Suggestion for an in-game tutorial for scripting

[Alterforest]

I had an idea for an in-game tutorial for the the level editor.

I don't have much experience when it comes to scripting, so I thought it would be nice if there where a custom map that had different kinds of scripts in it that could be explained in-game by notes you pick up. This way you can first find a note with information about a script then see it in action. For example: You find a note that explains a script for making an event occur, maybe a door that slams shut when you approach it, and then you can experience the result right after reading by approaching an ajar door in the same room.

But why make a map when you can ask for help on the forums and/or read the documentation? Well I thought it would be funnier/easier learning while experiencing. You could even bake in some story in the tutorial to make it more interesting.

So like I said in the beginning, I can't script myself so I write this in hope that maybe someone can and want to do this. It's nothing that has to be made, but it might awaken interest for more people to learn scripting and they can make their own story to share with us.

Please tell me if you think this is a good or bad idea, or if you are interested in this "mission". Maybe several people wants to cooperate? Maybe I might even get the developers interested with this post to work on this if they have time?

[Frontcannon]

So a kind of tutorial map? Nice idea!

[Equil]

Hm, kind of like Valve's TF2 style tutorial? It could work.

[Alterforest]

I actually wasn't aware that there where a tutorial map in TF2 So I checked it out today and I thought it was a well made tutorial in my opinion. The main difference between that tutorial map and the one I want to see in Amnesia is that the TF2 map teaches how to play the game while this tutorial's goal is to teach how to create the game. But basically it's the same: you're learning while playing instead of reading a manual.
The hints/help in TF2 displays with pop-ups, which could be made in Amnesia with the hint text that's used in the main story, but notes are more suited since you can take your time reading them and they are saved in the inventory so you can read them again later on.

I've also been thinking more about how the map could be composed. I found two possibilities that might work well:

1. Make it into a linear map, which makes it easy to make a good learning curve by starting with easy scripting in the beginning and then later on have more advanced scripting notes showing up. A linear map could also make it easier to bake in a story into the map if the creator(s) feels like it.

2. Make it into an open map, for example: you start in a big room with several doors leading to different levels or just rooms. Next to each door a sign could be placed, telling you what scripting you will be learning in that level/room. This makes it a more useful map for those with some scripting knowledge, so they can choose to skip the "basic scripting" part for example. You also don't have to go through half the map if you want to find information about a certain script, you just enter the appropriate level/room from the big main room. Maybe this kind of map could be used as an "encyclopedia"?

By looking at the amount of text on the two alternatives you can see that the latter may be more useful

What do you think is the most suitable map composition? Maybe you have a better idea how the map could be composed? Please share your ideas!

[Pandemoneus]

I think your second idea is good enough for it. I will create such a map, but you should give me a list of tutorials you would like to see though.

[Equil]

I think it would be useful to start off with demonstrating basic atmospheric scripts, kinda like the ones you see early in the game, such as doors swinging open/shut, sounds being played at certain areas, gusts of wind etc.

[Alterforest]

Very glad to hear you're interested in creating the map Pandemoneus.

It will be hard for me to mention all essential scripts since I can't script, but I guess you have to write some scripts just to get started? Like the menu, intro, character start position and so on.

People should write here what kind of scripting they want to see in the tutorial if they think somethings missing.
Having people tell whats missing will make this a map that can have several updates which ads more scripts, or the tutorial could consist of several maps instead of updating the same map... or just wait until there is a decent amount of request to make one map.

Anyhow... I think what Equil writes makes sense but I suspect there is more scripting to be done before you can even have your character in the level or am I wrong? This scripting could be the intro of the map.
I bet you know the scripting needed to get started and I have no idea how that works, so I can only request "getting started" scripting in general and "audio/visual scripts". Some things in my list might not even need scripting?

Here is my list of what I want to see in the tutorial so far, aside form the "getting started" scripting:

- Scripting for notes, how to write them, how to make them being collected in the right order (in the main game you always found the first diary part regardless of which you picked up in a level) and so on.

- Script for hints.

- Inventory scripting?

- Character view focus / camera scripts: Making the character face in a direction and scripting camera events, for example the beginning of Amnesia.

- What Equil mentioned: shutting doors, hearing sounds, wind. In short: atmospheric scripts. One that I'm personally interested in is scripting to make an entire room go red and shake.

- Event scripting. Make an event occur after a time limit, or when you or object(s) are on a certain position.

- Doors. How to make a door lead to a new level.

That's what I can request for now... I will probably find out that I missed to mention something but at least this is a start.

[Pandemoneus]

Might take a while though, I lack some motivation at the moment.

[Equil]

What I was trying to get at is I think the necessities of creating a basic script to give the player a basic objective should be explained first, such as "Find the key to escape this room" along with the atmospheric scripts I mentioned. This way editors new to scripting will be able to quickly add a basic objective and some simple atmosphere to their map, then progressively add more complex scripts as it goes on.