Tutorial/Manual, but for Menu Options

[Moose the Fat Cat]

(I was going to post this in the other active topic about the Tutorial but since the subject matter is totally different, felt like it warranted it's own thread)

Is there a tutorial for the menu/mod/options? (I'm aware of the Wiki). There should be! The in-game text to visit srb2.org/mods directs the visitor to the Mod subforum and the Wiki pages for how to add WADs or build your own.

Here's the proposal

A clean PDF manual with concise, simple explanations for different settings, and links to the mod forums. One page, ideally, or as few pages as possible. Clean, simple, easy. A manual.

If this already exists in some form, it should ideally be accessible within the game, or should be where srb2.org/mods lands.

If it doesn't exist, I'm willing/happy to help put this together, myself. I would need an assist for technical explanations but could help with copywriting/editing and organizing.

Why is this necessary?

Because the menus are confusing to the layperson and would benefit from explanation.

For example with controller options -- understanding X and Y axis is one thing, but what is "Z-Rudder" and how is it different from "-Z-Rudder"? What is the V axis, or U axis? What does it mean to turn on/off Autobrake? What's the difference between Analog and Digital Dead zones? Etc etc.

As an added bonus, clearer navigation in the menus means future game releases could potentially include more of the best mods in vanilla as base options —ie, the Jeck Jims 3D models or certain move-set mods (for me I like to play the vanilla Thok Sonic and also I really like the Double Jump/Dropdash and wish I didn't have to turn off the game to change between the two).

What do you think?

I honestly feel like the Menus need more of a Tutorial than the gameplay, especially in 2.4 with Simple Control options.

Which parts of the menus are clear and what is confusing? What's something that you didn't realize was possible as a menu setting until later?

 

[PencilVoid]

I dunno, I feel like anyone with some questions could just hit up the message board or discord. Not completely opposed to the idea of an easily accessible tutorial though, it would be very useful indeed for new players.

 

[Monster Iestyn]

A PDF might be overdoing it to be honest. Worth noting though, we used to have a manual for SRB2 in general during Final Demo and 2.0, and that thing was in HTML format.

 

[Moose the Fat Cat]

Without looking it up right now, I don't think I could explain the functional differences of axises aside from X and Y, or the difference between the digital/analog deadzones.

I had to trial & error it, dumbly -- including asking for help on the forums when I was having new problems with the deadzone defaults in 2.4. Once I was aware of what/why this was happening, it was all clear and obvious. A manual/FAQ could've made the troubleshooting easier and less mystifying.

Come to think of it, a FAQ at the end of the manual would probably save everyone a lot of trouble, too. "Why isn't there a homing attack?" The dev reasons, and a link to the mods.
"I saw this with 3D models, how do I do that?" Link to the mod with a simple explanation for install.

Also there's still plenty of menu functions that are still vague/mysterious to me, so putting this together would be helpful just to understand it more. I've looked through the wikis, spent time on both the forums and discord. Whenever I was last looking through the wikis a few weeks ago I may have been able to tell you the difference between -U axis & V axis but again without looking now I couldn't.

A one page/short manual/FAQ would help accessibility for sure. Unknownlight's (I keep wanting to say Infinitelight) post on Reset ERA is close to what I'm talking about, or they would be a good person to help put such a thing together -- in my attempts to share SRB2 with friends/coworkers, I'll often send them that post as a primer.

---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 PM ----------

A PDF might be overdoing it to be honest. Worth noting though, we used to have a manual for SRB2 in general during Final Demo and 2.0, and that thing was in HTML format.

What do you mean PDF is overdoing it? I thought that might be easiest. I figure it's like, write it up with html links in Google Docs, save as PDF, and couldn't that be loaded into the game? If not, could exist as a webpage version manual/FAQ.

 

[Mystic]

Come to think of it, a FAQ at the end of the manual would probably save everyone a lot of trouble, too. "Why isn't there a homing attack?" The dev reasons, and a link to the mods.

Yeah, no, we're not having this discussion. Stop posting massive tl;dr for the sake of it.