Quote: "Don't let heckling by folks who don't need the information put you off, or make you second guess your initial intention.
"
There are already guides etc that deal with all of these things and some that do it in a more informative and useful way. There was no need for this. I personally believe the 'initial intention' was to get this thread stickied as is the case with 90% of these 'useful' posts.
Quote: "What you have here is actually a very handy checklist, that new FPSC users can reference."
Well seeing as most new users can't even look things up in manual so we have countless posts saying "I am new to FPSC, how do I put things on a table?", what makes you think they will use this?
In the interest of fairness I will say why I don't think each point is useful for new users.
Quote: "#1: Build your levels properly. Don't just send your player through a bunch of random enemy-stuffed corridors. This was Quake II's problem."
Ok so you have told us to build our levels properly but don't give any explanation on how to do it other than not sending the player through a bunch of random enemy-stuffed corridors.
Quote: "#2: Make, or have a writer make a full storyline, thesis and all, and make your game follow it - Don't just send your player through a bunch of levels saying "Kill the mafia boss", or things like that."
A well thought out and planned game doesn't NEED a storyline. You can't tell me you played Doom or Quake for the epic storylines. I don't think lack or story is the problem with some of the games it's lack of planning. Instead of sitting down and planning out a level on paper before opening FPSC, some people open the program and paint the level, add the enemies and then think of the story after because people tell them they need a story. If the game is planned out well then a "Kill all the aliens in the spacestation" is all you need. Don't get me wrong a game with a good storyline is a great idea, but you don't HAVE to have one to make a fun game.
Quote: "#3: Make sure you do propor lighting - Don't just make a ton of ambient lights throughout the level."
This has the same problem as #1. You tell people to do proper lighting but don't give ANY explanation of how to do it. How is a new user going to find that helpful?
Quote: "#4: Add terrain (Recommend Blender 2.43 or higher), not every game takes place in Flatland, Kansas."
OK. But have you ever thought about WHY people use flat terrain? Add some yourself and see what happens.
Quote: "#5: Don't just put guns everywhere. Nobody is going to leave an M16 lying on a ground for no reason. If there is a huge heat-seeking rocket launcher, put it somewhere where it would match, don't just put it on a table in the middle of a room."
I agree with this one. But it is just common sense.
Quote: "#6: Don't leave your game without videos, they are extremely important in FPS games. You don't have to do them, you can hire someone to. If you don't have any money, learn to model.
"
Where are the videos in Half-Life? I presume this is in reference to telling a story through videos (or is it just having random videos playing, you don't make it clear). A game does not need to tell a story through videos. Depending on the setting it could be told through diary entries which could be read or through talking to in game characters.
Quote: "
#7: Be careful with enemies - There isn't going to be a giant demon tank in the middle of the road, unless you give it a reason to be there. There isn't going to be 60 gunslinging robots waiting in a huge room with pillars, inside a random warehouse."
This comes down to planning a game. If a user has planned their game out things like this won't happen. This could have been included with #2. If someone has planned out their story they would have a reason for the enemy to be there.
Quote: "#8: Do not overload your map with useless details - There aren't going to be 50 windows on the side of someone's house, unless it is that sort of area."
I believe part of the problem here is that when people post screenshots, half the posts say "you need more objects it looks boring" so new users put things in to fill. Again this all comes down to planning your game on paper beforehand.
Quote: "#9: Do not just let a security guard shoot you because you are there, and not call backup. Whether you get scripts offline, or make them yourself, don't let a security guard hump the wall while you are shooting him."
Please direct me to a script where the AI doesn't at some point have a hissy fit. Even the excellent Sensei AI has moments where it goes loopy. I don't think this has anything to do with the script in itself but the FPSC engine as a whole.
Is it unreasonable to think a security guard would react to someone walking around with a gun in their hand?
Quote: "#10: Don't texture excessively - No demon is Colonial X painted black and yellow. No possessed civilian is going to shoot smoke out his ears. No zombie is going to have a blue smudge for a stomach. And no hair is a bunch of photoshopped smudges of brown and black."
If your guide is aimed at new users why would you think they have texturing experience. Maybe that black and yellow demon was a big achievement for them. Why can't a possessed civilian shoot smoke out of their ears? Maybe linking to a guide on texturing (there are a couple of good beginners ones on these very forums) would have been more useful here.
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Contrary to what Seth believes I didn't make my post just to be obnoxious. I feel that your top 10 list was poorly thought out and hastily put together.
If Seth and others think this is useful well good for them, and well done to you for helping them out.
I personally feel they would get more useful information
here,
here and
here.
