FAQ threads

[John.d.h]

As some of you have noticed, I recently started an FAQ thread in the Tools section, and I was thinking maybe we could take a similar approach to other boards?  An FAQ on Mods, for example, would answer common questions like "how do I install a mod?", while one on General Discussion could have things like "how did Glest get started?"  Currently, all of the knowledge of the community is spread around the forum and the wiki, and it might do us some good to consolidate it to make it more n00b-friendly.  Does this sound like a good idea, or a waste of time?

[-Archmage-]

Well, installing mods is a huge thing. To write a generic guide for that would be very hard, as it has to be perfectly clear to total newbies at computing. I started one on the wikia but currently I'm not working on it(may pick that up again).

As for FAQ's everywhere...........i dunno, it would be better to post links to the Wikia everywhere, maybe one up where it says Glest on the top of all forum pages?

[Omega]

...
Are you psychic?

I just recently made such a thing on the errors board. It could use some more work though, especially in adding common errors...

[ultifd]

Hmm, I think even in our sub boards we will need a FAQ thread... of course by the developers for themselves...for the feature requests sub boards.

But, I don't think we need FAQ threads at every board...or do we?  Hmm...
Well for now, of course no FAQ thread in the mods section...thats after we finish the "huge number of threads stickied in the mods section at sometimes problem"/if things get hectic I guess. Not right now, of course.

[modman]

I think the simplest way to do that would be to look at the Wikia and then turn some of the sentences into questions, or just make questions for the sentences to answer.  I had the following information in mind:

https://docs.megaglest.org/Installing_Mods

For example,

How do I install a map?
Maps should be either a gbm (glest binary map) or mgm (megaglest map) file. All gbm and mgm files are placed in the maps folder.

How do I install a faction?
Factions that do not contain the tech tree in which they should belong (ie: dark magic. It is meant to go within the magitech tech tree) should generally go inside the magitech or a related techtree (such as the Megapack). Alternatively, you can copy and paste the magitech tech tree to have a copy for the new faction. All factions go inside the techs/techtree_name/factions folder, where techtree_name is the name of the techtree (ie: magitech). How do you know if the mod you have is a faction or a techtree? Well, open the folder. If there is a resources folder, it is not a faction, but rather a techtree. If there is not a resource folder, it is a faction.

[Omega]

Heh heh, I just rewrote that page the other day (talk about good timing), and the format in which it is in makes it easy to reuse as a FAQ here.

Anyway, I agree, we can use parts of the wiki to make FAQs. The FAQs should also be customized to each individual board. For example, the FAQ on the Mods board could contain frequently asked questions about mods and installing the mods, as well as link to some important topics, while the FAQ of the general discussions board would answer mostly general questions such as board rules and stuff like "who created Glest". Tools board has one, which is about the tools used to create mods and commonly asked questions about them. So on, so on...

I think most of the boards have FAQs, not sure if any are missing some? The announcements and off topic boards don't really need FAQs.