MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

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brad
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by brad »

heyes wrote:
jfrazierjr wrote: What do you mean? Any character sheet stuff is more than likely a user created framework item, and I am not sure if a marketing video is a place for that, especially if what is shown is for a specific game system.
When you get a chance to watch the video you'll see what I mean. I did understand that the macros in question were part of a framework, not part of the maptools capabilities per se, but the way in which the macros could, say for instance, equip a weapon, and create a tabbed character stat set, that seemed pretty advanced. Again I am still learning the basics, but the suggestions and examples of what can be done (in that arena) were beyond what I thought maptools could do.
I think everyone else has mostly answered your question. I just wanted to point you to the Campaign File Frameworks forum within the User Creations forum. That is where completed macro sets are posted. You don't need to know anything about the macro language to use them. Just look at whatever is available for your game system, play around with them, and pick the one you want to use. If you are playing D&D there will be multiple ones to choose from.
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brad
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by brad »

torstan wrote: I passed the link to the video to a friend of mine who games but has not used maptool (much). His comments were (with some minor editing):
They skip over how difficult or hard it is to set up light and vision (while for the rest they give a how to). They also might mention if there are tutorials (especially video tutorials).

Also whether or not you have to use a separate program for chat and or voice chat that can host multiple users.

Also a play example would be helpful to go along with the simple map creation.
Now that I am adding a little more time I will probably burn about 10 or 15 seconds of it showing me adding a light source and changing vision settings.

There is a Tutorials link on the main page of the website now, so I didn't think to mention the tutorial website. But, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to mention it or have the website pop up at the end.

The play example probably won't happen do to time constraints. That would eat up a minute I don't have.
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brad
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by brad »

jfrazierjr wrote: Oh yea.....thanks for using your time to make all of these videos. I believe this is a wonderful way to give back to the community and really appreciate the time you have given up to put into this project.
Thanks. Annoyance at seeing the same questions repeated dozens of times on the forum is what really go me started :lol: I wanted the programmers to be coding, making MapTool better, not answering the same question repeatedly.
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brad
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by brad »

dorpond wrote:I liked it.

The only thing that bothered me is the first part where you say it isn't a computer program, but a platform.

It is a computer program. :P ;)

I think you wanted to say it isn't a computer game.

Nice job though! It really gives a user an idea what Maptool is.
:oops: :oops: :oops: I am very surprised that you are the first to mention that. I didn't notice it until I had posted the video and was watching one more time. You are correct about what I had meant to say.
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by Saagael »

brad wrote:
Natha wrote: - a very short "teaser" video (based on this one), (like 30s) with graphic titles like "Draw maps quickly !", "Play online !", "Light & vision !" etc. would be nice ?
That would be vary far down on my list. Though if someone else wants to take a stab at such a video, maybe adding music to it also, I am all for it. I could render my final draft in .avi format, quicktime, or a couple others. Whatever works for whoever wanted to play.
What exactly is this asking for? A completely separate video that points to this marketing video and advertises maptools without showing the program? I'm not sure I see where you might use this, though I could take a stab at it. If I'm thinking the same as you, this would be a bunch of animated text with a few screen-captures.

One more suggestion: If you're going to show the macro frameworks, I suggest using a macro for an attack. Seeing how all of the other stuff accumulates in making a one-button attack (as opposed to two rolls, and lots of arithmetic). At least that's what drew me to using frameworks.

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jfrazierjr
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by jfrazierjr »

brad wrote:
jfrazierjr wrote: Oh yea.....thanks for using your time to make all of these videos. I believe this is a wonderful way to give back to the community and really appreciate the time you have given up to put into this project.
Thanks. Annoyance at seeing the same questions repeated dozens of times on the forum is what really go me started :lol: I wanted the programmers to be coding, making MapTool better, not answering the same question repeatedly.
Heh... some people felt that way so much that they made some big annoying links in their signatures to your videos....
I save all my Campaign Files to DropBox. Not only can I access a campaign file from pretty much any OS that will run Maptool(Win,OSX, linux), but each file is versioned, so if something goes crazy wild, I can always roll back to a previous version of the same file.

Get your Dropbox 2GB via my referral link, and as a bonus, I get an extra 250 MB of space. Even if you don't don't use my link, I still enthusiastically recommend Dropbox..

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Paradox
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by Paradox »

jfrazierjr wrote:
brad wrote:
jfrazierjr wrote: Oh yea.....thanks for using your time to make all of these videos. I believe this is a wonderful way to give back to the community and really appreciate the time you have given up to put into this project.
Thanks. Annoyance at seeing the same questions repeated dozens of times on the forum is what really go me started :lol: I wanted the programmers to be coding, making MapTool better, not answering the same question repeatedly.
Heh... some people felt that way so much that they made some big annoying links in their signatures to your videos....
I don't want you to think I don't appreciate Brad's videos, or get the impression that I don't think they're helpful.

However, I don't think you're going to see questions suddenly dry up and go away. And if they keep coming, I wouldn't want you to have misplaced frustration over it.

MapTools has a lot of settings and preferences that make it extremely flexible. However, those settings often work against a desired functionality. Are you going to lose your cool the next time you have to ask someone if they have smilies enabled/disabled? Or if someone has a token set to PC versus NPC, when the vision and lighting doesn't work as intended. "Didn't you watch Brad's video?!?"

To me, a video is an instructive guide, a teaching tool, but it's not a reference.

A reference takes you directly to a specific topic and people look for the answer. A video doesn't do that. You have to sit through a video and hope it ends up answering your question. Or, the question might be covered in the video, but the viewer doesn't retain the information until such time that they actually personally hit upon that problem.. whereupon they forget that it was covered in the video.

That in absolutely no way makes the video any less valuable, or desperately needed. The videos help people get started, both in general usage and the higher functions.

I'm just suggesting that your expectations might be high, if and when those same old questions keep on coming.

Rumble, and zEal have come a long way with the Wiki. The Wiki is a good partner to these videos.

Another possibly great resource might be a Wiki Page that addresses Frequently Asked Questions.. where the answers to questions that are asked over and over again might be put in a central location.
I no longer believe that MapTools is usuable or intended just for programmers. MapTools is for everyone.

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jfrazierjr
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by jfrazierjr »

Paradox wrote:I don't want you to think I don't appreciate Brad's videos, or get the impression that I don't think they're helpful.

However, I don't think you're going to see questions suddenly dry up and go away. And if they keep coming, I wouldn't want you to have misplaced frustration over it.

Not sure if your reply is more pointed at me or brad or both. I know I don't (99%) of the time get frustrated over questions, even those that are repeated, so I really don't expect the questions to dry up and blow away... About the only time I might get frustrated is when someone asked for some help and "we" say provide these5 specific pieces of information and then 8 posts later they have said 90 things except all 5 of the specific things asked for in several other posts. Though I rarely answer posts on setting up port forwarding and such, a "few" of those drive me crazy (even some I made no replies too!!!!)

Paradox wrote: MapTools has a lot of settings and preferences that make it extremely flexible. However, those settings often work against a desired functionality. Are you going to lose your cool the next time you have to ask someone if they have smilies enabled/disabled? Or if someone has a token set to PC versus NPC, when the vision and lighting doesn't work as intended. "Didn't you watch Brad's video?!?"

...

Rumble, and zEal have come a long way with the Wiki. The Wiki is a good partner to these videos.


No doubt. At the time, the videos were all there were... I have been thinking about also adding a link to the wiki also, and if I could make it in blinking alternating colors, I just might think about that also.... :twisted:

Paradox wrote: I'm just suggesting that your expectations might be high, if and when those same old questions keep on coming.


Trust me, I know full well that video is not the best means of learning for some people, but for others it is.

My thoughts on the matter are in the "teach a man to fish camp", ie enable someone to help himself. This is especially true if there is a VERY specific question being asked that is covered extremely well. Some of the macro questions for example may not really fall into that same category as trying to do x may take some really complex trickery or lots of code and in those cases, the exact answer may not be spelled out. Even so, I DO expect someone to give it the old college try before begging of help, ie at least show that you have made an effort, even if it's totally wrong.
Paradox wrote: Another possibly great resource might be a Wiki Page that addresses Frequently Asked Questions.. where the answers to questions that are asked over and over again might be put in a central location.
Yep, I even suggested this several times. I think Rumble has said he will be working on this at some point closer to the end of 1.3.

btw... I like your new sig.... hopefully, some of the other people will figure out that they don't have to have a phd to use map tool as has been "reported"
I save all my Campaign Files to DropBox. Not only can I access a campaign file from pretty much any OS that will run Maptool(Win,OSX, linux), but each file is versioned, so if something goes crazy wild, I can always roll back to a previous version of the same file.

Get your Dropbox 2GB via my referral link, and as a bonus, I get an extra 250 MB of space. Even if you don't don't use my link, I still enthusiastically recommend Dropbox..

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Natha
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by Natha »

Saagael wrote: What exactly is this asking for? A completely separate video that points to this marketing video and advertises maptools without showing the program? I'm not sure I see where you might use this, though I could take a stab at it. If I'm thinking the same as you, this would be a bunch of animated text with a few screen-captures.
I was thinking about a very short re cut of Brad's video, something like 30s, without sound (thus with a few texts) that advertise for the longer video(s) and maptool, for people with short attention span or not the real will to investigate what MapTool is at first (but the teaser should get them to see the longer videos).
Something that's work safe (short, no sound), and could be placed as an add (like those flash adds you see everywhere on the net).
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jfrazierjr
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

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Paradox wrote: MapTools has a lot of settings and preferences that make it extremely flexible. However, those settings often work against a desired functionality. Are you going to lose your cool the next time you have to ask someone if they have smilies enabled/disabled? Or if someone has a token set to PC versus NPC, when the vision and lighting doesn't work as intended. "Didn't you watch Brad's video?!?"
Oh... a second reason I would tend to prefer to point someone to a "more" comprehensive resource such as the video on vision and light for completeness. Le'ts say someone says "how do I add light to a token?". The answer is right click on a token select the light sub menu and select one of the options. That is the correct answer is it not? But the problem is that this may lead the end user to more questions and ultimately wasted time both for himself AND for people trying to help him. With people who may not have 24x7 internet access, in many cases it is far worth far more time to look at something already made up that answers a bunch of questions on your topic than to post a thread and "hope" someone answers it before you need the information(I am thinking in cases where someone has a game in the next 45 minutes for example.) Granted, I DO understand that for some questions this model won't work, but for a broad question like how does light work, there are to many variables to have someone answering a post to try to remember them all unless they breath maptool and that assumes such people are around doing nothing in their lives but waiting to answer peoples questions.

As you correctly noted, there are a lot of preferences that make Maptool very flexible. So, instead of rewriting (or for that matter copy/paste from a tutorial), I will say, follow the link and view the Tutorial named Vision and Sight in the advanced section. Because its is very easy to miss something and at least with someone going over everything in a video or wiki tutorial, at least they have a better idea of what questions someone might ask or a better way to ask a question (ie, I have done this, this, this, and this and it still does not work.) which makes it easier on those who are trying to help.
I save all my Campaign Files to DropBox. Not only can I access a campaign file from pretty much any OS that will run Maptool(Win,OSX, linux), but each file is versioned, so if something goes crazy wild, I can always roll back to a previous version of the same file.

Get your Dropbox 2GB via my referral link, and as a bonus, I get an extra 250 MB of space. Even if you don't don't use my link, I still enthusiastically recommend Dropbox..

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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by Paradox »

JFrazierJR and Brad,

Take what I said with a grain of salt. I like to hear myself talk sometimes, either that or I'm an amatuer speech writer. :lol:

I meant what I said, but just not to the intensity that I later read into it.
I no longer believe that MapTools is usuable or intended just for programmers. MapTools is for everyone.

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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

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Paradox wrote:JFrazierJR and Brad,

Take what I said with a grain of salt. I like to hear myself talk sometimes, either that or I'm an amatuer speech writer. :lol:

I meant what I said, but just not to the intensity that I later read into it.
Heh.. thats ok.. sometimes people think I am being snarky with some of my comments "to" them. In reality, most of the time, the snarky tone of my comments are really just a way for me to make a joke to myself and really have nothing to do with the OP. So I can totally understand your comment about "liking to hear myself talk", cause that's pretty much what happens to me some time!
I save all my Campaign Files to DropBox. Not only can I access a campaign file from pretty much any OS that will run Maptool(Win,OSX, linux), but each file is versioned, so if something goes crazy wild, I can always roll back to a previous version of the same file.

Get your Dropbox 2GB via my referral link, and as a bonus, I get an extra 250 MB of space. Even if you don't don't use my link, I still enthusiastically recommend Dropbox..

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brad
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by brad »

Ok, stop the thread derailment please. I don't want to fill this up with a bunch of unrelated junk that will make people not read anything. I am looking for feedback. You just read too much into our fun little statements. And besides, what I hoped would happen did happen. Back in late 2007 when I started these videos there was constant repeated questions of the most basic things that the programmers and contributors where wasting time answering. By early to mid 2008 when I had completed a good number of my video tutorials there was a decline. As time has gone on and trevor put a link in the program and on the main page(and others have done crazy huge links in their sigs) the decrease has continued. It is a shadow of what it was in my opinion and we have many more users. So YAY!!! I am happy. Back to dealing with this video please.
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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by torstan »

Is there a possibility of a snazier splash screen at the start? I know that's the traditional opening for the tutorials, but as the first screen to sell a new tool it might be nice to have something with a little more glitz?

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Re: MapTool Marketing Video (Call for Help!!!)

Post by jfrazierjr »

Ok.. back to the video... slow it down a bit. Other than that... pretty good for a "marketing video". I look forward to the rest of the videos being updated once you know an area is feature locked.
I save all my Campaign Files to DropBox. Not only can I access a campaign file from pretty much any OS that will run Maptool(Win,OSX, linux), but each file is versioned, so if something goes crazy wild, I can always roll back to a previous version of the same file.

Get your Dropbox 2GB via my referral link, and as a bonus, I get an extra 250 MB of space. Even if you don't don't use my link, I still enthusiastically recommend Dropbox..

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