Post by hatman555
Welcome to the Guide Spotlight: Issue #1 (April)
First and foremost the
"Guide Spotlight" is a place for
everyone to post
anything they want about guides. Got a new guide that you just released? Bump it here. Have a request for a guide to be made? Ask here, and it will be added to the
list! Talk to guide writers, share ideas, complement the works of others. This is a free space for all guide related things.
In addition to this, I have filled the first post with some pretty cool stuff. Twice a month, there will be a new set of
"Featured Guides", a new
"Interview with a Guide Writer", and a new
"Tip of the Post". A ton of content to read enjoy and comment on. I hope you guys enjoy this! Check out the guides!
Featured Guides
Noblegarden for Level 1 Twinks
View it now!Author: MaelynnAbout: Maelynn's 8th Guide on level 1 twinks. This well crafted tome of knowledge will help you get your level 1 twink or bank alt hopping! From useful tips on how to get your twink around the world of Azeroth to general tips about the event itself, this guide will save you time and show you how to do things few thought possible.
Rating: 9/10 Hats!
Complete Dragon Soul tactics, 10man
View it now!Author: ElfeaterdkAbout: Yo Dawg, I heard you like tabs. So we put tabs in your tabs so you could read an impressive amount of content! Elfeaterdk has worked hard on many f individual guides for the Dragon Soul Bosses. Now he has taken the best parts of them all to hit you with everything you need to know to save Azeroth! While clicking abilities on your character will only get you killed, clicking through this amazing guild will keep you alive!
Rating: 9/10 Hats!
School of wizardry and witchcraft style: The Frozen North
View it now!Author: RaihleyAbout: You're a Wizard
Harry! Raihley! This is Railhley's first guide and it truly shows his love for Mage Tear in this very informative guide. Transmogrification is in full fury, and no one is going to mess with a Mage that has a set of these threads! Complete with general information, a quick preview of the gear, and all the locations for your shopping list, this guide will be very handy in getting your arcane avenger more awesome!
Rating: 8/10 Hats!
Back to the Table of ContentsGuide Writers Interview
With Thror Author of the:
Feral Druid Cataclysm (85) Tanking Guide
Hatman555:
Hey Thror. Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me to talk about yourself and your guide! We'll start with some easy questions and work our way through to the harder ones.
Thror:
Thank you for featuring me as an interview. I think this idea is awesome! Lets get started!
Hatman555:
How old are you?
Thror:
I am 22 years old.
Hatman555:
How long have you been playing wow?
Thror:
It's been three years by now. I was around level 20 on my first character when the starting event for the Wrath of the Lich King expansion hit live.
Hatman555:
What's your main or favourite character class and faction?
Thror:
Druid and Alliance. My druid has always been my main. I occasionally enjoy tanking with any of the other three classes that can tank.
Hatman555:
Do you have a favourite colour?
Thror:
Red to black gradient. <3
Hatman555:
Why did you decide to write this guide?
Thror:
Because I wished to provide a good source of information for all fellow druids. I believe that serving as a source of information for others is a very responsible task. I've seen people that turned the wrong way just because someone who they trusted provided them with flawed advice. People who just hand out advice on matters they know nothing about are also a common sight. I did not rush into writing the guide, because for me personally, writing a guide is a huge commitment. But... well, one day I just decided to give it a shot. Not sure if my reason is clear from what I wrote here, heh, so to clarify, I wrote my guide because I was not satisfied with the quality of the Druid guides that were, at the moment I decided to write it, present on the forums.
Hatman555:
How long did it take you to write your guide?
Thror:
I wrote the very first version in a day. It was very far from what the guide looks like now though. The first week I uploaded it I spent quite a lot of time adjusting it here and there. With every major patch, I spend quite some time gathering updates on information and tips, both personally, in game, and on various forums. Then it usually takes me a day to bring the guide up to date.
Hatman555:
What were some challenges in coding your guide?
Thror:
Can't think of anything really. I am a swift learner and asakawa's guide on the BBC code has been a great resource.
Hatman555:
What are some things you didn't think you would add to your guide but did?
Thror:
I felt very hesitant about adding a section on Macros, mostly because I personally do not use them all that much, aside from the modifier macros, which are the most basic stuff. I felt like my bias against macros could impair the quality of that section, and it might as well be one of the less informative sections in my guide. There also used to be a trinket section, which I felt very hesitant about, and in fact I have decided to delete that one after a few patches. The problem is that it is hard to explain which trinkets are the best with just a diagram with stat priorities. On the other hand, assigning accurate values to trinkets is a pretty difficult task, especially if we consider how, in tanking, the value of trinkets can vary on an encounter basis.
Hatman555:
What are some things that you wanted to add to your guide but couldn't?
Thror:
A prettier graphic layout. It's pretty basic now, although I do not find it bad looking. But I could certainly do better, If I wasn't so damn lazy. Maybe some day. So yeah, the only thing limitting me is my own laziness.
Hatman555:
What are some things that you are going to add to your guide in the future?
Thror:
Well, the Mists of Pandaria update is going to be a fairly big thing and I am greatly looking forward to that. I was also playing with the thought of making some tutorial videos with my commentary, but currently I have difficulties making those, because my hardware is not good enough. It is something I would really wish to do very much though, and I will try to make it work somehow. Hopefully I will at least get some better RAM before the Mists of Pandaria beta hits, but who knows when that thing is gonna come.
Hatman555:
Will you write another guide?
Thror:
Most probably not, I am afraid. I can not think of anything in WoW that I would be more passionate about than Druid tanking.
Hatman555:
What is one tip you could give to a up and coming guide writer?
Thror:
When you write a guide about something that you love, updating your guide never becomes a chore.
Hatman555:
Well that about wraps it up. Thanks again thror for taking the time to sit down with me. Remember to check out his guide for all the awesomeness that is tanking with your face!
Thror:
Haha! Thanks again Hatman. It was fun!
Back to the Table of ContentsTip of the Post
Linking an Image in your Guide
When writing a Guide, people will all too often focus on content and forget about presentation. Content is great, but no one will read what you write if they are not interested in what is seen. Adding images to your guide can be a great way of breaking up walls of text, adding a unique look to your guide, and drawing the attention of new viewers.
Adding images can be easy too! All you'll need is a little bit of BBCode and a functional link to an image.
Basic Example
- Image is shown
- Text is listed under it.
- Very easy to code
- Might not be what you are looking for.
Click here to see the basic example
Why I want to play MoP:
- I heard there would be pandas.
- I like Pandas.
- As you can see, I already have an Epic Panda Mount
- Win!
Why I want to play MoP:\
- I heard there would be pandas.
- I like Pandas.
- As you can see, I already have an Epic Panda Mount
- Win!
Normal Example
- Image is shown, and "floated" to the right.
- Text stays on the left
- Learn the "float" code for images
- Looks very nice in guides
Click here to see the normal example
Why I want to play MoP:
- I heard there would be pandas.
- I like Pandas.
- As you can see, I already have an Epic Panda Mount
- Win!
Why I want to play MoP:\
- I heard there would be pandas.
- I like Pandas.
- As you can see, I already have an Epic Panda Mount
- Win!
Advanced Example
- Image is shown, and "floated" to the Left.
- Bullets overlap image, so we bundle the text and float it too
- Now the Bullets have the proper spacing
- Text stays on the right
- Learn the "div" tag
- Gives you the option now to put pictures on the left
Click here to see the advanced example
Why I want to play MoP:
- I heard there would be pandas.
- I like Pandas.
- As you can see, I already have an Epic Panda Mount
- Win!
Why I want to play MoP:\
- I heard there would be pandas.
- I like Pandas.
- As you can see, I already have an Epic Panda Mount
- Win!
\
If you haven't already copied the code from the example boxes, here is a basic template that you can use:
** TITLE GOES HERE **
- ** TEXT GOES HERE **
- ** TEXT GOES HERE **
- ** TEXT GOES HERE **
- ** TEXT GOES HERE **
Back to the Table of ContentsList of Requested Guides
Want to Request a guide?
Want to Write One of These Guides?
Post a reply to this topic and list:
- Title of the Guide.
- Content that you want to see in the Guide.
- Any other information to help people understand your request.
Post a reply to this topic and list:
- Title of the Guide you are going to claim.
- Time you think it will take you to complete.
- If you would like help from another user.
Guide:
Requested by:
Notes:
Claimed by:
New Hunter Guide
Axyn80 None
Completed Guides
Guide:
Requested by:
Completed Statues:
Completed by:
Guide Writing For Dummies asakawa:
- 95% Complete
- Only a few final thoughts are "under construction"
- Images section was just recently completed
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Post by hatman555
About "The Guide Spotlight"
Hey guys, So this is just a reserve post right now. I'm going to put some history here once I get the updates rolling.
Back to the Table of ContentsAs for the post itself. Asakawa and I talk a lot, and we were getting really frustrated that we wanted a place where people who like guides could go, but didn't know, and still think, that a guide forum wouldn't get the traffic it needs yet. Now we know that this post isn't a forum, but it's a temporary place to come and share stuff, until it becomes clear that we need something else.
I spend a lot of time on the content and formatting so I hope you guys enjoy that. Asakawa is responsible for the amazing looking Q&A section formatting. He was also really crucial in helping me trouble shoot any formatting issues I had when coding everything. He is by far the BBCode Master! The Wowhead Community is very lucky to have him around!
If anyone wants to do an interview with me at some point just post. I would like to use Skype or Ventrilo, but we can do them through email too.
Meh, that's all for now I guess! I gave the thing a rough spellcheck and content check, if you guys see anything wrong, let me know and I will make edits.
Cheers,
Hat
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