User talk:Tennessee Ernie Ford/Archive 04

Editorial Suggestions for TEF
To help me improve my contributions, please add your suggestions here in reverse-chronological order. Thanks!

tbd suggestion
placeholder for future suggestion

Viper reminds TEF to sign posts.
Please use talk pages to comment on articles, and sign posts on talkpages with ~. Cheeri-o's --- -- (contribs)  &emsp;(talk)  18:20, 28 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Whoops. Yes, I should be signing everything. For some reason, I thought there was a pref that forced my sig. Sorry 'bout that. -- Tennessee Ernie Ford  is the nom de web of the author of RPG guides. No relationship to the fantabulous gospel singer of the same name is intended or implied. 19:02, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

New Section
On talk pages (and a few other pages), next to the Edit tab at the top there is a "+" tab. Click on it to create a new section. This is useful if you want to create a new section on a talk page that is long (so you don't have to scroll down). It also formats the summary in such a way that in the Special:RecentChanges a link takes people to the section directly. (-: -User:PanSola (talk to the ) 08:54, 14 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Cool - thanks for the tip. (I can see how that would be useful for all.) --Tennessee Ernie Ford 09:26, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

Customize
I like your edit of that article, it's gotten much better! -- ◄mendel► 11:30, 17 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks! (And thank you for taking the time to say :-)--Tennessee Ernie Ford 16:46, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Mostly harmless
"This user frequently casts Hexes on treasure chests." You scare me. You scare me to tears. Of laughter. -- ◄mendel► 01:23, 21 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Aw, shucks :-) (in other words: thanks!)
 * The really scary thing: I really have tried to hex the chests during battle. (To be fair, I was trying to hex Am Fah Healers, but ended up targeting a Bukdek chest instead.)
 * --Tennessee Ernie Ford 17:15, 21 February 2009 (UTC)

Matrix: Similarities &amp; Differences of Outposts, Mission Outposts, Towns and more
I put together this matrix to help me understand what was frustrating about the current location taxonomy. Feel free to amend, suggest, etc.

Location Features Matrix
Table notes: For completeness, I included GNW (the mission). For fun, I included Single Origin Chocolate &mdash; shouldn't the game include fancier sweets? And a bonus for anyone patient enough to read this far :-)

Observations
TEF's Observations:
 * Minor differences between the mission Outposts and Outposts generally: Mission Outposts have a different icon, allow mission kickoff, and generally lack services;
 * Minor differences between Towns &amp; Outposts: Towns have a different icon and offer more services;
 * Interesting differences between explorables and mission-created explorables: mission explorables do not have a unique map label &amp; lack service NPCs.
 * Mission explorables have similarities to POIs (e.g. can't portal directly), although even Village POIs have more services.
 * Also, you can only reach POIs by going through an explorable portal and walking; you can only reach mission explorables by going to an Outpost and entering the mission.

Mendel's Observations: For PPva (combat areas), those with a portal are those you only leave when you want to (unless DP 60% for the whole party and such), while those without work in different ways. Some areas can be vanquished, others cannot. Command Post is quite interesting, too, because it even has a Profession Changer - as does Senji's Corner. One is an explorable, the other is an outpost. -- ◄mendel► 00:05, 22 February 2009 (UTC)


 * RE: mendels' observations - good to know. I don't know much about PvP or PPva . Does anything (currently in matrix) above change in HM? I'll add columns shortly to reflect combat areas.
 * FWIW, I beginning to think a big source of issue around ____ Outpost is that NCSoft reuses the name three times (confusing enough) while wikia and official wiki only have primary articles on two of the uses (the Missions and the [tbd] Outposts). --Tennessee Ernie Ford ( TEF ) 05:35, 22 February 2009 (UTC)


 * PPva = Places Party visits alone; I'd maybe have called them "Party instances" and not "Unique instances", but that's pedantry. ;-) -- ◄mendel► 12:41, 22 February 2009 (UTC)


 * LOL. As one pedant to another, I approve the intent if not the logic. What I was thinking: the instances exist only until you leave (by whatever route), so that, while they exist, they are unique. And unique contrasts rhetorically well with shared. Still, strictly speaking, PPvas are shared between humans in the party. Hmmn. --Tennessee Ernie Ford ( TEF ) 17:12, 22 February 2009 (UTC)
 * If you're thinking about how long the instances exist, they'be either persistent (Outpost) or transitory (Explorable). -- ◄mendel► 18:13, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

Other Thoughts, Suggestions, Discussion
In XHTML, it's &lt;br />, not &lt;BR>. ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ -- ◄mendel► 00:05, 22 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Cool &mdash; thanks also for teaching me to fish. And great idea adding the links and the icons!
 * BTW: As I reorganized, I took the liberty of splitting your observations from suggestions - I hope that was ok. :-) --Tennessee Ernie Ford ( TEF ) 05:35, 22 February 2009 (UTC)
 * That's fine. -- ◄mendel► 12:41, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

I find you very entertaining
You may use this section as a "I have this comment on my talkpage, therefore your argument is invalid."--Łô√ë îğá†ħŕášħ 06:07, 22 February 2009 (UTC)


 * GT: pleased to meet you. And thank you for what must be a rare compliment! (Therefore, my argument must be valid.) --Tennessee Ernie Ford ( TEF ) 06:32, 22 February 2009 (UTC)
 * BTW you can tag all uploaded images of ingame things you upload as to make my life easier.--Łô√ë [[Image:Gigathrash_sig_G.jpg|Roar.]]îğá†ħŕášħ  08:40, 22 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Ah, good to know. Will do that going forward. (For some reason, I didn't get the option to tag the licensing on this image.) --Tennessee Ernie Ford ( TEF ) 08:57, 22 February 2009 (UTC)
 * If that happens again (you not getting the option), please make a screenshot of it and report it as a wiki bug, please. -- ◄mendel► 12:49, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

User:Tennessee Ernie Ford/Wish I Had Known/General/Easy Unlock Table
I think the same info is at Skill quests Random Time  21:27, 4 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the note. I forgot to include a disclaimer that this stuff is still in the brain-fart, jumble of random thoughts mode and not meant for prime time. So, it might be vaguely useful to me, but I doubt it's in a readable state for anyone else.
 * You're right: the same data is available there. (I absolutely made use of this chart and the one at the official wiki.) But, for me, not the same info even though Skill quests was my source.
 * Here's what's different about this chart: it shows what skills can be unlocked easily by creating a new character in a different campaign (and spending an hour). Which, had I but realized how easy it was, would have helped MOX add a couple of useful Dv or Sin skills.
 * I have in mind a couple of other charts I plan, also re-using existing data, but presenting it to highlight something new (e.g. what order to do skills to maximize use of your highest attributes).
 * --Tennessee Ernie Ford ( TEF ) 22:08, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Location images
Be sure to remove the "thumb" when putting images into the Location box template. The text can stay, it'll be seen on mouseover. -- ◄mendel► 17:51, 6 March 2009 (UTC)
 * I've changed it on the ones you've actually saved. Also note that for consistency I put the map on map= even though that redlinks some images; with luck, readers noticing that will take screenshots that can be uploaded more easily by clicking on the red link. --18:07, 6 March 2009 (UTC)


 * cool - thanks for the note.

Good job on the landmarks!
Good job on converting the landmarks with the notice on it to Template:Location box etc.! I've seen more landmarks listed on Category:Location stubs. Some have been listed as pages in Category:Locations; that should not normally be the case if they've been categorized elsewhere as well. Fell free to work on those categories if you're motivated.

I think it might be possible to get landmarks of the zone articles automatically, but that probably doesn't mean we're going to find many more articles, unfortunately. -- ◄mendel► 23:20, 6 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks! I'll keep working on what I can find. If you come across a clue that leads to a bunch more, feel free to post it here.  &mdash; Tennessee Ernie Ford ( TEF ) 01:18, 7 March 2009 (UTC)