This isn’t about me.
Proving me wrong, helping me with particular insights (or showing my failings) doesn’t help potential new users considering Defold. The original context of this thread is that of features that market, promote or otherwise increase the popularity, acceptance and use of Defold.
I think making messaging elegant (and therefore easier to understand) is the single greatest way to increase Defold adoption, usage and growth. More users using a more elegant messaging make ever more products that attract ever more Defold users. Etc.
Please remember the above when reading anything I’m writing in this thread.
Given the messaging can’t be significantly changed (made elegant, by my criteria), the only way over this barrier (to a future of ever more happy and productive new users) is better education of how messaging (the most important part of programming) works in Defold.
Pedagogically speaking, I think you need to think of messaging the way (the majority) of others do, and then consider explaining the capabilities of messaging within Defold, in the Defold way, within this context.
To that end, I’ve identified and articulated 4 questions that (I think) help the common new (potential) user come to terms with how Defold deals with messaging, game logic and events in the SHORTEST and EASIEST way.
Answering those questions well leads (I believe) to happy users.
Tutorials are not a shortcut to understanding, they’re a last resort. EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!
Tutorials are not the easiest way to impart knowledge, either. They take great effort to make and even more to gain knowledge and wisdom from. And they’re very specific. Tutorials are often used by programmers because they struggle with thinking in terms of many others, preferring others to think in their terms and unique circumstances. Aside from being incredibly selfish, this isn’t generally helpful to sharing with, education of, or informing many. It just removes the need to think empathetically about a mass. If you point to a tutorial to answer any of these four questions, you’re missing my point, completely.
Generally helpful learning materials are generally written overviews that provoke and answer common (and) general questions leading to general insight and common understanding. This isn’t subjective, it’s a fact of life and learning.
I’ve posited the four most common and general questions of game programming messaging, that I can think of.
There might be others. These might not be the best four questions.