Getting Started
###################

The purpose of this guide is to walk you through the recommended steps for
trying out Jam Launch for the first time. There is a companion video that may
be helpful for clarifying any ambiguities.

.. youtube:: l0szgibI48A


Try the deployed example project
************************************

As a guest, or with your Jam Launch account, you can
`play the example game <https://example.jamlaunch.net/>`_. Try it
out with friends, and see if it meets your expectations. Make sure to create the
game in a nearby region, otherwise the latency may be very noticeable. If
there aren't any nearby regions, reach out and we can try to set up a cluster
closer to you.

Get a Jam Launch account
************************************

Playing Jam Launch games requires a free Jam Launch account. You can sign up for
one at `app.jamlaunch.com <https://app.jamlaunch.com/?signUp=1>`_.

Your account information is only ever used in Jam Launch. We might offer opt-in
features at some point (e.g. a mailing list), but we are completely uninterested
in wasting your time, and very interested in protecting your privacy. 

Buy Jam Launch Credits
************************************

If you want to deploy games with Jam Launch, you must have a positive credit
balance. Credits can be added to your account on
`the billing page in the dashboard <https://app.jamlaunch.com/billing/add>`_.

Get the Godot Engine
************************************

If you don't already have the Godot game engine,
`download it from godotengine.org <https://godotengine.org/download>`_.

Familiarity with Godot is useful, but not necessary for trying out Jam Launch.
If you are new to Godot, we are happy to help you get familiar with it, and
their `official docs <https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/index.html>`_ are
fantastic.

Try out the example project locally
************************************

Once you have Godot, open the Project Manager, navigate to the "Asset Library
Projects", and search for the Jam Launch Multiplayer Example project. Make sure
the "Community" box is checked in the "Support" menu, otherwise it may not
appear.

.. image:: images/asset-library-example.png

Download and open the project in Godot. When you open the project, you will
likely encounter import errors and need to reload the project by going to the
"Project" menu and selecting "Reload Current Project".

Deploy the Example Project
************************************

Once you have some credits, you should be able to use the Jam Launch editor
plugin which allows you to deploy and test your game directly from the Godot
editor. Feel free to use the
`open source example project <https://github.com/jam-launch/jam-launch-example>`_
as a starting point.

Please :doc:`reach out <contact/index>` and let us know if you need any
help or want to chat!