Talk:Manual

TOC Discussion

• Is it possible to put a picture next to the TOC? Maybe with a table? Pontiac 07:48, 27 Feb 2005 (PST)
  • OK, found a (more complicated, since it's an external image) way to do it Pontiac 08:28, 27 Feb 2005 (PST)

{|
|valign=top|__TOC__ 
|http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/albums/wiki_manual/coverB.jpg
|}

Links

• I just found a fool FAQ concerning manual-like formatting: Can I print out my entire Mediawiki site? Pontiac 08:32, 27 Feb 2005 (PST)

Various Cover Images

• Other cover images in the making, see also this thread. pontiac 13:37, 28 Feb 2005 (PST)
  • coverB.jpg Original Artwork
  • manualcover.jpg
  • cleaned2_shot_016.jpg
  • cleaned3_shot_016_01_A5.png
  • cleaned3_shot_016_02_A5.png

• pontiac 05:59, 13 Mar 2005 (PST) Until the Upload to the wiki has been discussed you can use the Wiki-Manual section in the gallery:
  • http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/gallery/wiki_manual
  • I already put some needed sdcreenshots there, but they need to be scaled/finished/cut to be used in the manual.
• The thumbnail on the main page displays my version, but the large cover in the manual is from another. I don't have much intention of completing my version because of this talk about the new logo and such, but I've put up the zipped XCF file for people to gimp around with if they so choose. -Halleck 21:25, 15 Mar 2005 (PST)

Base Interface/ Computer Screens Discussion

• pontiac 15:00, 14 Mar 2005 (PST) Would it be a good thing to merge the Manua:Base interface pages with the single pages such as Manual:Cargo computer and Manual:News screen. IMHO it is. What do you think?
  • silverain I agree - it's what I did in the .pdf.
  • Sources in the phpwiki:
    • http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/phpwiki/index.php/VsManualBaseInterface
    • http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/phpwiki/index.php/VsManualCargoComputer
    • http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/phpwiki/index.php/VsManualMissionComputer
    • http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/phpwiki/index.php/VsManualWeaponsRoom
    • http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/phpwiki/index.php/VsManualUpgradesScreen
    • etc...
• Silverain 03:01, 15 Mar 2005 (PST) Since the Information Screen and Game Menu screen are common between several areas (Cargo Screen, Upgrades etc all access these two screens, would it be worthwhile extracting them and showing them as 'Common Menus' at the beginning of 'Interface'? I started to do this to the manual page, but its now gone.

• • pontiac 03:36, 15 Mar 2005 (PST) At first i imagined to have all the non-baseart (== Computer Screens) locations under the the "Base interface". And only the rest (bar/hangar/etc...)
    • MOVED AND UPDATED-> See sample below

• • pontiac Also the info pages are aren't gone, they just moved to Manual:Base_interface:Info_screen (no content except for images right now though )

• pontiac 09:05, 15 Mar 2005 (PST) Ok, here is what i had imagined (some things be be missing). I just changed the name from "BAse interface" to "Computer" to make it more clear. Better suggestions are welcome.
  • Manual:Trading
  • Manual:Accepting missions
  • etc...
  • Manual:Locations (description of the various locations at a base/ship/planet/... and what they normaly show)
    • Manual:Location:Concourse
    • Manual:Location:Bar
    • Manual:Location:Weapons dealer (Weapons+Upgrades)
    • Manual:Location:Shipyard
    • Manual:Location:Cargo bay
    • Manual:Location:Hangar
    • etc...
  • Manual:Computer (description of the various Computer pages)
    • Manual:Computer:Cargo
    • Manual:Computer:News
    • Manual:Computer:Missions
    • Manual:Computer:Upgrades
    • Manual:Computer:Info (player+ship info)
    • Manual:Computer:Ship dealer
    • Manual:Computer:Game menu
• Silverain 14:54 15 March 2005 (PST) Whereas, I had imagined it as information grouped together i.e. Location Cargo Bay, followed by Cargo Computer (all trading together), Location Shipyard with Computer Ship Dealer etc. If we go your way, then I would suggest removing the Manual:Trading etc pages and going with the Location and Computer pages only. It shouldn't be hard to split.
  • pontiac 07:44, 16 Mar 2005 (PST) The main reason why i'm thinking of seperating computer screens from the locations is that the locations vary alot troughout the existing bases (sometimes there isn't even a cargo bay or a seperate weapons dealer) , but the computer is (nearly) always the same. But then again, your point is valid too, so your example would look like this? :
    • Manual:Location:Concourse
    • Manual:Location:Bar
    • Manual:Location:Hanger
    • Manual:Location:Cargo bay
      • Manual:Computer:Cargo dealer
    • Manual:Location:Shipyard
      • Manual:Computer:Weapons dealer
      • Manual:Computer:Ship dealer
    • etc...
• pontiac 08:55, 16 Mar 2005 (PST) Ok, i think i have found a good middle way to go. What about using your structure (as you mentioned above and is pictured in the last example) in the manual mainpage, and also use the namespaces [Manual:Location:xxx] and [Manual:Computer:xxx] like in the examples. Then we have two seperate pages [Manual:Locations] and [Manual:Computer] that list the appropriate pages in them. That way we have both 'categories' at the same time.

Silverain 16:54, 16 Mar 2005 (PST) See an alternative layout of the Manual front page in the Sandbox

• Pontiac Looks good to me. Just two things: 1.) The important one: What will happen to Manual:Trading and its content then? Do we leave it as is or incorporate the content into the cargo pages? 2.) CAPITAL LETTERS ARE BAD i've learned ;) But that's just my opinion, and since i made this in the old wiki too i'm not fully against it. We can just leave it as in the mockup and sort that out if users complain ;)
  • Pontiac ok, forget the first point. i've seen you moved the page already ;)
  • Silverain 23:55, 17 Mar 2005 (PST) CAPS are bad? I presume some netiquette thing? I was looking for some way to really have the links stand out from surrounding descriptions - but no problem will change to LC. I can then move it the changed mockup to the main page so the links are there.
    • Pontiac Netiquette doesn't really apply here (no dialog ;) ) but actally, i've read and adapted some of the Wikipedia style-guide. It more or sell says that you write a header exactly the same way as you would write a nomal sentence. (The only capital letters are the First one and the first ones of names). No biggie though, the content is more important anyway.

Manual style discussion

• Pontiac Maybe some points of our current and future discussions should be in the Manual of Style as well. This includes several points:
  • Handling of images
  • Using of key-images (see Manual:Keyboard layout)
  • Linking (including redundant links)
  • How to use the Manual NAVBAR
  • Categorisation / How to add category links

Tutorial discussion

• Silverain 14:58 15 March 2005 (PST) Concerning the tutorial, I was going to review my .pdf version and put it in. Since its 5 tutes, should I use 5 pages (one each), or put them all on the one page?
  • pontiac 07:44, 16 Mar 2005 (PST) In the wiki i think i would prefer them on one page if they are short (<= A4). For longer ones i think leaving them as 5 pages is perect (something like [[Manual:Tutorial:Page1]] or [[Manual:Tutorial:Chapter1]] maybe?)
    • Then again: It's a turorial, so having 'steps/pages/chapters' is quite fine ;)
      • Silverain 16:13, 16 Mar 2005 (PST) Have uploaded the tutorials to the one page. Have a look. It seems to fit OK on the one page. Except for the first one, they are all fairly short.
        • Pontiac Looks fine to me :) But if you need to change it for the pdf version just go ahead.