Request: sticky 'How to help console players' please

[swjr-swis]

Not a support request, but a suggestion:

I see KasperVld already added a sticky to explain how to request help, meant for console players. This is good. May I suggest a second sticky that adds some hints on 'how to help console players'?

Most (all?) of the experienced KSP players in this forum have been playing on computers with keyboards, mice, joysticks, and an OS that allows them a lot of freedom and flexibility in doing things to edit/change/enhance the game, including modding. This community is very good at offering advice of all sorts based on this, from the quick tips to in depth analysis and solutions... but a lot of it could be unusable for console players.

Console players may not have the option to 'press mod-F5, you know, on your keyboard' for a named quicksave, or 'rightclick to open the part menu', or 'install <fav mod XYZ> to get a read-out', or 'check the log for errors'. I for one have none of the consoles, and have zero idea if any of these things even have an alternative on consoles, let alone which one that is. I may know the answer to a question or how to solve a problem, but without knowing what can or cannot be offered, or what the standard console controls are replacing the keyboard and mouse buttons, anything I write may be next to useless and probably only frustrating to the console player.

So... maybe a post can be compiled and stickied that lists

1. things NOT to suggest to console players, because they don't have those options (mods? pressing keys? clicking mice? etc),
2. things not to ask of console players (can console players 'provide logs' - stated as a requirement sometimes),
3. a table of controls 'translations' for common things, like what replaces the left and rightclicks, or the most common keys, or even UI element differences,
4. anything else that can be foreseen to cause confusion when a PC player tries to help out a console player.

I think having something like that stickied up will help avoid confusion and frustration, promote cross-platform assistance, and generally help the console players to benefit from the existing experience and helpfulness of the community.

Edited July 13, 2016 by swjr-swis
ugh many typing errors, from late night posting comes

[bewing]

Before we can get to the point of knowing what console players can't do (and therefore shouldn't be asked to do), I think we need to know what console players are capable of doing, if they are already experts at the game. We need some of them to start making a list here. Can they figure out a way to install a mod? Can they open a context menu and modify wheel friction, for example? Can they get a screenshot posted to imgur? Can they get a logfile uploaded to the interwebz? Can they access the F12 debug menu?

 

Edited July 15, 2016 by bewing

[swjr-swis]

1 hour ago, bewing said:

I think we need to know what console players are capable of doing

Call me an optimist, but I departed from the thought that there's going to be only a few things that we take for granted on the PC/Mac that can't (easily/commonly) be done on the consoles. I figured that would be a much shorter list, thus more efficient to make into a post/howto and to quickly reference when responding in aid, than the reverse.

Not much point in listing everything that the game can do or that can be done with the game... those of us that have been using the game on PC/Mac already know all that can (potentially) be done, we already expect those same possibilities to be there. The whole point was, the few unexpected/unanticipated things caused by the differences in platform. So we don't frustrate them or ourselves giving impossible instructions or asking for things they can't provide.

[bewing]

On 7/15/2016 at 0:50 PM, swjr-swis said:

Call me an optimist, but I departed from the thought that there's going to be only a few things that we take for granted on the PC/Mac that can't (easily/commonly) be done on the consoles. I figured that would be a much shorter list, thus more efficient to make into a post/howto and to quickly reference when responding in aid, than the reverse.

Not much point in listing everything that the game can do or that can be done with the game... those of us that have been using the game on PC/Mac already know all that can (potentially) be done, we already expect those same possibilities to be there. The whole point was, the few unexpected/unanticipated things caused by the differences in platform. So we don't frustrate them or ourselves giving impossible instructions or asking for things they can't provide.

Yes, but if 500 players can't download any mods, and one can -- then we need to know how, before we can say not to ask about it. And the same with screenshots, and craft files, and logfiles, and context menus, and key translations, and setting up USB mice, etc. The list of what not to ask about depends on that one key console player who has figured out a way to actually do something. From what I've read so far, external USB keyboards and mice are not currently supported, and mods are not supported .... unless someone really clever figures out how to do it. And if someone does, we can tell people who ask how it was done.

 

Just found out -- these console players seem to be running game version 1.1.0.1157 (from april 19th). Not 1.1.3. So they are going to be dealing with a lot of bugs that have been fixed over the last 3 months.

Edited July 19, 2016 by bewing

[shuggaloaf]

Quote

How to help console players

Buy them the PC version?

Sorry, couldn't resist. I agree with Bewing, until the console versions of the game are kept updated to the current version there are going to be a ton of issues reported that have already been addressed.

[swjr-swis]

Mods, please close this thread.

I made my suggestion, there isn't an 'answer' to it, and the continuation of this thread has been derailed into all sorts of things that are exactly zero help for console players.

[sal_vager]

I'm sorry this had to be closed @swjr-swis, to be honest I'm not sure of the best way to help console players myself.

But I do know that we should offer what help we can while remaining true to the good conduct guide, new players who are joining us from consoles deserve to be treated properly, just like anyone else.