New Support video

[Skuzzy]

Add a basic joystick configuration and mapping video to our Youtube channel.

Check the sticky, at the top of this forum for the full list of help videos.

Working on the advanced stick mapping video now.

[morfiend]

 I havent watched the videos as of yet but thank you for doing this,I will now have a proper place to send players for help with setup etc.




   

[Tinkles]

Very nicely done, easy to follow and superbly explained.

Didn't need it, but still nice to have. 

[SPKmes]

This will be a great help.. nice vid

I'm not sure if you guys had already planned on this but it might be nice to have a small snippets showing (ads basically)and directing people to the setup vids when they are installing the game... Much like when you install windows and the like.... gives people who just jump in boots and all before reading (most keen new comers) a little direction and also informs them that there is a help video for different aspects that you guys are currently building...
The part of that vid that mentions about going into offline mode first to set up before starting your two week timer is great advice that many wouldn't get (like me for instance) I spent the first week learning this stuff purely because I just wanted to get started straight away without any real knowledge... I was lucky that I was whipped up by spatula early and he explained many of these things to me... but others may not get that get frustrated that they can't just up and fly etc etc

Before you start your Two week trial go offline and set up right

[Lazerr]

It might be of help to have the basic controls like X axis and Y axis type settings already applied to each new user, regardless of what type of control they use.  Maybe it is that way for stick users, but I use a mouse myself.  When i first starting playing, and when I have installed AH on a new computer there are absolutely no input controls on first log in.

It seems as though a lot of people now a days give up with little to any challenge placed in front of them.  If they log in for the first time, and cannot do basic control of their plane, just to check the game out, they will likely delete.

Just a thought.  I was never into flight sims, and thankfully I stuck around to figure it out.

[Skuzzy]

Thank you for the feedback.

Some good ideas.  I am going to break apart this first video into two parts.  Creating a support type of video for the first part, and the actual mapping for part two then the advanced stuff in part three.

Mouse is going to get its own video.

[bortas1]

  real neat

[Gman]

I like it, it's a great start if HTC is moving towards a more streamlined or consolidated "new player" set of instructions.  Accurate, simple, efficient video to teach new players how to set up their hardware, which is really the first step before even learning how to play.

I would say as well that the stick/hardware system in AH is by far and away the best out of any flight sim I've seen.  DCS is a lot more of a PITA than AH is, as is every other game out there IMO.  It IS still pretty complex to a non-simmer or even casual simmer, and this video should make the learning curve a lot flatter for newcomers.

[Bizman]

Nice, and easy to understand even if English isn't one's native language.

A couple of comments, though:

First, IMO the insert is waaaaayyy too long although for what I've seen that seems to be a standard in this type of short video lessons. But seriously, 18 seconds of just some noise and an animated logo? Then some static title text on the clipboard for 45 seconds to be continued with a static maproom image until the real tutorial starts at 1:17. Would an ADHD teenager wait through that yada yada yada until starting to get any real information? At least, how about putting the main points of the speech as text over the static image like in a PowerPoint slide show for an illusion of action? - I looked at some Looney Tunes cartoons for comparison and lo and behold the logo gets the same length of showtime as the tutorial in question! But after that things get faster, the title and credit texts only take some 15 seconds until the actual show starts.

Second, the tutorial videos should be advertised more aggressively. A curious potential ace will most probably navigate to the download section as quick as possible without even looking at the other titles, so putting a link in the downloads wouldn't hurt. Another link might be useful inside the game alongside the Web Page Help link in the clipboard.

[Skuzzy]

I agree Bizman.  That is why I am breaking apart the video into three, maybe four sections, instead of two.

The first part of this current video will be in a separate video and contain a bit more information concerning various items such as a powered USB hub, and USB support in general (computers have multiple hubs and so on).  For the ADD type, I have come up with some simple animations to draw their attention to key points and act as an aid to the hearing impaired.

The second video will be made up of the existing video as it is now.  I am looking to add some things which will facilitate understanding of the video if English is not your primary language as well as for the hearing impaired.

The third video will contain an extensive advanced programming tutorial.  I might break thing into two parts.  I will not know until I get the script completed.  It is looking like it will need to be two videos though.  I just have to figure out the break point for them.

Scripting and syncing it all takes some time.

I think adding the links to the download section is a good idea.  I'll discuss it with HiTech.  <S>

[Gman]

I think adding the links to the download section is a good idea.  I'll discuss it with HiTech.  <S>

I agree.  In fact IMO it would be a lot easier for new players, and possibly be a factor in retention rates with them, if all of the "new guy" type of information, from all the information in the wiki, various game manual places, and these new videos, all be accessible from a very, very easy to see button or link on the front page, and all be in that one place.  There is piles of great information on the HTC webpages, it's just not consolidated or all that easy to find in a simple 1, 2 ,3 flow chart sort of way.

I know at Star Citizen, their manual and instructions are ten times worse than HTC in its current form, and it's something that many over there have been pointing out as a major issue - finding out how to do stuff is spread all over their webpage, throughout their forums, and in various PDFs they've created, many no longer up to date, but still lingering around and being found in their search engine.  As a new player there, I found this exceptionally frustrating.  I'm not saying that's the case at HTC, it's in no way nearly that bad, however it is an issue IMO on a smaller scale, and I know from recent example even myself it took a bunch of digging just to find the information regarding using part of the radio system in game that had been updated long ago, yet I'd never noticed or used.  If a "getting started, manual+help video" large icon/button was on the homepage, and had all that information and was regularly updated (much easier if all the info is contained in just once place, not several), in my opinion it would really help new guys out, even older ones at times, plus give the trainers a place to direct their trainees that is all inclusive.

I understand right now in the middle of a major development cycle that time is probably extremely tight, and I also realize how much work and time it takes just to create a single video on just one single topic as this one.  Hopefully whoever HTC got to work on the wiki page would be willing to chip in some extra and work on the non-video aspects of the game/help manual, and try and consolidate all the current info in the various places on the website, the bbs/news patch updates, and the like, all into one easy to find place.  Most of the info is all there, in those places, and just needs, again IMO, to be moved into a simplified single location.