Lemma Soft Forums

Hello. I'm back, everyone. And better. And almost done with finals (and no summer camp counselor position this year for me!) so super empty summer. Therefore, I have a project to present and seek feedback for.

As I posted in my update to my game this week, I'm seeking to host concise, educational, and complete YouTube tutorials for Ren'Py and elements of game creation (some not specific to Ren'Py, therefore I'm posting here.) I'm 3/4 through getting my education degree and I'd like to apply some of the techniques I'm learning to teaching new programmers Ren'Py, specifically in its capacity as an introduction to other forms of programming but mainly in its story-based game creation usage, and hosting lessons as well regarding writing, planning, and helpful tools or examples showcased from other games.


Project Goals:

Goal: 1, MAYBE 2 videos per week all through the summer months.

*I'd like to create a working list of tutorial subjects. The length and content can vary from 10-min lessons to an hour.
*I will gladly work with any volunteer contributors, mostly for sample code demonstrating certain functions OR advice and pro tips. For example, what are some of the different ways to code for image maps or image buttons? What are the pros and cons of these? Also, demonstrations of compiling levels of a feature- learning how to assign a point value, then to check point values, then a demonstration of what it looks like in a game or uses, then perhaps how to run complex functions with the point value, etc., etc.
*Create each video with steps that are like a lesson plan. Overview, some examples, some demonstration of how to do it, more concepts, add to the sample/code along, and feature a related game briefly. (give or take a few rounds of the demonstration and overviewing per topic)
*Create high quality videos with clear audio AND subtitles, may include translations, that are understandable and accessible for viewers. (No offense to those who may have made videos, but I haven't found anyone who has done a complete series, with reliable audio, language translations or subtitles, clear visual, and with learning-based lessons. So I'd like to make a project of this and put a complete, accessible and easier set of lessons for learners.)

I can't emphasize enough that I want input of what tutorials you would find helpful and what the "basics" are to making a complete game. Your interoperation can vary. Also, if you have suggestions of tutorials AND you'd allow me to showcase a brief clip of it in action in your game (probably less than 1 min long), let me know.

If anyone wants to offer any other help, let me know.

Existing Topic ideas
(not in order; I'll arrange them in a better order at the end of next week when I begin planning and writing the lessons.)

*Ren'Py overview OR common free game engines overview. Showcase a few features, a quick list of the engine/software's best features and pros/cons, list a few games made with the engine.
*How to declare game characters - images, how to rename, how to add a "your name is ___ box"
*Coding terms overview- lingo, basics, FAQ's?
*textbox, text settings (typewriter print or smooth roll-out vs the plain "appear" text)
*Sprites, sprite head by vbox
*image mapping + clickable
*sounds, voicing, audio channels, quick .ogg tutorial
*branching story/organization tips, twine
*affection points or other points, pts. in general, perhaps graph/bar (ex. health bar, etc.) tutorial
*random select, random events
*copyright tips
*elif, if, else
*to call or to jump? Tips and tutorials, logic walkthrough
*persistent data?
*inventory system
*monetize a game, where to host, disc or no disc... mostly a showcase episode
*splash page coding (menu), menu buttons, layers and photoshop, AND how to interpret the menu and options coding.



Suggestions?

I like your idea, no suggestions, it sounds really nice

I could help you with a spanish translation of the subtitles if you want

i also like the idea, i'll like to help with the free engine overview pros and cons. i tested them all and have a complete understanding on all of them. basics is something i can help too but maybe its too simple to ask. lastly copyright tips is my expertise, i can teach people about CC and what not to do.

Excellent! I would love help from anyone who wants to share their expertise in any one area- particularly if you pushed the limits and toyed around or sweated and toiled to find out something unique, interesting, and potentially beneficial to new programmers or those who are still "hazy" on a particular element of game programming, writing, etc.

Anything else? Think about what you struggled with when first trying a VN. Let me know if it isn't on the list!

This would be amazing and I love the idea! It shocks how something like renpy doesn't have practically any video tutorials considering how long it's been around.

I couldn't help with coding tuts, but anything on the more business side I could help about. Marketing and business Management is my "real life" job. And I've been tableing at comic/anime conventions for about 5 years now. :)

I really like the idea for this! (Especially a video tutorial for making an inventory.)

If anyone involved needs English subtitles for their videos, I'll volunteer to write up a transcript for them.

Also, I'd like to suggest tutorials for creating a "change font typeface in the VN's setting menu" (for devs who want to add a dyslexia-friendly font option for players), and a "how to change font's size in the VN's setting menu" tutorial (for players who need larger text).

Hopefully, the new GUI stuff will be out about the same time as this. It will change (and make far easier) the process of gui customization, so it probably makes sense to hold off for it.

Cool! I may need a little help from a few more experienced programmers with that one- the changing text option in the main menu- and I could totally hold off on GUI for a later date. I'll probably cover the most primary basics first and then go from there. Oh, and later tonight, after my meeting, I'll update with the order I intend to post the videos.

This seems like a great idea. I'm not very pro at Renpy AT ALL (I've only just started) and it took me a full day of work to actually make a fully workable menu (style-based) with several totally unneeded functions (invisible frames, etc). So I was really happy with seeing this thread. There are some really interesting things you're planning there. I'd love to help, but I'll be of no use for now.

One question about this:

*splash page coding (menu), menu buttons, layers and photoshop, AND how to interpret the menu and options coding.

I'm not sure what the "photoshop" means. Does this mean you plan to give a quick tut on photoshop? It seems really out of place among all the other subjects.

A suggestion:
You might want to add "variables and how they work", including stuff like defining variables (and when to), how empty variables are handled, strings vs integers, etc.
I already see stuff like "logic" and "elif, if, else" and "points systems" in the list, but variables are a step before that, I think. (I find them easy to understand, but for some new people they're one heck of an obstacle that prevents them from understanding anything that relies on them.).

*to call or to jump? Tips and tutorials, logic walkthrough

This one seems really interesting. I'm an inefficient straightforward brute at coding, so I never call, only jump. XD Hahaha.

Thanks for commenting! I'll try to update the list later (finally free from finals haha and after spending some time with the family tomorrow I'll be planning out exactly what I'll work on this summer.)

To call or to jump? This is a SUPER HANDY topic I learned a lot about thanks to a few great tipsters and gurus on the forums. I'll generate a few situations that could go either way and talk about the pros and cons of each - a lot of it has to do with whether a scene can be called one time, many times, over and over, or only if there are certain thresholds met. This is mostly a logic and brainstorming issue- both are super easy to implement.

Also, I get that this is a very big idea I'm proposing for the summer. I'm not a super expert either, though I've spent many hours working out the beginnings of games and basics and experimenting with basic game elements that all should be able to grasp with some guidance if they need it. I'd love help with strings and integers tips if I get there, that is on the hazy edge of what I've done with programming and even as a logic concept from the Java class I took last semester, I'd need to brush up on the "translation" from that language to Ren'Py's.

EDIT: PSST! Calling all coders! Anyone who can help with a journal feature, if you'll work with me, that's the only way I'm covering journal systems. I tried it once, half-implemented it, but I had a ton of problems with it and it's on the bottom of my list since it isn't a necessity, I've gotten messages about that feature...

Well, what was the hang-up with the journal system? For one thing, I'm not sure what you mean by "journal system" since journals are used in a very wide range of games in a very wide range of ways. But if you mean something like in, say Life is Strange or your typical quest-based RPG where the journal is a repository of information you have learned and a general hint as to where to go, that's quite simple. You can obviously make it more or less complex as well. But as a general reference, there are some examples you could build off of in the cookbook section.

Codex: viewtopic.php?f=51&t=22393#p283217
Quest log: viewtopic.php?f=51&t=25245#p310193


Not meant to be discouraging, btw -- seems like a cool project, and kudos to you.

I'd love a series like this. Even though I've been working with the engine a while, as someone who isn't a programmer by trade, there's a lot stuff that's hard to remember how to do on the fly. Especially if you're trying to bring someone new onto a project and they also have to pick up Ren'py basics.

Some other topics that come to mind include: organizing your script (especially if you're doing a longer game or intend to use more than just the main script file); basic mini-games (such as, clicking a point on screen before timer runs out); working with creative common or free-to-use materials (such as using photos for backgrounds or someone else's music or sprites).

The journal screen would have issues closing- like it covered up the other screen and I'm sure it was a basic error. I also couldn't figure out how to add new entries with conditions, add a checklist, or anything else that I was hoping to do so I put it aside.

Organizing the script is a genius thing. I'll add that to the list. I'm getting started later than I expected due to my mom just starting a new job (Yay!) and my computer ran out of space for the video editing so I'm currently clearing out junk from the last three years to get started. I'll be working through the summer on this and probably continue through the school semester as much as possible since I'm starting late. The computer thing really set me back... who knew that its so easy to go through 120 GB!

Kate wrote:The journal screen would have issues closing- like it covered up the other screen and I'm sure it was a basic error. I also couldn't figure out how to add new entries with conditions, add a checklist, or anything else that I was hoping to do so I put it aside.

Organizing the script is a genius thing. I'll add that to the list. I'm getting started later than I expected due to my mom just starting a new job (Yay!) and my computer ran out of space for the video editing so I'm currently clearing out junk from the last three years to get started. I'll be working through the summer on this and probably continue through the school semester as much as possible since I'm starting late. The computer thing really set me back... who knew that its so easy to go through 120 GB!

remove some unwanted steam games (since its possible that indie developers use high resolution image/models to build the game) you can always download them back in any given time.