A New Commander's Hurdles

[another_commander]

Eldon: You are right, it probably makes a difference being on a different system. I maybe should have mentioned that my rant was referring to the Windows version. In Windows, there is a group created for Oolite in the Start menu, containing shortcuts to the game executable, the documentation, the Logs, snapshots and AddOns folders and the Oolite website, plus the uninstaller. A normal Windows user just can't miss all this.

[mandoman]

Some sort of link to where the documentation is from the title screen would be an excellent plan. I'm the sort of person who will read read-me files, but when I installed Oolite I didn't need to find a root directory to launch it, the oolite icon just came up with the rest of my applications. Only later, after looking at the wiki and the forums did I find the files hidden away in some obscure part of my hard disk that I never have any reason to look at. (Mostly I think I just remembered the basic controls from ArcElite, and experimented for those I forgot.)

If it makes a difference I'm on Ubuntu.

That is EXACTLY what happened to me.

Eldon: You are right, it probably makes a difference being on a different system. I maybe should have mentioned that my rant was referring to the Windows version. In Windows, there is a group created for Oolite in the Start menu, containing shortcuts to the game executable, the documentation, the Logs, snapshots and AddOns folders and the Oolite website, plus the uninstaller. A normal Windows user just can't miss all this.

Maybe that's the crux of the problem. Windows doesn't come with Oolite as a perk. I gave up Windows because it is a pain in the ass, but I know that most people HAVE to use it, since nearly the whole Internet, and business systems are based on Windows. I ran Windows for years, and I never even knew Oolite existed. Not sure what to do with the Ubuntu situation, and now I can see why it would be a hassle to deal with.

Once again, I was just voicing my opinions, mainly because I couldn't understand how a computer programer since the mid-1970s couldn't figure out how to play it, even though he can dig up about anything he wants to use on his version of Ubuntu. I might have got the idea that Oolite was kind of a programers game, since one is encouraged to write oxps, but is also told in no uncertain terms to go figure it out yourself with tutorials (which is what I do, now, and still run into snags). In all fairness, their are several individuals on the forum that are more than happy to help with scripting snags.

Then Oolite really IS a gamers game, just different. Not sure how else to say that. Oh well, I tried to help him, but I don't know if my brother ever took the time to follow my instructions, which were basically what another_commander pointed out as clearly available. Oh, by the way, I DID read those ReadMe files, but it was only after I had been destroyed numerous times, and had to start the game all over again numerous times, AND I found the courage to approach the forum and ask how to find out more. The first person that answered my question started ranting about how he couldn't even figure out what I was talking about, and how really, really, really BIG space is. Brother! Luckily, the next response to my response (which I'm afraid wasn't very complimentary), was El Viejo, who kindly explained some things, and told me where to look for others. That was all I needed. From that point on I was able to really take off with the game. That's all I'm saying. Beginners NEED a little help.

[Fatleaf]

All this is right there in front of anyone who installs the game, right there from the start. The aides can't be more accessible than what they are already. The sad truth is simply that nobody cares to read them. Which is a pity, given all the work that has gone into making them.

In an attempt to restore your faith in some of humanity, one of the first things I did was to read the PDF's to work out the controls and also to learn how to play the game. And I must say I am glad I did. As I then had clear objectives clear in my mind as to the rout I wanted to take to reach Elite. Then as I played my goals changed and the attaining of rank faded and the enjoyment of the game became the prime thing. Then I fell into the company of the SkunkWorks boys.... And the rest is history!