Silkroad Online Forums

Before you start:
I have noticed that many people have difficulties in making a good guide. So I will be making a guide to pass to people my experience about how to make good looking guides, using tips, ideas, and whatever I can. This guide is supposed to provide usefull information when people are going to make their guide. I will be glad if you can help me improving it.

Before you start doing a guide:
You MUST know what you are going to talk about. My guide is not going to teach you about what you should talk about/say on the development of your guide. My guide will just give tips about what you can do on your guide to improve it.

--Summary--

1. Starting
2. Developing Guides in General
   
   1. pictures
   2. summary
   3. titles
   4. colors
   5. writing
   6. photoshop guide
   7. certainty
   8. raping
   9. linking
   10. bold/underline/italic
   11. certainty(writing)
   12. cin and SM-Count small advices (that I dont know exactly where to put, though you must read it)
   13. polls
   14. smilies
   15. [guide]
   16. external sources
   17. posting/discussion
   18. list code
3. Developing Character-And-Skills Related Guides
   
   1. skills
   2. stats building
   3. strategies
   4. positive/negative points
   5. showing build stats
4. To Finish Your Guide
5. Examples of Guides
6. How to do Some Things
   
   1. bold/italic/underline
   2. linking
   3. img
   4. quoting
   5. list code
7. External Links
8. Credits

So, here the real guide starts:

1. Starting
   -Only make a guide if you are sure its needed, or if you can make it more updated than others. If you are unsure, ask a mod or a helper. Do not put at the start of your guide that you dont know if its needed, or if you dont know if there are other guides like this one you are making.
   -At the start of any guide, it makes a good diference both in looking and in the aspect of complexity of it, to put an introduction, saying what you will be talking about, and how you pretend to do that. You can say your opinions about what you will be talking about (but make it very briefly), to instigate the reader to read the whole guide.
   -A summary is also really good, but its only really needed on big guides. Small ones dont need summary, though it can still be used.
   -Only post your guide when its completely finished. This can also avoid possible flamings. If you want, copy your guide into Microsoft World or the notepad, so you can finish it before posting anything.
   
   
2. Developing
   
   1. Pictures are REALLY good to put in your guide. Though if its not possible to get, or you just dont want to, you dont need to. Note: Put them where they make sence. Dont put a picture of a glavier with garment when ur talking about how to fight... just make sure that the picture makes sence, that it is really related to where you put it. Also, try putting pictures that are attractive (unless your guide is a pk2 guide or anything like that). Avoid putting big pictures on your guide and don't overkill with pictures.(read How to part)
   2. Its a good idea to put a summary. And before each part of your guide starts put the number that was on the topic, it makes a BIG diference. If parts of your guide are too similar, then make the first one "1.a)" the second one "b)" and so on.
   3. I recommend to make the titles in a bigger letter size and in a diferent color (or diferent colors) from the text.
   4. Try not to make your guide with lots of different colors, because it will make it seem sort of childish like. Never use colors that are too light, shiny (including white lol).
   5. Try to put your english as perfect as you can. This is almost essential, so the reader can understand everything you wrote. If your english is not good (mine is not), try making the better you can, and ask other people to correct what you wrote, if it is wrong (ask in the conclusion).
   6. If you can make those guides completely on photoshop, or any other image program, it will be good, your guide will look like a professional one, though this is not needed. And I cannot help you with it. Dont forget: Images get deleted, and then people have to search their computers, re-upload, and edit all the while people can't see their guide. Don't overkill with pictures; especially because not everyone wants to wait 2 minutes for pictures.
   7. If you are not sure about what you will say, dont put it. Ask other people for help, and once you are sure, put it into the guide.
   8. Do NEVER, dont matter why, RAPE other people guides. If you want to put someone elses opinion that you found on his/her guide, put a quote on your guide. Do NOT, NEVER copy it.
   9. When you are going to put links, do not put a whole link written, like: "http://www.....com"; consider putting a hidden link to it (read How to part to see how to put these links).
   10. Consider bolding important words that cannot be missed, but do not bold too much things; you can also use either italic, that just dont attract much attention, or underline that gets some more attention than italic. (read How to part).
   11. Try to show that you are sure about what you are talking about; it's not a good idea to put words like maybe or I think (e.g.: "I think putting intelligence in an int hybrid character is a good idea"; "maybe putting int in an int hybrid character is a good idea"). Saying, "You must put lots of int in an int hybrid character" sounds forced. Personally I like: "You should/it is a good idea to/consider putting a lot of int in your int hybrid character because it will do more damage." You compel them to agree with you with logic (more int = higher dmg = good) following your statement, rather than issue a command (he told me to do more int, okay... I guess). I always view guides as a player helping out another player, not someone demanding you do something his/her way. You're sharing information you've gathered, not yelling at someone to change. (Edited this part taking infos from SM-Count reply, which I completely agree with. I couldnt make it clearer than he did.)
   12. cin wrote:
       And remember, one of the key things in a good guide is a good, clear layout. I'd say put a lot of time in that if you have the time.
       
       
       SM-Count wrote:
       Don't try to cram everything into one section, don't be afraid to make more smaller sections.
   13. About putting polls, its up to you. Though I dont think that polls like these are recommended (you can put them though, but it will make your guide less... eh, look like less complex): Is this looking good?; What do you think about this guide?; Do you like it?;
       You can put like: Was this helpfull?; How much did it helped you?; or an other question based on your guide, though they are not needed at all, and I recommend you not to put, unless you need to because of the contents of your guide, you really want, or w/e.
   14. You should really consider not putting smilies in your guide; it makes your guide childish-like.
   15. You must put [GUIDE] before the name of your guide (topic name).
   16. Consider using other sources to support your ideas, like bobtheveg sro builder or nivlam site, or even sites that have skills info (check external links).
   17. Post your guide on the guides and tutorials section. Do not put it into characters and skills, even if it is sort off a discussion guide. Consider making a topic on characters and skills just to make all the discussion about your guide there.
   18. Try using the list code, whenever you can. Though its a little bit tricky, it shows good results. I also found a way (with help from GodsAngel), to make listed things searchable.(see How To part)
   
   
3. Developing Character-And-Skills Related Guides
   
   1. On this tipe of guide, you should include what specific skills you should take for your build, giving the description of the skills, and why they are necessary for your build. Also, you could put the necessary sp for that build.
   2. If your build of the guide is a hybrid, then its a good idea to teach how to build it as clear as you can (stats I mean). Dont put just 2:1, 1:5, etc.. Teach them how to do it (put 2 str and 1 int each lvl,w/e). If its through balance, then say those basic things of taking off your set, and putting int/str till the balance needed is achieved.
   3. Consider including strategies for your guide, examples:
      
      1. Strategy teaching how to hunt, where to hunt, why to hunt that way, which skills to use while hunting, etc..
      2. Strategy about how to fight on pvp (though this is not really needed) saying what skills should be used on pvp, in which order, and any else info you can give about this, as much people worry mainly about good pvping builds.
      3. Strategy on which weapons, which armor, why to use those, when to use those, and any info you can give about wearing items (blues, and which + is recommended to your set and to your weapon). Though this is not really needed, it can be good to put this part, even to avoid unecessary questions.
   4. Try to make a complete positive/negative part. Do not put points such as: Good at pvp, can use nukes, can lvl fast, etc.. Try putting more conclusive things, like: can use snow shield(+), will die without snow shield(-), can deal really high crit damage(+),etc. And do NOT take conclusions from these points, as they vary a lot according to each one opinions.
   5. Its a good idea to put your stats at the cap, with and without a fully pimped set, use the nivlam or the sro character builder applet. At 80 cap you can add +55 points to each stat, so its +55 in str and +55 in int. There are 11 ekips you use, each one can have +5 str and +5 int. At 90 cap, it looks like that you will be able to put +6 in each equip. So +66 to str and +66 to int. Dont forget that shield is one more equip, and you can put +str and +int to it too. So if your build has a shield, you can put +60 str and +60 int at 80 cap, and +72 str and +72 int at 90 cap. These + are beyond the ones you can put after leveling. You first use all your avaible points, then you put these extras. And it cannot vary, like at 80 cap, +65 str and +45 int; It is at maximum +55(+60 with shield) to each stat.
   
   Note: Dont forget to put pictures. In this type of guide, its almost essential to have good pictures that attract attention.
   
   
   
   
4. To finish your guide
   -You can put a conclusion, though its not really needed. If its well-made, then the conclusion will make the reader even more induced to do what you told on the whole guide.
   -Also, try finding videos, if possible, to make a extra part and put them in your guide. They are a powerfull weapon to show and support what you talked about on the guide.
   -Its important to include a update/edit log. Including an update log informs people how relevant a guide is at any point in time.
   
   Also: Dont forget to put credits to people who helped you, they will like and you will seem like more polite, and thats REALLY good.
   
   
5. Examples of guides
   
   
   1. Well-done guides:
      
      1. [GUIDE] The Complete Blader - This is one of the best, if not the best, guides I have ever seen. Dont need to tell why, do I?
      2. [GUIDE]Warrior - This one is not like everything I said, but still, its very good, though it could be even more organized.
      3. Comprehensive Rogue Guide [COMPLETE!] - Really good one. Its very complete, but it could still be more organized with a summary.
      4. [Guide] Pure Int S/S Light/Cold (56k Warning) - Photoshop style guide. Really good.
      5. [Guide]The Ultimate Pure INT Spear[UPDATE-12/02/2008] - One more photoshop style guide. Again, really good guide.
      6. Complete Hybrid S/S guide. BIG - Big, but Very well done guide. This one really couldnt use the "list" function as this guide is enormous, so it was better for his guide to just type those things.
   2. Ill-made guides:
      
      1. Complete Hyprid Spear Build - No comments, just look at my replies in this guide.
      2. GUIDE: The Ultimate Thief Guide [Europe Update] - Dont need to say anything.
   
   If you think a guide should be here, tell me and I will update it. I dont have enough time to browse through all the guides here. I will be keeping this list only to character and skills related guides, as these types of guides are the ones that most comes out. And, its not in any kind of better/worse order. I was just putting them as I was finding them. I will be updating this list whenever I can.
   
   Note: I havent asked the guides owners permission to make this small list. If theres any problem about this, PM me, do not make a reply on this topic, please. And the guides from the links are not completely like what I was teaching, I was just giving ideas/tips of what you can do, not that you NEED to do it. There are some ways of doing good guides. These are just examples from where you can take ideas or w/e.
   
   
6. How to do some things

-----a) How to bold/italic/underline: just put The same for italic, though then you have to put "i" instead of "b". And to underline put "u" instead of "b".
-----b) How to put hidden links:
-----c) Putting a img:
-----d) How to quote:
-----e) Using list code:(before the "code" there is each code result)


Now, how to make it searchable:
Just use something like this before the listed text.
And then put that combination somewhere in your guide, dunno how to explain it in words, so I will show an example:


Now, later on the guide:

You prolly cant see the ixxyo, but its still searchable. (use ctrl+f and search for ixxyo, if you dont believe)
Code of that example:


This is a little bit tricky, if you need help with it, or you just dont understood, just ask.

Note: GodsAngel gave me the base of this idea, and I just improved it with invisibility which I discovered from a post from cin (dont remember which one). I would like to say thanks to them.



VII. External Links

1. Silkroad Online Character Builder Applet (bobtheveg)
2. Silkroad Online MMO Site (Contains pretty much eveyrthing about silkroad, including next cap skills)
3. nivlaM (Really usefull site)

VIII. Credits

1. I would really like to thanks cin. He helped me a LOT with this guide, and he indirectly encouraged me.
2. Thanks to BloodOwnzzz for his help on improving this guide with the idea of a specific character and skill guide section.
3. Thanks a lot to SM-Count, his constructive criticism helped me a lot.
4. Thanks to GodsAngel, for the base idea on making a invisible searchable text.

EDITS:

1. Added specific character and skill related guide section.(29 march)
2. Improved character and skill related guide, and corrected some mistakes. Also, edited pictures part and starting part.(30 march)
3. Edited guides small list (thanks nitro); Improved a lot of things thanks to SM-Count enormous help.(31 march)
4. Reviewed the whole guide, edited "certainty (writing)" part, and changed the way I said some things. Small improve in guides list.(3 april)
5. Changed topic title; Added a way to make list code searchable.(7 april)

Finished, at least for now. If you have any advice to give, I will be glad to improve my guide with your opinions. I'm waiting for your replies. If you see something wrong, just pm me.

Do me the favour of thinking before speaking. As you can see, this guide has taken me some time and thinking to be made, so, please answer in the same level.

omg Bloodownz just shut up for once . we know all the guides were posted before he made this guide, but maybe some ppl want to post more guides -.-.

BTW nice guide, but as u said, PICTURES PLZ !

lol, a guide on how to make a guide .

Ok well the funny thing is your best guide example, which is the Blader one, can't even follow probably the easiest part in your whole entire guide. But still, that guide was made far before you even joined on the forums so I guess they didn't get your help...

And sorry I didn't see that other guide until you showed it to me. The only one I have seen was that shitty Warrior one that didn't even know the skills...

The point still stands. Your guide is just there to make other guides look better. Not how to set them up or anything purely for looks and discussion of it. At least say you need to put in skills and strategies and it can be a good guide; no where did it say that in the original copy of this guide.(It might now but I haven't reread it yet)

@BloodOwnzz

Are you sure you read my guide? After the videos I said:

See? And, I'm not telling people to do guides EXACTLY like this. These are just tips they could or not follow.


Cant understand the part in bold >.< Explain please.

"Your guide is just there to make other guides look better. Not how to set them up or anything purely for looks and discussion of it."
Almost correct. I actually AM giving tips on how to set the guide up. Just take a better look at the guide I done, even the original copy.
Now I have a question:
What else do you think I could put to make it better? Which infos?
(no sarcasm)

EDIT: I actually havent helped any of the guides that I putted on the small list. They are just examples from where you can take ideas or w/e.

What the guide needs is you to say that, you should include sections on skills to take for the build and a strategy for the build. (Although this is an exception for non build guides but those aren't as common, or as needed)

"[GUIDE] The Complete Blader - This is one of the best, if not the best, guides I have ever seen. Dont need to tell why, do I?"
/cough

And yes there are tidbits of information on how to set it up. Not as much as a guide on making guides should have though.

Sorry, but that wasnt exactly what I meant. I edited the note below the videos to clear it out. Thanks for pointing it out. There are some ways of doing good guides. I'm just giving tips.



Hum, my guide is not made to teach how to make a guide about characters and skills, though I will be seeing what I can do to add more specific sessions on it. But, I wont be teaching what you should tell about each build. Thats not what this guide is meant for.

Did I understand correctly? Or you meant that I should add a skill section and talk about each build strategies and which skills people should take?
If that is the case, then know that whoever is going to do a new guide, then this one should know what to talk about. My guide is just going to help him with tips on what to put in his guide, not what he should be talking about. I will be editing the "before you start" part to make it clearer and tell what ppl should know before making a guide.

You understood correctly. Most guides that will be made will be about character though. Teaching people one of the most important things of how to make a character guide should be one of the important things to address.

Finished some editings. Still waiting for more constructive criticism and ideas.

Looks good to me. Nice idea behind the guide

Thanks Stress, I appreciate your incentive.

Nobody has got ideas? I want to improve this guide, but I dunno what else to put.

Well... this is like ... You're trying to teach people how to be creative ... So if everyone will copy your ideas ... every guide will be the same ... I read your guide ... and it has some useful info ... but we all know that ... those bad guides are only from Mr. I'm-to-lazy-to-work-harder-on-my-guide-let-me-just-write-something-and-take-the-credit.
I mean ... everyone can make a guide like that ... people arent stupid ... Those are like most common and normal things that everybody knows ...

Your guide is okay .. but really not necessary ...
Example ...


If people would follow this everything would be the same ... Let the people be creative ... Thats why there are comments to post , so people would help someone out ,to make better guide ... You're like trying that every guide is "perfect" ... Its like saying ... "dont be lazy , write a bit more about something" ... If I would make a guide , same as most of you guys ... I'd try hard on it and write as much as I could know about something ... As I said ... those words I quoted, if they would be in guide, then that guide is probably wroten by someone who's shallow and lazy.

Yeah and btw ...

Its so unaccurate ... so much things that are wrong ... I made comment down there and the one who wrote the guide , doesnt want to correct the guide ... I bet that that guy didnt even play the Warrior ... I mean how can you write the guide about something , what you never played ... The guide is a text version of your experience , your knowledge, that is supposed to help newbies ...

Where's your pics?
Pretty good though. I've been wanting to make a guide so this will sure help.

thread cleaned. take such arguments to the pm's next time thnx.

bloodownzz, weren't you that guy who made some guide so "ppl would stfu"?
i was hoping you had gotten less cocky, but seems to me as it's gotten worse.
yes, your guide is one of the better ones, that basically just lacks a table of
content. but that does not mean that everybody else knows what to do when
they write a guide.

just fyi, i have personally have a lot of members pm me here on srf or msn
to take a look at their guide, help them with the layout, tell them where to
start, etc. maybe it doesn't show in this section, but there are a lot of
members that are insecure when it comes to writing a guide. i think that their
insecurity mostly comes from many guides being completely torn to pieces by
members like you.

so, please cut these new guys some slack. raphael666 has put a lot of efford
into making this guide, and i gave him some tips, just because i know that
there are members out there who will actually use this guide. they will not
be using this guide so all guides will look the same, they will simply use this
guide as a set of guidelines for their own. i mean, it doesn't say what chapter
1 and 2 of a guide have to contain does it?

thnx for reading. :]

A couple of things I noted:

Summaries are not necessary, there are many things that can not be summarized. Putting a number before each section has little to do with summaries, so this should be another point: 'Don't try to cram everything into one section, don't be afraid to make more smaller sections.' In addition, try to paragraph a lot at each logical point. No one wants to read an essay, so break it in smaller chunks for them for easy readability.


Except white, everybody loves white. Everyone should use white.


Images get deleted, and then people have to search their computers, re-upload, and edit all the while people can't see their guide. Don't overkill with pictures; especially because not everyone wants to wait 2 minutes for pictures.


Absolute links are preferred from some people because people would like to know where they will be going before clicking. Only jerks hide links.


The part I most disagree with. If you know what your talking about then that will come through without using haughty words. Rather than offering your opinion as an 'expert', which is what you want to do, you're demanding that they follow what your doing; this can be seen as patronizing to many.


I strongly advise against list coding. This is because guides are large and many people use the search/find function (alt/apple + f) on their browsers. However, with a list code you can't search numbers or letters that list does for you. It's better to just manually add the numbers/letters.


Update log; including an update log informs people how relevant a guide is at any point in time.

a guide about making a guide brilliant

You must be really brilliant to make such a wonderfull, complete and very well argumented reply. Someone so intelligent and polite like you must be a god.
This looked like sarcastic, so I answered in the same level. If your reply wasnt supposed to be sarcastic, sorry.


Thanks everyone. Will update this guide soon.

EDIT: Sorry for the extense reply, didnt noticed it would be so big.

You're offering your opinion. For example, when you wrote:


Rather than, 'You should (need to, is a good idea, consider etc.)' sounds a lot less forced than you say, 'You must, have to, is required [Even required sounds better] etc.' I always view guides as a player helping out another player, not someone demanding you do something his/her way. You're sharing information you've gathered, not yelling at someone to change.

Edit: I agree with you on no ensuing doubt though, it's not a good idea to put words like maybe or I think. (e.g. I think putting intelligence in an int hybrid character is a good idea or Maybe put int in an int hybrid character is not a good idea. Saying, 'You must put lots of int in an int hybrid character' sounds forced. Personally I like, 'You should/it is a good idea to/consider putting a lot of int in your int hybrid character because it will do more damage.'

You compel them to agree with you with logic (more int = higher dmg = good) following your statement rather than issue a command (he told me to do more int, okay... I guess).

Yeah, I see.
Thanks for your help man, you helped me a lot, I really appreciate it.
I will be editing the guide asap, but I cant do it right now, I gtg. Probably tomorrow it will be edited.

EDIT: Guide has been edited, sorry for the delay.

looks good. i like the search function idea for large guides.
rainigul made it in the beta of his big guide i think.
however, rainigul's guide WITH the search stuff is only made
in the private section he asked for, so you cant view it atm.

just want to say, it works.