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FPSC Classic Scripts / A Complete Newb's Guide to Scripting

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Gunn3r
17
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Joined: 12th Jun 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Posted: 27th Nov 2007 02:46
Thanks for the tutorials Plystire. I've finally understood scripting. Well, at least the parts that you explained... Thanks a bunch!

-Tyler

http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/user/gunn3rgames
Les Horribres
18
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Location: My Name is... Merry
Posted: 15th Dec 2007 10:20 Edited at: 15th Dec 2007 10:22
I'm sorry for any offense... I simply have a very cynical outlook on humanity.

I can't really read your "tutorial" cover to cover, but thats typical for me (I can't stand reading what I already know) but from what I've seen, you're mearly explaining what stuff is.

"The solution is obvious when another illuminates it, and is cast in shadow when the question is reworded"

Meaning, even though your intent is to educated people in HOW to script, you're really educating them in how a script works... which are two entirely different things.

"Only he who discovers the light on his own can find the true path"

This is the harder concept. 1+1=2 right? But WHY does it equal 2? The answer is "because my teacher said so". True understanding only occurs when you discover the reason behind the madness... and by grasping that, you can master it.

Lets say you read A History of Time, does reading that make you an expert on Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity? No! You mearly absorb the views of others, you need to rational what is being said, fight it, dispute it, and find a way to encorporate it into reality.

Similarly, the idea that feeding words into the brains of others will transform them into Scripting Gurus (Although I don't think you expect that, it's the only word I could think of) is flawed. They need to realize it all for themselves...

"The best help you can offer is no help at all"


I know people would dispute this, stating rediscovering calculus is absurd. I agree, Calculus is a Tool, you don't need to understand it as much as you accept it. HOWEVER, You need to understand what you APPLY Calculus to.

It's the deeper understanding, beyond the mere words and numbers, that these guides lack. I do not see a way to educate people in this understanding, it might be how closed minded I am when it comes to the intelligence of the common rabble, but something.


W/E, My point is that you should aim not to explain what something is, or why it works. But challange your students to figure it out on their own, maybe even make a challange thread, revealing the final words of wisdom.

"What one person can accomplish in a lifetime, a team can accomplish in a year."

The best way to educate people is to get them to educate themselves... statistically speaking, people who attend and participate in studygroups are more likely to pass than those who don't, this seems to imply that groups do something (sorry, can't verbalize real well).


Now, before I completly lose my cognitive faculties... I think I'll stop here and goto sleep. (I really need to stop doing this)

Its not who you are or what you've done... its WHY you did it and how far you are willing to go.
If you fear speaking for yourself, make use the words of others while discovering your own voice.
Plystire
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Location: Staring into the digital ether
Posted: 15th Dec 2007 17:50 Edited at: 15th Dec 2007 17:55
Yes, you do need to stop doing this. You're post is full of inane and contradictory statements! The flaws you point out in my "teaching" methods further to prove that you are only reversing your own words and iterating it's uselessness.

Quote: "I'm sorry for any offense... I simply have a very cynical outlook on humanity.

I can't really read your "tutorial" cover to cover, but thats typical for me (I can't stand reading what I already know) but from what I've seen, you're mearly explaining what stuff is."


That was your first mistake. You didn't completely read what has been said so far before composing your lengthy post about how it's "flawed".

Quote: ""The solution is obvious when another illuminates it, and is cast in shadow when the question is reworded"

Meaning, even though your intent is to educated people in HOW to script, you're really educating them in how a script works... which are two entirely different things.

"Only he who discovers the light on his own can find the true path""


You sound like Confusious (sp) or something.

Allow me to elaborate on your "words of wisdom" here. The solution IS obvious when someone tells you about it. Casting the solution into the darkenss by NOT telling someone about it is simply to allow them to search for one themselves.

Your follow up to this had no correlation to the quote itself. I teach them HOW scripting works because as you so thoroughly put it.... It is a TOOL. Like Calculus, to rediscover the scripting language that is FPI is pointless, I must merely teach them HOW to use it to achieve that which they seek!

"Only he who discovers the light on his own can find the true path."

In all honesty, I think that's bull ****. We're talking about programming here. There IS no "true path" in programming. There are damn near an infinite amount possibilities to achieve a single outcome! There are limitless "paths" to be taken.

I quote myself saying: (And you probably didn't read this, so i'll iterate)

Quote: "I would like to make a point for the tutorials:

They will teach nothing more than the STRUCTURE of the scripts and the COMMANDS (Conditions and Actions) for them.
In no way are these tutorials designed to TELL someone how something SHOULD be made. The way things are done in these tutorials (Use the AutoMed as an example), the person learning is hopefully gaining an understanding of what certain actions and commands do, and not how to use them for a specific purpose.
I want the people reading these to start to gain a better understanding of HOW COMMANDS WORK and not HOW TO script.

In my eyes, no person can tell you how to program. You must learn that on your own. They can simply show you how a program works and why."


There, you see? I'm, in fact, not trying to teach people how to script. With that said, I'll leave you alone in that aspect.

Quote: ""The best help you can offer is no help at all"


I know people would dispute this, stating rediscovering calculus is absurd. I agree, Calculus is a Tool, you don't need to understand it as much as you accept it. HOWEVER, You need to understand what you APPLY Calculus to."


You're right... I'm going to dispute this.
If a teacher came into the classroom and said "Okay, open your books, start reading, and let me know when you're done. Then I'll pass out the final exams and we can be done with this." What would you think? Couldn't I have just bought the book and read it without paying someone to help me learn this material? OF COURSE! But people don't learn like that. Especially me... I can't learn from a book. Never in my years of schooling (Elementary, Middle, High School, College for a Bachelors in CS, and now for a Masters in EE) have I openned a book during class... never have I taken notes... never have I attended a studygroup. But guess what? I earned a full ride scholarship to college for my Bachelors. I graduated with over a 3.85 GPA. I am now in college for a masters degree... I am acing every class. Why? Because I know something you don't? No... because I see things differently than you. When a concept is given to the class, I don't waste time absorbing the teacher's opinion on the subject, I quickly escape the classroom in my head and prove to myself "why" that concept holds true.

As you so put, "1+1=2". Why? It isn't because the teacher said so. If anyone believes anything is true BECAUSE someone told them it was true, then smack them for me. 1+1 equals 2 BECAUSE when a single object is joined into a group with another single object, then that group now holds TWO objects. That is how I proved to myself in elementary school that the rules of addition were true. Many teachers try to use that to teach addition, but they don't realise that not everyone can learn that way. Not everyone can grasp that as a proof to addition. I believe everyone has a different way that they see things in the world.

Quote: "W/E, My point is that you should aim not to explain what something is, or why it works. But challange your students to figure it out on their own, maybe even make a challange thread, revealing the final words of wisdom."


To reveal the answer to a puzzle is to rob the student of the learning experience it takes to find an answer. Also, as I've stated TIME AND TIME AGAIN, there is no single solution to a problem in programming/scripting! Perhaps in math class, this is a viable teaching solution (Up until Diff Eq and beyond, in which case I disagree) but in programming you can't give someone the answer. If you do, they will not have gained anything.

That may seem a little contradictory to the tutorials I have posted, but in what better way can you truely understand the syntax and the nature of a programming command than to see how and why it works in a practical application?

Quote: ""What one person can accomplish in a lifetime, a team can accomplish in a year.""


Very true... unless you're talking about anti-gravity. Tesla made it in a year, but teams throughout the globe have yet to solve it.


Look, if you don't like the way the teaching is done... don't read it. I won't hate you for it. People learn in different ways, and I understand that. Go find a tutorial that makes sense to you and learn on your own. Teach yourself as I have taught myself.

By coming in here and placing these claims, you are disrupting the learning environment for others who HAVE gained or CAN gain something from these tutorials. Please don't do that.


The one and only,
~PlystirE~

Urlforce:
Dude, I'd rather be declared a dbpro noob than an fpsc legend any day!
xplosys
18
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Playing: FPSC Multiplayer Games
Posted: 15th Dec 2007 19:08
Here is another old, wise saying...

Quote: "If you can't blind them with brilliance, baffle them with bullcrap."


Best.

Plystire
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Location: Staring into the digital ether
Posted: 15th Dec 2007 19:14
Lmao, then I'll consider myself baffled.


The one and only,
~PlystirE~

Urlforce:
Dude, I'd rather be declared a dbpro noob than an fpsc legend any day!
xplosys
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Posted: 15th Dec 2007 20:24
You and me, and many more I'm sure. LOL

Best.

CoffeeGrunt
16
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Location: England
Posted: 15th Dec 2007 20:31
Quote: "I'm sorry for any offense... I simply have a very cynical outlook on humanity.
"


Well, Humanity isn't really something to be proud of, is it?

War, Global Warming, Killing off other species..........

We're not the higher intelligent species we constantly pretend to be......

Here's a saying for you, by your good friend CG:

"The Planet is always changing, technology advances, Species evolve and continents shift.This is Nature.Humanity's Ideas never change, their intelligence never changes, Humanity is outside the loop of life."

Not exactly Confucius, i know.

Quote: "I do believe that I'm done with FPSC for now.
"



Nooooooo, who's gonna help us noobs with our FPI problems now??!!

xplosys
18
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Playing: FPSC Multiplayer Games
Posted: 15th Dec 2007 20:43
Quote: "Nooooooo, who's gonna help us noobs with our FPI problems now??!!"


Grasshopper, you have been given the keys to the language. Now it is up to you to open the locks which bind your scripting abilities. See each challenge as a new opportunity to use the tools you have been given. Use them wisely and share that which you have learned. When you can script the dive-able vehicle...... then you will be the master.

LOL I love this philosophical crap!

Best.

Plystire
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Posted: 15th Dec 2007 21:49
Lmao, very nicely put, xplosys.

He's right, you know. I've given you most everything you need to further your knowledge with FPI. Just go out and try new things. Learn from your errors.

Everytime I see an error message, what I really see is an opportunity to learn something new. Or correct something stupid i did.


I don't think humanity's intelligence isn't changing. We learn new things every day through research.

What I believe is happening now-a-days is that people are more interested in entertaining themselves than they are in bettering themselves (and others). People (including myself) would much rather play a video game or watch football than go out and change the world, making it a better place for everyone. Soon... very soon, I will be breaking this habit and doing something better for the world. That means I'm going to have to escape the world of video games and most likely entertainment abroad in order to achieve this goal. I think it will not only make me a better person, but also help future generations (if not THIS generation). I want the world to be completely different for my children, and not just a slightly different rendition of the way it is now... corruption, war, etc.


Here's a bit of philosophy that I live my life by... and actually I didn't realise it until I said it to a friend of mine on these boards:

"Failure is a part of life. It is what you gain from failure that makes you grow. People need to grow, so in a way... people need to fail."

Don't be afraid to fail. Try new things without fear of failure. Accept it and learn from it to make yourself better than you currently are.

This goes hand in hand with the phrase "Learn by doing".


The one and only,
~PlystirE~

Urlforce:
Dude, I'd rather be declared a dbpro noob than an fpsc legend any day!
CoffeeGrunt
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Location: England
Posted: 16th Dec 2007 13:23
Quote: "I don't think humanity's intelligence isn't changing. We learn new things every day through research."


Our knowledge is increasing, but i think our intelligence is moving intelligence is moving much more slowly.

On a last note requesting aid,....

Does anyone know what the QUANTITY condition does?

xplosys
18
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Playing: FPSC Multiplayer Games
Posted: 16th Dec 2007 15:59 Edited at: 16th Dec 2007 16:01
I think it was supposed to count the number of an item in inventory, but I'm not sure. Plystire may know more about it.

Best.

CoffeeGrunt
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Posted: 16th Dec 2007 16:19
Quote: "I think it was supposed to count the number of an item in inventory, but I'm not sure. Plystire may know more about it."


You said that in my Swarm:AI thread,

Quote: "Plystire may know more about it.
"


You also said that, which is why i posted here, lol.

xplosys
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Posted: 16th Dec 2007 17:49 Edited at: 16th Dec 2007 17:49
I thought I dreamed about that, but I wasn't sure.

deja vu.

Inspire
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Location: Rochester, NY
Posted: 17th Dec 2007 01:24
Quote: "
You also said that, which is why i posted here, lol."


Actually, I did.

Goodman84
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Posted: 17th Dec 2007 01:44
Sorry If I missed it But Can you maybe post The Number Match up? EX keyPress: 32 Is "U" Key or w/e Ext.

hey
Plystire
21
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Posted: 17th Dec 2007 02:18
@Goodman84:

The keycode map is in Nickydude's guide. Somewhere inside the section dealing with scripting. It's printed sideways which can be a pain at times, but it's still readable.

@coffee grunt:

Yes, I understand what you mean now.. in fact when i showed a friend this discussion we both thought about that at the same time, lol.

I don't think our intelligence needs to increase. Intelligence can only be thought of as a capacity for knowledge and no one has of yet completely filled their heads with more than they can know.

In regard to your question about Quantity... it checks the "quantity" given to the entity. For guns this is in regards to how much ammo is held in each clip. It is also a property given to weapon entities in the Editor.

I suppose this could be a cheap yet effective way to check if the weapon is a certain weapon and only run certain states for each weapon and not having to make a new script for each one. There may be other viable applications to this condition.

But, make no mistake this condition has nothing to do with the player.


@Everyone:
Sorry, but I don't come and check the FPSC boards actively anymore. If you'd like to specifically ask me a question, I'd suggest posting in this thread since that will bump it to the top of MY threads (which I check all the time) and tell me there's a post.


The one and only,
~PlystirE~

Urlforce:
Dude, I'd rather be declared a dbpro noob than an fpsc legend any day!
Nickydude
Retired Moderator
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Location: Look outside...
Posted: 17th Dec 2007 20:46
Quote: "The keycode map is in Nickydude's guide. Somewhere inside the section dealing with scripting. It's printed sideways which can be a pain at times, but it's still readable."



Not in the next revision

Taking a break... Be back soon.
FredP
Retired Moderator
18
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Location: Indiana
Posted: 17th Dec 2007 23:54
Here...this one is vertical...

Please have mercy and use the search function.

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Plystire
21
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Posted: 18th Dec 2007 00:09
Thank you, Fred.

You know, I've always wondered what that apostraphe type thing is in front of the "5" on the Tab key. Hmmmm...


The one and only,
~PlystirE~

Urlforce:
Dude, I'd rather be declared a dbpro noob than an fpsc legend any day!
CoffeeGrunt
16
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Location: England
Posted: 20th Dec 2007 20:23
Quote: "You know, I've always wondered what that apostraphe type thing is in front of the "5" on the Tab key. Hmmmm... "


it looks similar to a French accent-thingy,......(technical term, that)

Quote: "I don't think our intelligence needs to increase. Intelligence can only be thought of as a capacity for knowledge and no one has of yet completely filled their heads with more than they can know. "


I could object to that, but right now i have a steaming pile of nachos that requires my attention, i shall return later.

-=EDIT=-

Dang, there goes my SWARM:AI idea, well, nachos are almost done.....

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Nnnaaachooosss....

colsim
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Location: Canberra
Posted: 21st Jan 2008 04:35
Thanks Plystire - that really is an awesome set of tutorials - well explained in plain English and demonstrating a good understanding of how this baby works.

I think Les missed the point that these guides are designed for newbs (rather like myself) - there is a theory in education that the learner gets more out of the experience if they work it out for themselves but this is generally much more effective if they have a good background knowledge of the subject to begin with. (ie - non-newbs)

Thanks for making this all make a lot more sense.

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