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[WanderingKid]

So, I've put up an unlisted video showing the first of these tutorials, primarily for feedback from you guys before I go chugging along on these.  I'd like to get the general tone and feel down early.

I've locked out comments on it so please, comment here.  All I ask is if I get a response of 'It Sucks', please tell me WHY it sucks.

http://youtu.be/9iu2hTsN1nk
EDIT: Draft has been taken down.  Thank you for your reponses. The next draft for Site Selection will be up in the near future for your review. [/EDIT]

I realize world generation isn't the most exciting topic to cover, but I felt it worthy to start at the beginning.  If you just don't feel you've seen enough to make a judgement, that's fair too, and I can do the other two Strike the Earth pieces before you comment if you feel you need more to work from.

Thanks in advance.

[WoobMonkey]

Initial feedback:

When setting the basic parameters, you continually refer to settings as being only important for adventurer mode.  This is misleading, as it's simply not true.

A larger world size allows for a greater variety of biomes - a small map is less likely to generate the full range of evil, neutral, and good areas.  Also, if necro towers are generated, it's more difficult on a small map to find an acceptable launch site that isn't in their range.

Length of history is also important to Fort mode, as a shorter history will be more likely to have living FBs and Megabeasts; a long history is more likely to have only the toughest ones left.  Also, this setting affects: number of satellite settlements founded; number of civilizations lost to war or collapse; number of vampires in leadership roles; number of underground tunnels, aboveground roads, and trade parnerships - certainly, these things are not only related to Adventurer mode.

Number of civilizations is very important to Fort mode; the more civs, the more choices available on embark (the difference between only having a steel anvil, vs an iron anvil, is important!).  Also, the more civs, the more likely that some will be aggressive/at war with your home civ.

Number of sites affects Fort mode, as it is directly correlated to civ population (and, thus, number/quality of migrants); and will also determine how many viable embark sites are left to the player, as villages, towns, etc are more likely to be built on the best spots first.

AFAIK, the issue with the 'everywhere' setting isn't that it screws up the generation of flux; it simply makes the site finder unable to locate it, due to the overabundance of everything else sort of squeezing flux out of the picture.

That said, I do like the intro graphic, and the bgm.  Your breezy style is commendable, as well - you don't belabour the obvious, or fall into the usual pedantry that comes with DF tutorials.

All in all: 4/10.  Great on style, but lacking in content; I suggest a little more research before posting this vid publicly.

[Hamiltonz]

I've done some thoughts on this as well.

First I think there is real value in crowd sourcing the script for the tutorial.  Each of us may know a lot about DF but no one knows everything.  By crowd sourcing we will have a greater chance on including all the good bits.

Secondly only noobs need the really detailed tutorial.  I planned for three parallel paths.  Path "Noob" would have entire episodes on just one thing at a time (like building a pump stack).  Path "Experienced" would be the Cliff's Notes version.  Just enough of a reminder that you don't forget something important (like not linking a lever to a mechanism that the windmill is built on).  Path "Expert" would have the cheats, mods, lua scripts that open up the game for the really hard core players.

Initial plan is for most people to use the middle path  they would only drop down to the detailed videos when they wished to learn something well, or to figure out why something didn't work.

As a group project we could have different people do the voice over for each part.  And of course we would want Toady One to do the intro.

[WanderingKid]

It's Not Perfect!  I will now pull the magma lever in my bedroom while I cry tears of shame!  NOOOOOOO!!!!

Alright, sorry, had to get that out of my system.    Thanks Woob and Hamiltonz.  I'd like to respond however.  In order...

When setting the basic parameters, you continually refer to settings as being only important for adventurer mode.  This is misleading, as it's simply not true.

In some ways yes, some ways no.  Let me see if you agree.

A larger world size allows for a greater variety of biomes - a small map is less likely to generate the full range of evil, neutral, and good areas.  Also, if necro towers are generated, it's more difficult on a small map to find an acceptable launch site that isn't in their range.

I've found that biome variety is reasonably varied even on smaller maps.  It has more to do with the mesh size in advanced than anything, if I understand advanced generation well enough (I don't).  I find it faster and more useful to generate two or three smaller maps in the time it takes to generate a larger one.  I also have never had a problem avoiding necro towers, even on smallest map generation.  I would disagree with this assessment.

Minor reorganization of items you listed below:

Length of history is also important to Fort mode, as a shorter history will be more likely to have living FBs and Megabeasts; a long history is more likely to have only the toughest ones left.  Also, this setting affects: number of vampires in leadership roles;

These are affected by history, I agree, and should be mentioned for clarity.  I don't feel they're enough, by themselves, to matter in history decisions. EDIT: Particularly since you can control MB/FB volume through a completely different setting, using History Length for this is non-optimal. /EDIT

number of satellite settlements founded; number of civilizations lost to war or collapse; number of underground tunnels, aboveground roads, and trade parnerships - certainly, these things are not only related to Adventurer mode.

Here I disagree.  Roads, Trade partnerships, and Underground Tunnels mean nothing to Fortress mode.  Satellite settlements founded dovetails into civilizations lost to war/collapse; when one civ falls, another moves in with satellites.  Until these civilizations mean anything more than who's in range to trade/fight with (easily told by the neighbors option in embark), I don't feel they matter in fortress mode.

EDIT: Clarification: Elves, are elves, are Elves.  I don't care if they're from the Moontree Alliance or the Forgotten Branch.  They're elves.  They either get shot on sight, bring random creatures for trade, or aren't existing in my trade neighbors screen. The civ, and sites, don't matter.  /EDIT

Number of civilizations is very important to Fort mode; the more civs, the more choices available on embark (the difference between only having a steel anvil, vs an iron anvil, is important!).

But you can't tell that until you've already CHOSEN an embark, so you have to live with what you chose, or back out completely and try again.  Have you ever, even as a newbie, backed off an embark because the home civilization had shoes instead of socks?

Also, the more civs, the more likely that some will be aggressive/at war with your home civ.

  I have so rarely, if ever, had anything more than goblins at war with a home civ (unless I cause it) that I have no idea what drives that factor.  If that can be validated I'll certainly mention it as a possibility for more !Fun!.  I can see the logic path but I'd like to confirm that somehow.

Number of sites affects Fort mode, as it is directly correlated to civ population (and, thus, number/quality of migrants); and will also determine how many viable embark sites are left to the player, as villages, towns, etc are more likely to be built on the best spots first.

One at a time there.  Migrant waves, from the wiki (as mentioned, I don't know everything): http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Migrants

Civ Population affects migrant skill levels, not number.  Since most migrants, even from old civs, at most come in at 5/6 skill levels vs. the 15+ for legendary, a 2 vs. a 5 is inconsequential to me, and doesn't rate mention.  Migrant sizes are influenced by your fortress wealth at the time of the last dwarven caravan.  EDIT: Past forts that are retired can send you the legendary crafters you generated elsewhere.  This isn't a concern regarding this setting, but how many forts you build on one map. /EDIT

For villages, towns, etc built on 'good sites', I've never particularly noticed, nor cared, if that was true.  They're just there. I've built on the walls of a neighboring town and built in the wilderness, it's never affected my play.  If you can't find the site you want, generate a new map. 

So of these points, for skills in migrants, I suppose an argument could be made for low # of civs with a high # of sites so the home civilization was heavily populated for better skilled migrants.  That seems overly complex and would need some science to prove it's validity.  If it's already been done I'd be happy to review the findings.

AFAIK, the issue with the 'everywhere' setting isn't that it screws up the generation of flux; it simply makes the site finder unable to locate it, due to the overabundance of everything else sort of squeezing flux out of the picture.

It has that problem on sparse too, because for some reason it never seems to see marble.

That said, I do like the intro graphic, and the bgm.  Your breezy style is commendable, as well - you don't belabour the obvious, or fall into the usual pedantry that comes with DF tutorials.

Intro is just flash and thunder. The style comment I appreciate, I'm hoping to stay with that. 

Now, Hamiltonz:

First I think there is real value in crowd sourcing the script for the tutorial.  Each of us may know a lot about DF but no one knows everything.  By crowd sourcing we will have a greater chance on including all the good bits.

This is a reasonable sentiment, but I have two concerns here. 
One: I'm not writing scripts. I'm re-recording a lot when I realize I leave certain things out but there's no script.  I have a simple outline in my head of things to cover, though.  I'm not going in without any organization whatsoever.
Two: When was the last time you saw a committee of 1,000+ people on the internet ever get anything done.  It'll get bogged down in a discussion on ASCII vs. graphics packs and never touch on the game itself.

Secondly only noobs need the really detailed tutorial.

Fair.

I planned for three parallel paths.  Path "Noob" would have entire episodes on just one thing at a time (like building a pump stack).  Path "Experienced" would be the Cliff's Notes version.  Just enough of a reminder that you don't forget something important (like not linking a lever to a mechanism that the windmill is built on).  Path "Expert" would have the cheats, mods, lua scripts that open up the game for the really hard core players.

*scratches his head* You have me confused here. Are you doing a tutorial series as well?  Not that I disagree with the concept of Newb (I hate Noob, it has implications that are inaccurate to the ignorant and truly new), Experienced/Advanced, and Expert, but my personal plans are to lay down the bedrock foundation of the series before I move to more advanced, or indepth, pieces.  If you're doing a series as well I'll be looking forward to seeing how we differ in organization and presentation.

As a group project we could have different people do the voice over for each part.  And of course we would want Toady One to do the intro.

I have no interest in a group project for the reasons mentioned above.  There needs to be a project dictator who takes input in from the others with knowledge and incorporates it with a single style.  For this series, that would be me.  If you're hoping to organize a group project, I wish you the best.  I've had little success with them compared to the frustration volume I end up absorbing.

I don't disagree with the sentiment that noone knows everything, which is why I'm trying to solicit as much input towards making this as accurate and useful as possible.  In the end, though, it's not a group project, not in the way you're describing.

[WoobMonkey]

It's Not Perfect!  I will now pull the magma lever in my bedroom while I cry tears of shame!  NOOOOOOO!!!!

Alright, sorry, had to get that out of my system.    Thanks Woob and Hamiltonz.  I'd like to respond however.  In order...

Damn.  My evil plot to dissuade you from making this series has failed.  Seppuku it is, then.  XD

I've found that biome variety is reasonably varied even on smaller maps.  It has more to do with the mesh size in advanced than anything, if I understand advanced generation well enough (I don't).  I find it faster and more useful to generate two or three smaller maps in the time it takes to generate a larger one.  I also have never had a problem avoiding necro towers, even on smallest map generation.  I would disagree with this assessment.

I won't stick on this point, except to say that my anecdotal experience differs from yours.

These are affected by history, I agree, and should be mentioned for clarity.  I don't feel they're enough, by themselves, to matter in history decisions.

I suppose it depends on your intended audience.  A passing mention ought to be enough, for sure; especially if it's balanced with a mention of how history length affects world generation time (measured in CPU cycles).

Here I disagree.  Roads, Trade partnerships, and Underground Tunnels mean nothing to Fortress mode.  Satellite settlements founded dovetails into civilizations lost to war/collapse; when one civ falls, another moves in with satellites.  Until these civilizations mean anything more than who's in range to trade/fight with (easily told by the neighbors option in embark), I don't feel they matter in fortress mode.

Fair, though I still feel that it's better to be complete in one's assessment, rather than just shrugging it off as entirely unimportant.  And tunnels do matter, iirc, as they change the likelihood of subterranean foes appearing - will you be harassed by Troglodytes, or Antpersons? may not be a particularly important question, but it's still there.

But you can't tell that until you've already CHOSEN an embark, so you have to live with what you chose, or back out completely and try again.  Have you ever, even as a newbie, backed off an embark because the home civilization had shoes instead of socks?

Yes, you have to back out and try again, agreed.  However, this is much more tenable than having to re-generate the entire world, when the only Dwarf civ doesn't have what you want or need for embarkation.  Once again, a small, but IMHO worthy distinction to make, especially in a tutorial.

I have so rarely, if ever, had anything more than goblins at war with a home civ (unless I cause it) that I have no idea what drives that factor.  If that can be validated I'll certainly mention it as a possibility for more !Fun!.  I can see the logic path but I'd like to confirm that somehow.

As would I.  Any evidence I have on this point is purely anecdotal.  It just makes sense that, given a certain % chance of wars occurring, upping the number of potential combatants will necessarily up the frequency that war will come to at least a few of them.  For the record, it's very rare (in my experience) for war to happen, on a short history world, as well.

<snipped - info from wiki outranks me, to be sure>

For villages, towns, etc built on 'good sites', I've never particularly noticed, nor cared, if that was true.  They're just there. I've built on the walls of a neighboring town and built in the wilderness, it's never affected my play.  If you can't find the site you want, generate a new map. 

So, what you seem to be saying is 'Welcome, Newbs, to your new world.  And the one after that.  Then, another.  Maybe, just maybe, you'll find one you'd like to play in; but you won't know that until after you've chosen to play.'  Sorry if that comes off as snarky; it just seems a little counter-productive to what you've stated as a goal in your tutorial series (correct me if I'm wrong): namely, to get new players off the ground with minimal fuss.  To me, having a potential stumbling block before even getting to embark runs against that idea.

It has that problem on sparse too, because for some reason it never seems to see marble.

Perhaps, then, taking a second to explain that there is likely to be flux on any setting, but you won't see it pre-embark on certain settings, would be a useful idea?

Intro is just flash and thunder. The style comment I appreciate, I'm hoping to stay with that. 

Hey, it's what sucked me into FurnaceClans in the first place.  This is definitely one of your strengths as an LPer; I, for one, am glad to see it holds when you put on the teacher hat, as well.

I may have been harsh in the 4/10 rating; I think that maybe it's just that by not touching on the points above, there's a level of sameness that comes across in what you're saying, and what has already been said by folks like pewpewchewchew, JefMajor, some 30 kids with British accents, etc. etc. etc..  Full credit, once again, for being much more concise: what I, personally, would like to see is that same concision applied a little deeper.  You have a sharper scalpel than most; don't be afraid to cut closer to the core!

Once again pledging full support regardless of how much we may disagree, for the record!

[WanderingKid]

Damn.  My evil plot to dissuade you from making this series has failed.  Seppuku it is, then.  XD

Snort.  Laugh.

I won't stick on this point, except to say that my anecdotal experience differs from yours.

Worthy of mention then.

I suppose it depends on your intended audience.  A passing mention ought to be enough, for sure; especially if it's balanced with a mention of how history length affects world generation time (measured in CPU cycles).

Agreed.

Fair, though I still feel that it's better to be complete in one's assessment, rather than just shrugging it off as entirely unimportant.  And tunnels do matter, iirc, as they change the likelihood of subterranean foes appearing - will you be harassed by Troglodytes, or Antpersons? may not be a particularly important question, but it's still there.

From the wiki on tunnels:
A tunnel is a goblin or dwarf-made construction that connects sites together, much like a road but underground. When embarked on in fortress mode they are capped at the map edge, preventing any visitors from using them.

No affect.  Sites are an Adventure mode setting primarily.  It's highest purpose is to determine how long you have to spend in the wilderness between 'safe' locales.  Also, it determines the # of places to raid.

Yes, you have to back out and try again, agreed.  However, this is much more tenable than having to re-generate the entire world, when the only Dwarf civ doesn't have what you want or need for embarkation.  Once again, a small, but IMHO worthy distinction to make, especially in a tutorial.

Certainly worth a mention then, but it's not one that I would recommend drive a selection choice on the creation screen.

As would I.  Any evidence I have on this point is purely anecdotal.  It just makes sense that, given a certain % chance of wars occurring, upping the number of potential combatants will necessarily up the frequency that war will come to at least a few of them.  For the record, it's very rare (in my experience) for war to happen, on a short history world, as well.

Agreed, it's history that sparks wars, and then the timing of the world generation if you're still around for a civ's war with another one.  If anyone can point me to research on the topic to discuss it intelligently instead of guessing via logic trains, I can always re-shoot and/or edit the video and include that information.

So, what you seem to be saying is 'Welcome, Newbs, to your new world.  And the one after that.  Then, another.  Maybe, just maybe, you'll find one you'd like to play in; but you won't know that until after you've chosen to play.'  Sorry if that comes off as snarky; it just seems a little counter-productive to what you've stated as a goal in your tutorial series (correct me if I'm wrong): namely, to get new players off the ground with minimal fuss.  To me, having a potential stumbling block before even getting to embark runs against that idea.

I don't see it as a stumbling block, personally, but yes, in section 2 (selecting the embark) I mention that if you can't find what you want, gen a new world.  Might as well get them used to it early.  But one of the ideas behind these tutorials is to help understand that you won't find perfect, just find 'good enough', at least to start.  No worries about the snark.  Snark's fine with reasoning behind it.

But in essence... yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.  The tools to prepare a perfect embark easily (yes, you can paint a map, it's difficult) or select intelligently prior to the embark screen just don't exist.  This isn't a constructed world, it's a generated one.  RNG wins sometimes.

Perhaps, then, taking a second to explain that there is likely to be flux on any setting, but you won't see it pre-embark on certain settings, would be a useful idea?

I'm down with that.  I'd intended to bring that in on the Embark screen where the listing is more immediate to a new user, but it can be mentioned here as well.

I may have been harsh in the 4/10 rating; I think that maybe it's just that by not touching on the points above, there's a level of sameness that comes across in what you're saying, and what has already been said by folks like pewpewchewchew, JefMajor, some 30 kids with British accents, etc. etc. etc.. 

Full credit, once again, for being much more concise: what I, personally, would like to see is that same concision applied a little deeper.  You have a sharper scalpel than most; don't be afraid to cut closer to the core!

Oh, I'm definately not saying anything new, at least not early on. That's not the point.  I admire the Captn, for example, for his ability to have conveyed the points I needed to understand in ways the wiki just couldn't.  All I hope to do is improve on the presentation at this stage.

Once again pledging full support regardless of how much we may disagree, for the record!

Keep disagreeing.  I'm certainly not always right, and having to clarify myself to you will help keep me both honest and more concise in the videos.

Due to this brief discussion, I've decided I'm going to unlisted post 'drafts' of each tutorial for review here prior to release into the wild.  I expect at this point to do each video twice.  Once a draft, once a 'real'. 

I encourage everyone to point out inaccuracies, lies, and bad form in them.  Thinking more on Hamiltonz statements above, in a way this will be a group effort, because it has to be.  I'm standing on the backs of giants like GiH, CapnDuck, Quietust, and others, so it's ALREADY a group effort.  Please don't take offense if you're left out of that very short list.  I'd run out of characters in this post if it was comprehensive.

I'm going to be the dictator and final arbiter on content and style, however.  I will attempt to keep a credits log of some form for those involved so that I can at least offer a bit of recognition somehow.

[Lord scorch]

i recommend in the long run you do a episode on mods.such as masterwork and so on.i still have yet to see anyone Cover modding in a video tutorial.

[vjek]

I wrote this tutorial a while back, and tested it with a few users.  Seemed to work well, and I've never seen another one like it.
---
Preset Field Values Tutorial, 2012-06-04, by Vjek

Use this worldgen for this tutorial.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[WORLD_GEN]
   [TITLE:PFV_TESTING1]
   [DIM:33:33]
   [EMBARK_POINTS:2500]
   [END_YEAR:300]
   [BEAST_END_YEAR:350:99]
   [REVEAL_ALL_HISTORY:0]
   [CULL_HISTORICAL_FIGURES:1]
   [ELEVATION:100:360:0:0]
   [RAINFALL:10:100:0:0]
   [TEMPERATURE:-36:85:0:0]
   [DRAINAGE:10:100:0:0]
   [VOLCANISM:0:100:0:0]
   [SAVAGERY:0:100:0:0]
   [ELEVATION_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [RAIN_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [DRAINAGE_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [TEMPERATURE_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [SAVAGERY_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [VOLCANISM_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [MINERAL_SCARCITY:1000]
   [MEGABEAST_CAP:0]
   [SEMIMEGABEAST_CAP:0]
   [TITAN_NUMBER:0]
   [TITAN_ATTACK_TRIGGER:0:0:0]
   [DEMON_NUMBER:0]
   [NIGHT_TROLL_NUMBER:0]
   [BOGEYMAN_NUMBER:0]
   [VAMPIRE_NUMBER:0]
   [WEREBEAST_NUMBER:0]
   [SECRET_NUMBER:0]
   [REGIONAL_INTERACTION_NUMBER:0]
   [DISTURBANCE_INTERACTION_NUMBER:0]
   [EVIL_CLOUD_NUMBER:0]
   [EVIL_RAIN_NUMBER:0]
   [GOOD_SQ_COUNTS:0:0:0]
   [EVIL_SQ_COUNTS:0:0:0]
   [PEAK_NUMBER_MIN:0]
   [PARTIAL_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:0]
   [COMPLETE_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:0]
   [VOLCANO_MIN:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:SWAMP:0:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:DESERT:0:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:FOREST:0:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:MOUNTAINS:0:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:OCEAN:0:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:GLACIER:0:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:TUNDRA:0:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:GRASSLAND:0:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:HILLS:0:0:0]
   [EROSION_CYCLE_COUNT:0]
   [RIVER_MINS:0:0]
   [PERIODICALLY_ERODE_EXTREMES:0]
   [OROGRAPHIC_PRECIPITATION:0]
   [SUBREGION_MAX:1500]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_COUNT:1]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MIN:1]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MAX:2]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MIN:0]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MAX:0]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MIN:10]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MAX:15]
   [HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_1:1]
   [HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_2:0]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_GROUND:1]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_1:40]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_2:2]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_3:2]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_4:2]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_5:2]
   [LEVELS_AT_BOTTOM:2]
   [CAVE_MIN_SIZE:1]
   [CAVE_MAX_SIZE:1]
   [MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:0]
   [NON_MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:0]
   [ALL_CAVES_VISIBLE:1]
   [SHOW_EMBARK_TUNNEL:2]
   [TOTAL_CIV_NUMBER:5]
   [TOTAL_CIV_POPULATION:0]
   [SITE_CAP:0]
   [PLAYABLE_CIVILIZATION_REQUIRED:1]
   [ELEVATION_RANGES:0:0:0]
   [RAIN_RANGES:0:0:0]
   [DRAINAGE_RANGES:0:0:0]
   [SAVAGERY_RANGES:0:0:0]
   [VOLCANISM_RANGES:0:0:0]

To bring up the Preset Field Values (PFV) interface, from the Main Menu, select: Design New World with Advanced Parameters, then move the selection to the worldgen you pasted into \init\worldgen.txt, then choose e to edit, and p for "set Preset Field Values"

You'll be presented with a box on the left, and some geographical aspects on the right:

ELEV = Elevation.  This is how high the land is. 0-99 is ocean. 100-299 is a variety of landscapes. 300-400 is mountain.

RAIN = Rain!  How much rain will this area get.  Yes, you can control exactly which region tiles get rain.  Deserts next to swamps, if you want.

TEMP = Temperature.  You can designate areas to be freezing or scorching, as you wish.

DRAIN = Drainage.  Again, badlands next to swamps, or forests next to grasslands.

SAV = Savagery. Lets you control if your mountains are calm, and the rest of the world is 100% savage.  Or have savage plains, but calm forests.

VOLC = Volcanism.  You can paint where you want volcanoes and/or igneous extrusive layers to be generated.  In general, if a volcano breaks the surface, it will significantly alter the elevation in an area, so you've been warned.

If you left-click on (View) for any of the geographical aspects, it will presume you wish to modify them, and switch to "Will be saved" if you had previously changed it to "Randomize at gen"
If you left-click on "Randomize at gen" or "Will be saved" it will toggle between them
If you left-click on the Brush Radius number, it will let you type in a new number.
If you left-click on the word "Normal Brush" it will toggle between "Normal Brush" and "Smoothing Brush"
If you press enter, wherever the mouse cursor is will be updated to show all the geographical aspects on that spot, and will "render" the world to give you a rough idea of how things will look.
If you left-click on the word "Painting" it will toggle between "Painting" and "No painting".

Right click pans the working area - however, it's reversed.  If you right click at the bottom, it will pan up.  If you right click at the top, it will pan down.  Right clicking closer to an edge will make the pan jump farther.  If you right click closer to the center, it will pan in very small increments. 0x0 is the upper left, 32x32 (in this sized map) is the lower right.

To start out, you want to see Not Painting and Randomize at Gen for all aspects (ELEV, RAIN, TEMP, DRAIN, SAV, VOLC)
Why?  This is what a "normal" worldgen would look like.  Each aspect is randomized, and there are no manual adjustments to begin with.  Once you've set every Painting to Not Painting, and every "Will be saved" to "randomize at gen" you're ready to start. (12 clicks!)

So, lets do something simple.  Left click once on (View) next to ELEV.  We see the brush is set to some value like 200/125.  We want to set that to something different, to make all the world a flat low elevation, to start. click on the light blue Brush word under ELEV.  Now you can type a value.  Type in 0 and see what happens.  It should change to 100/100.  This means our minimum value is elevation 100, which it was, in the worldgen settings.  We tried to set it to zero, and it adjusted it to the lowest possible value, which is 100.

Now left click in the upper left corner of the painting area.  Nothing happened, right?  Nothing should have happened, because "Not painting" was selected.  Toggle that back to "painting" under ELEV and try again.  You'll see a single tile changed color (to a darker green).  This indicates the elevation here is different.  We could change the entire map one tile at a time, but that's tedious.  Let's enlarge the brush and try again.  Click on "Brush Radius" and put in 8.  Now left click in the upper left corner again.  You'll see a much larger area has been changed.  left click all over until everything is covered in the 100 elevation paint.

You haven't done the whole map!  You think you have, but you haven't.  You need to pan the map down to see the rest.  Do this by right clicking in the upper half of the painting area.  You'll see there's some unpainted elevation down south there.  paint all that.  Ensure you're at the bottom by left clicking on the bottom right, and noting it is 32x32.  Now pan back up by right clicking in the bottom half of the painting area until the upper left corner is 0x0.

Now, lets paint some mountains!  Left click again on the light blue Brush word under ELEV.  Type in 400.  You'll note the elevation value changes to 360/210.  Again, 360 was our maximum in the worldgen parameters, so it's the highest we can paint.  Ensure the brush is set to "painting" for ELEV and left click once in the middle of the map.  You'll see the elevation change reflected in a a different color and symbol.

That's enough for now, press escape twice, and F6 to save.  Now try generating a world and see if it looks as you would expect (mountains in the middle!)
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I wasn't sure where would be a good spot to start with this, but the plan was: If this one worked for enough people, to write a second one that would continue on and describe how to make a forest in the middle of some grassland by modifying rain and drainage both.  Then solicit feedback and continue on from there.

[fortydayweekend]

I'll PTW and help if I can, as a relatively new player who can hopefully remember some of the more annoying early trouble-shooting.

I don't have much patience for videos usually, jumping straight back to the wiki as soon as there's a pause, or thinking out loud, or repetition. But if it's scripted and straight to the point it could be really useful.

[Fleeting Frames]

Then solicit feedback and continue on from there.

Feedback: The tutorial could separate legend and actions to repeat with perhaps bold text stating their sections or similar so they're visible at glance.

For longer term, when speaking of how the effects will play out, Volcanism should have a note of advanced worldgen needing to have Minimum Volcano Number set to the desired number of volcanoes, the name's Minimum being typically Maximum too.

Also, here is an illustrative picture.

Beyond that, it does give nice introduction to the tool. Few immediate, if maybe not relevant observations:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Generating without setting any pre-set values tends to generate mountains near pole.
There tends to be still some random variations even after entering & leaving the pre-set value area. Not only will lakes will be generated but interestingly entering the pre-set value area and then leaving it will tend to result in lot of parallel rivers.
With 6 parameters, there is 111111 (binary) =63 possible min-max variations. Rounding up to 64, this means that on a theoretical 200x200 example map it is possible to have every fourth value in 0-100, though elevation would likely need a larger range.