It is currently Sun Dec 15, 2024 2:44 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours





Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 23 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 3:41 pm 
Private
Private
User avatar
 Profile

Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:34 pm
Posts: 9
Gender: male
Introduction:
The reason I'm making this is because BattleDawn is a great game with great gameplay but unfortunately the gameplay can be confusing and new players need guides. I noticed some of the current guides are decent with most information included but not written as well thus taking more time to read the entire guide to find something. Hopefully this guide can help new guide writers to make easier to read guides.

Contents:


•Beginning

-Before you Start
-Starting a Guide

•Parts of a Guide

-Writing
-Pictures
-Links

•Developing

-Organization
-Explanations

•Ending

-Conclusion

•Others
-Credits
-Extra Notes


Beginning:

•Before you Start
When you are planning to write a guide, make sure the guide you are writing is needed or other guides of the subject are outdated. You would also need to have an in-depth knowledge and/or experience of the subject you are planning to write. An inaccurate guide is simply a waste of time for both the writer and reader.

•Starting a Guide
To begin your guide, you should write an introduction of your guide and the things you will be explaining in your guide to catch the readers' attention.


Parts of a Guide:
•Writing
In any well written guides, you should ALWAYS use proper grammar and spelling (avoid slangs). Keep in mind that a guide should be like a newspaper (in my opinion). You should to keep everything in order from the beginning to the end with the most important facts to the top of each section and less important details to the bottom of each section.

•Visual Aids
Anything other than text are probably the most eye catching parts of guides since explaining can be hard without visual aids. Pictures/Maps should be used to explain. You can either upload attachments or use another image host and link your images. Personally, I dislike guides using image hosts that only provide a thumbnail version of the original image and you would have to open a new window/tab to view it.

•Links

In your guide, you should provide viewers with further reference to the subject.


Developing:


•Organization

Organizing is key to a good guide so use a table of contents! Use color coded sections if you need to but you should NEVER use hard to read colors such as yellow or pink. Dividing into chapters like a book is also useful (section 1.1-1.9 2.1-2.9 etc). Anther technique is to give each section a special code ([A001]-[F009] etc) if your guide is long so people can just press Ctrl+F and find the section they need.

•Explanations

This is the hardest element of a good guide. You need to throughly explain the subject to avoid questions. You need to be as accurate and detailed as possible. If you left something out and somebody asked about it, you should get it fixed/added immediately. You can also try getting one of your friends to read your guide and see if they can understand it without playing the game.

•Examples
Give examples of the subject your are writing about encourages readers to actually try your guide instead of just read it and forgetting it 5 minutes later. Videos and pictures or yourself or others are very encouraging.


Ending:

•Conclusion
To end your guide, you should write an overall conclusion and maybe an overview of everything (simplified version).


Forum Codes:

You should use the forum codes.At least these ones:
Bold Text
Italic Text
Underline Text
Quote Text
List
Insert Image
Insert URL

•Credits

<Reserved>

Extra Notes

-This is basically a guideline or tips of how to write a good guide.
-Please don't be offended if I listed your guide in the bad guides section.
-Keep your guides updated!
-Use Excle or other organizing programs if you plan to make a big table of data and take a screenshot or two.
-Use the preview button to check for errors before posting. Type it all out on note pad if you have to but don't post up a guide until it's complete.
-Save a backup copy just incase


**Should this guide be sticky? Thank you=D**

_________________
"Mess with the best die like the rest..."
TIP: Build first your resources structures like Farm,Metal Mine and Oil.It will help you very much =P


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:50 pm 
First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
User avatar
 Profile

Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 8:47 pm
Posts: 362
Gender: male
good guide.

guide to writing a guide.

_________________
ヽ(◉◡◔)ノ I'M TRAJIC AND I HAVE DOWN SYNDROME ヽ(◉◡◔)ノ


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:05 pm 
Specialist
Specialist
 Profile

Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2009 12:21 pm
Posts: 27
Actually yellow rocks with a black background.

Colors should be used like levels of informations, the same as Font size.

Something like green, large font for titles; red normal for subtitle.


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:29 am 
Site Admin
Site Admin
User avatar
 Profile

Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:41 am
Posts: 4629
Location: The Netherlands
Gender: male
Good guide, I do suggest replacing the yellow and pink for darkgreen and darkblue/black :-).

I would sticky it, but for some reason my mod powers are failing at these forums ;)

_________________
Best Regards,

Alexander
Product Manager
Battle Dawn

Skype: dreamerofdestruction


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:08 pm 
Captain
Captain
User avatar
 YIM  Profile

Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 9:29 pm
Posts: 1016
Location: Your Nightmares
Junior mods can't do a lot of things Jasper :P

I'm going to sticky this, I beleive this is truly important and can help others when they beleive they can write a good guide.

-Shion

_________________
--------------Retired January 2012--------------------
Image
Personal Rankings [Old Client]
E6A2 #2 M2A1 #9 E3A1 #16 E6A4 #24 E5A3 #24


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:30 am 
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
User avatar
 Profile

Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 1:02 pm
Posts: 313
Location: Look behind............ BOO!
Gender: male
I agree - certainly helped me create my guide:

ByE4 Guide :geek:

_________________
- RAT - BUL5 - NAUF - KOG- IOS - SAH - XrG - ByE4 - NeOn - REVB
-------------
Image


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:04 am 
Private 1st class
Private 1st class
User avatar
 Profile

Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:32 pm
Posts: 12
good guide of how to create goods guides

_________________
Sorry


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 2:34 am 
Major
Major
User avatar
 Profile

Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:22 am
Posts: 3857
Location: Spam Section
Gender: male
Nice guide. How long did it take you to write it?

_________________
Quote:
After months of not speaking
Numair: You still alive? This was my only way to actually see if your online
Zhester: *You're :D


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 2:42 am 
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
User avatar
 Profile

Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 1:02 pm
Posts: 313
Location: Look behind............ BOO!
Gender: male
His guide on how to make a good guide probably 15 mins.

My guide using his instructions took me an Hour.

_________________
- RAT - BUL5 - NAUF - KOG- IOS - SAH - XrG - ByE4 - NeOn - REVB
-------------
Image


Top
 

 Post subject: Re: How to create a good guide.
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 7:56 pm 
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
User avatar
 Profile

Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:18 pm
Posts: 189
Location: Area 51
Gender: male
That's a LONG guide and a good one!!! :mrgreen:

_________________
Earth 1:N/A
Earth 2:Leader of GOW
Earth 3:SWAT
Earth 4:WC

Image
Image


Top
 

Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 23 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours



You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  

Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group  
Copyright Tacticsoft Ltd. 2008   
Updated By phpBBservice.nl