User talk:Alad

PoI maps

The next step of my map project is to create maps for those with the point itself circled. Not that what you're doing is bad, but just letting you know that I do have further plans. —Dr Ishmael 01:34, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

Cool :) In the meantime people who look for these specific PoI's (for the quest) can find them a bit more easily. Edit: Well, except when some, for no known reason, decide that the map showing the PoI should be removed. The world is full of wierdness. --Alad 04:05, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

Also confusing is when there are >1 poi per area, thus why I'm going to add circles. —Dr Ishmael 04:31, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

new pet UI images

You could have uploaded new versions of the 2 existing images, then moved them. That's generally preferred since it prevents the old images from becoming orphaned and having to be deleted. —Dr Ishmael 22:32, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

That's the first thing that came to my mind of course. Then I saw the images had special names with dates on them (2012 April this-and-that.jpg). I preferred to let them get archived or deleted. Here they are:

• File:2012 April pet management interface.jpg
• File:Pet control interface.jpg

Oops... one of them is ok :/ I'll rectify. Thanks for the heads up.

Hmmm... I see they already got deleted? :D --Alad 22:51, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

I guess I read too fast... Sorry for my lack of wiki experience. Update the image even with a bad name, then "move" the page, meaning rename it and all pages using the image will be automatically adjusted? Last time I looked at the "move" tab I almost heard alarm bells with that warning. Decided not to go there again. :) What's the risk involved? --Alad 08:15, 6 April 2013 (UTC)

Moving a page will leave a redirect at the old name, so that anything that linked to it will not be broken. After moving, go back to the old page name and look at "What links here" (in the Toolbox on the sidebar) to see all the pages that will need to be updated to the new name. When everything's updated, edit the old page to add the {{delete}} tag.

That's actually another reason to re-upload at the existing filename - so that you don't split things up where some pages use the old image and others use the new one. These 2 images were only used on the Pet page, so that didn't happen here. —Dr Ishmael 15:00, 6 April 2013 (UTC)

Stability full description on skill pages

The precedent has been to avoid any unnecessary clutter in the skill facts. That includes repeating any general information that can easily be found on the effect's page, like the full description. If we decide to change that practice, then we would edit the template, instead of manually adding it to individual skills. —Dr Ishmael 01:37, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

OK. There is so little info on the tooltips, and with that being the only reference we have, I would vote for including all the tooltip text (we're already copying even the typos and putting [sic]s next to them.) :D --Alad 01:55, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

At best, we would have the hover text for the image be the effect description.--Relyk ~ talk > 03:05, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

Stability is already described in full at Stability. All a wiki reader needs to do is read that page once and they should remember "stability = immune to control effects." We do not need to repeat the short-form description on every skill that grants stability. The game, on the other hand, has to repeat it on every skill, because it doesn't have a central location where everyone can go to see what stability does. On the wiki, we do, so we can centralize the information and decrease bloat.

I'd be willing to accept Relyk's suggestion as a compromise, since it isn't displayed directly on the page. —Dr Ishmael 03:37, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

True about in-game tooltips. And hover text is a good idea. "Immune to control effects" won't do it however, since the control effects page lists more effects than what is listed for stability on skill tooltips. --Alad 05:10, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

Barmaid Barnaba

I made a note a few days ago to the discussion bout your deletion tag for Barmaid Barnaba at Talk:Barmaid Barnaba. I think the deletion tag can be removed with my new info,but as you placed I would like to hear your input first 195.240.63.18 10:48, 2 June 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for insisting :) I did what you recommended, she is indeed in the story instance On the Mend, but is not seen in the Salma District when you visit it normally. I updated the page. Oh, and she's called Barbara, not Barnaba :D --Alad (talk) 21:38, 2 June 2013 (UTC)

Character shouts

Thank you for taking the time to document all the various things that characters shout in reaction to the world around them. I changed one section title to "character shouts" because I think it's important enough to have its own name. I'm sure it should be consistent across all articles and I don't expect the right phrasing would be discussed on your talk page. I'll just say I don't think it should be in "Notes" and other than that I don't really care.

The important thing is that someone has taken the time to add it to the wiki. Thank you. 75.36.181.107 02:14, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

No need to thank me, unless you're ArenaNet! :D Then I'd ask for a weapon skin ticket in return! LOL. But seriously, "shout", or "exclamation", etc... It doesn't really matter what they go under, even "trivia". But, IMO, certainly not "dialogue" because that is used for real dialogue. NPCs also say things that aren't documented in the wiki. For example, I find it very funny to hear the mobs say something when I'm just passing through, unwilling to fight, like "Grawl wins!" Hehe. (PS: Please create an account with a name that can stick to people's memories, especially if you have a dynamic IP.) --Alad (talk) 04:55, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

condition notes

Why were those notes necessary? The condition article is linked in the infobox and mentioned in the summary (when included).--Relyk ~ talk < 20:24, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

Which notes do you mean? If you mean the ones informing that listed skills apply specifically to that condition etc... it's because it is necessary to tell people these are not all the skills, there are others which can affect this condition too, but those other skills affect all conditions as well, so they are grouped together on the conditions page. Otherwise, people were adding skills to the individual condition lists, thinking it was an ommission. Or they were adding skills to the general conditions page. It is necessary, and definitely not a bad thing to repeat something as essential as this. This is information. But why should it bother you? Repeating this is exactly the same as repeating the words "Level:", "Location:", "Race:", etc... in all those infoboxes. You could put the data in the infoboxes without those titles too. :)

You're such a pro, Relyk, that a simple word in a different color on the page is enough information. Most people don't see that link, and don't think to click it. There would be no "articles" if everything is reduced to links that people must click. --Alad (talk) 21:23, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

My main issue is the notes in each section on each condition article all saying the same thing as being overkill. But assume I'm complaining about redundancy and all that good stuff. I don't understand your analogy to infoboxes however. We can link directly to the related subject, using weakness for an example.--Relyk ~ talk < 22:27, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

Ok, I think that, in terms of redundancy, saying:

• "The following is a list of skills related to <xyz>"

on every condition page, is exactly as redundant as saying:

• "The following skills are specifically related to <xyz>. The conditions page lists other skills that affect all conditions, or random conditions, including <xyz>.

But the problem is that the first sentence is not fully accurate, because all the skills listed on the conditions page are also related to <xyz> condition, since they affect all conditions, either always, or randomly. Some people reading the first incomplete sentence may and will think: "Hey, I know another skill that causes <xyz>!" And they'll add it. And that, is what I'd call clutter, redundancy, and extra work to clean things up. Because it will be a skill listed on the conditions page.

One thing is very important for you to understand: Not everyone will read all the page. Many will go right to the section that interests them, when they're looking for a trait, for example. You cannot assume they have read the intro or even the infobox, and you can definitely not assume that just because there's a linked word on the page that leads to important info, that they have clicked that link. If you think the sentence I wrote isn't nice, I don't mind you changing it, provided you convey all the information, so that people will know to look there too for additional skills, and to not add skills here if they're already listed there.

PS: What you did, putting "see also" under every trait sub-section that has relevance on the conditions page, is great, but is a hell of a lot more work to do on every condition and boon page than what I did, and which obtains the same result. (And you forgot to do the same for all the skills). I am definitely not going to emulate that on all those pages. :)

PPS: And a final thought: ALL of these types of pages with interconnected lists should be generated with code. Nobody should have to sift through this by hand. --Alad (talk) 23:39, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

Phantasmal Berserker

Why does this page need the note saying that the phantasm deals damage and cripples? The skill description is very clear; you "create a phantasm," and the phantasm "uses a whirling attack to damage and cripple foes." No other phantasm skill page has this unnecessary note.

"Not every reader who comes here is as expert as you are." If they can't read the skill description, why would we expect them to read a note? •••Mora 00:49, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

Hi. Every skill in this game lists the damage and effects it does. Except, it seems, those summoning skills, which is really all that they are. However, these summoning skills have listed damage on them and other effects. Two things are important here: 1) The skills does not do this, it's the summon that does. 2) The summon does this every time they attack. Lastly, this is explained nowhere, and every such mesmer summon skill should explain this exception to the use of tooltips. It could even be possible, as is sometimes the case for banners or other such summons, that a skill would itself do something (more than just summon), and have it listed on the tooltip, together with other things which the summon does. In any case, information is not bad. Even if you explain it on the general illusions page or the clone and phantasm pages, I believe this exception is worth mentioning on those individual skill pages. --Alad (talk) 01:19, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

It should be explained on the phantasm page. The skill itself should specify where the phantasm spawns. Conjure weapons have a similar problem, where effects granted by the bundle are listed as skill facts on the conjure skill.--Relyk ~ talk < 01:25, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

Also minions and turrets. And spirits and spirit weapons. All summon skills work the same way, actually, in that the skill facts apply to the summon. —Dr Ishmael 01:34, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

Apart from the range skill fact and Supply Crate :P--Relyk ~ talk < 02:57, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

I haven't played necromancer or engineer that much so not familiar with their summon skills. I went digging to find a rule, but couldn't really find one. Many summon skills don't detail in their tooltip facts what the summon does exactly, simply that they "defend you" or "fight for you". Examples: Summon Druid Spirit, Summon Sylvan Hound, Take Root, Call Wurm, Hounds of Balthazar, Warband Support, Summon 7-Series Golem, Summon D-Series Golem, Bow of Truth, Hammer of Wisdom, Shield of the Avenger, Ambush (skill), Thieves Guild, Glyph of Lesser Elementals, Glyph of Elementals. Given all of this (no details for summons), when one sees facts listed on a summon skill's tooltip, it is perfectly normal, I think, for them to assume that those things are what the skill activation does, because this is the general rule, especially if like me, they aren't used to necromancer and engineer summon skills. I feel it is good to put the information in the notes of these skills. It is definitely not harmful and I'm certain it will benefit many readers who are not aware of all these details. :) --Alad (talk) 03:44, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

Graphics Options: Post-Processing

Hello. I'm not clear about the outline comments you posted during this edit. Can you further explain and perhaps reply at this thread if you can help? Guild Wars 2 Forums: Unable to see red outline of enemies Thanks. Geekfox (talk) 20:00, 30 July 2013 (UTC)

The way I understand it, the outline serves to tell you which character will be your target if you use a skill with Autotargeting turned on and you don't already have a target selected. That auto-targeted target will be the character with the outline: either the one right in line with the camera (i.e. in the dead center of the screen), and having the outline, or the one you have placed your cursor on (without clicking them). The outlined character will also have their health bar appear under their name (or both name and health bar if you don't have Always show names turned on). Once a target is truly selected (because you clicked on it, or because you used a skill with Autotargeting ON and that target was automatically selected), the character in the center of the screen in front of the camera does not get an outline drawn on it, since you already have a target selected. But hovering the mouse over a character (including the selected target) will continue to show the outline. I hope that makes sense.

I also answered your forum post with a possible reason why it disappears when you rotate the screen, in the hope that your question will get a more authoritative answer over there. --Alad (talk) 12:15, 31 July 2013 (UTC)