RiBob initial post from another thread. Moved here by moderator as part of cleaning-up the other thread.
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With all due respect, may I suggest, as I have done many times in the past, that a lucid, well-written tutorial be included in the game that explains all the various choices in the simplest manner possible?

This sim is very daunting, to any newbie, and needlessly so. A well constructed, and well-written TUTORIAL, specifically written for NEWBIES might be of great benefit.

All you old-timers are familiar with this sim, and how to set it just the way you want it. That is NOT so easy for a Newbie, and I reckon they will blow-off the game if it is too hard for them to play. Yes, all the setting-up is second-nature to old-timers, but to newbies, it is a confusing, daunting process.

If you want this game to get wide-scale use, then write instructions intended for people that have ZERO familiarity with the game.
V1.60 is a great sim, but the instructions for menu choices MUST be better written, and included within every download.

Installing the game is sufficiently difficult to discourage most new users, sad to say. The fault is theirs, in that respect.

Setting up the game, once installed, is another matter, and that process desperately needs a well-written tutorial.

Submitted in all helpfulness.

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seem to need some elaboration.

First, allow me to assure one and all that my remarks in this thread: https://SimHQ.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4487566/how-to-get-a-uaw160-installation#Post4487566 were NOT made as any sort of "dig" at V1.60. Far from it; I would like to see V1.60 gain far wider acceptance. To that end, my original comments were made.

I apologize if my comments were so poorly-worded that my original meaning was misconstrued.

I stand by my opinions, even if poorly-stated. While v1.6 is a fine sim, it's also fair to say that it is more difficult to install than some more modern sims, particularly for someone with scant experience concerning installing sims--IOW, a Newbie. Let me repeat that last; a Newbie. V1.60 can benefit from a wider, larger user base, and it is for the benefit of these (presumably) Newbie users that I made my comments.

Be that as it may, and there is obviously room for disagreement with the above, what is less disputable is the lack of a decent Tutorial concerning how to select scenarios, select aircraft, and so forth. In other words, the user interface (Front End) could be modified slightly to make it more intuitive and user-friendly. Along with slightly redesigned Front End, and a well-written tutorial for same, V1.60 would be, IMHO, vastly more attractive to most new users, and more easily played by even some experienced users. Ideally, such a tutorial on how to best use the Front End of the game would NOT be a "README" tucked-away within the game folder, but something that the User cannot possibly ignore, as well as something that most users will understand.

Again, V1.6 is a fine sim, but there is no sim so wonderful that there is no room for improvement.

Granted, the above is simply my personal opinion, and some will dispute it. Fair enough. Hopefully, the obviously helpful nature of my suggestions and proposed solution for some problems (as I perceive them) will be apparent to most fair-minded readers.

All the above is said with all possible good-will with regards to V1.60 and its' Modders/Contributors. I accept responsibility If I worded my comments poorly, but I do NOT accept responsibility for any ill-intent.

I can't help but think, after reading:


that if no one was inspired to write that "well-written tutorial" after your many previous suggestions, that:

1. Nobody else deems it worth the effort, in light of what already exist
2. Perhaps you should ask Mr. Jelly if he would include one that you created for the project

I am certainly willing to meet in the middle. I think it fair to say that the maker of an item, or sim, can be expected to fully understand it, and so explain it.

What I propose is for Mr Jelly to write a Tutorial for the USE--not installation-- of V1.60 that I will give private comments upon. No public confrontation, no hassle. Private. I will follow his instructions, to the letter, and provide private comments on how such instructions might be improved.

I certainly have NO desire to be confrontational, as explained many times before.

The fact that nobody has demanded such proves nothing. The experts here are already familiar with the sim. My entire point is to attract NEW users, who just might need a little help that a well-written tutorial about the user interface might provide. Installing the Sim might be problematic for the modern Newbie, who expects instant gratification/results. I get that, and the installation of the game just might be beyond their low level of frustration. I get that, as well. As I mentioned before, the problem lies with them, and not the Sim, in that regard.

Actually Running the sim needs a little work, IMHO. That's all. Asking for instructions on how to run a complex sim is not unreasonable, I think.

Please believe me that I am not being deliberately confrontational! I want the best for V1.60, and my suggestions are intended in that vein.

There is absolutely no need for a tutorial because the utility has just three lists for the user to click on to select a plane-set, an exe and a theatre. The only other thing the user can do is to click the launch button.
Consequently I am asking RIBob to do the following things:

1. Go to the first post in the "how to install....." thread, use the link to download the first 7-zip installer.
2. Move the downloaded file from your downloads folder to a place you want to install UAW160.
3. Run the first 7-zip installer
At this point you should have the equivalent of 1.2 and EAWPro with a single "eaw.exe", a default planeset and a default theatre.
You can run the "eaw.exe", set up a single mission, and fly it.

When you have done that please report back to the community about any difficulties that you had in getting to this point.

Then download the second installer and move it from your downloads folder into the UAW160 folder.
Then run it.
Go to your "UAW160" folder and check to see if the "PlaneSetExeTheatreSwitchV3.exe" file-manager runs.
If it does not then download the run-time files installer and run it as per the instructions.

Run the "PlaneSetExeTheatreSwitchV3.exe" file-manager.

This will allow you to do four things and nothing else apart from exiting the file-manager:
1. Click on the planeset list to select a planeset. When you select a planeset the planes are listed, and if you would prefer something else then you can click on another planeset.
2. Click on the eaw exe of your choice in the list of available eaw.exes.
3. Click on the theatre of your choice to select a theatre
4. Click on "Launch EAW" to run the game.

Once you have done that then report back re-any difficulties

As it was a four-step routine, with no other possibilities, please explain to the community why a tutorial for the use of the file-manager is needed?

And in this case, that maker has obviously decided that what already exist is adequate.



Actually, that would be a pretty good indication of adequacy... but then, I didn't make _that_ observation. What I observed was that apparently
"1. Nobody else deems it worth the effort, in light of what already exist"

and now it appears that it isn't worth it to you to expend the effort to write "a well-written tutorial" either.



You have indicated that you have asked for this multiple times. Nobody (including you) has seen fit to provide it. That is indicative of a lack of appetite for expending the effort upon it. In light of that, continued public requests for it, while you may not intend for it to be "deliberately confrontational", can be reasonably perceived as annoying or confrontational by others.

Mr. Jelly does not appear to be interested in expending additional effort in that direction. It does not appear that anybody else is interested in doing it either. That would suggest it is time to let it go, or write it yourself.

Good show there Cy ,,If it doesn't exist ,,well make it exist or drop it

Those people claiming that running the 160 file-manager is difficult need to understand how 160 actually works

The 160 exe looks for three files.

1. A "Dir.set" file in the root folder which is a list of places where it will find the files it needs for the theatre. This came into play when 1.28c was released.
2. A "PDir.set" file in the "Gamedata" folder which is a list of places where it will find the files it needs for the aircraft skins.
3. A "FMDir.set" file in the "Gamedata" folder which is a list of places where it will find the files it needs for the aircraft flight models.

"PDir.set" and "FMDir.set" files were first used in 1.28E

So, since 1.28E we have used file-managers to put these three files in the appropriate places to allow users to select different theatres and planesets.

Here's the one for EAW1.29:


In my opinion the "PlaneSetExeTheatreSwitchV3.exe" is the easiest of all of them to use. Nobody is suggesting that any of the previous ones were easier, or that there are difficulties with them, so why are people raising ill-founded concerns about using the "PlaneSetExeTheatreSwitchV3.exe" ?

Can anyone suggest a better way to put these three files in the right places?

Jel

If I may suggest, clearly labeling the on the abovementioned screen alternatives as "Step 1", "Step 2", and so forth, might be of great use to Newbies, and a considerable step in the right direction. As-presented, the user is possibly confused as to whether to read the choices right-to-left, or up vs down. Even if it makes no difference, newcomers to the game will no doubt appreciate a user-friendly, intuitive, interface, and be re-assured by cogent directions.

As it is, I regret that my comments have caused any problems, and certainly did not wish to cause offense. I have NO axe to grind, and do not suggest one version of the Sim over others.

That said, I DO want the sim to gain wider use, and that will most likely be from Newbies.

As mentioned previously, old-timers will be familiar with setting-up and running the sim., as am I. There is nothing to be lost, and a great deal to be gained for providing explicit instructions on doing both for the benefit of Newbies, and likely much to be gained.

I don't find the current set-up procedure of V1.60 to be particularly onerous, BUT I am used to such. IMHO, many Newbies, being used to more-or-less instant gratification, will dismiss the small hassles of installing V1.60, and go elsewhere. Mentioned previously, this failure on their part is on them, at least as the installation goes. Newbies have a much different mind-set, and far different set of personal expectations than we old-timers. This is something that needs to be addressed, lest the sim die altogether.

Absent an influx of newbies, the sim will die. Plain and simple. It is already on its' death-bed, absent new players. Making the sim more user-friendly will help keep it alive, and that is something we call agree on--I hope.

I would very much prefer that this forum was full of Newbies asking questions, It's not, and therein lies the problem.

That is all.

As posted elsewhere:

Two potential newbies are curious about UAW160,and they read threads that say it is difficult to install, and that the file-manager is difficult to use.

The first believes that and does not bother.
The second decides to carry on regardless, gets a successful installation and is able to select an exe, a planeset and a theatre and fly UAW160 with no problems.
He wonders why those posts were made.

However, because of those posts we lost a newbie who did not bother to try