God School: Revival??

[thinkslogically]

I feel like we need more games in here, so I've dusted off this thread from the keenspot forum in the hope that it will help inspire any budding GMs out there to try their hand at designing & running a forum game. There's a fair emphasis on learning to use drawing tools to create a game with art, but there should be loads in here for everyone.

For those who don't remember it from the Keenspot forum, it was basically a forum 'class' on how to design & draw a dungeon adventure with sprites using drawing software like Gimp (free), with the aim of getting more people to create and GM games on the forum. It was never officially finished, but there's still loads in the thread that is useful to get you a really long way towards building a dungeon, and if you get stuck and need more help, there are plenty of us on here who can probably help

Lesson Thread: The tutorial part where you learn how to do it all.
'Game' Thread: The part where everyone practiced the lessons and then showed off the outcomes of their assignments (very cool).

So, I would like to know 2 things:

1. Is there interest from forumites to start this up again (from scratch) and play?
2. Since it's a massive amount of effort for one person to run, would any of the current GMs be willing to share the load and teach a couple of the lessons? What Ratha left was awesome, so those lessons could be rerun more or less as they were, just with new players and new settings to suit the 'tutor', but if everyone who is currently GMing something (doesn't have to be an art game) could pick a lesson they could lead we could run new lessons as a bunch of workshops.

What do you guys think?

-----------------------------

Current Lesson Plan (subject to change)

1. Installing a graphics program & some drawing basics (thinkslogically)
2. Using Layers (thinkslogically)
3. Creating a freestyle adventure (Arles)
4. Editing someone elseÔÇÖs work (thinkslogically)
5. The selection tools (thinkslogically)
6. The path tool (thinkslogically)
7. Making your own sprites (thinkslogically)
8. Building a simple dungeon (thinkslogically)
9. Making animated gifs (M0rtimer / LooksandSmiles)
10. Q&A Session (everyone!)
11. Keeping everything organised with spreadsheets (lingrem)
12. Using BBCode to format your game in-forum (SeeAMoose)
13. Constructing a plot (NEED A TUTOR)
14. Map making (LooksAtYouFunny)
15. Monsters & Traps (NEED A TUTOR)
16. Populating your world with NPCs (lingrem)
17. LOOT! (Arles)
18. Balancing the stats (NEED A TUTOR)
19. Setting the mood (Arles)
20. How they did it: LoneStarNorthÔÇÖs games (LSN)
21. How they did it: EvilCoatRackÔÇÖs games (ECR)
22. Actually doing it (thinkslogically)
23. Graduation.

[M0rtimer]

Well I had been considering this myself, but never really indulged into it due to the fact I'd hardly consider myself "skilled" enough to put the time in it, not to mention the time it would take to prepare each lesson. But I suppose I could help with a single lesson. I've learnt how to do basic animations using GIMP, so I could potentially do that lesson, if you'd want me to.

Don't make me do spreadsheets. I'm terrible at spreadsheets.

[thinkslogically]

Yeah, I'm crap at them too. Obsidian Portal is great, but I am constantly forgetting to put stuff in there (or more often, to remove things when they run out). We'll see if there's any demand for it yet, but yeah if you can do animations that would be awesome I've done some shit ones in PS, but I'd be keen to learn how to do them properly.

[lingrem]

Umm... spreadsheets?

..... umm. LOL. I made two very comprehensive spreadsheets... one for the NPCs/locations... and one for quests.

They have corresponding Word Documents that link to more detailed descriptions of the quests and npcs... in the NPC spreadhsheet they've all got a #001 number that lets me find them in the word document... and the quest spreadsheet has *001 onstructure to let me find it in in the quest word document...

[thinkslogically]

Was that the sound of you volunteering for the spreadsheet lesson lin?

Seriously, I'd be interested to hear how other folk do it that isn't just 'write some rough notes and wing the rest'

[lingrem]

I could take a stab at it. My spreadsheets are the Epic Spreadsheets of Awesome, at least, that's what I named them..... they're huge. PM me your email, I'll send you one and you can boggle over my insanity

[GathersIngredients]

OooooOOOOOoooooooh. I'd be very interested to attend. Can I sign up already?

[thinkslogically]

Sure!

... You know it might just be you in this class, right?

[I'mBob]

Sure!

... You know it might just be you in this class, right?

Nope, me too.

[LooksAndSmiles]

Although I already made animation with gimp and 3rd party software, I think it would be indeed useful to see how it's properly done, so I'd also like to learn about that. In case I find the time I will write up a tutorial about animations too, but this won't be anytime soon.

Learning to do spreadsheets properly is also something useful for all the DMs, I think. I know my method of using simple Excel files with different tabs is not too efficient, so this is an intriguing question too.

On a side note, Gimp has 2.8.2 out, which has a ton of cool features, for example organizing layers into layer groups. This might not be an obvious edge at fist, but if you have 4 layers for the map and 1 separate layer for about 10 players and also at least 6 layers for equipment, you'll quickly start to love it...

[thinkslogically]

Cool stuff! L&S, do you want to talk to m0rt about the animation one?

[M0rtimer]

To be honest I do not know that much about animating- But I figured out the main concept of how it works through GIMP, and I'd be willing to do a bit more research on it if necessary.

Also... Layer...Groups? That. Sounds. Amazing.

[thinkslogically]

I'd be happy to help with the drawing stuff, but I don't know GIMP at all, only Photoshop. Photoshop CS2 is now freely available from Adobe though (it's an older version, but still overkill for this level of graphics!) so I don't know if people would prefer to switch to that or if it would all just get too confusing?

[lingrem]

I'm a photoshop user... although rather rusty!

And I'm by EVERY means an amateur with spreadsheets - I taught myself how to make my excel sheet look the way I wanted it to look, and figured it all out. So there's likely loads of other ways to do them... but the way I did it is one method.

[thinkslogically]

I think we're all in the same boat lin And the way I was thinking of it was that one person would take on a lesson to 'host' (e.g. do the required background prep e.g. learning / art / examples etc.) but that everyone else with experience (or just a good idea) could also join in and post their suggestions. It would make them all more like workshops than classes and would hopefully lessen the pressure on the host to feel like they had to know everything about everything.

[Donnigan]

I would be very interesting to join in(The class at least). I seem to have lost any Gimp Knowledge I had(As well as the Computer that had Gimp on it...)

[SeeAMoose]

I'm a photoshop user... although rather rusty!

And I'm by EVERY means an amateur with spreadsheets - I taught myself how to make my excel sheet look the way I wanted it to look, and figured it all out. So there's likely loads of other ways to do them... but the way I did it is one method.

I'd be happy to help with a workshop on spreadsheets, I use excel for EVERYTHING. Seriously, I didn't like how my office handled tour requests, so I built a new automated spreadsheet full of shiny little macros to replace the system we had in place. I can probably figure out a way to set up a character sheet page with a drop down to select which character sheet you want up. I can also lead a workshop on the available advanced bbcodes for Game Masters, although in general I don't think that's a feature the Game Masters have tried to take advantage of yet and GM's will have to figure out how best to incorporate those formatting tricks into their game to enhance the feel of it.

[thinkslogically]

I'd be happy to help with a workshop on spreadsheets, I use excel for EVERYTHING. Seriously, I didn't like how my office handled tour requests, so I built a new automated spreadsheet full of shiny little macros to replace the system we had in place. I can probably figure out a way to set up a character sheet page with a drop down to select which character sheet you want up. I can also lead a workshop on the available advanced bbcodes for Game Masters, although in general I don't think that's a feature the Game Masters have tried to take advantage of yet and GM's will have to figure out how best to incorporate those formatting tricks into their game to enhance the feel of it.

Sounds good Moose! I didn't even know that 'advanced bbcodes' was a thing so that would be awesome

[lingrem]

Moosey - the stuff you're talking about is SO very different from the sorts of spreadsheet I'm talking about from the sounds of it, so that'd be great!

Do I as a Controvery!mod have those same bbcode things, or should I ask to be joined in that group?

[LooksAndSmiles]

I'm a photoshop user... although rather rusty!

And I'm by EVERY means an amateur with spreadsheets - I taught myself how to make my excel sheet look the way I wanted it to look, and figured it all out. So there's likely loads of other ways to do them... but the way I did it is one method.

I'd be happy to help with a workshop on spreadsheets, I use excel for EVERYTHING. Seriously, I didn't like how my office handled tour requests, so I built a new automated spreadsheet full of shiny little macros to replace the system we had in place. I can probably figure out a way to set up a character sheet page with a drop down to select which character sheet you want up. I can also lead a workshop on the available advanced bbcodes for Game Masters, although in general I don't think that's a feature the Game Masters have tried to take advantage of yet and GM's will have to figure out how best to incorporate those formatting tricks into their game to enhance the feel of it.

DANG! I just realized the Mighty Moose accepted my application as a GM!

I quickly took advantage of the tabs, making some spiffy and incomplete character sheets... for a minesweeping game that totally does NOT need them at all. Still, I feel so good now.

Thank you, oh Pearl of Admins!

[thinkslogically]

Ok, I've updated our list to include the following

• thinks (Using GIMP / sprite art stuff / 'leftover' lessons),
• m0rt (animation)
• lin (spreadsheets)
• L&S (animation)
• moose (spreadsheets / BBcode)
• Arles (free drawing / item crafting* / mood*)
• LoneStarNorth ('Case Study': Making an LSN game)
• EvilCoatRack ('Case Study': Escape from Brassmoon / Destiny of the Stonetear Clan)

The original god school got through 10 lessons, so we can follow those again relatively easily without a massive amount of extra prep work (besides understanding the lessons!). I would be happy enough to
lead on some of the spritey / arty ones since that's what I'm used to doing, but also happy for others to do a few too and share their tips!

The updated lesson thread I found midway through is this one:

Looking at the old lessons, I'll reorder the GIMP tutorials a bit so they're a bit easier to get started with etc. but it'll be something approximately like:

1. Part One: Drawing your game
2. Thinkslogically: Getting a graphics program; Basic drawing tools; Uploading to the interwebs
3. Thinkslogically: More advanced drawing tools and image types
4. Arles: Free-drawing (for a Memories / Escape! type game)
5. Thinkslogically: Editing other people's images pictures (we have a lot of forum resources, let's use them)
6. Thinkslogically: The layer tool (building up a scene)
7. Thinkslogically: The selection tool (moving elements around)
8. Thinkslogically: Making rooms
9. Thinkslogically: The path tool
10. Thinkslogically: Further notes on editing
11. Thinkslogically: Poses
12. M0rtimer / LooksandSmiles: Animated gifs
13. Free day + Q and A period.
    
    Part 2: Building your world
14. Constructing a plot
15. Creating the setting (world building; making interesting puzzles & battles)
16. Populating your world (NPCs & Monsters)
17. Arles: Setting the mood
18. Arles: LOOT! (Item crafting)
19. (Balancing your stats??)
20. Lingrem: Keeping it all organised (Using spreadsheets in your game)
21. SeeAMoose: Using BBCode to organise your game in-forum.
22. LoneStarNorth: Case Study of LSN games
23. EvilCoatRack: Case Study of ECR games
24. Actually doing it.
25. Graduation.

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Obviously this is a fair amount of work, and I know that some of you guys have offered to do more than the lessons you've put down for. I've tried to keep it relatively evenly spread so no-one's doing a huge amount more than anyone else, but we could use a couple more lessons being covered (the nameless ones at the mo), so if you think you have the time to do one of those as well then that would be great - just let me know

I'm otherwise happy to push this on and pick up any lessons that no-one else wants though so we should be grand! Just need a load of time to get it prepared

[M0rtimer]

Yeah, I'd suggest a week in between each time.

And there's a lot of things I think I could possibly cover, but I don't want to take too much stuff on my plate.

Also, part of the original appeal was that everyone could join since all programs would be free... I suppose it is with the older version of photoshop being able to be downloaded for free though, not to mention I have the actual photoshop now.

[thinkslogically]

I hear you on the free time front

I like the functionality of PS better than GIMP - I personally find it easier to use and it's a bit less clunky so would prefer to restart with that rather than GIMP if folk are ok with that? Lessons would all be based on the free version though, because as you say, there's no point if it's not inclusive of everyone.

[BadgeAddict]

I suppose i have a question about this. Why not just create a topic and post in the first 10+ slots yourself, put it in resources... basically, make a powerpoint on the given subject. This will allow two things:
1. you have all the time in the world, and
2. anyone who misses the actual workshop (if you would like to have one) can walk through the lesson plan on their own.

Just an idea, i will disappear into the fog of war again.

As for Art, if you lack any skill whatsoever, i found this great website with free lessons to help mold you into an artist. (I lack the time to print them out)

http://www.drawspace.com/

[M0rtimer]

Well, I do prefer GIMP, but only because I've been accustomed to it... But if we were to do photoshop, I may very well switch to that permanently.

It would mean you'd have to rework all lessons though. You'd have a basic template provided by Ratha's old lessons, but you'd need to retake all pictures since a lot of things work different in PS, or are differently placed at the very least.

Also, there's a lot of functionality in photoshop that there isn't in GIMP... Maybe a lesson on that?

Actually, I had to study photoshop for class and... One of my teachers did this amazing work on a guide considering it. I'm talking like... 150 pages. It's literally a book she could sell and make money for it, and she gave it to us for free so she could teach all subjects like she wanted, not to mention provide this guide to us for free.

Sadly, I can't share it. Her one request considering it was that because she put a lot of work in it, she did so for her classes and didn't want any of us sharing it. :/