User:RAP/1

Ideas, ideals, and mindsets worth implementing
for the wiki to improve content quality and presentation

(it's more like a reminder of ideas I like from browsing the StrategyWiki pages or stuff I came up my own;
some of them are my opinions that I wanted guides to be like,
some of them are something that should be enforced in StrategyWiki;
will probably move this into a separate page?)

General

Files

• Compress PNG image files to the max (2009-2010) – since PNGs are lossless, compressing them will not lose any image quality; not only the compressed PNGs will retain the image quality, it will load faster! Good for lowering bandwidth usage from the servers' end and users' end.
  • Inspired from checking out this page, and thus created User:RAP/PNG

Presentation

• Create custom table of content tables (2013 July 29) – this is so that it allows quicker access to the info users need; no tedious scrolling, using the arrow keys, pressing Page Up or Page Down, or even using the "Find" function! They cover two things:

1. There are a ton of list tables that are full of content and it's tedious to find the exact info.
2. Table of content tables with a low amount of subsections in the page are bearable, but when it gets too long; it's necessary to discard the normal content table and implement a custom version.

How come it's better to click a link on instead of using the "Find" function in an internet browser?

1. Open up the Boulder Dash's Objects page.
2. Start searching the term "Magic Wall"; typing it already slows down access, even if it is just typed partially.
3. After typing what to search: There are 5 results, with more slowdown after repeatedly going to the next result until reaching to the info the user needs, wasting precious seconds to the end user.

Clicking the "Magic Wall" link instead of using the "Find" function instantaneously scrolls to the desired info the user needs. This usually applies when there's more than one repeating term, even then, those who prefer a mouse (or tapping the touch screen) over the keyboard (or virtual keyboard), it's worth the frictionless access.

• First implemented in Boulder Dash's Objects page (1), and Chip's Challenge's Levels 1-20 page (2)

• MINOR THINGS: Make the tables position center, reduce as much empty space as possible (2013 July 20) – this is about having small improvements that make a lot of difference to how the info is presented and read; these are usually self-explanatory.

Writing

• Avoid writing anything having to do with "you", and use "players" sparingly as much as possible (2007) – this is because 1) Using "You" feels like the article or guide is focused on a single player as opposed to multiple players who will read the same content, and 2) Even though this is a walkthrough website, personally, using "you" feels unprofessional; while this is much more harder to do, the payoff is worth it because of gaining more experience from writing and improving language.
  • Had this mindset from writing Mario Party series minigame articles on MarioWiki due to their "You"s policy

• Avoid personalizing the writing [or have an informative tone] (2007) – it's similar to the " No 'you' " entry. Again, much harder, but the payoff is great on improving and practicing language.
  • Had this mindset on reading and writing content on MarioWiki; then again, it applies anywhere else most of the time

• Use bulletpoints and tables to make info easier and faster to read (2013 July) – this is due to the amount of info people read everyday, especially online; cut the fat as much as possible and get to the point so that users can get the info easier and faster; it doesn't mean that everything should be done in that format though.
  • Inspired from reading a bunch of articles on the topic of bulletpoints and the average lifespan of how many books are read per user
  • First implemented in Temple Run's Obstacles section, and Boulder Dash's Objects page

Specific

Codes and Passwords

• Add quick article links from the Passwords pages (2013 July 20) – this is so that users that need help can jump into the specific parts of the walkthrough pages if they are having trouble advancing through after entering a password.
  • Inspired from Super Bomberman's passwords page
  • First implemented in Chip's Challenge passwords page

• Make the passwords or codes look nice in a new font type (2013 July 20) – this is done so by adding <tt> </tt> in-between, an example resulting from "1N09aaW" to "1N09aaW"; I'm not sure why it renders like that, but it beats stuffing "<font style="font-family:Courier New"> </font>" repeatedly.
  UPDATE (2013 JULY 21): It seems that <code> </code> does the same thing as well. Changed it to <tt> </tt> because it's has less characters. Change before and after my edit. I wonder if there are more of these things...
  • Inspired probably from Contra III: The Alien Wars' Codes and passwords page
  • First implemented in Chip's Challenge passwords page

• Entries should consist of the effect before the password or code (2013 July 21) – When reading from left to right, seeing the password or code first in the table doesn't tell any info unless one looks at the right and is informed of the effect by entering the password or code. Swap both of those places instead to make more easier to read. From an educated guess, the reason passwords or codes were placed before the effects is the old mentality of organization when it comes to editing plain text files. There weren't tables or wikis back then to make it look neat effortlessly.
  • Inspired from Chip's Challenge passwords page
  • First implemented in The Guardian Legend's Passwords page, and Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six's Passwords page.