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The lack of appreciation for text tutorials

Discussion in 'Community Learning & Teaching' started by CPTANT, Mar 31, 2016.

  1. CPTANT

    CPTANT

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2016
    Posts:
    80
    Why are there so few text tutorials available for unity?

    There is the manual and tutorials about very specific issues, but there seems to be almost nothing covering things like the videos in unity tutorials page.

    Personally I can work very badly with video tutorials. There is always a mismatch in the tempo that I work in versus the video, I can't skip things that I already know and I can't skim or search the content.

    There are people that prefer video tutorials and there are people that prefer text tutorials, but I am feeling that the people preferring text tutorials are getting the supremely short end of the stick.
     
    sylon and milsorgen like this.
  2. JayJennings

    JayJennings

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2013
    Posts:
    184
    I make tutorials for a living. While I've done written and video, the latter are *much* faster for me to create and there are more people who want that format, which is why you continue to see more of them.

    I think the problem with most video tutorials is NOT that they're video -- it's that they suck. The biggest reasons they suck are:

    1. No (or too little) editing. All the boring parts like waiting for something to load should be chopped out. Most "um" "er" "ah" vocal things should be chopped out.

    2. Videos that are too long. If your tutorial is going to show 6 different things, give me 6 different videos that work together, not something that's an hour in length. That way I can easily watch just the parts that I need help with.

    3. Useless stinking chit-chat. I *love* videos where the presenter has some character (I don't want bland), but when you're doing a tutorial video, get into the meat of the technique immediately and don't wander off track.

    I know that doesn't help solve your problem of having more written tutorials, but if you find someone who creates video tutorials that keep those three things in mind, at least you'll have videos that serve you better.

    Jay
     
    LadyAth likes this.
  3. LadyAth

    LadyAth

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2014
    Posts:
    158
    Jay, I agree 100% with your views. I am one of those people who prefer video tutorials because I can listen as I emulate along whereas with reading, I end up just copying and pasting what I need and skimming over text. That said, I appreciate that there are people who prefer text and that it works better for them.

    Makes me wonder if someone should not create tutorials on how to create GOOD tutorials for written as well as video mediums. It is great that there are so much material to learn from out there, but I tend to ignore most of it due to poor presentation techniques.
     
    JayJennings likes this.
  4. milsorgen

    milsorgen

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2018
    Posts:
    1
    Video tutorials are awful. I don't care if it's unity or math or archaelarch, personal learning or for school video is just not a good format. Takes 5 times as long to cover the same ground. Trying to reiterate a single concept you are struggling with takes even longer thanks to rewind and load times. It's just a sign of the times video co tentnis cheaper to make so that's what gets made, plus people have very limited attention spans anymore so they need the noise and colour. That said to each their own but it's clearly a product of using the internet to consume rather than to learn, explore and create. Just look at personal webpages and even Myspace of you're with Instagram and Snapchat of today. It's all a product of ease and output even if the results are more and more middling.
     
  5. Owen-Reynolds

    Owen-Reynolds

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2012
    Posts:
    1,992
    Three years later and there seems even more demand for how-to videos. The Learn section is getting more paid content, right? And that's all "tutorials". I think game designers are learning it the same way they always did. I mean, this area has a post about what programming textbooks to read (they'er only so-so, but that't not the point). But many more people enjoy playing with Unity as a hobby, and they love their videos.