[KARMA]

I've been out for a while, and I started looking for what's new. Is there a list of features and an how- to-use description somewhere? I remember something like that in the wiki -althought not really updated- but I can't find it anymore.
please don't tell me I have to dig trough all the recent builds forum:)

[ni1s]

The wiki: http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

[WMCoolmon]

It's easiest to just ask right now. I'd guess that new features are used less than a third of what they would be if they were properly documented...

[KARMA]

The wiki: http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

the wiki, since I looked at it months ago, seem changed a lot. There were many pages of descriptions of scp features and how to properly use em. They weren't updated but they were something. Aside from the command tags and the tables I can't find those description anymore (well, probably I haven't searched too much but I saw no links pointing to what I'm looking for).
Guess I'll have to spend some hours in the recent builds forum then...not exactly what I hoped:p
BTW I think that the absence of proper documentation, more than making modders to not use all the scp features, can keep new/newbie modders from modding at all.

[Kaine]

i'm with karma on this one, having just recently delved into the sex on a stick that is FS2_Open (although i've known about it for some time) the guides on setting up and getting certain features to work (especially with the far superior SCP builds) are either seriously outdated and/or nonexistant. the Wiki forumites seem too busy squabbling over wiki features and font styles to keep their damn wiki updated. i really think the SCP programmers really should do something to remedy this, rather than expecting others to explain features and functionality they are implementing. just a short note somewhere in a collective forum post or *shock* on the wiki about a new feature you've implemented would go a long way to softening the learning curve for managing a FS2_Open installation.

just my $0.02

[karajorma]

Thing is that anyone can add stuff to the wiki. Don't be looking at the programmers to do everything. The more time we spend explaining stuff on the wiki the less time we can actually spend programming.

If people were to enter the basics into the wiki and then leave it to a programmer to correct mistakes things would move faster

[WMCoolmon]

Yeah, ideally someone would scan the forums and the mailing list, and update the wiki whenever a code update is made. It is much, much easier to just explain what something does, than to try and write up a well-formatted howto guide in the wiki that's also newbie-friendly.

[Kaine]

It is much, much easier to just explain what something does

this is all i (we?) are looking for, and certainly all I was asking for. incidentally, is there any kind of collective changelog or additions list for the CVS? this would be a great start. just a dot-point list of new features so people can ask about anything they find interesting or would like more info about.

[KARMA]

mmm may I suggest a simple solution?
you guys could open an "how to" or "modding FAQ" or "whatever you want" forum, whenever a new feature is added the programmer should post his very first explanation here with a clear title. If someone has doubts about how to do a thing, it's faster to search a forum knowing what each thread will contain, and if the explanation isn't enough everybody will be able to reply on that thread and receive help about that specific issue from anyone in the community. Useless replies should be deleted and the result would be something like a FAQ, which could serve as a base to add things later in the wiki.
Probably it'd be more efficent if only moderators could open new threads, but you may consider to let everybody open new threads in order to cover every aspect of modding (althought those are probably enough documented already) plus the old features and not only the new scp features.

[WMCoolmon]

The most efficient thing would really be a feature tracker that could be linked to mantis once the article was finished. That way you'd have an easily searchable database of when a feature was added as well as by title or coder or what-have-you. At least IMHO.

[karajorma]

the mailing list

Now how do I go about subscribing to that again? Can't see anything about it on the SCP site.

[jr2]

@KARMA:

Right on the main page, under Freespace Source Code Project > Command-Line Reference
direct link: http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Command-Line_Reference

Also on the main page, try under Modding Freespace > General Modding > Tables
direct link: http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Category:Tables

Also you'd better look at Freespace Source Code Project > Getting Started ; it's probably changed.  There are probably more ways to use MODs that have now been implemented (you don't have to stick them in the main dir, which lets you run a MOD of a MOD, and switch between MODs without moving stuff around.)

Also, in your Launcher (latest is 5.3), under the Development Tools in the Features tab, at the bottom there are two checkboxes, they allow you to export a list with short descriptions of current sexps and scripts to .html files of the same names under you FS2 directory.  Just don't forget to un-check them after you've exported to allow FS to actually launch instead of exporting (You export by selecting the checkbox and hitting 'Run' once...I think you have to export one file at a time.)
Just some tips... have fun!