6 replies to this topic

[Chronic]

The GM MENTORS List

Welcome to the list of GM Mentors at the GMC... Have you been working on a problem for days now? Is there something that you just don't get? Have you posted a topic in the Novice Q&A forum and gotten no replies or replies that haven't answered your question? Then you have come to the right place, as this list has been compiled to help novice users of GM find their feet on the forums and resolve those problems that currently seem unsolvable!

Where do you start? Well, you start by choosing a name from the list below and clicking on it. This will take you to their profile screen where you can send them a Personal Message (PM) requesting their help. Be sure to mention that you got their name from the Mentors List and please follow these few basic rules when getting in touch with a GM Mentor :

DO:

• Choose a RANDOM member from the list. We don't want to have only the person at the top getting hundreds of PM's from everybody that needs help!
• Be polite. They are giving their time to help you and that is worthy of respect.
• Make sure to mention that you saw their name on this list, it might prompt them to ask for it to be removed if they have forgotten about it, or are no longer able to help because of other commitments.
• Try your best to do things for yourself as a Mentor is there to provide help and support, not to make your game for you!.
• Be sure to make your question clear and provide as much information as possible, this will help to make your question easier to answer, and if you have previously posted a topic in the Novice Q&A provide a link to that topic.

DON'T:

• Expect a Mentor to make your game for you.
• Ask more than one Mentor at a time for help. Using the help provided by these members is a privilege here, and any abuse of the system will not be tolerated.
• Pester a Mentor if they say they cannot help anymore, or do not reply within at least a week of your inicial contact. If that happens then you should ask someone else, or post your problem in the Novice Q&A.
• Expect a Mentor to guide you forever! Once your inicial query is resolved try and continue by yourself and post further questions in the Novice Q&A unless the Mentor specifically states that you can get back in touch with further problems.

When asking for help, if you receive no response in a reasonable amount of time (say a week or two), then let a moderator know and they will look into it, removing the name of the Mentor from the list if that member is inactive. However, please don't expect every mentor to respond to your request immediately. Most of the GM mentors have school or job responsibilities so please be understanding and patient!



A Note To All Mentors

If you are a GM Mentor (or wish to be one) there are a few things that you should note too...

• Be polite and respectful to the person that contacts you.
• If you no longer wish to be a Mentor then PM a moderator to get your name removed from the list a soon as possible.
• Members who are innactive for more than a few months will be notified and removed from the list. This is not permanent and if you wish to be put back on the list again, then inform a moderator when you are available.
• If at the time of contact you feel you cannot help then SAY SO, rather than just ignore the message you have been sent. You are allowed to say no to a request as being a Mentor is not an obligation, but please do so in a polite manner.
• If a member is being rude, pushy or sendng you mass PM's then let a moderator know and it will be dealt with.

As a Mentor, your job is to help and explain anything that the member asks you about... So you should bare in mind that learning to formulate good questions, learning to use the manual and learning to use the search function of the forums are often the best way to teach, and while resolving a particular problem may be easy, you should try not to just give out code, but rather explain how you got it, why it works and how the member can go about getting this information on their own.

Help them to help themselves and remember, you are not there to hold their hand forever more! Once the initial question has been resolved you may decline to help further and suggest that they start posting in the Novice Q&A further questions. This is a personal choice, of course, and each Mentor is free to continue helping any member for as long as they wish.



Support Banners For Mentors

A number of community members contibuted banners for GM Mentors to display in their signatures. I have collected them all in a zip file that can be downloaded here:

Download mentorsbanners.zip from Host-A

And here we have a sample of them for you to see :

by Tangible Lime


by Teej


by Phantom107


by TrueValhalla



Thank you all for making these and I hope to see at least some of the mentors using them in their signatures!

[Chronic]

Game Maker Mentors

Here are some helpful GM programmers you can contact if you need help. We've grouped the Mentors into the categories below, to help make a better match between your needs, and the mentor's areas of expertise.

General GML

• Abyssal_Nuclei
• AndrewBGM
• Big J
• Coffenathaneric (Genral GML and mathematics)
• CoolGmrSms
• daman123125
• dan2172
• Debels (Debels IRC for questions: http://mibbit.com/?c...irc.mibbit.net)
• desertdweller
• e_barroga
• IceMetalPunk (specific questions only)
• JonathanPzone
• Jakyl11
• johnkapid
• MasterOfKings
• Noele
• PlasticineGuy
• Ramses12
• RavenCrow
• Slady01
• Spikehead777
• The2Banned2One
• theUltimate
• waaaaaaah
• Zargy

3D Coding

• BattleRifle BR55
• Spikehead777
• 3D Technique

Online Programming

• e_barroga
• IceMetalPunk (specific questions only)
• JonathanPzone
• Revel
• sabriath

Mathematics

• daman123125
• desertdweller
• IceMetalPunk (specific questions only)
• JonathanPzone
• RavenCrow
• Spikehead777

Career Q&A
The following people will discuss career and educational goals and strategies with users. What looks good on a resume, what to expect from interviews, salary guidelines, how many hours do you actually work... etc etc etc...

• Sinaz

Game Design Q&A
The following people are there to discuss any issues relating to game design...

• Noele
• wickedsunny (also available for 3D design questions)

[Chronic]

Example Makers

Want an example made for you? Contact one of these users with as much information about what you want in the example as possible:

• Abyssal_Nuclei
• AndrewBGM
• CoolGmrSms
• dan2172
• JonathanPzone
• Marius
• Noele
• Ramses12
• RavenCrow

Edited by Nocturne, 08 March 2013 - 08:40 AM.

[t3mp3st]

Just mentioning that I've updated the topic, and will take applications by PM. Depending on my time available, requests should be either filled or denied within a few days at most.
Information has been added to the first post.

June 27, 2006:
Updated the list a bit, removing 11 total members (8 from mentors, 4 from example makers. One of the members was in both which is why I say 11 and not 12.) Removed due to inactivity, with a 3-month cutoff.

January 22, 2007:
Another cleanup of inactive members, this time about a half dozen. There have also been some removed by request, although those are done when the request is made.

June 8, 2007:
Another cleanup of inactive members.

I want to also mention that in all the time handling additions and removals, I'm glad to say I've not received a single complaint about any helper. It's great that we have those members here who give their time to help out newer members. You make this community what it is ^_~

[KC LC]

Update December 2009

Another clean-up of inactive members. Members who haven't visited the GMC since July 2009 have been removed.

Just as a reminder, we're still taking applications by PM. Please send a PM to one of the active moderators (note that KC LC is no longer active). Please include some links to a game you've made, or a tutorial, or just some topics where you helped someone with GML code.

Edited by flexaplex, 08 June 2011 - 10:15 PM.

[Nocturne]

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2011


I have given the Mentors and Example makers list a major update... a PM was sent to every single person asking to let me know if they wanted to remain a Mentor or not, and those that are still on the lists are those that replied and said yes. If you forgot to reply, failed to see the PM or for any other reason have had your name removed from the list but wish to remain, then please PM me (or any other member of staff) and let us know.

Now unfortunately, but not surprisingly, this has reduced the list somewhat and we are now in need of new blood!! So if anyone feels willing and able to help out their fellow GMC members in any of the categories mentioned in the posts above, please let me know by PM and I will be in touch. To help me with the selection process, please send me any relevant links to examples or games that you have made, or even topic where you feel that you have been of particular help to someone.

To all those that have decided to step down from the lists, I offer you a heartfelt "Thank You!" for your time and efforts. I'm sure there are many people who would not still be members of this community and using GM if it wasn't for your help, dedication and patience...

[Nocturne]

UPDATE MAY 2012


We have a new design mentor wickedsunny, who is also willing to help out those taking their first steps in 3D modelling and art and a new general GML mentor, Sirosky, who is also offering to help out with interface and HUD design.


Thanks guys!

EDIT: MasterOfKings joins the team! Thank you!

EDIT: EDIT: Slady01 has also signed on!

EDIT: EDIT: EDIT: And another one! Southman! Thanks!

Edited by Nocturne, 21 July 2012 - 06:14 AM.