So you want to contribute but can't code?

[fph]

Originally Posted by Carnivean

I assume you're responding to Tibarius' post from a few months back. Nick has progressed past this point in the thread I linked just after that post.

Oops - sorry, I didn't realize it was so old. I didn't intend to cast raise dead on an old thread.

[gglibertine]

Originally Posted by Nick

That ticket predates my involvement in Angband development...

I guess we need to think about what sort of context-sensitive help would be useful - there are already, for example, help tips in the shop interface.

Aha, ok. If anyone still thinks it needs doing, I'll gladly tackle it.

Maybe this thread needs to be updated to note that some of these things no longer need doing.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by gglibertine

Maybe this thread needs to be updated to note that some of these things no longer need doing.

Actually, you now remind you that I did that in post 30 of this thread - as well as giving a sort of answer to your original question. As usual, it seems that past me was smarter than the current model.

[gglibertine]

Originally Posted by Nick

Actually, you now remind you that I did that in post 30 of this thread - as well as giving a sort of answer to your original question. As usual, it seems that past me was smarter than the current model.

Actually, reviewing that post, I see that it was the very post to which I was responding; you didn't answer my questions because I hadn't asked them yet.

I'm trying to be helpful. I'd like to contribute to the project in some way, but over the years I've volunteered several times to take things on, only to be told that something has already been done, doesn't need to be done anymore, or, in this case, that nobody knows what needs to be done. It's a little disheartening, to be honest. Yes, yes, open source, blah blah blah.

You put the context-sensitive help thing out there. I have 20 years of experience both as a technical writer and as an Angband player, which may make me uniquely qualified to take on this ticket.

When someone can tell me a LITTLE more than the basic file format, I'll be happy to take a look at it.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by gglibertine

When someone can tell me a LITTLE more than the basic file format, I'll be happy to take a look at it.

OK, so the other post has a format and an example. So in that example you would probably actually want a token and a message, like:

context:LIGHT_OUT
help:You have no wielded light source - you need to find another torch or lantern

(or split into LIGHT_OUT_TORCH and LIGHT_OUT_LANTERN, or whatever).

So your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to work out what contexts help would be useful in, and supply it. As to how to do that, I'd suggest the three classic information gathering methods - guess, look it up or ask someone. So use your own experience and common sense, maybe look through posts of people asking questions, and start a thread for people to contribute ideas.

[gglibertine]

OK, so basically what you're telling me is there is no spec, no scope, no information of any kind as to what needs to be done other than the form the file entries need to take (which I understood perfectly well the first time, thanks). No one knows what the link from the original ticket contained or what the original intent of the ticket was.

Essentially, you're asking for someone to implement a mystery feature that even you don't care enough about to make the slightest attempt to define it.

No thanks, I'll pass on that.

[AnonymousHero]

Originally Posted by gglibertine

(snip)

I don't quite see the need for this level of snark. Need I remind you that Angband is developed entirely by volunteers who also have lives of their own?

[Nick]

Originally Posted by gglibertine

OK, so basically what you're telling me is there is no spec, no scope, no information of any kind as to what needs to be done other than the form the file entries need to take (which I understood perfectly well the first time, thanks). No one knows what the link from the original ticket contained or what the original intent of the ticket was.

Essentially, you're asking for someone to implement a mystery feature that even you don't care enough about to make the slightest attempt to define it.

I think you may be kind of overthinking this (not an insult, in fact it makes you fit right in here). If you want a spec, it's basically:

1. Think of game events where context-sensitive help may be useful;
2. Write a list of said help in the given format.

How much of this you do is up to you - there could be 3 or 30 or 300 entries in the list. And of course you can choose not to.

[clamps]

Has "Extinction" been considered as an alternative to Banishment? It has a similar meaning to Genocide, but without (I think?) some of the triggering connotations:

• extinction is not limited to (or even primarily directed towards) humans
• extinction is also a naturally-occurring event

I don't have an obvious suggestion for "Mass Banishment", although "Local Extinction" (or "Extirpation", if you want to get fancy) would fit the effect.

[Derakon]

Originally Posted by clamps

Has "Extinction" been considered as an alternative to Banishment? It has a similar meaning to Genocide, but without (I think?) some of the triggering connotations:

The difficulty with extinction is that some games (particularly NetHack) use it to refer to monster types that can no longer be generated because the player has killed so many of them. Which would be a proper time to use "genocide", but oh well.

Banishment works, honestly -- the monster is banished from the level, but might be generated again later.