Tutorial Request: Explain how to follow convoys

[Matthew]

As I have mentioned, I have been trying out the tutorial.

I think the structure of the tutorial would be very helpful for beginners. It's really great that you have done this, Yona.

However, there is one thing that I think could be added to the early chapters.

One of the best things about Simutrans is that you can follow the convoys around. I probably spend more time just watching my trains go along than doing anything else. It's so cool! 

As early as chapter 2 step 4 (at least in the English tutorial for pak128), players are creating convoys and waiting for them to arrive at stops. I think new players would really enjoy following convoys too.

So I suggest that that following convoys should be added to chapter 2. This would also require introducing the convoy window, so it might need a whole new step in the chapter.

There is a small problem: the follow convoy icon depends on the theme, not the pakset. So you cannot tell players "click on the eye" because although most themes use an eye, not all do. So I think you would have to say, "click on the fourth icon from the top left of the convoy window", or something similar.

[Roboron]

There is a small problem: the follow convoy icon depends on the theme, not the pakset. So you cannot tell players "click on the eye" because although most themes use an eye, not all do. So I think you would have to say, "click on the fourth icon from the top left of the convoy window", or something similar.

Considering most players playing the tutorial will be, well, new players, we can expect they will be using the default theme.

[Yona-TYT]

If images could be inserted as in html it would be great, that would considerably improve the tutorial explanations.

[Yona-TYT]

I think this must be two additions, but I'm afraid it also means renaming the text files to add an extra step.

In Step D I would add: "Tip: To jump to the garage location press the sixth button located in the title bar (an eye), so you will see the vehicle leaving the garage."


The additional step will be to follow the vehicle, so this is where you would have to implement a new script function to know if the vehicle is being followed.

Edit.

https://github.com/simutrans/simutrans/pull/3

[Yona-TYT]

(Isaac is going to scold me for so many messages in a row).


What do you think of this?.

Code Select Expand

<p>
<h1>Following Vehicles</h1>
This option allows you to follow the vehicles as they travel their route, no matter where they go or even if they go underground, it is activated from the vehicles window and is the fourth icon in the respective title bar (an eye).
</p>
<p>
To finish, click on the vehicle already in circulation so that the convoy window is displayed, look in the title bar of the vehicle window (eye icon) and press it to follow it.
</p>
<p>
<st>It takes to the next step</st>  When you are following the vehicle.
</p>


Edit:

By the way, does anyone know what the equivalent of [Ctrl + "] is in pak192.comic? .

[prissi]

[Cntrol]+["] is pakset and keyboard specific. Usually it is ["] only, depending where this is on your keyboard and how to enter.

[Isaac Eiland-Hall]

(Isaac is going to scold me

Well, I snickered, but just a brief actual note: In addition to the reply-after-24-hours that makes a "doublepost" not count as such, the real concern was always wasting vertical thread space. So as long as a comment exceeds the height of the profile block on the left, it's also fine: https://i.imgur.com/LMsnFmV.png

So... WRONG. NO SCOLDING! 😈😆

[Matthew]

What do you think of this?

I didn't imagine that you would implement new code so that this would be a real tutorial step, checking that the player has followed the instructions. So this is even better than I asked or imagined!

Here is a redraft of the text:

Code Select Expand

<p>
<h1>Following Convoys</h1>
This option allows you to follow vehicles as they travel their route, so that they remain in view no matter where they go, even if they go underground. It is activated from the Convoy Window and is the fourth icon in that Window's title bar (an eye).
</p>
<p>
Click on the vehicle already in circulation so that the Convoy Window is displayed. Look for the fourth icon in the title bar of the Convoy Window (eye icon) and press it to follow the convoy.
</p>
<p>
<st>The tutorial will move to the next step</st> when you are following the convoy.
</p>
Most of the changes are tidying up the English in the hope of making it easier to read. But I have also changed "vehicles" to "convoy" in a few places.  In this chapter, the convoy only has one vehicle, so you wrote vehicle correctly. But that isn't always true. In Simutrans, "convoy" has a special meaning and it's different from "vehicle". I think that part of the job of the tutorial is to introduce these words with special meanings, so that players can correctly understand the Help windows and the wiki.

We aren't just teaching players to play Simutrans, we are also teaching them Simutransese or Simutransish!

Edit:

By the way, does anyone know what the equivalent of [Ctrl + "] is in pak192.comic? .

If you mean the tool that hides buildings, I think it's just ["]. IIRC I have already changed the p192c tutorial to say this.

[Yona-TYT]

Currently it is pak192.comic who is at the forefront with the last fixes of the tutorial, when I finish fixing and testing everything I proceed with the others.

https://github.com/simutrans/tutorial_pak192.comic/commit/aae4de73acb496382053858c95feded169847766

[lorde]

How do you think the eye icon change across different themes might affect new players' ability to follow along with the tutorial? Should there be an explanation about theme variations early on?

[Yona-TYT]

How do you think the eye icon change across different themes might affect new players' ability to follow along with the tutorial? Should there be an explanation about theme variations early on?

There was a proposed patch to allow image tags in the scenario window, so an interesting solution would be to get the image from the active theme's gadgets, then the image would change depending on the theme used.

In fact, @prissi implemented such a mechanism for the schedule window years ago, with which he obtains the "X" icon that closes windows, but this is use it to delete waypoints.

However the patch was never finished and I highly doubt it will ever happen. :'(

See the discussion here: https://forum.simutrans.com/index.php/topic,15049.0.html