How to ask for outside help 2022-03-02

These are just a few guidelines to make asking for help smoother for everyone. It's not intended to call anyone out or anything, these are just some things I notice happening often.

1- Are you sure you need outside help?​

There's nothing wrong with needing help, of course, everybody needs help at some point or another. But as a developer, it's going to be easier for you if you build the skills to tackle problems on your own, rather than having to wait and troubleshoot with someone every time.

A few things to check-

If you're having a game-crashing bug...

• Did you start a new save?
• Did you recompile your game? (Start the game in debug mode, and make sure the game window is active. Hold Ctrl as it starts up. The debug console should say it's starting a full compile.)
• Do you have the hotfixes installed? (v21, v20.1, v20, v19)

If you're having trouble with a resource...

• Did you make sure to re-read the instructions?
• Did you make sure it's compatible with your version of Essentials?
• Did you read through the thread to see if someone else had the same problem?

If your question starts with "How do I..."

• Have you looked in the default maps?
  • If you deleted them, just get yourself another copy of Essentials!
• Have you looked through Thundaga's tutorial series?
• Did you search on the wiki?

If your question starts with "Where is..."

• Did you search the scripts with Ctrl+Shift+F?
• Did you search on the wiki?
• Did you search the game's folder in file explorer?

If you're just asking "Does this work with x version of Essentials?" - why not just try it out for yourself?

Some resources that may also help -

• Dragonite's Dissecting Error Messages tutorial
• Vendily's Common Errors and How to Fix Them
• Anatomy of an Error Message
• Common Developer Issues

2 - Sites and Site Etiquette​

So, maybe your issue is a little more complicated than the beginner stuff here. No worries! Now it's off to find somewhere to ask around.

You have a few options here -

• The obvious choice, of course, Relic Castle
• There's also PokeCommunity, a Pokemon-based forum that also has discussion on fangame development and ROM hacking
• On Discord, there's Relic Castle's own server, Luka SJ's Game Dev Cafe, and Thundaga's discord server
• On reddit, there's r/PokemonRMXP, and r/PokemonROMHacks for ROM hacks. (There's also r/PokemonEssentials, but that sub's definitely a lot smaller, having only 250 members to PokemonRMXP's 10k)

Out of these, I'd say the discord servers get the fastest responses, but I wouldn't say any of the other options are especially slow, either- most questions get answered within a day or two. (Forums and subreddits also allow for a bit more formatting than discord, so if you need a lot of visuals, you may prefer one of the two)

Also, try to think about the scope of your question. If you're asking about a specific resource, it's probably best to ask in that resource's thread, rather than making a separate post or asking on another forum. If you're asking about something that's not actually specific to Essentials - how to sprite in a certain art program, an issue with RPG Maker itself, Windows settings, etc. - you might want to try asking in a community dedicated to that program. Some requests might be too large for a simple help thread, like designing entirely new mechanics - it may be better to post a recruitment thread asking for a scripter rather than asking "How do I create this?"

When you join any online community, you should always make a point of reading the rules. Most rules are basic courtesy, but there's also going to be stuff specific to the community, especially when it's about where to go with a question. And they're often pet peeves for the regulars there- I know r/PokemonROMHacks gets annoyed when people come with Essentials questions, and you can imagine Maruno is quite done with people asking when the next version of Essentials is coming out.

Discord servers also have pins that might be worth checking out as well- if a lot of people are coming by with a problem, the solution's likely to be pinned.


There's also a few points of etiquette that aren't really written out, but just sort of something you pick up over time from how Discord/forums work.

• Try to give some context for the issue in your thread title, if you're posting on a forum. Thread titles like "How do I fix this?", "need help with an error", "Game crashes", "What should I do?", etc. don't tell anyone what your thread is about. Yes, you have the whole post to read as well, but it makes it harder for people to know if they have the knowledge to help, and it makes it harder for people who might be looking for answers in solved threads.
• If you solve the issue on your own, mark your thread as solved (if that's a feature on the site), and include your solution! That way, anyone searching for a similar problem can find out how you fixed it!
• If you're asking for help with a specific resource, post on the resource's thread. Don't message the creator on their profile, and don't go asking on other forums where people might not have even heard of the resource.
• Remember that sites like Reddit and Relic Castle are forums, not live chats. That means that, while it's still possible to get a reply right away, it’s common to wait a few hours between replies. Bumping a thread after a day can come off as a little more impatient than it would if you bumped a day-old message on Discord.
  • Bumping doesn't work on reddit threads - reddit treats posts and comments separately, and there's no way to see new comments on every thread.
  • If you're on a forum and don't have time to respond to someone's suggestion, you don't have to write them a comment telling them you'll try it later - it's assumed that you'll just come back when you get the chance. Your thread isn't going to be overrun with other people's replies like a help channel, because it's a space purely for your issue.
  • If you really think you need to bump your thread, try to consider how your bumping post is going to be read by others. "Bumping" your question by posting it again, but in the wrong forum/subreddit/server channel just to get more views comes off as disrespectful. Bumping a post without adding any new information can seem like you're not trying to solve the problem yourself - include what you've tried since then, and any other changes in the situation, so it's clear you've been making an effort yourself.
• On the flipside, since Discord moves faster, and people don't usually have dedicated threads like a forum, it's easier for messages to get buried. Try to keep in mind whether people can still see others' requests after you send yours in.
• Don't send a discord message with just "I have a question", just go ahead and ask your question. (I'm specifying discord message because I think most people wouldn't post a forum thread with just "Can I ask a question?" But to be clear, you shouldn't do that, either.)
• Don't private message/direct message someone without asking for permission. When you do this, you've made your public help request into a conversation that can only be seen by two people - so nobody else can help you, and nobody else can benefit from reading the discussion. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just something where you want to ask first.
• Unless you've been told it's okay, it's usually considered impolite to ping a stranger on Discord. Pinging is when you reference someone in a message with @USERNAME, or reply with the @ on.

The reason why it's considered rude is because this will have a higher-priority notification, marking Discord with a red number until they view your message.
It's sort of the discord equivalent of "This phone call could have just been a text".

But of course, like with most social cues, it's not a hard rule, and it depends on context! (I'm certainly not going to complain about someone pinging me in a "Thank you", personally!)

3 - Give context, and be clear​

People can't help if they don't know what the issue is. If the only information you give is "It glitched", "It crashed", "I got an error", "It's not working", then the only thing you've said is "there's a problem" - and the only response people can give is "then solve it".

• Most people will assume that you're working with the latest version of Essentials, on a Windows system, and editing your own game. If any of these don't apply to you (you're using an old version, you're working on a Mac, you're modding someone else's game), you should say so up front - it's likely going to have an effect on the solution.
• If you got an error message, send the error report.
• Don't just say "I followed all the steps", "I did exactly what it said", "I followed the tutorial", etc. List exactly what you did so people can see if there's anything you missed. (If you really did follow the steps exactly, you probably wouldn't be getting your error)
• If you're using outside scripts that affect the area where you're asking for help, be sure to mention them. For example, if you have EBDX, you should probably include that when asking about changing something in the battle scene.
• If you’re including a screencap, use the PrtScn key to take a screencap instead of using your phone to take a picture of your screen. No reason to make it harder to read the message when you can just copy+paste it.
• Whenever possible, it's usually better to share direct text, not an image. (Error messages, scripts, etc) It's easier to search for things with Ctrl+F and to try playtesting when you don't have to transcribe an image.
• Share any relevant changes you’ve made to the scripts. This is especially important for new code- nobody can see what you’ve written without you showing them. It'll also affect the line numbers in your backtrace.
• If you're trying to create something new, be sure to give some information about how it's supposed to work. You don't need to include every detail, but a general idea of what should happen and what is/isn't happening is a good idea. (For example, say I was trying to introduce Mega Evolution, but I was getting stuck- I wouldn't need to list off every new form and its changes, but it would be helpful to mention what Mega Evolution changes, and how you go about Mega Evolving)
  • See also - the XY Problem
• If you're sharing an event, share every page.
• If you're sharing code, don't just ask "Is this right?" Explain what the code is supposed to do, and playtest it first. Your computer is going to do a better job at spotting errors in a big chunk of code than any human.
• Every platform has a way to display code in an easier-to-read format, so try to take advantage of that. Pastebin is also a great option for particularly large code.
  • 
    
    On Discord
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    On reddit
  • 
    On Relic Castle
• Explain what's leading to you getting the error message. Is it right when you start up the game? When you enter a battle? In a specific map?
• Make sure you're wording your problem clearly. When you say "map", are you talking about the locations you create in the map editor, or the region map? When you say "Pokemon", are you talking about the whole species, or one individual?
• If you get a new problem, don't just say "It's still not working", describe what the new problem is.
• If you don't have the time to give details - you're busy, it's late where you are, etc- just hold off on asking until you have a moment. It's not like you have to meet a deadline.
• If you're confused about something in the instructions/wiki/documentation, explain which specific part is confusing you, don't just say "I read this but I'm still confused".
• If you're not familiar with a specific term in the instructions/in someone's response, look it up. If you're still confused, be honest and say you need clarification. It's probably going to be relevant to your solution (or at least making sure you've done everything right), and it doesn't do anyone any good to just skip over it.
• Don't leave things out when sharing information.
  • If you're sharing a screencap of an event, don't crop it.
  • If you're sharing code, don't cover over parts of it, even if it's got spoilers.
  • If you're trying to chain things where one event triggers another, share every related event.
  • If someone asks if you have any plugins, list them all, don't just tell them how many you have.

What if I don't get a response?​

If someone doesn't respond to a request for help, they're doing it for some combination of these four reasons:

1. They don't know how to help.
2. They didn't see the request.
3. They don't have time to help.
4. They don't want to help.

You can try to influence these factors - some more than others - but you still can't get rid of them entirely.

They don't know how to help​

Usually, there's not really much you can do here - if you had the skills to teach someone else how to fix your problem, you'd probably be able to solve it on your own. And it's not something you need to try to change in the first place you don't need to worry about having everyone respond to a request for help, you only need one person.

Sometimes, though, the issue isn't that people don't have the skills to help, it's that they don't understand the problem you're having. This is where that earlier section on giving context comes into play - the more information you give about your problem, the easier it is for someone else to figure out how to help you.

And when it comes to resource requests (asking if a certain script/graphic asset/etc. can be found)- there's a third option: People don't know how to help because the resource doesn't exist. You ask for a script for the e-Reader minigames from FRLG, or a sprite of a Gen 5 character in the Gen 3 style, and you don't get any replies? Maybe nobody's made that before.

Technically, someone with the right skills could make this resource for you, so it's more an issue of "don't have time/don't want to" - but at this point, some people view this as having crossed the line from asking for help to trying to recruit a team member. (Particularly the Game Dev Café server - which means asking for that kind of involvement is against the server's rules)

They didn't see the request​

This honestly does not happen often. The majority of the time, what you think is "Nobody has seen my request" is more likely "Nobody has had the time to respond to my request" or "Nobody knows how to help with my issue". It's still possible for people to just not see a new post, of course, it happens all the time, but you shouldn't assume that's the case.

In my (very subjective opinion), it only really makes sense to think a person hasn't seen your post when three things have happened:

• It's been a significant period of time since you posted
  • Very subjective depending on the community - how much activity there is, how things are arranged, etc. But I personally think that a day is not a huge amount of time to wait on most (non-Discord) forums, especially if something's not posted on the weekend. People have day-to-day lives outside of fangames, after all!
• Other requests have hidden your request
  • This also tends to be influenced by the community you're asking in. r/PokemonRMXP doesn't have any way to filter help requests from other posts, so a request can be buried under promotional posts, discussion threads, the millionth person asking for Opalo help on a developer subreddit. Servers with just one help channel treat requests and replies the same way, so people talking through an issue can accidentally hide another request. But other places have a dedicated help forum that displays thread titles, like Relic Castle's Question subforum or the help forums on the Relic Castle and Game Dev Café servers. Threads are typically sorted in order of last reply, but people can also sort by date posted to find the newest requests quickly.
• The person in question has not been active in that help section
  • If someone is frequently answering questions in a help channel, they probably make a habit of checking new posts. If someone's not often helping but you saw them posting around the time you made your post, they've probably at least seen the title.
  • Notice how I specify "the person in question" - because if one person isn't active, that only means that one person is less likely to have seen it. This is why I think "Nobody has seen my request" is not actually that common, because help sections are rarely completely dead. It's far more likely that multiple people have seen your post, and there's another reason why they haven't replied.

They don't have time to help​

This can mean a broad range of things - anything from "They saw this, know the answer, but don't have the time to write it out right now" to "They saw this and want to playtest a solution, but don't have time to do so/aren't at a computer now" to "They saw this and have the skills to help, but making this is a bigger project than they're willing to take now."

Sometimes, you can mitigate this by taking time to do things yourself. Try out alternate solutions and share the results. If you want help creating a script, give it a shot yourself, and then ask for what can be fixed about the code you created.

Sometimes, if the issue is "I want to help, but I have something else taking up my time," you can try to help. Are they working on another project? Do you have the skills to help out there? Is their time being taken up by work? Can you commission them rather than asking them to work for free? However, cases like this are more often going to be more long-term recruitment than the standard "I have this problem and can't figure out how to solve it."

They don't want to help​

Sometimes it can be because of interpersonal conflict. Sometimes it's because they want to spend their time doing something else. (Which I guess you could argue is a form of "they don't have time") Sometimes it's because of their own expectations for what will happen if they do help. You can try to entice people using the methods mentioned earlier, but that doesn't guarantee someone will want to contribute. At the end of the day, people will have their own desires, and they might not line up with yours.

The good news is that this is rarely an issue for minor help requests - the fangame community is very collaborative, and there's several people that make a habit of regularly responding to help requests. It mostly happens with bigger requests, stuff like "How would I add this major mechanic to my game?"