[Last updated: Today]
SECTION 0: Introduction
Within Chaos, we love having proper documentation. On everything. From gear to just simply how to do shit (lol douche it), but mostly gear. If you do your job wrong, that's on you and whoever hired/promoted you to do that thing.
By contrast, things without any sort of documentation make us sad and frustrated, especially when there's no one around who can explain how to do something, preferably in small, easy-to-understand words.
Having proper documentation for gear allows us to:
- Figure out how to use a particular piece of gear without bothering an officer or seeming like a complete idiot (too late).
- Train people how to use said gear.
- Do some light strategery when planning for a raid or defense.
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SECTION B: BE PREPARED
Before writing anything, start SL by double-clicking the icon for your viewer of choice on your desktop. Log in. Teleport home by pressing Ctrl+Shift+H in firestorm by default. If you have your home set somewhere other than Chaos's defender spawn, you're fired. Teleport to Milopolis. Ensure you have the main group active in SL (That'd be Chaos Indivisvm), then click the glowing, white, translucent cone in the defender's spawn that says "To VR". This will provide a mostly safe environment for all your documentation writing needs. No, we're not changing the look of the room. Fuck your eyes.
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: DETERMINE HOW THE GEAR TO BE DOCUMENTED WORKSIdeally, you'd want to know all the bells and whistles, ins and outs, and be good with that particular piece of gear before deciding to document it. But this is Chaos and nothing here is ideal so we'll work with what we've got.
Before starting, unequip ALL OTHER ITEMS EXCEPT THE GEAR TO BE DOCUMENTED on your avatar, and DEACTIVATE ANY GESTURE THAT IS NOT AN APPROVED CHAOS GESTURE. This is to prevent conflicting commands. Ideally, you'd want to have your avatar set up in a way where this is not necessary, but you're an idiot, which is why this guide exists.
Press /1 help. If something comes up, particularly hotkeys, make a note of that wherever you're comfortable doing so. I prefer using Tyro's ass, but that's just me. Notepad also works.
Otherwise, remove any other piece of gear you're wearing, and go through the basic gear gestures, or hotkeys that DreadBabby normally uses for gear. By default, these are ~, 1, 2, C, E, Q, Z, R, F, Left click, and Spacebar. Make a note of what happens, if anything, when you use each one. In particular, keep in mind any menus that appear when using these. After you're done, explore those and make note of what functionality those menus provide.
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START WRITING
Now that we've (mostly) determined what your particular piece of gear does, we can finally start writing. Open your SL inventory by pressing Ctrl+I in firestorm by default. Now scroll to a folder that reads "Notecards." Right-click that folder. Now navigate the pie menu, or the dropdown menu if you're part of the master race, and left-click "New Folder." Now right-click on the folder you just created, and left-click "Rename". "Now type ![Chaos] Documentation", and press enter or your return key, whichever is applicable. Congratulations, you've just removed 90% of the headache when it comes to managing your Chaos-related notecards.
Now, right-click the folder named "![Chaos] Documentation," and repeat the process. Set up your new filing system in whatever way is most comfortable for you. When you feel that it's just right, right-click the applicable folder, and left-click the "New Notecard" option. Determine a useful documentation outline, similar to an essay outline, then fill it in with the information about the gear you know so far. Be consistent with your outline, and use this guide as an example of what it should NOT look like.
Be sure to write IN ENGLISH, using PROPER SPELLING, GRAMMAR, AND PUNCTUATION to pretend you aren't a complete fucking idiot, even though you are.
Now that you have a decent start on your document, left-click the "Save" button on the bottom of the notecard window. Now right-click the notecard you just created, and left-click the "Rename" option. Rename the notecard using this format without quotes: [Chaos] "Gear Name" V "Version number"
Now, if you are still unsure of what your piece of gear actually does, or how to operate it, we get to:
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BOTHER DREAD HUDSON
In 99% of the cases, Dread (Dread.Hudson on SL) is the manlet that scripts our gear, and thus determines its actual functionality, so he is a good source of knowledge on how it works. Contact him using any means at your disposal. Just not on Steam. Or through Facebook. Don't contact him when he's working on something. Or eating, especially if he's eating hummus. Or playing another game. If you manage to get in contact with him, ask him about additional gear functionality you might not be aware of, and if he can give you any tips on where and how to use it. Don't complain when he kills you with it and calls you an idiot (because you are). Take careful note of everything he says regarding the piece of gear, then update your notecard accordingly, including advancing the version number in a way that makes sense, and making note (in the notecard) of what changed and when.
Finally, submit your notecard to an Overlord or Officer, and ask for it to be implemented in the armory box. If they ask that it be changed, change it accordingly, and resubmit it. If they accept it, wait for it to show up in the appropriate armory box. If it does not appear within a week, beg until it does.
Congratulations! You've navigated the (mostly) painless process of providing gear documentation that current and future members of chaos can enjoy! Until the gear gets re-worked and requires the documentation to be updated.
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This is a dead document. It will never be updated (by me). Therefore, it is not subject to interpretation and should be treated as Gospel.
Promotion pls.
Amen.
