'How to create a successful mod'

[Angry Lawyer]

This tickled me, and it belongs here because it's related to the modding community. I originally found the link in the VERC forums, and thought I should share it with you guys.

http://www.sourcewiki.org/wiki/index.php/Tips_for_beginners_on_creating_a_source-MOD

I think the writer has basically taken many of the things that aggrovate me in today's modding climate, rolled them into a ball, and set it out in text...

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Argyll]

Did you notice this text at the bottom?

If you cannot grasp the sarcasm of these tips, you really need a sense of humour

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Yeah. They have to put disclaimers on it, or slower people actually take the advice.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Thadius Dean]

He says that the SDK is the best way to learn C++, but doesnt it really help to just look at the code?

 

[Angry Lawyer]

The SDK is probably not the best way to learn C++. You'll likely need a book on the basics of C++ to understand what pointers do, and other key concepts. After that, yes, the SDK is the best way forward.
It's playing at the fact that people keep saying 'I'm making a MMORPG with 6000 people per server. I don't know C++ but I'm reading the SDK now."

But, I guess it's better than those - as stated in the last point:

If you're too lazy to do all of this yourself, just ask other coders to join your team. You can lure them easily with promising job-offerings like "first lead head main director of coding", this will really turn them on. But don't tell this to anybody, because if too many people use this dirty trick, there won't be any free coders left soon.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Javert]

The SDK is probably not the best way to learn C++. You'll likely need a book on the basics of C++ to understand what pointers do, and other key concepts. After that, yes, the SDK is the best way forward.
It's playing at the fact that people keep saying 'I'm making a MMORPG with 6000 people per server. I don't know C++ but I'm reading the SDK now."

But, I guess it's better than those - as stated in the last point:



-Angry Lawyer

pointers...*shudder*

 

[Deleter]

this line is my favorite-

The best questions are the shortest like "My MOD doesn't work, any ideas?". You will immediately get hundreds of tips and answers which will fix your problem in no time.

 

[Cyanide]

Unfortunately, the slow people who won't catch the sarcasm are the same slow people who won't read all the way to the bottom.

 

[Dario D.]

Unfortunately, the slow people who won't catch the sarcasm are the same slow people who won't read all the way to the bottom.

Alright, time to cut some slack... :hmph:

 

[Maxi]

Just a noob coder question... I've taken a course in programming in school. We've programmed in java but mainly just used the bits that java has in common with other languages... we've done all the basic stuff while, for, if etc. loops.. arrays.. those things that let you do one thing over and over again untill it's complete (forgot the name ). Now anyone know how different that is for c++, and how hard would it be for me to jump into c++? and is there a good linux compiler for c++ available?

 

[Angry Lawyer]

They're not that disimilar, all you need to to is get your head around pointers and you'll pretty much know what Valve are on about in their code.
I don't know of any Linux compilers, but Valve handily supplied a Linux project file with the SDK, for ease of compiling. I think.

the thing that loops over and over until it completes is a 'while loop'.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[CREMATOR666]

I cant even use Visual Basic, but I can do mapping, tho

 

[Maxi]

Coding is not that hard, once you get past the basics. It's very logical, sometime too logical. Really hard to learn the first steps imo. But once you do, it's not that hard.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Sorta like Lego. But with words.

Although, Lego doesn't explode your computer when you put it together wrong.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[CREMATOR666]

I was thinking about giving it a kick-start soon this month with a book or something...

 

[Maxi]

I didn't like books. I took a course in programming in school

 

[archvilell]

I didn't get the sarcasm until I got to the bottom and then felt like a fool for having been suckered (Doh!). Then I reread it and had a good laugh.