Help File Improvement

Eoghan

Over the years, a lot of changes have slipped into the game without the appropriate help files being updated. On top of that, there is always room for improvement of documentation.

This thread exists to have a unified place to make suggestions for help file improvements. This includes fixing/updating/expanding existing files, as well as making new ones.

The most helpful thing you can do is include the specific information that should be updated (including what to update it to), but mentioning which help files need love is also good.

As always, you can also file typo reports in-game, but this gives a bit more of a long-form venue and area for discussion.

Everything posted here is subject to review by the administration before being added, etc etc.

Sumie

I think the best way to do this would be to have the community rewrite the AB skills. My suggestion would be to create google drive documents and have the community edit/write them so that they can become up to date(and in the future the help files should updated after classlead changes.) It would be good to come up with a format for the skills files. Such as 

Skill Name:name of the skill
Cost: balance/eq other costs like devotion
Description: Thematic explanation
What it does: Gritty details

Lachlan

Does the HELPEDIT stuff still work? Any chance of having that expanded to editing AB files as well, might help lighten some of the load if we can propose changes through that system as well.

HELP ALEKMANHALA brings up a help search and the second result is a file called "alekmanhala" which is accessed via HELP ALEKMANHALA'S LAIR. Additionally, it isn't part of the HELP 12.X.X system, as is also the case with several other area help files.

As for missing files, I know that a lot of areas don't have help files - Khous, Domain of Magglix, Al'drym Woods, Nagiri Caverns, Adram Hills, Agletak Cavern, Argain Village, Argain, .. you can pretty much run down EXPLORED and find a few dozen more.

Eoghan

Lachlan said:

Does the HELPEDIT stuff still work? Any chance of having that expanded to editing AB files as well, might help lighten some of the load if we can propose changes through that system as well.

HELP ALEKMANHALA brings up a help search and the second result is a file called "alekmanhala" which is accessed via HELP ALEKMANHALA'S LAIR. Additionally, it isn't part of the HELP 12.X.X system, as is also the case with several other area help files.

As for missing files, I know that a lot of areas don't have help files - Khous, Domain of Magglix, Al'drym Woods, Nagiri Caverns, Adram Hills, Agletak Cavern, Argain Village, Argain, .. you can pretty much run down EXPLORED and find a few dozen more.

Yes, HELPEDIT still works. It isn't used very much by players, though. Having it work with ABHelps is... possible, but the systems are pretty different, so it would take some work.

ALEKMANHALA added as a keyword, and I've placed the file in 12.15.11

Not all areas should have help files - only those that are interesting or meaningful in some way.

Arakis

something that would be REALLY nice if it's possible would be breaking down help promotions into some smaller help files. Like having one for consummable promotion items, and a seperate one for repeated use items. Also I wasn't even aware there was a help edit, you can bet i'll be using that now haha. making a seperate help for in the 24 section for single use and conssumable artifacts would be helpful too.

Sumie

Truthfully i'd love to see help promotions/giftbags ect get a treatment like the artifact list is. But i can understand how much extra work that would take

Eoghan

Arakis said:

something that would be REALLY nice if it's possible would be breaking down help promotions into some smaller help files. Like having one for consummable promotion items, and a seperate one for repeated use items. Also I wasn't even aware there was a help edit, you can bet i'll be using that now haha. making a seperate help for in the 24 section for single use and conssumable artifacts would be helpful too.

Sumie said:

Truthfully i'd love to see help promotions/giftbags ect get a treatment like the artifact list is. But i can understand how much extra work that would take

I've put in the backend code to allow a database to be created with promotion information. We'll need to fill it in with all of the existing promotion items, but once we've done that I'll put in a player-facing command to view them and clean up (or clear out) the help file.

Eoghan

I've started entering promotion items into the new database. It will take a bit to get all of the items in, but the system is now available for perusal using the PROMO INFO command. Note that I haven't implemented PROMO INFO ITEM <item> yet, but will in the next few days. (EDIT: PROMO INFO ITEM <item> is now implemented too)

As they get entered into the system they'll be removed from HELP PROMOTIONS.

I'll make a proper announce post once more are in the system.

Eoghan

All entries in HELP PROMOTIONS are now in the database instead. We'll look for similar items in other help files and start adding them too.

Lartus

@Eoghan thanks so much for this. It has made things much easier!

Tahrirz

The Icecloak snowglobe, entity spheres, portal coins, apple bags, and Halloween costumes have all been added into the database.

Next on the list are assembly pieces, vanity pets, and special mounts.

As this project requires a lot of repetitive data entry, there is an above-average chance that a typo or mistake will be made! Please feel free to TYPO anything you see that needs fixed or clarified.

Tahrirz

One file which could use some polish is HELP DICTIONARY. What are some common terms/lingo that you find yourself explaining to newbies or players who have returned after being away from the game for a while?

Lachlan

Things I remember needing to look up (or still look up): shards, leylines, entities, cults/sects vs orders, spawnwaves, doubloons.

Things that might be useful for newbies: circles, affinity, credits, dailycredits