🎉 Celebrating 25 Years of GameDev.net! 🎉
Not many can claim 25 years on the Internet! Join us in celebrating this milestone. Learn more about our history, and thank you for being a part of our community!
Is this place overrun by newbies?
Even if some of the suggestions made were implemented, like an easy to find faq. Most still wouldn''t read it. The problem with newbies is they want the quick fix. They want to learn it instantly, without taking the time to study the subject matter and resources they already have at hand.
I remember being like this, fortunatly I got over it quickly since there were few good game design sites at the time I started. I ended up having to do it the old fashioned way, books. The internet has brought on an new era of instant gratification, instant music, instant books, instant information in general. As such many newbies want the know how as soon as they get on and decide, "hey, I want to make a game!" and don''t want to take the time to learn all that is needed.
The other problem is that since there is the internet, those that wouldn''t normally have the connections or resources to start learning how to design games are finding those resources, causing a massive flood of newbies.
I know, there is are many exceptions, but this seems to be the general case.
-Omalacon
I remember being like this, fortunatly I got over it quickly since there were few good game design sites at the time I started. I ended up having to do it the old fashioned way, books. The internet has brought on an new era of instant gratification, instant music, instant books, instant information in general. As such many newbies want the know how as soon as they get on and decide, "hey, I want to make a game!" and don''t want to take the time to learn all that is needed.
The other problem is that since there is the internet, those that wouldn''t normally have the connections or resources to start learning how to design games are finding those resources, causing a massive flood of newbies.
I know, there is are many exceptions, but this seems to be the general case.
-Omalacon
DirectX for VB may have a lot to do with it. People have been fooled into thinking they can make Diablo in VB. Without any previous programming experience to boot.
Hi! It''s Mister Newbie!
I guess I would like to apologize for having offended on some the above counts (Though someone please tell me I''m not that bad!), but we are all newbies at some time in our lives, so there! Hehe.
I think a newbie forum is a great idea. You can keep talking about all the stuff that is way over my head without having to skip over all the crap posts that have "Where to Start?" in the subjects. And I can ask how to do things without worring that my post will be drowned out by all the competitors.
Also, I really admire all the people who sacrifice themselves to answer the stupid questions like that, though in the past few months that I''ve been here, I''ve definitely seen tempers flaring more and more.
And I thank those who answer newbie questions that are actually legitimate and not "Could you make a game from my idea?". Like SiCrane!
I like food.
I guess I would like to apologize for having offended on some the above counts (Though someone please tell me I''m not that bad!), but we are all newbies at some time in our lives, so there! Hehe.
I think a newbie forum is a great idea. You can keep talking about all the stuff that is way over my head without having to skip over all the crap posts that have "Where to Start?" in the subjects. And I can ask how to do things without worring that my post will be drowned out by all the competitors.
Also, I really admire all the people who sacrifice themselves to answer the stupid questions like that, though in the past few months that I''ve been here, I''ve definitely seen tempers flaring more and more.
And I thank those who answer newbie questions that are actually legitimate and not "Could you make a game from my idea?". Like SiCrane!
I like food.
Regarding the tempers flaring...I''ve noticed it myself, but how to stop it - I just don''t know. One thing I thought of is maybe it''s because there is such a vast amount of information here and elsewhere that when "stupid questions" are asked, people that have been around for a while get a little tempered. Usually these questions can be answered with a few clicks on the right links.
Dire, you are the majority of newbie in that you go about teaching yourself unless you REALLY get stuck. The newbies that do make these posts are the minority. Another thing is that the age of the board users range anywhere from 10 to 40+. There are alot of egos, alot of cultures, and just an overall lot of people that visit here. It''s one huge melting pot, and that''s what makes things difficult and why people get upset at each other. My best advice to newbies who do happen to get flamed is to a) don''t worry if your post is deleted, it''s because of the flame, and b) just realize that one day, assuming you stick with it, you will no longer be a newbie.
Kevin
Dire, you are the majority of newbie in that you go about teaching yourself unless you REALLY get stuck. The newbies that do make these posts are the minority. Another thing is that the age of the board users range anywhere from 10 to 40+. There are alot of egos, alot of cultures, and just an overall lot of people that visit here. It''s one huge melting pot, and that''s what makes things difficult and why people get upset at each other. My best advice to newbies who do happen to get flamed is to a) don''t worry if your post is deleted, it''s because of the flame, and b) just realize that one day, assuming you stick with it, you will no longer be a newbie.
Kevin
I think the problems is that there is no "I''m a total beginner and have no clue" link on the main gamedev web page. This is something that should be seriously put in by the Gamedev staff. After all, if a newbie comes here, and cant find what he is looking for, he will move onto another web page, and probably totally forget about this, and never come back again. And gamedev doesnt want that, you want to keep people comming back.
I know for myself personally. I could not find such a link, or one close to it. Unfortunately, the gamedev web page is not well laid out in my opinion. Its very difficult to find what you are looking for at a glance. People dont like to have to search every link, especially beginners. They cant easily find what they want, so they turn to the forum. I know I personnally did that myself, and thankfully, a nice guy on the forum game some usefull links to the stuff I wanted, and those links were to stuff on Gamedev.
So, in conclusion, there should be a beginners forum. And a big obvious link on the Gamedev home page "I''m a total beginner and have no clue" and in there, include a list of what beginners should do. What books to buy, what classes to take, and links to articles/tutorials that exist on gamedev that will help them out. I can garrantee it will help alot, and will attract more visitors to the web site. Newbies will say to each other: "Hey, go to gamedev, they have a whole section for guys like us on how to get started"
Possibility
I know for myself personally. I could not find such a link, or one close to it. Unfortunately, the gamedev web page is not well laid out in my opinion. Its very difficult to find what you are looking for at a glance. People dont like to have to search every link, especially beginners. They cant easily find what they want, so they turn to the forum. I know I personnally did that myself, and thankfully, a nice guy on the forum game some usefull links to the stuff I wanted, and those links were to stuff on Gamedev.
So, in conclusion, there should be a beginners forum. And a big obvious link on the Gamedev home page "I''m a total beginner and have no clue" and in there, include a list of what beginners should do. What books to buy, what classes to take, and links to articles/tutorials that exist on gamedev that will help them out. I can garrantee it will help alot, and will attract more visitors to the web site. Newbies will say to each other: "Hey, go to gamedev, they have a whole section for guys like us on how to get started"
Possibility
quote: Original post by Possibility
I think the problems is that there is no "I''m a total beginner and have no clue" link on the main gamedev web page.
{snip}
So, in conclusion, there should be a beginners forum. And a big obvious link on the Gamedev home page "I''m a total beginner and have no clue" and in there, include a list of what beginners should do. What books to buy, what classes to take, and links to articles/tutorials that exist on gamedev that will help them out. I can garrantee it will help alot, and will attract more visitors to the web site. Newbies will say to each other: "Hey, go to gamedev, they have a whole section for guys like us on how to get started"
Okay, look on every non-forum page on the site. See up at the top, on the left? There''s a link there that says "New? Start Here". It''s been there since the start of the year. It links to a page that lists what new users should do, what articles to read, what books to buy, etc. I.e. exactly what you suggested.
Also, there is a beginners forum. Look at the description for the Lounge.
How ironic that the post right beneath this one on the recent threads box is titled "Where to start..."
Just a 2 am observation
Etnu
What is a man without goals? A dead man.
Just a 2 am observation
Etnu
What is a man without goals? A dead man.
But, what good would a newbies forum be if only newbies went there? Having a separate forum would, IMO, have the same problems we see in the Lounge now. We just have to deal with it as best we can. There will always be people who flame newbies, but there will also be people trying to help them.
This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement
