into tutorials. Obviously, one should start simple (engine start up, taxiing etc).

That doesn't mean however that your tutorials need to have a focus on flight instruction, the tutorial system could just as well be used to create missions or adventures.

But if you haven't created tutorials before, I'd suggest to keep it simple in the beginning - you'll learn quickly how to implement more complex missions.

Also, there's tons of existing stuff that you could learn/borrow from - take a look at aircraft which already have interactive tutorials, and see how they work - you could copy/paste and customize the XML stuff easily.

To make things entertaining and interesting, you could try to provide some incentive (scoring with points/percentage, best of, timing, precision during flight maneuvers etc).
Please don't send support requests by PM, instead post your questions on the forum so that all users can contribute and benefit
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Re: A basic flightgear startup tutorial for noobs

Postby Omega » Fri May 04, 2012 4:19 am

Trez wrote:Recently i have been checking the mp map and i thought well... a lot of noobs


To make things clear here,

Calling people noobs is disrespectful, especially when you make it sound like calling someone a loser, everyone has been new in something at some time.
You can use the word "newbie" or "beginner or "novice" instead.

Trez wrote:a specific plane (something small and easier than the c172)

C172 is what student pilots fly in real life, so it should be easy for beginner flight sim pilots to fly as well and it is also one of the default aircrafts so people won't need to download it.
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Re: A basic flightgear startup tutorial for noobs

Postby Trez » Sun May 06, 2012 3:13 pm

Hi Omega,

I did not intentionally mean to insult anyone if anyone is, i am sorry :oops: (i did not call anyone a loser nor did i make it seem like that i would preffer being called a noob than a beginner or a newbie)

point 2: i have chosen the C172 i seem to have posted thoughts when it was harder to fly (regarding the pitch).

An Update: I have not forgotten about this! i have been working on the tutorial and it is almost finished. After that i plan to add two new features to the help menu; Basic tutorial and missions. The basic tutorial is well the basic tutorial and the missions is for missions menu. In the mission menu all missions for the aircraft included in the base package are viewable more can be added by installing new aircraft or missions to installed aircraft. Choosing a mission will show what aircraft is used and what must be done also the scenery tile which is needed (maybe a button which installes this).

Happy Flying :D
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