Sample article and multiple OS

[Andytizer 269]

So there seems to be multiple directions people want to take the Sample Article when it comes to splitting amongst 3 operating systems. I'm hoping to discuss some options and figure out a good long-term solution:

 

a) Each OS heading with repeated tables

Advantages

Everything on one page

Disadvantages

Lots of repeated information

Anchor links will only go to the first one on the page (e.g. #Video Settings would be repeated 3 times, but no way to link to only the Windows one)

 

b) Subpages for each OS (e.g. Team Fortress 2 (Windows), Team Fortress 2 (Mac), Team Fortress 2 (Linux))

Advantages

Each article would be very comprehensive for that specific OS

Disadvantages

Lots of repeated information

Would need a new layout to help navigate for each OS

Confusing for Seriesbox layout - should we only include the Windows versions?

Which OS version to link to?

 

c) Combined information, e.g. Game data with 3 rows for each OS.

Advantages

Puts all the information in one place

Disadvantages

Makes it much harder to find OS specific info. e.g. a borderless fullscreen windowed hack would be listed for Windows, but wouldn't work on Mac or Linux - we might need to clarify OS in a 'Fixbox', or to create a new 'Issuebox' to specify OS

[Nicereddy 109]

In my opinion it simply makes the page more concise when you combine things such as availability, game data, and system requirements under a single header or table. The only things that change a lot between OS' is game data and Issues. Game Data can easily be made into a single table with a Windows row, Mac row, and Linux row. Issues on the other hand should be put into separate sections.

 

If you like my idea we can go at it in two different ways:

 

1) Issues and Fixes header with Windows, Mac, and Linux headers beneath.

 

2) 3 different Issues and Fixes Headers: Issues and Fixes (Windows), Issues and Fixes (Mac), Issues and Fixes (Linux).

 

I like the idea of having a separate page per-OS but feel like that would not only clutter the wiki but discourage users from contributing because of how complicated it would become. It'd probably be better to implement collapsible sections, which I have mentioned a few times before and seen mentioned by others.

[Newmansan 30]

I prefer consolidating wherever possible. We can leave the separate OS headings for OS specific issues/findings, while consolidating everything that is the same across the board.

 

Or, we could make Availability, Improvements, Game data etc. as the primary headers, and from there we can break down each primary header into Cross Platform, Windows, OSX, and Linux subsections as the available data calls for it.

[Nicereddy 109]

One thing we really need to add in the Sample Article currently is the Cloud info table under Game Data.

[Pendragon 6]

My thinking is some issues may be repeated on all platforms. Right now (as I understand it), Windows is listed first, so you put the bug in Windows. Then if the bug happens on Mac, it either won't be listed or it will just be repeated.

 

What I would rather see is bugs listed with a tag showing what version it applies to. Instead of having basically three different articles (Windows/Mac/Linux), one article that applies to all. Perhaps in some cases, we could divide the Issues and Fixes (and other sections) into different versions:

 

Issues and Fixes (All Platforms)

Issues and Fixes (Windows)

Issues and Fixes (Mac)

Issues and Fixes (Linux)

 

It feels a little better than just pushing the mac problems to the end of the article.

 

So the first idea would look like this:

 

Issues and fixes

 

Game crashing after intro (Windows, Mac)

 

 

Then the second idea would look like this:

 

Issues and fixes (all platforms)

 

Game crashing after intro

[Newmansan 30]

Why not mix the two? Fixes that are platform specific don't need a label, nor do fixes that are for all three platforms. However, ther may be a corner case when a fix is for 2 OS's, but not all three. For multiplatform fixes that meet this criteria, we can put the platforms either in the fix box or in the fix name itself.

 

So to use Pendragon's example:

 

==Issues and fixes==

 

===Multi-Platform===

Disable Intro movies

Resolution Fix (Windows, OSX)

Fix A(Linux, OSX)

===Windows===

Registry Fix

===Mac===

Fix B

===Linux===

Fix C

[LDK 9]

And where would you put fix, where you don't know on which platform it works? For example fix could work on linux or mac, but I'm unable to test this.

[Pendragon 6]

If you aren't sure, I'd put it in the main or all platform section...

[Newmansan 30]

And where would you put fix, where you don't know on which platform it works? For example fix could work on linux or mac, but I'm unable to test this.

 

I'd say play it safe and put it under the OS you can test it for. Then you can put something in the discussion page saying you'd like for someone else to test it on whatever OS. But use your best judgement of course, if a forum post says it should work for multiple Os's, put it in the multiplatform subheading.

 

Going one step further, if a fix "should" or is supposed to work on multiple OS's but is untested for some of them, we could put it under multiplatform and just note in the fix box that it is untested on whatever OS no one has tested it on.

[Pridit 39]

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