Wiki:Installation guide

[factoid]

This is the discussion topic for the wiki article: Install Guide

[juckto]

bleh, clicked the link. Guess I better say something now that I started a thread.

If this article is aimed at new players it is written in the wrong style - far too much info. Begin Playing is a far better example of guiding new players through installation. In fact it seems a little redundant.

[BlackViper]

It is what I was looking for, perfect Factoid. The other one has you jumping all over.

[factoid]

I disagree with the choice to remove the headings from the overview subsection. The reason for it being written like that is that the table of contents auto generates to allow players to jump around quickly to the information they may want/need.

The overview might seem like too much information, but it's entirely optional, while the install instructions detail the exact steps in order. However, there is a lot of extra detail in the installation instructions that needs to be turned into their own overview section questions. I had mentioned to BV that I needed to clean that up.

The style guide that I'm adhering to in this case is based on courses I took in procedure writing.

[BlackViper]

If it can't be put up the way you wanted it Factoid, I will move it to the Academy and drop the link to the Wiki, let me know.

[TheBored]

I like the new article. The begin playing article looks a little anorexic after reading Fact's /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> If there is anything that needs to be pulled from the Begin playing article, do it now. I'll zap it later, probably making it into a redirect to the Install Guide.

TB

[aem]

I've removed the installation instructions from Begin Playing and instead link to the Install Info. Please do not remove Begin
Playing as this is as it is an important starting point for new players.

[TheBored]

If you read the Install Guide, you will see that it also covers the same things as Begin Playing. The only things that the Install Guide needs (apart from a rename, possibly) are links to the ToS/RoC and common mistakes.

TB

[aem]

QUOTE (TheBored @ Oct 19 2007, 04:37 PM) If you read the Install Guide, you will see that it also covers the same things as Begin Playing. The only things that the Install Guide needs (apart from a rename, possibly) are links to the ToS/RoC and common mistakes.

An install guide and a guide to begin playing are completely different except for the fact that a guide to begin playing includes installation instructions. Good point in that the Install Guide covers more than just installation instructions. These definitely need to be moved. Keep an Install Guide to only installation instructions. /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

On the Wiki it should be broken down as follows:

Begin Playing (central hub)
Installing
ASGS Account Guide (w/ links to an ASGS software guide)
How to find and join a game
What you need to know before playing
Continue learning (learning guide)

Throwing that all together is not good design.

Begin Playing is the hub for new players that should walk them through how to get started with Allegiance. This is already in place. We have a section for that already and it directs them to the Install Guide.

Then creating accounts needs to be covered. So we need a small section in Begin Playing for creating accounts and have it link to the ASGS Account guide for directions.

Then we need to show them how to find and join a game. So we link them to that section.

Then of course we need a small community section including stuff about the forum. Then we need a guide to get them started. Cover the absolute minimum material they should know about Allegiance before playing at all.

Finally we need to show them both what they should know before playing and what resources are available to them and tips for utilizing them.

Aside from the hub these separate guides probably ought to have a common menu at the top which links both the the Begin Playing hub as well as to the other guides. Then at the bottom of each guide, we should have some transition and link to the next guide. For example, with the Install Guide at the end it should have something like "Now that you have Allegiance installed, you need to create a gameplay account to play online. This guide will help you set up an account. Already made an account? Skip ahead to finding and joining a game (link), what you need to learn before playing (link), or return to the Begin Playing central hub (link).

[factoid]

I'll agree with that sentiment. What BV had asked for was something that walked a player through from a clean install to getting into their first game. While doing so it's not enough to simply say "do this, then this, then this". People will have questions, and you ultimately have to write your guide to their though process. Pretend you were explaining this to a 5 year old, to just about every thing you say they're going to have questions, and those questions need to go into an overview, unless they specifically have to do with a step involved in process.

Normally when I do procedure writing, I'm working with static documents, thus the objective / overview / procedure format. Being that this is a wiki, we can break the document up if people really care that much, but ultimately the two important things are to have a solid table of contents so that people can quickly find what they want, and skip what they don't, and answers to questions and other background information so that the instructions don't exist completely in a vaccum.

But I would argue that when it comes to instructions, people like having 'everything' they need to know in one place, so that they see it as a progression of topics, rather than "ok, now you're done this, jump here for the next step". But it's really 6 of one, half dozen of the other.