Take the time to learn C2.

I wanted to take a few moments and write an article about being a newbie to Construct 2. The reason I want to do this is because I am finding more and more people on the forums that just seem to want quick answers without actually understanding Construct 2. This happens because C2 is so easy to use that people want to jump right in without realizing that making a game is more than dragging and dropping.

Construct 2 is awesome, and it really makes creating a game so much easier than writing out a bunch of code. However, you still need to have some basic knowledge of game logic and design. Sure, C2 takes out the programming side of it, but it doesn't take out the logic.

It?s frustrating to try and help out a new user that has obviously taken no time to try and learn anything about making games or even about Construct 2. So many of the simple questions are answered in the beginner tutorials that Scirra provides on the website. I went through countless hours of tutorials as I made my way through building my first game. I also read the manual, searched the manual, and read the manual again. I didn't post on the forums until I was really stuck or just didn't understand something after trying for hours.

Don?t expect to learn by constantly asking for example code for every aspect of your game. You need to struggle with the concept of game logic and how the events work in Construct 2. As you push forward, you begin to understand how the game logic works and how the flow of the events works with making your game. If you have no knowledge of this, not only does it make creating a game more difficult, but it makes debugging your game even harder. What makes a good mechanic is their understanding of how a car works at its basic level. Making a game is no different. You need to understand how the system of C2 works before attempting to create and debug anything with it.

So to all the newbie Constructors out there, please, take some time to understand the logic behind Construct 2. Read the manual, do the beginner tutorials, understand system expressions and your career in making games will be so much more rewarding.

Don?t get me wrong, I really do enjoy helping out with answering questions on the forums the best I can. However, don?t get upset if I tell you to go look in the manual, go through a tutorial or learn Construct 2 first. I mean it with love while trying to help you to become a better game maker. If you are serious about this craft, learn, learn and then learn some more.

Maybe posting this isn't even appropriate, I'm not sure. I can just feel the frustration of many of us that do take the time to try and help and answer questions.

<img src="smileys/smiley32.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

Agree. I came here from using UDK so I was basically transferring the same skills to Construct 2. Knowing another engine prior to Construct 2 is also good!

I agree with a ton of it! I would suggest a more comprehensive FAQ thread or something, but maybe those specific people wouldn't actually check it anyways. I know that once I got trigger and continuous events figure out, things turned easy as heck with C2 (and CC) and solved most of my issues. Ie, events that trigger once when conditions are met VS events that run continuously while conditions are true.

Weird, I could have swore there was a post on here I was responding too.

Anyway, it must have been deleted, but I will post anyway :).

No, I did not mean don't ask questions. Of course not. I spend tons of time on here answering questions because I enjoy doing it. 90 percent of my posts are being helpful, and that is how I try to inspire new users. What I am saying is many of the new users come on these forums without ever looking at the manual, or going through the tutorials. You sir, are obviously not one of those people.

I am in no way trying to put myself on a pedestal. What I am simply trying to do is get through to people that it's much easier to get help and understand the help given if you actually understand a bit more of how Construct 2 works.

Sorry if I came off as arrogant and all "High and Mighty." Not my intention at all, but I had a feeling some might feel that way. I apologize.

I understand what you feel, And I learned C2 by reading the manual, taking time to it, struggling with it, playing around with it, gently making love with it (It was my first time using C2, so the joke was obvious).

    I encourage everyone first to do little things with C2, just to adapt to how the interface works, then start reading the first tutorial (which could be(is?) with C2 itself) with the manual so you understand clearly.

    If you have trouble, try to read the manual/see if you've done changes to your events that causes a problem, then do a little search in the forum.

    If you are still having trouble, then post your question, with also what you understood / think about the problem you're encountering, eventually what you've read that you think is related, so we can know what you've done.

    But Still, I found the first post a little agressive, and it can make new users think they are responsible for not finding awnsers themselves, where it is not the case.

for helpers: a good thing to do is give a full detailed explanation about the logic behind it sometimes, not just solve it in the .cap for the user.

i'v learn a lot searching the forum on old and aready answered questions, but in the past it was difficult to implement the solution on my own project because it was not explained property in the comments and the .cap that contained the solution was dead; so today when i help some one here i try to be expecific but detailed (if i really know the logic), this way if other have the same problem or the same doubt is a way to solve it faster and without the need of downloading something.

i know that everyone are working on theirs things and maybe have no time for a long answer but hey, sometimes a really good explanation can solve more than one problem and it can prevent more ppl to question the same thing over and over because they dont understand the logic behind it. :]

Great post! :)

Now I feel guilty.

But as others have pointed out, the problem is twofold: newbies don't want to take the time to learn, and those who do help tend to solve the problem and not explain how it was solved.

If you explain how something is solved to me, I might have follow-up questions that expand on the method you used and how it might apply to other situations. This helps me understand your solution and be able to apply it to more than one project.

Another issue is that there's no obvious learning path. If there was a stickied post titled "Learn to use C2" with links to tutorials to follow in order, then that might really help. Reading the manual is not going to teach us how to use C2. It's a great reference, but it does not actually give us steps to follow.

Any software comes with a learning curve. C2 learning curve is a gradual easy slop, unlike some of the steep slopes I've climbed in the past.

Perfection is the culprit here. Nobody wants to make mistakes and therefor are afraid to trail and error there way through an issue.

They also don't understand that a game (simple as it appears to be) has multiple dimensions to it, lots of components that need to be created/built.

But boy is it fun to get something right, then make it better, more efficient, and streamlined. Building something that works is PURE JOY!

Excal: I am learning via your learning :) You made your learning a community project - very cool. Tons of inputs from various minds. A peek over my should type deal.

I couldn't agree more to the OP!

But this:

But as others have pointed out, the problem is twofold: newbies don't want to take the time to learn, and those who do help tend to solve the problem and not explain how it was solved.

If you explain how something is solved to me, I might have follow-up questions that expand on the method you used and how it might apply to other situations. This helps me understand your solution and be able to apply it to more than one project.is also very true. And it is the reason why I try to explain a lot and give background information, which others might find "too much text to read". I did this already on the CC forums and do it here, because I refuse to accept that anyone does NOT want to learn.

And I commend the following to any starters with C2:

But boy is it fun to get something right, then make it better, more efficient, and streamlined. Building something that works is PURE JOY!This feeling doesn't go away, even after decades of developing. And trust me, even the most talented programmers, with experiences we can only dream of, will feel the same. Just ask Ashley, I'm sure he'll confirm.

But that's a feeling you would never feel, if not learning, but just using premade solutions from others without understanding them.

But that's a feeling you would never feel, if not learning, but just using premade solutions from others without understanding them.

Exactly <img src="smileys/smiley4.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

Its great to start of with some basic examples, but growth comes when you grow those basics into fully functional, multidimensional, projects.

No project is alike, though they are similiar in many areas -

It is the 'unique' that separates them. Which is what beginners don't understand, they seek it do what y does, without making their baby a y+Z. They forget about the [Z]AP! I'm special because... principle.

Worst still, they want you to make it for them - lol.

Too many people come on here now and say I need help to make this entire game. They are expecting a .capx with it made and they have no knowledge of C2 or want to gain any knowledge of the software.

Also related to learning C2, I like the idea of the C2 in Education section on the site. Kinda makes me want to become a teacher and run a small game creation class based around C2 use.

Excal: I am learning via your learning :) You made your learning a community project - very cool. Tons of inputs from various minds. A peek over my should type deal.

I think sharing of code is why the open source movement is so strong in the first place. It's a great way to learn. A lot of questions people ask in this forum are already implemented in various projects already, but most people aren't willing to share their .capx for numerous reasons that I understand.

For those curious, this is my open source project. I'm glad it has helped you, DUTOIT, and I hope it can help others!

I too started with a bit of understanding already in place, having worked through "Basic" history. C64 basic to AMOS (Amiga) to Visual Basic on PC.

(plus a dozen other scripting "languages")

So I got the flow of Construct2 quicker than when I made the move to VB with it's event driven code. (Sort of like triggers in Construct2.)

I don't want to suggest newcomers all start making Flow Charts, (I've never found them useful.) But the first lesson should be grasping the concept of organizing the game to do and handle everything needed without ending up with unmanageable spaghetti code too complicated to finish.

There are good tutorials, Kittiewan's match game tutorial was the first I used. A bit advanced, but it was closest to the puzzle game I had in mind. (Pucked)

Another good one is Kyatric's "Asteroid clone in less than 100 events" he covers the planning and thought processes very well.

So for a list of progression, I'd say do the Beginner's guide, then start looking for tutorials that are similar to what you want to make.

Trying to get through a tutorial you don't have any interest in, will make it more like "work," and it should always be fun.