- How to Ask for Help -

[SephirothSpawn]

How to Ask for Help
Use it here ; Use it everywhere

If someone is not doing these things, or you think this could help them, just post a link to this topic. Do not say anything rude, just guide them down the right path.

Before You Ask...

• Check the forum's rules and make sure you are in the correct sub-forum (General Posting)
• Check to see if your problem has been asked before
• Check the FAQ (RMXP General Support ; RGSS Support)
• Use the Search Function
• Check to see if there is a tutorial you may be able to use to solve yourself
• If you are looking for a script, check the helpful Forum Script Listings or The Lost Scripts
• Check refrence material like the Help File or RGSS Script Tutorial List (for scripting)
• Special Advice : Believe it or not, trying is the best learning process. Don't give up and just ask for support on every thing you can think of. Try and figuring things out for yourself means you did it yourself, and can be quite rewarding. If at first you don't suceeded, try, try again.

When You Ask...

• Use meaningful Topic titles
  • You are in a help forum, no need to put "help" or anything in your title
  • Give a short description of your problem in the title ("How do I index with arrays? vs. "HLp, I don't know RGGS")
  • Your problem is never urgent. Don't flag it with an Urgent Flag.
• Use appriopiate posting content
  • If someone can't understand you, they can't help you
  • Lay off all forms of netspeak. This isn't a chat room.
  • Commas, periods and other cool little symbols have purposes ; USE THEM.
  • Keep excessive, non-needed information out of your post.
  • If you can't spell a word, give it your best. People won't notice unless you are using "th3" instead of "the".
  • If you don't speak english, use an online translator and you might try posting it in your native language as well. You might find someone who understands it as well or knows a better online translator.
  • Your problem is never urgent, don't say so in your post.
  • Be nice and you just might get help based off that.
• Give them precise information about your problem
  • Tell them exactly what you are doing, what your goal is, and what you have tried
  • If you have an error, tell them the exact error (take a screenshot of the error message window) and the lines surrounding the error when it is found.
  • If you post sections of code, use the [ code=rgss ] or [ rgss ] tags. And reference the line number in the post where the error occured. If you have only posted a section of the original code this will be different than the line number in the error message.
• Don't hunt people down and ask for help. Post your question & be patient.
  • No one is here to serve just you, don't mass PM people to help you
  • Don't complain when people don't do your work for you or insult the community for not helping you. You either didn't follow the general guidelines of this post or no one could help you (not every problem is solvable or requires a great extent of work).

After You Ask...

• If your problem is solved...
  • If someone took their personal time to help you, at least give them a thank you. This gives that person a pat on the back and lets a moderator know the topic is resolved.
  • Remember the person. They just might need something from you.
  • If you need further help, create a new topic (not always true, but recommended)
• If your problem wasn't solved...
  • Be polite and ask for further clearification
  • Keep people updated : add more to what you have done in your main post
  • Keep trying by yourself. People aren't always going to be able to help you solve your problems.
  Remember: They are helping you, not the other way around. Help them help you, and be sure to thank them for any work they do to help you.

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Edited - 20Jan09. Brewmeister. Updated links