Best way to show players how to use plugins?

Players don't like reading through huge amounts of signs just to learn how to use one plugin. Explaining all of the plugins I want in the motd doesn't work either.

For example, Mob Arena. Almost no one knows how to use that. I have to just tell everyone how to use it, or have someone else tell them unless they already know.

What's the best way you can tell players how to use plugins?

 

Make them read signs...lol if they can't do that they got issues

 

Well I understand your dilemma. I had the same problem. What I did: got a plugin called "bookworm" that allows you to make books readable, and gives you the ability to store written books in bookshelves. You can compose your "tutorials" in these virtual books. I would suggest making a library like I did, so that if a player wants to learn WHAT something is or HOW to use a feature on your server, just direct them to your WELL ORGANIZED library (so people can find what they're looking for). This way, they can learn on their own, on their own time. But to avoid confusion, I would make the library big and noticeable, or place a sign at the spawn point with all of your rules (if any) saying "New users should refer to the library at [blank] if they have questions." and another that says "If you ever need help, visit the library". That's what I recommend doing.

 

This is an extremely good Idea, I will propbably do this myself as well.

But in response to the OP, its always going to be hard to get your players to use everything the right way. I personally stay away from complicated plugins for this reason, because it is very frustrating when you have a really well set up server that is complex and runs well, but people don't appreciate it because they are too lazy to figure out how to use everything.

 

I'll be honest, I smiled when I read that . Going through my head: OMFG I JUST INFLUENCED SOMEBODY!!!! :3
Anyway, the books have no limit as to how large they are as far as I know. Just make sure to protect your books so they aren't stolen from the library or the bookcases aren't destroyed by dumbasses. Ya... my noob friend was trying to get a book out of a bookshelf. You're supposed to Shift-click to remove a book. He held shift-click until the block was destroyed -_-. Honestly, some people... Just protect your blocks and make sure your tutorials and/or explanations are clear and to the point so you don't bore the player to death.

 

I agree, I'll have to look more into those books. It would make it commandless for them to access it, and also make it so they don't have to run off somewhere.

I use signs as well. Especially coming out of spawn, I usually put a few down with important information. But I have them in a place where, unless you run backwards through the building, you must see them at least.
If they don't read them, then they must have a slightly lower IQ than I would like....

For a couple things, (like Stargate), I used gifs on the server website. http://dirt2diamonds.com/?cat=8

 

Also another suggestion, get a plugin called GUI Creator. For "Super-noob" players, you just have to design a table of buttons and other methods of input that you assign commands to. This way, all they have to do is push a button, slide a bar, or something else to execute a command! A good way to make your server super easy to adapt to.

 

Maybe use tutorial dev.bukkit.org/server-mods/tuto/

 

I also have some lazy players.
Got MOTD telling them on login at the spawn they can click on the bookshelves(bookworm plugin) which all have signs telling what each one has such as L1---COMMANDS--- L2---LWC---.
Got a website as well with all the cmds/info but you will always get a lot of them asking what are the commands/etc.

*Using the bookworm plugin best to create a the title of the books you want, shutdown the server copy the text into the txt files and start up the server again, rather than have to type every word.

*When we were also using spout there is a nice plugin that allows you to add cmds to a gui with buttons as well if you want to help out the very lazy ones.

 

This is how I do it:

xxNoobPwner69xx: how i use worldgard how i lock my chest where i buy stuff
Admin: Go to <server website> and click on Info.
xxNoobPwner69xx: cant u just tel me
Admin: /ban xxNoobPwner69xx No, I cannot.

Although using BookWorm for this purpose, as negiman4 suggested, sounds like a great idea, specially since I already have the plugin on my server.

 

I'm interested in your way of using books in a library and thought of joining your server to see how it works in action, but it seems like your server is offline at the moment. :/
Could you notify me when its back online, as I'm eager to see how it works/looks.

 

You can go on mine - scandic.us. There's some books at the spawn house.

 

Try out MCDocs. You can literally create a /command for anything you like - say, /help mobarena. Just dump all the necessary info into that file and direct your players there if they have questions.

It's a really awesome plugin. My server uses it for the same thing, as well as /help, /about, /news, /rules, and /plans. You can restrict it to groups, players, it has inheritance... just and awesome plugin overall.

 

Yes, I already use it, but many people are too lazy to use commands. :/
The same with signs, noone wants to read alot of signs, so therefore I thought a well organized library might be good, so if they need help with money stuff, they look for the shelf "Money Commands" and click it to recieve that book.

Sure, I'll join it and test.

 

People are going to be a lot less inclined to visit a library and "read" than type a simple /help command.

 

Maybee some will, some will not. Either way, I'll probably have both. Just for the feeling Make use of our library at spawn instead of having a empty one

 

I had it down for some maintenance. Sorry bout that. Didn't think anyone would get on :/ I'm happy you want to get on!! It's always empty, so this is really exciting for us haha. I stuck it back online just for you. It's not necessarily finished, in fact far from it... If you check out the thread I created in the Plugin Requests section, you can see my intentions with the server. I'm trying to make it an MMORPG type thing. It will have towns, fields, of course dungeons, boss battles, the whole nine yards. But we just started it... We could really use your help too. Building, that is. If you want to help, I can Op you and you can log on whenever you like and build what you want. By the way, the library is the huge tower in the center of the city. You can keep up to date on the progress of all the features on our facebook page. There's a link to the facebook page in my signature along with the ip adress.

ACK! I missed a very important detail! You MUST have spout to get on my server! Here's the direct link. Just put it on your desktop and run it.
Windows: http://spout.in/exe (If in doubt, choose this one)
Apple: http://spout.in/app
Linux: http://spout.in/jar

I see what you're saying. Using a /help command would be far more convenient. But in the chatbox, you have limited space per line of text you want to enter. With BookWorm, you have unlimited space, and the computer senses when new paragraphs are started, when to do a line break, etc and it will automatically move to another page if you run out of room. Plus, making a library would further immerse the players into the game by having them interact with their environment rather than typing in the chatbox. If you want to give the players the gift of instant help, try implementing an on-the-fly teleporting command that'll take them straight to the library. something like, /library.

EDIT by Moderator: merged posts, please use the edit button instead of double posting.

 

Put all tuts up on a website?

vivalaminecraft.com

That's what we did, works well.

 

personally i just use tiny.cc, make an account, and set up a link such as tiny.cc/acvote (takes me to the voting area of my website) its easy for them to remember and its shot enough to fit on a sign.