QuakeC Classes?

[Baker]

I was going to post this in another thread, but it wasn't quite on topic enough and decided to make it this thread instead.

The thing is... and no offense to QuakeOne, but they have a lot of nonsense threads, and a lot of bickering threads - and I sometimes have a hard time reading it because it seems to exist in defiance of Quake's history, completely without knowledge of the first 5 years of the community seemingly.

No offense taken. hehe. Quake players are about the antithesis of a developer, no sense of history and maybe little knowledge of anything Quake beside what they regularly play (not even much single player knowledge.)

I never would have fathomed a Quake community that did not know of Headhunters, that had never played a Steve Rescoe or Matthias Worch map, that didnt mention Painkeep or Team Fortress in a mod list... Im wondering if any of them were aware of Thunderwalker CTF =\

Very few players have played for 10 years. I haven't even. Some of them are barely 10 years old (Monster, FOQ-A, GameFreak and some others).

Switching tracks ...

Back 3 years ago, IEEE802.11 hosted several "QuakeC classes" at the TLTQ.com site.

I think something that would really draw interest in modding would be maybe some regularly scheduled (once a month?) QuakeC classes or something with a single topic (how to add a custom monster? how to add some effect or new weapon?)

I'd love to learn a lot more about QuakeC myself. I find it addictive to learn things here and there. About a year ago I knew nearly nothing and keep getting drawn back in by helping in mod development or having an idea that can only use QuakeC and find it fascinating.

(Is there a depot of QuakeC and maps that use all of DarkPlaces cool extensions?? I'd love to find out how to make maps with "glass" in them and other things documented in the DarkPlaces extensions file.)

[CocoT]

I think it's a cool idea I've been thinking about something like that without ever being able to really quite picture how it would work in an optimal way. I'm guessing from what you say, Baker, that these (virtual, right?) "classes" would be open to anyone.
I actually had thought about something on the lines of some "American Idol"/"Star Academy"-style adventure, without the elimination process. Like, 12-or-something newbie coders follow these "classes" (which other people can follow to, but they would not officially participate in the "game"... or maybe they would? I don't know), then get "graded" by a pannel of "professionals". Assignments become harder each week, they get to code in groups in some of them, or pros help them... something like that. Until the great "finale"... a special mod they have to come up with at the very end or something, or the release of a project mod they would have worked on from the beginning of the game...
Does all this sounds stupid? (suddenly I have the feeling I'm rambling)
With good media coverage (maybe a special site? real pictures of the participants? blogs for each participants, telling people their "ups and downs"?), this could become very fun to "watch", I think Granted, we kind of veer away from the QExpo community spirit into something more like trashy TV shows, but, hey, people enjoy them, too!

Note to self : posting on I3D is a nice way to fight pre-wedding stress

[Baker]

I think it's a cool idea I've been thinking about something like that without ever being able to really quite picture how it would work in an optimal way. I'm guessing from what you say, Baker, that these (virtual, right?) "classes" would be open to anyone.

Yeah, maybe like post a homework assignment with some basic tasks, some hints and give people a week to FTP it or something. The first ones would have to be very easy (like train ppl to compile and the other 101 stuff and maybe just a couple of trivial changes ... moving on to more and more difficult tasks).

Or maybe something at IRC.

I'm not certain, but I remember IEEE's classes being more successful than I thought and a number of people got interested in QuakeC.

Or maybe some other implementation. As long as the participants had an opportunity to ask questions about what they were doing from time or time or something.

I don't know), then get "graded" by a pannel of "professionals". Assignments become harder each week, they get to code in groups in some of them, or pros help them... something like that.

That sounds cool.

Until the great "finale"... a special mod they have to come up with at the very end or something, or the release of a project mod they would have worked on from the beginning of the game...

A final exam, hehe. Cool idea!

[Quake Matt]

Sounds like a good idea to me. QuakeC's about the easiest way to learn to mod, not only because the language is pretty simple, but also because it's so easy to get your mod compiled and running.

I don't really know how online classes work though - what makes them different to just following a good tutorial or two?

[Baker]

I don't really know how online classes work though - what makes them different to just following a good tutorial or two?

Offhand I say one is a passive approach and the other is an active approach.

I think if you look at Func_Msgboard, there are probably 200 maps released within the last 2 years. But of those maps at Func_Msgboard, only 5 or 6 had any QuakeC (if you exclude Quoth).

Similar to the way Quake Expo spurred people to get off their chairs and wrap up or work on projects, a scheduled event would serve 3 purposes:

1. It would act as a formal invitation to learn. Someone who wanted to learn QuakeC would feel welcome.

2. It would have the get "off your chair" effect, someone would have to decide to do it or not do it vs. the "maybe someday I will look into it" mentality. It would be perceived as an opportunity.

3. The perceived opportunity to ask questions. Sure people can do that now, but something with a little structure where it is known that it is "ok" and wanted would be have an effect.

4. An event gets attention. Tutorials get the "books at the library treatment" where most of them actually never get checked out.

5. Guidance. It is very hard to locate a tutorial that fits what you want to do and to do things in the right order in a graduated level of increasing difficulty without jumping too fast.

I think from the combined communities that make up Quake there would be more than enough people interested, especially if there were a list of things that someone would learn.

The real question would be what types of things would be good to put on the "docket". I would think that it would be 80% mappers that would be interested and 20% just people that own or play the game.

If it were 50% topics that applied to mapping with the other 50% being things that someone thought it would be good to expose people to that they weren't looking for, I think it would both be successful and educational.

And let people know that quitters would be noted on the web page would reduce the number of slackers

[CocoT]

Yeah, combining coding and mapping would be great, you're right! Come to think of it, a lot of even decent coders would, I think, love to be given "mapping lessons" by some pros. In the same way, mappers might be interested in learning some qc basics just out of curiosity

[ajay]

I think it's a splendid idea.

Mapping Lesson Number One: How to light levels really well.

Yes please!!!

[CocoT]

Ooooh, I think we have a winning concept, guys!

/me dances a jig with Baker and Ajay

[venomus]

Did anyone else think object orientated QC when they read the title of this thread? (I guess that would be OOQC - OOOK?)

[Labman]

Did anyone else think object orientated QC when they read the title of this thread? (I guess that would be OOQC - OOOK?)

Yeah i thought that too, however this QC Classes / Mapping Classes thing sounds like a good idea.