Skarlath
10-09-2005, 01:18 PM
In the 'What do Silkyvenomites want' I started spewing my thoughts on the Wiki. I decided it would be tidier if I moved them here. :)
I was just having a little flick through the Wiki, and I decided I would put myself in the position of someone who has not heard anything about Vanguard before. I feel that such a visitor would have problems getting around the Wiki, largely because the current layout is great for referencing. If you know what you are looking for you can zoom through to the correct article. However if you just want to browse aimlessly, there isn't a logical 'newbie layout' available.
Me as a visiting newbie:
Hmm, 'master categories', ah, as a player I want to know about 'systems and mechanics' first and foremost. What will set Vanguard apart? I want some good consolidated information about the game. *Click*.
Woah! Spheres? Confusing! I want to read about 'Combat', 'Crafting' and stuff. Adventuring Sphere? Alright, ill have a look. *Click*.
Wha? Well *I* don't know what I want to know about the 'adventuring sphere'! I don't even know what it is! Argh! Im temporarily blinded with the multitude of possibilities! *Randomly clicks and by some miracle the cursor was over 'combat'*
Ahhhh! Info! Thaaaat's better.
Ok, im over exaggerating. The information in the Wiki so far is pretty damn cool, but the combat (http://wiki.silkyvenom.com/index.php/Combat) section is the way the whole Wiki should feel. Not page after page of options, but rather a natural broad starting point from where the visitor can read and follow the natural paths of curiosity.
Think of it like water flowing down carefuly dug prebuilt channels, or like Tarzan swinging gracefully through the trees. If you know something about Vanguard to begin with, the Wiki is fine. However if you are entirely new then Tarzan has to stop after each swing to carefully choose which vine will be next, with a good chance he will have to swing back again 10 seconds later.
To me the Vanguard Wiki should be a little bit more like an FAQ, and less like an encyclopedia. An FAQ gives you the information, an encyclopedia waits for you to go and find it yourself.
Im happy to help make changes to the Wiki, to put it more in line with how I feel it should be, but I definitely wouldn't want to damage the structure currently in place due to the hard work of Therian and Xyrrus everyone else who has been entering information.
:)
I was just having a little flick through the Wiki, and I decided I would put myself in the position of someone who has not heard anything about Vanguard before. I feel that such a visitor would have problems getting around the Wiki, largely because the current layout is great for referencing. If you know what you are looking for you can zoom through to the correct article. However if you just want to browse aimlessly, there isn't a logical 'newbie layout' available.
Me as a visiting newbie:
Hmm, 'master categories', ah, as a player I want to know about 'systems and mechanics' first and foremost. What will set Vanguard apart? I want some good consolidated information about the game. *Click*.
Woah! Spheres? Confusing! I want to read about 'Combat', 'Crafting' and stuff. Adventuring Sphere? Alright, ill have a look. *Click*.
Wha? Well *I* don't know what I want to know about the 'adventuring sphere'! I don't even know what it is! Argh! Im temporarily blinded with the multitude of possibilities! *Randomly clicks and by some miracle the cursor was over 'combat'*
Ahhhh! Info! Thaaaat's better.
Ok, im over exaggerating. The information in the Wiki so far is pretty damn cool, but the combat (http://wiki.silkyvenom.com/index.php/Combat) section is the way the whole Wiki should feel. Not page after page of options, but rather a natural broad starting point from where the visitor can read and follow the natural paths of curiosity.
Think of it like water flowing down carefuly dug prebuilt channels, or like Tarzan swinging gracefully through the trees. If you know something about Vanguard to begin with, the Wiki is fine. However if you are entirely new then Tarzan has to stop after each swing to carefully choose which vine will be next, with a good chance he will have to swing back again 10 seconds later.
To me the Vanguard Wiki should be a little bit more like an FAQ, and less like an encyclopedia. An FAQ gives you the information, an encyclopedia waits for you to go and find it yourself.
Im happy to help make changes to the Wiki, to put it more in line with how I feel it should be, but I definitely wouldn't want to damage the structure currently in place due to the hard work of Therian and Xyrrus everyone else who has been entering information.
:)