Concept text handout book new players

[Klaranth]

SoloSniper : Keep the text as a short concise book that converse the basics of most topics. And maybe a more in-depth tutorial for most things and links to other things if people are more interested.

SX : Offer very simple and short starter tutorial book which contains chat command to obtain advanced tutorial book. Or just instructions to find more tutorials, anyway keep it simple for beginners. Like only most important information to know basic guidelines and where to find more information.

[Klaranth]

Hi, Welcome to Pandorabox. First time on Minetest? Read up on what you can do here at the Tutorials section of spawn. First time on Pandorabox? Either refresh your knowledge at the Tutorials, or go to Earth > Hifiland Hub for a way to some unexplored area and have fun.

Eager for more information on how to find things? We have a website at pandorabox.io for lots more info and links.

[S-S-X]

For "First time on Minetest", I think best advice so far has been go watch some beginner tutorial video and what keys are available for digging, placing, jumping, climbing, sneaking, running ... Then go build farm, again some yt tutorial on how to use hoe, seeds and so on. How to put that in book nice, short and understandable way not sure.

For "First time on Pandorabox?" it could be good to make it clear that some things are different so even for veteran Minetest players some things do not work same they do on some other servers. I mean there's been examples of these cases who do not need tutorials because they know Minetest but in the end they end up asking a lot of questions that are immediately answered, with examples, if taking a look at tutorials.

[OgelGames]

Somewhat of a duplicate of https://github.com/pandorabox-io/in-game/issues/173

Discussion copied from discord

Klaranth "Hi, welcome to Pbox. We got a lot of dedicated channels to talk in, and ask questions. Often inyour own language. Do go to pbox.io for a list of what we have available to you ..." Would be kinda interesting if we could place all that in a book and hand the book out automatically with the rest of the intro stuff. SoloSniper Some servers have a rules/info popup that says things like that SX Handing out some of tutorials books could work pretty well. Klaranth There is smth like that in the ideas section since last week Same goes for players on mobile, to explain how things work on their 'keyboard'. SX Popups are what ppl wont really read but instead try to find a button that will dismiss it... Books on the other hand allows reading when they feel like it, and no need to remember some chat commands either. SoloSniper yes, that seems like a good idea. It could also include useful infos Huhhila relatively simple, even... besides actually deciding proper content for those tutorial books. Klaranth — Today at 2:52 AM One book on channels and chat? One being the book at the Commonwealth hotel? One on where to find stuff like mini games, contest corner and ecoport? .... including where to find unexplored terrain, like through the network in the far end of the hub in hifiland? SoloSniper I don't think people would be interested in having to read more than one book having a short concise book that convers the basics of most topics. And maybe a more in-depth tutorial for most things and linsk to other things if people are more interested Klaranth Plus link to website :) ? Huhhila and most definitely "/spawn -> tutorials" somewhere near the beginning. SoloSniper Ofc :) i just don't think somone going to want to read anthing more than two or three pages on joining SX I'd say offer very simple and short starter tutorial book which contains chat command to obtaion advanced tutorial book. Huhhila yup, that way it won't take up precious inventory space for too long :) SX Or just instructions to find more tutorials, anyway keep it simple for beginners. Like only most important information to know basic guidelines and where to find more information. Klaranth Huhhila : Once they know it all, they can use a piece of paper to reset the book ... FeXoR While a "Hitchhikers guide to Pandorabox" sounds nice the first major thing that often happens to newcomers is: They die and have no clue where :p Starter tutorial is IMO the thing to focus on. Nice if new players also get a version in their starting inventory, sure ;) Huhhila could also have a starter section in /help too? Possibly pointing to same material. FeXoR Such a starting inventory book could also containdirections to other tutorials. Such a thing is a lot more useful in inventory than at a fixed location in world I guess. Yea, basically what Klaranth linked to and SX already said :D Those directions in the link seem a bit vague to me - but I guess if one is not reading the labels in the tutorial section then most further attempt of education is hopeless = Klaranth Do we have a LOT of newbies that need the other language channels? SX Language channels (and translations) is a thing that can be figured out later, offering simple starter book in English will allow getting feedback that can be used to develop it further. That said, chat tutorial stuff is probably what generates most single topic discussion for both new and somewhat established players. So would probably be good to include some stuff from starter chat book, probably not all of it but few most important thing and guidelines. Klaranth Is there a way to have random text pop up when someone issues a command? So we can leave a message in the book like ' type /starter for getting helpful hints.' SX Yes, random hints on HUD is very much possible but also needs some work to be done. If not considering actual content then handing out starter book is technically very simple thing, random hints as a chat message is simple, random hints on HUD is bit more complicated but still fairly simple. Getting content and UX right is hardest part, there anyone can throw in their personal opinion but probably none of those is correct. There it is probably best to keep it simple and try to collect some feedback over time. Klaranth Will the helpful hints be visible just for the one using /starter ( or for that matter /hint ) or for ayone in the channel they are in ? Can we make it so it is visible just for the issuer? SX Could be visible for new players until they disable it with command (which also tells that they've read at least some of it). Klaranth Can staff reactivate it for players when they start asking a lot of questions that the hints answer ? SX Any combination is possible, what is best way to do it is question. And answer probably can be found best through experiments and feedback. Klaranth So, what would the first ten hints be ? SX For me first could be something that tells how to make up good hints. Klaranth 1 about privileges ; 2 about where to find free nodes ; 3 the website url ; ... SX I guess pandorabox.io hints section could work and also stuff from other tutorials. Also most asked stuff on ⁠main Klaranth Actually, start on a different server as a new player, with a new account and see what you run into ? FeXoR IMO we should aim for English communication - for the international Minetest community. Language channels are for casual chatter and as last resort to cross the language barrier IMO. I'm not that found of annoying players with chat messages. Klaranth I found a whole set of books for new players on another server. New players there can go to a book case at spawn and take out a copy of the book they want to read. They got ten books for ten different subjects. If you are curious how that looks, go to Your Land. FeXoR I'd prefer command that shows tips/guidelines/rules in formspec. Yes, a book chest (only one book to take) would be possible. If it's possible to copy books with autocrafter in ammounts that even a mad player will have a hard time to empty :p (Similar to node inspactor chest in Light Level Tutorial) (With a bit of coding it should be possible to restack a bookshelf with specific books, too, I guess. But that's not really my area of expertise ;)) SX Starter book directly to inventory so that new player does not need to look up for commands and does not have to even find out how to get back to spawn or know that there's some book shelf / chest with information. FeXoR SX: Yes, that's nice. But often players just die and lose their starter equipment before even checking what things they got - and then may have a hard time finding their bones. Equipment is up to the player, access to information IMO should always be available to players. SX That's kind of formspec thing but 1. no need for chat command knowledge 2. no need for location knowledge 3. available everywhere 4. can be dopped or thrown to trash can if you don't like it. FeXoR Yes, chat command knowledge may be a barrier. SX Deaths can be solved fairly easily too by just granting new book on respawn until n amount of xp (which tells that player was probably actually doing something useful). FeXoR Yes, that sounds feasible :)

[MCLV-pandorabox]

I don't think it will work.

If the purpose of such a book is to make clear the basic player conduct on the server and to be a reference point to find answers to your questions, then handout book is not the most efficient imo.

new players don't come to a minetest server to read books. What they do is explore the place they just found themselves in, and when daring enough, teleport out (hoping they'll be able to get back) So the first bit of information that should be staring them in the face is the /spawn command politely followed by what we would like them to know straight away; something like "be excellent to each other" and "find out more here->"

That being already the case, I think writing a new very first book to read here on Pandorabox is an excellent idea. Maybe it would be best if that were just freely available in dispensers right at spawn.

[SwissalpS]

Maybe it would be best if that were just freely available in dispensers right at spawn

A big part of Tutorials Island is books.

All such a starter book would need to have is "type /spawn to get to spawn. Then go to Tutorials -> Starter -> TL;DR"

[SwissalpS]

int did write the TL:DR book/poster in the hopes it would be a starter item.

[S-S-X]

If the purpose of such a book is to make clear the basic player conduct on the server and to be a reference point to find answers to your questions, then handout book is not the most efficient imo.

Purpose of book is to allow new players to find out most basic commands and guidelines wherever they want if they want. I'm pretty sure book will be most likely thing players will be using if options are:

• "welcome" TLDR form with (maybe also available with chatcommand).
• form with info using chatcommand, well you have to know and remember that command.
• in-world poster / book / whatever, need to know where it is and how to get there.
• asking others / making mistakes so other point it out, this works but is also exactly what handing out starter book might reduce a bit.

When joining server first time book will allow:

• not reading it and throwing it away if not interested, all without adding another custom mod.
• reading it and then either keeping it or throwing it away.
• keeping it and reading it later when they feel safe.

Unlike with chat commands all of this avail without need to know anything but very basic Minetest controls.

Maybe it would be best if that were just freely available in dispensers right at spawn

This can be in addition to starter items but should not be without having book as a starter item. You cannot except players to know about dispenser or that it gives books or that players read the sign that tells "this dispenser will give you a book" or that players will get back there / know how to get back when they remember there maybe was something they missed first time.

edit to clarify: It has been already determined that many players will not read signs no matter how obvious, one big reason seems to be that they're in hurry when they do not know how exactly server works. And they fear that they run out of food. Or that someone comes and kills them. That causes them to get lost without any info about any chat commands unless they really want to use /help (which isn't that easy). So book is primarily supposed to fix this issue: abilility to gain information anywhere without knowing anything, not just at one place or through prior knowledge.

[SwissalpS]

I agree with most of SXs notes above. Starter-item-book should be a lot shorter than int's TL;DR