We always tell you to please use the Search function to find out if your question's already been answered, but that can become tedious (at best) at times. So I propose a working project.
An F.A.Q. of some kind. If there's a link, please point me in the right direction.
What we need is a Stickied topic in this forum describing in detail many things, like what kind of powers you can get from a Sentient weapon, the potential carriers of the One Ring, you know, that kind of stuff.
I know that there must be something like this already created over on the Wiki, but I know that there are some here who refuse to conform (>_>) like me and go over to the Wiki.
Anyway, I think that we could really use something like that here.
Any ideas here?
A new project...
Moderator: Moderator
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Xandor Tik'Roth
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A new project...
Last edited by Xandor Tik'Roth on Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
And it was such a good idea...
Do you mean have all the questions and their answers in that FAQ thread, or put links in the FAQ to threads that asked and answered the question?
The former could make an incredibly long post, I'd say, unless it is kept to the basic frequently asked questions. But, this could be more than a "frequently asked questions" and be more of an "asked questions", especially using the linking system and some categorization.
Categorization (it would need to exist in whichever form) could be divided into things like Character-related Qs, Dungeon-related Qs, Monster-related Qs, etc, very similar to what is about to happen to the wiki's spoilers actually.
For either system, everything should be contained in one post or one set of posts by the "moderator" of the FAQ. Other people could point out questions/answers to be added to the list or ask if there is an answer to a question they have, but the results should be incorporated into the main posts by the "moderator" and then the added posts about the topic deleted, to maintain FAQ brevity.
In regards to the linking system: The wiki contains the most succinct and complete spoilers on many topics, so is it okay to link to the appropriate wiki page, or would forumers prefer that the wiki is ignored? One admittable reason for such is that discussion about the topic should certainly be done on the wiki page/forum thread linked to and not on the FAQ, so if the FAQ links to a wiki page and the person needs to discuss the topic they would be hindered by the wiki format. Of course, they could ask in their own thread here then, which if it is complete enough could be made the linked page instead of the wiki page.
At any rate, having an FAQ sticky is a splendid idea.
The former could make an incredibly long post, I'd say, unless it is kept to the basic frequently asked questions. But, this could be more than a "frequently asked questions" and be more of an "asked questions", especially using the linking system and some categorization.
Categorization (it would need to exist in whichever form) could be divided into things like Character-related Qs, Dungeon-related Qs, Monster-related Qs, etc, very similar to what is about to happen to the wiki's spoilers actually.
For either system, everything should be contained in one post or one set of posts by the "moderator" of the FAQ. Other people could point out questions/answers to be added to the list or ask if there is an answer to a question they have, but the results should be incorporated into the main posts by the "moderator" and then the added posts about the topic deleted, to maintain FAQ brevity.
In regards to the linking system: The wiki contains the most succinct and complete spoilers on many topics, so is it okay to link to the appropriate wiki page, or would forumers prefer that the wiki is ignored? One admittable reason for such is that discussion about the topic should certainly be done on the wiki page/forum thread linked to and not on the FAQ, so if the FAQ links to a wiki page and the person needs to discuss the topic they would be hindered by the wiki format. Of course, they could ask in their own thread here then, which if it is complete enough could be made the linked page instead of the wiki page.
At any rate, having an FAQ sticky is a splendid idea.
*Child of Feanor*
People could always try going over to the wiki. 
There's plenty of help in learning the format, and it becomes very easy after a time.
I don't believe that either the forum, or the wiki are made to be single, stand-alone and separate communities for the game, and it is wrong to look upon them as such. The forum is for discussion, and the wiki is to provide resources to all the community, through docs, spoilers or whatever, to which everyone can contribute.
I'd say that if you choose simply to ignore the spoiler archive there it's really your fault if you don't find the answers to any questions you may have. Asking them again here is rather a pointless excercise, and takes far more time in the long run than just bothering to learn wiki. It's also asking rather a lot of those who have bothered to contribute over on the wiki to be continuously regurgitating things over here, and even the constant provision of links to readily available, easily findable wiki docs becomes annoying.
However, a sticky here saying that the spoiler archive on the wiki exists, and to please look there first would not go amiss. (For that matter a link on the main forum page to the wiki would be nice). I just don't see the need to repeat the information.
There's plenty of help in learning the format, and it becomes very easy after a time.I don't believe that either the forum, or the wiki are made to be single, stand-alone and separate communities for the game, and it is wrong to look upon them as such. The forum is for discussion, and the wiki is to provide resources to all the community, through docs, spoilers or whatever, to which everyone can contribute.
I'd say that if you choose simply to ignore the spoiler archive there it's really your fault if you don't find the answers to any questions you may have. Asking them again here is rather a pointless excercise, and takes far more time in the long run than just bothering to learn wiki. It's also asking rather a lot of those who have bothered to contribute over on the wiki to be continuously regurgitating things over here, and even the constant provision of links to readily available, easily findable wiki docs becomes annoying.
However, a sticky here saying that the spoiler archive on the wiki exists, and to please look there first would not go amiss. (For that matter a link on the main forum page to the wiki would be nice). I just don't see the need to repeat the information.
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Xandor Tik'Roth
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I realise that there is probably some document or set of them that answer every possible question that could come up.
What I am calling for is a simple, centralized place where people can come and have their questions answered. I think that a stickied post would be in order, with links to the various posts that deal with that particular area.
Obviously, we'd have to link Lord Dimwit's Guide, that's just priceless...
Anyway, I know that this is based off of our unwavering sense of simplicity and laziness, but I think it's a good idea all around.
I'll set up a vote and let it run for a bit.
*Edit: Alright, set up a vote, and I'm letting it run for 15 days. If at the end of that time it is found that many would like this, I think that we should get started immediately.
What I am calling for is a simple, centralized place where people can come and have their questions answered. I think that a stickied post would be in order, with links to the various posts that deal with that particular area.
Obviously, we'd have to link Lord Dimwit's Guide, that's just priceless...
Anyway, I know that this is based off of our unwavering sense of simplicity and laziness, but I think it's a good idea all around.
I'll set up a vote and let it run for a bit.
*Edit: Alright, set up a vote, and I'm letting it run for 15 days. If at the end of that time it is found that many would like this, I think that we should get started immediately.
And it was such a good idea...
The concept is good. I like the idea of a FAQ, but think other solutions may be more ideal.
Honestly, I don't even know who maintains the Wiki. I've posted on there before in the Chatter sections, though, so it looks pretty easy to maintain by a relatively small group of people.
The best suggestion I can make is to implement a system in which the fora serve as discussion areas and the Wiki serve as a sort of knowledge base. I can visualize the Wiki being a site akin to Microsoft's (or some other major corporation's) Knowledge Base, and the forum being a site akin to, say, Expert's Exchange. The questions posed in a forum could then be commented on just as they are today, but with one serving as an "accepted answer" (where applicable). That answer could then be populated within the searchable knowledge base in a reader-friendly format.
Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? Not really. Practical? Well, that's up to you.
Honestly, I don't even know who maintains the Wiki. I've posted on there before in the Chatter sections, though, so it looks pretty easy to maintain by a relatively small group of people.
The best suggestion I can make is to implement a system in which the fora serve as discussion areas and the Wiki serve as a sort of knowledge base. I can visualize the Wiki being a site akin to Microsoft's (or some other major corporation's) Knowledge Base, and the forum being a site akin to, say, Expert's Exchange. The questions posed in a forum could then be commented on just as they are today, but with one serving as an "accepted answer" (where applicable). That answer could then be populated within the searchable knowledge base in a reader-friendly format.
Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? Not really. Practical? Well, that's up to you.
"Consummate V's! I SAID CONSUMMATE! Sheesh! You wouldn't know majesty if it came up and bit you in the face!" - SB
MCKelly:YES 
The wiki is maintained as a resource by all those involved with ToME who wish to contribute. The wiki is easy to maintain, and that's really the idea, I think.
The forum is great for discussion. It has an automatic post and reply structure, which is far simpler than trying to maintain verbose threads on the wiki, and this avoids the problem of editing clashes, and other simple mistakes which can mess up formatting.
However, what the forum can't do is keep a whole load of information in one place, and provide a concise reference that people can look to if they need to find specific (or even general) information. It simply isn't designed to do so. And that's why the wiki was made in the first place. You can have lists, tables, tables of contents, anchors, all kinds of naviagtional aids and a structure: you can do so many things to make information more findable than trying to look through a pages long FAQ on a monotonous forum thread.
Certainly if people want their questions answered, they post here. Or if they want to enlarge the discussion of a topic already covered they can post here. Or even if they just want to talk to people. However, to my mind, creating a thread specifically as "a centralized place where people can come and have their questions answered" is simply trying to condense the whole forum. "FAQ" is a very loose term, and can cover anything (in the area of spoilers) from Fates to Sentient weapons. If you try to merge all of that, you're effectively going to be duplicating the entire SpoilerArchive on the wiki into one forum thread.
By all means link to the wiki. A higher profile for it would be useful, since then newcomers would actually know of it's existence, and there would be an added incentive to bother going there to find information, rather than just creating yet another "what are the sentient weapons realms?" or "what can I wish for?".
If you want advice on any of those kind of things, or think there is something more to say on the topics, then by all means expand the discussion here. However, if it's been discussed before here there's simply no point in reguritating the old information...
--> look it up: http://forum.t-o-m-e.net/search.php
And if you know that the information is readily available on the wiki (or even might be: it almost certainly is)...
--> go there: http://wiki.t-o-m-e.net
The wiki is maintained as a resource by all those involved with ToME who wish to contribute. The wiki is easy to maintain, and that's really the idea, I think.
The forum is great for discussion. It has an automatic post and reply structure, which is far simpler than trying to maintain verbose threads on the wiki, and this avoids the problem of editing clashes, and other simple mistakes which can mess up formatting.
However, what the forum can't do is keep a whole load of information in one place, and provide a concise reference that people can look to if they need to find specific (or even general) information. It simply isn't designed to do so. And that's why the wiki was made in the first place. You can have lists, tables, tables of contents, anchors, all kinds of naviagtional aids and a structure: you can do so many things to make information more findable than trying to look through a pages long FAQ on a monotonous forum thread.
Certainly if people want their questions answered, they post here. Or if they want to enlarge the discussion of a topic already covered they can post here. Or even if they just want to talk to people. However, to my mind, creating a thread specifically as "a centralized place where people can come and have their questions answered" is simply trying to condense the whole forum. "FAQ" is a very loose term, and can cover anything (in the area of spoilers) from Fates to Sentient weapons. If you try to merge all of that, you're effectively going to be duplicating the entire SpoilerArchive on the wiki into one forum thread.
By all means link to the wiki. A higher profile for it would be useful, since then newcomers would actually know of it's existence, and there would be an added incentive to bother going there to find information, rather than just creating yet another "what are the sentient weapons realms?" or "what can I wish for?".
If you want advice on any of those kind of things, or think there is something more to say on the topics, then by all means expand the discussion here. However, if it's been discussed before here there's simply no point in reguritating the old information...
--> look it up: http://forum.t-o-m-e.net/search.php
And if you know that the information is readily available on the wiki (or even might be: it almost certainly is)...
--> go there: http://wiki.t-o-m-e.net
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Xandor Tik'Roth
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Nerdanel: YES!!!!! 
That's freaking perfect!
We could do that, or we could really go out there and make up a Word document that contains all of the information. I could do that myself, and then maybe we could include that in the subsequent releases of ToME.
Yeah, I'm way out there.
But it looks like the majority favors creating a thread where this stuff is answered.
So, how do we do it? Personally, I favor Nerdanel's idea of just making a bunch of links. I think it would be very helpful.
And thanks for all your input.
That's freaking perfect!
We could do that, or we could really go out there and make up a Word document that contains all of the information. I could do that myself, and then maybe we could include that in the subsequent releases of ToME.
Yeah, I'm way out there.
But it looks like the majority favors creating a thread where this stuff is answered.
So, how do we do it? Personally, I favor Nerdanel's idea of just making a bunch of links. I think it would be very helpful.
And thanks for all your input.
And it was such a good idea...
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Xandor Tik'Roth
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So... since this thread has been dead now for a little over a year... and I've been gone... anyone want to continue to pursue this? If you do, please, either post here, PM me or email me, and we can get to work on it.
I was thinking that with some of the simpler issues, we just have a simple Q&A section, with the larger, more varied info, we'd post up links to the relevant pages on the wiki or here.
Of course, if this has already been done or is in the middle of being taken care of, please, let me know so I can delete this post, or at least un-sticky this topic.
Thanks.
I was thinking that with some of the simpler issues, we just have a simple Q&A section, with the larger, more varied info, we'd post up links to the relevant pages on the wiki or here.
Of course, if this has already been done or is in the middle of being taken care of, please, let me know so I can delete this post, or at least un-sticky this topic.
Thanks.
And it was such a good idea...
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LordBucket
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Xandor Tik'Roth
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ODG... that's gonna be a nightmare... I mean, it's hard enough keeping track of things to begin with, but now with the advent of version 3 getting closer to hitting beta...
Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing, mind you, but this is gonna take a lot of work.
So what are we gonna do? I think that we should at the very least start compiling a pre-ver.3 FAQ page of some sort, you know, try to get a head start on things...
The other bit is how we're gonna do this... I'm fine with compiling all of it, but should we do it in a post or create a text file and upload it? Or something else perhaps...
Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing, mind you, but this is gonna take a lot of work.
So what are we gonna do? I think that we should at the very least start compiling a pre-ver.3 FAQ page of some sort, you know, try to get a head start on things...
The other bit is how we're gonna do this... I'm fine with compiling all of it, but should we do it in a post or create a text file and upload it? Or something else perhaps...
And it was such a good idea...
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LordBucket
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>that's gonna be a nightmare
Not necessarily. Again, if we simply make a sticky FAQ thread with a link to a wiki page like Nerdanel suggested, those of us who frequent both can add to it as people submit questions. A little work at a time shared by a lot of people will be much easier than a whole lot of work done by a single person all at once.
>Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing, mind you
I sort of agree. More traffic feels better to me.
>I think that we should at the very least start compiling
>a pre-ver.3 FAQ page of some sort, you know, try to
>get a head start on things...
Hmm. Well, I spend a lot more time playing with Dragonball T than the ToME module itself, but I don't think it's quite far enough along to start coming up with FAQ's yet. Most of the quests and towns aren't finished yet, and even some of the basic formulas for combat and so forth may still be subject to change.
>The other bit is how we're gonna do this... I'm fine with
>compiling all of it
Sure, but we have to have something to compile first. Again, I like Nerdanel's concept. In the beginning, though, we might hold off on her exact format in favor of a single link to a single wiki page that we can all collectively add to...then decide how to break it up into specific Q&A links here at a later date. Entries are going to change and rearrange a lot to begin with, and it's kind of a lot of work to create, move and delete large numbers of subpages on the wiki. It may be best to divide it up later on.
>ODG...
Out of curiosity...was this 'Oh Dear God' or was it 'Oh Dark God' ?
Bucket man
Not necessarily. Again, if we simply make a sticky FAQ thread with a link to a wiki page like Nerdanel suggested, those of us who frequent both can add to it as people submit questions. A little work at a time shared by a lot of people will be much easier than a whole lot of work done by a single person all at once.
>Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing, mind you
I sort of agree. More traffic feels better to me.
>I think that we should at the very least start compiling
>a pre-ver.3 FAQ page of some sort, you know, try to
>get a head start on things...
Hmm. Well, I spend a lot more time playing with Dragonball T than the ToME module itself, but I don't think it's quite far enough along to start coming up with FAQ's yet. Most of the quests and towns aren't finished yet, and even some of the basic formulas for combat and so forth may still be subject to change.
>The other bit is how we're gonna do this... I'm fine with
>compiling all of it
Sure, but we have to have something to compile first. Again, I like Nerdanel's concept. In the beginning, though, we might hold off on her exact format in favor of a single link to a single wiki page that we can all collectively add to...then decide how to break it up into specific Q&A links here at a later date. Entries are going to change and rearrange a lot to begin with, and it's kind of a lot of work to create, move and delete large numbers of subpages on the wiki. It may be best to divide it up later on.
>ODG...
Out of curiosity...was this 'Oh Dear God' or was it 'Oh Dark God' ?
Bucket man