Sometimes you have a question and want an answer but don't want to be direct. We get it. If you're new, it can be intimidating to ask for help. However, the best way to ask for help is to be direct and clear with your question right away, rather than dance around it and waste people's time.

How not to ask a question

I have a question...

or

Can somebody help me with something?

or

Is anyone here that can help me?

or

Is there someone here that knows about <insert some kind of topic/profession/skill>?

None of those state what or why you are asking for help, and are more likely to be ignored even by someone that can help you. Remember, be clear about what you need as soon as possible. People are busy, attention spans are short, time is precious.

 

How to properly ask a question

Can somebody help me with how to learn how to make a map?

or

Is anyone here that can point me towards a tutorial on how to edit an NPC file?

or

Is there someone here that knows about modeling in Blender? I am trying to merge two models together and am running into an error when exporting. The error is <insert error or relative troubleshooting info>.

All of these examples get your actual question out there for someone to see and respond if they are able, rather than spending more time giving permission for the person to continue asking, or waiting for more information.

If you get no responses even after being as clear as possible, chances are someone just doesn't know the answer, doesn't have the time to answer yet, forgot to answer, or hasn't seen it yet. Again, people are busy, attention spans are short, time is precious. Nobody exists to be your 24/7 support, even in an instant chat like Discord.

 

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Do not direct message

If you like being ignored, this is the surefire way to get it in the age of common discussion areas. Places like public Discords and forums exist so that DMs shouldn't be necessary when it comes to asking for help. Not only will they get you a larger pool of people to help you out, but will serve as a resource for future people with the same problem that you had.

Of course some situations do require a direct message, so there is some proper etiquette on how to message people as well.

How not to start an online conversation

Hey

or

Hi

or

How are you doing?

Unless you are close with this person and genuinely asking about their personal life, this is not how to get help or information from someone. Starting any text conversation with only "Hi" or "Hey" or "Hello" is completely unnecessary and wastes time and will typically get ignored if you are not already acquainted.

Be direct, clear, and concise with your questions!

 

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Research first

Your first step when needing answers should not to be to ask someone. Always research as much as you can first. I promise you, most answers will be found faster than asking and waiting for a response. We live in the information age, where you can access endless articles, tutorials, and threads from people that have probably asked your question before.

Use Google, use the search function on websites like JKHub, search the chat on Discord. When in doubt, use "site:reddit.com" in Google and you will probably find something on there, or if you are struggling with finding things related to Jedi Academy and on JKHub's search, use "site:jkhub.org" in Google.

Please search first.

If you are asking for someone to make your something, remember to put some effort into researching how to make it yourself first. However, we understand creation is not for everyone, just be open-minded about learning. Someone who is reception to knowledge is more likely to get what they are looking for than someone who asks for gifts.

 

If you are new to Jedi Academy and are looking for help, create a new thread here, go join the JKCommunity Discord, or check out our Starter guide to point you in the right direction.