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Geek Culture / DBP Programming Guide - Poll

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Xenocythe
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 00:25 Edited at: 20th Apr 2008 18:48
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I've been thinking of restarting my RPG tutorial, in fact making it a DBP Programming guide in general.

I'm starting to get older, and I'm looking to justify the saying "time is money", so I'm planning on selling this.

If I wrote A DBP programming guide, complete for beginners that have never programmed before, explaining everything correctly, and step by step, would you buy it?

Poll
-Yes, for $__.__
--5
-No
--1


While I know there's already "Hands on DBP" and everything, I think I could still write this full guide for a low price.

Also, if I have to ask the guys at TGC if I can sell this book, then please tell me so.


Please vote. Thanks

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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 00:50
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Of course, the other option (if $time == $money) is to produce it onto a website with advertising on it.

Target the games tutorial market. You may not make $100 up front... You might not even make any sales from books... But you could probably make a good few $$$ every month if you targeted the website correctly.

Imagine how many people type 'How do I make a MMORPG' into google... If you can get on the frontpage for that phrase you'll get a LOT of traffic. Your goal could then be to get affiliate sales via Amazon, or put Google Adsense up. Could be good!

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Xenocythe
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 01:01
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Thanks Nick (if you don't mind being called that)

I've got the web skills, and I've read up on internet marketing.

So that's 1 yes, if I am correct. Thank you.

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Gil Galvanti
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 01:20
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I'd say that you should sell it, not necessarily after a certain number of pages, just depending on how comprehensive and involved the guide is, and how much it covers.


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dab
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 01:21
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One thing people seem to like about books, is the examples and free things that are included, with the knowledge to use it. I'd say it'd make it more worth the $$ if there were at least a bit of nice media to use. of course, that interupts your time == money idea, unless you already have some nice stuff to use

I'd say a nice low price for it would be lovely, doesn't matter on the length as long as its longer than 10-ish pages. xD
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dan958
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 01:21
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i probely wouldn't buy it becuase i already have the beginners guide to dark basic programming and that is helpful enough for me.


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Xenocythe
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 01:31
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Thanks for the replies all!

@Gil,
Good point. I'll keep that in mind.

@Dabip,
Thanks. I'll stock it up with examples and media then
10 pages... hmm maybe it'll sell as much as 1000 pages!

@dan958,
Does it cover everything you want to know? If not, tell me what you're looking for, and I'll be sure to include!

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dan958
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 01:54
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I dont know if it covers everything i want to know because i dont know what i should know about knowing.

the thing i find good with this book is is has lots of code examples and a print screen of what it does when you compile. You should include that.


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Xenocythe
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 04:44
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Thanks dan. I'll take note of that too

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Beast E Gargoyle
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 05:21
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@Xenocythe- I really like your idea. It bring's a good feeling that DBP can help and even accomplish alot, with time and effort put in. I just wanted to comment on the whole idea. If you make your book and say by the end of the book you will have completed a whole game( nothing extradionaryly long) by the end of the book, I think it would strike a strong buying point for peoeple looking to learn and examine an open source game. I hope this helps and look forward to updates. All the best,

Beastegargoyle

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jasonhtml
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 05:38
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well, i'll be honest and say i probably wouldn't buy it. but, i think it would be pretty neat to see someone here make a good tutorial book.

so, i won't say yes or no, but if you are going to make it into a book, you can self publish it. some websites that allow you to do this are:

http://www.lulu.com
http://www.blurb.com

these sites are pretty neat. you can have different packages that allow you to order them book by book or in bulk.

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Sid Sinister
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 08:21
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Depending on how comprehensive and constructive it was, sure, I'd buy it for around $40.

But I don't want to be bull#$%^& in the content like TGC does in all of it's help material. The information needs to be displayed clearly and with plenty of references and examples.

I'd also like to see practical, hands on crap that covers all the questions we see on the DBP forums year in and year out. Shaders, Memblock Terrain, Culling, everything. I don't want a rehearsed, Sunday school answer to the tough questions. If this thing is going to take off, scrap the crappy tutorials and guide the user into building something practical and cool while having them grasp all the underling concepts before moving on.

"If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants" - Isaac Newton
-Computer Animation Major @Baker.edu-
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dan958
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 15:55
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Have a test at the end of each section, asking them questions on things they just learnt, like:

1) what command makes text appear on the screen,
a) Show writing
b) Print writing
c) print
d) i need text

like that ( but with better things to choose from) Also don't have the answers at the back of the book, that really annoys me, just put them at the bottom of the page upside down.


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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 16:44
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@Xenocythe: Of course I dont mind being called Nick - I prefer it actually!

Good luck with this.

The conern I have with a book is getting it "noticed". I think it'd be FAR easier to get a website dedicated to writing an RPG would be far easier to promote than a book (via the likes of Dig, StumbleUpon, etc).

Using Drupal you could give half the page away for free and people could pay to get the rest (via PayPal or something). You could sell access in chapters?!

Just thoughts

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Xenocythe
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 17:18
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@Nick,
That's a pretty clever idea, and it would be much cheaper then publishing a book and selling it online etc. Though, there's always the possibility of some hacker learning how to get the whole thing for free.
But I guess if you can hack that well then you won't really need a book for DBPro
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll think about it all. I'm sure the advertising is going to be the hardest part, but I think I'll be able to pull it off

@Dan,
Hmm... that's another good idea!
If I decide to publish it as a real book, then I'll include the tests.
Thanks!

@Sid,
Ahh, I see what you mean. I'll be sure to include all the extra awesome stuff that everyone asks about.

@Jason,
Thanks for those links, I'll keep those in mind. But if this book gets long enough, I might look for a real publisher that I can use to sell the book online on my website. Whatever's cheaper I guess

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I've decided to write out a table of contents and use it pretty much as a map of all the content I'm going to include. So I'll just keep organizing and extending the table of contents until I'm certain I've got everything, then I'll post it here for everyone to comment on it and give suggestions for more content.

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Xenocythe
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 18:51
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Sorry for the double post, but this is a seperate post really.


I've decided to make this guide include how to make an RPG.

Here's what I'm aiming for:
When you start reading the book, you've never programmed before in your life.
By the end of the book, you're a pro at programming and you've created a full RPG.

I might or might not split it into 3 volumes. Making a volume for beginners, one for intermediate, and then one for advanced would be better for marketing, but if I put it into 1 book completely then it's more for your money's worth.

What do you guys think?

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bitJericho
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 19:24
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I think you would have to create a full rpg first

(If you have, my apologies)


Hurray for teh logd!
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Xenocythe
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Posted: 20th Apr 2008 19:34
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You are right Jerico.

I haven't, per say, created a full rpg.

But I have created many seperate projects that contain all the different aspects of RPG's. Combining everything into one project would be impossible. My skill in programming has changed tremendously from, say, when I created the inventory system to when I made the ai system. The code wouldn't mix together appropriately

I've actually started today on a complex battle system that I hope to get done soon.

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dan958
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Posted: 21st Apr 2008 23:13
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wow, i wish i could do that, no what i want in my game and just code it day-by-day without help. I wouldn't even know where to start in a battle system.

At least im trying to learn, so far im on chapter 8 of the beginners guide to dark basic and its all about mathematical commands, which i dont want to learn but i know if i skip then i would find the rest confussing. Im just waiting for the next chapter, its starting 2d graphics which i want to learn. But i got to get all the boring bits out first and then start with the fun!


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White Fang 12
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Posted: 23rd Apr 2008 00:18
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I wouldn't buy it but partly because i dont't buy tutorials and what not

I'm a noob help will be accepted
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Aaron Miller
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Posted: 23rd Apr 2008 00:39
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I wouldn't as I don't need to - however if I had the money to AND I found that such a guide was useful I would purchase it for between $10 and $30 USD, depending on the amount of pages there are (the more the better if they're intuitive, and explain everything correctly in the best method possible).

I HATE how books can cost $80 when they really don't help you earn that much back. I've spent over $300 on books and not one has "earned" it's knowledge presented. So in essence, you're book MUST "earn" the amount of money it's charged for (and preferably with profit).

My use of the word "earn" references as though the end user would be able to take what he learned, easily apply it and be able to sell the final product. So the book must also teach those if that's how it's aimed to be (in terms of price range).

So now the price becomes a question of rather or not the book functions to cater to that price. If the books costs between $5 and $25 the book should be considered for hobbyists, and not showing any information of how to market your product, or sell it.

While in contrast, a book which does show marketing and "commercial" quality techniques (which I find ironic given the low amount of success stories with DBPro), then the book should be priced between $20 and $70, but never higher unless it actually packaged working software and such with the book.

The said working software should not attribute to anything higher than $20 on the book - and should be custom written (preferably with source code so the reader could learn from it).

All prices given in USD. Everything presented based on personal opinion.

Cheers,

-naota

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Mr Makealotofsmoke
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Posted: 23rd Apr 2008 13:39
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i wouldnt buy it cause i dont like reading

If it had videos in it it would be good (if you do a online version i guess).

Also a lot of code examples and pics are handy like some1 said above. I hate it when i read a tut and it seams to jump a hole part and i have no idea what its going on about and then after 30min i find out whats going on . Thats why vids are easier, cause u can see what he is doing


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