Hello --

I am part of the technical support team and an ARK coder. I am available for small projects if you contact me privately.

I have done several projects already and am in the process of doing several more.

It might be nice to have people introduce themselves here together with their knowledge and interest in ARK.

Cerulean

\o/

Hi all,

Whilst I haven't had much time lately I have been learning how to use ARK. I am happy to show people the basics and get anyone started using it. Feel free to send me an IG mail. Happy to show how I would personally going about make something using ARK but be warned- I am sure there are better ways out there :p

I would love to learn more about it, but I do not know very much at all about programming. I do not know how to write a script, or how to get started with a project in the sense of 'adding' things to it. so far I have a project started just for playing around to try to understand how it works. So far Im discouraged :(
I have some Ideas to work on though if it is possible. I am thinking maybe i could help out better on the Level Design team or graphics which I know more about rather than Arcc, but Arcc still interests me.

Hey.
My main problem is *time*
my plans for ryzom were "crossed" by the birth of my little daughter :)
We are moving / are moved (but still not ready) and it's a additional time killer for now

I was so happy when ryzom forge were anounced, but now ...
my skills at 3d modelling are at "noob" level, so i won't waste the little time for that ...
skills at skinning and texturing are moderate i think (with enough time o.O)
but the best for now would be - let say "collecting ideas and bring them alive".
Since RzomRing a wanted to add some cool stuff inGame, but Ring were not powerful enough. Ark sounds great, but a have really really few time to get things to work ... so it would be cool if some one could help me to get the stuff in my head by some little praxis.

the advantage of "collecting ideas" is ...you can do it at work as well *g

Naema (and others) --

The basic way to start a script is to write it in English (or other native tongue). Figure out what you want to do and how you want the the players to interact with any spawned creatures/NPC's/objects. I do this in a word processor.

At this point, checking with an ARK specialists might save you some time if what you want to do is currently beyond the abilities of ARK (or even the server). It will also need to be checked out to make sure that it isn't going to break something already planned.

Then you write a step by step procedure (again in English or your native tongue) for the idea. What needs to happen? Where do people have to be? In what order do things have to be done? What are people going to say (if interacting with NPCs). The word processor gets more work.

Then you can call in an Ark technician and he or she translates that into ARK. If you want to learn ARK, you have already made it a lot easier on yourself. The translation may not be obvious, but it's going to be a lot easier to program little bits than to try to do it all at once.

Then comes debugging, play testing, modifications and changes, more debugging, more play testing, etc. This part can take far longer than the idea, outline and coding combined.

ARK is like Ryzom -- it has a learning cliff but for now there are no helpful trainers with high xp rewards. However, you can ask questions, just as in the real game. The IRC channel #ryzomatys is a good place to start, both with ideas and with questions about ARK.



-- Cerulean ( who echoes the plaint of "not enough time...")
P.S. I speak as a member of the Event Team, not for the Event Team.

It sounds like you are describing a script like a screenplay, or movie? I can do that. I understand that better.

But i thought the ARCC is asking for a script like in a computer scripting language or like a batch file? This kind of thing i do not know how to do. But it still interests me and I do not mind learning some if I can.

Perhaps I will first get my ideas together and get it organized. Thanks

It is exactly like writing a screenplay. If the story isn't good, then all the technical expertise in the world won't save it.

Whether it is an automated mission from an NPC or an event with animation, the story is the first thing. ARK does things like set up the NPC, put down special effects, keep track of where the player is in a mission, create extra mobs for an event and determine their behavior, etc.

ARK is a module based scripting language. It can include some BBcode for doing calculations. Without a story and a screenplay, it is useless.

-- Cerulean

--
As always I speak as a member of the Event Team, not for the Event Team.