UO Stratics... Why don't we update the info more often?

[Prince Caspian]

Let me preface this post by saying Stratics is, bar none, the most useful and info-packed online gaming resource around. The information at our fingertips far, far, FAR surpasses the official ultima online site.

But one thing I do notice is that we have an awful lot of legacy information around and a lot of missing new stuff.

For instance, here it is several years after Mondains Legacy, and we STILL don't have the Lumberjacking Essays/Skill Descriptions listing how to get the special wood. There's tons of information relating to skills that is dated at best, and downright wrong at worst. Wrong not because it was not researched, but wrong because nobody bothered to take down the old information and update it with the changes over the months.

Is it a lack of contributors? I will volunteer my time and writing talents to updating some of this info. While some of the essays are fantastic, many of them just are obsolete and are talking about a system gone over 5 years ago. How about updating?

 

[Azazel of LA]

I agree , the other day I was looking for info on Vet rewards and I think it only went up to year 4. (or at least thats all I found)


(Edit - I was thinking of the Official UO Site .... oops)

 

[JC the Builder]

The Stratics method of updating involves 2 different sets of people. The first is to write the actual content and essays. The second is for the person approving it to verify the information. This is why Stratics has had virtually no updates in a long time. There isn't as much enthusiasm to create/run UO websites like there used to be. So while some people will gladly submit updates there is no one to approve and post them. This method worked well back in 1998-2002 when there was a vibrant and eager website community for UO but it does not today.

The wiki method of submitting and verifying information works much better, especially for content heavy games like MMOs. That is why UOGuide is much more up to date. When a publish comes out it can take less than an hour for every necessary page to be updated by anyone who wishes to do so. But it is difficult to find people who even want to do this. So if it is difficult to find people wanting to keep a wiki up to date, what chances of finding twice the people to update Stratics? There isn't any, which is why Stratics is so out of date.

It also doesn't help that there isn't any UO updates to bring back excitement in 3 years. When I started UOGuide back in 2006 I was planning for the next expansion to really create a surge for the website. Here we are exactly 2 years later and I'm still waiting.

 

[_zigzag_]

The Stratics method of updating involves 2 different sets of people. The first is to write the actual content and essays. The second is for the person approving it to verify the information. This is why Stratics has had virtually no updates in a long time. There isn't as much enthusiasm to create/run UO websites like there used to be. So while some people will gladly submit updates there is no one to approve and post them. This method worked well back in 1998-2002 when there was a vibrant and eager website community for UO but it does not today.

Close JC...but not totally accurate If someone submits some updated material, there are people to approve and post it. Me.

The reason we haven't had updates in a while is simple. For the most part, and excluding those people who have submitted material - and yes, I do have some yet that has NOT been posted - it is because, as you say, the general enthusiasm has left the building.

One other holdup has been the old technology we have had to work with. That has been fixed. All I need now are a few people dedicated to updating info, and we wont be 9000 + pages of old content

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

Is it a lack of contributors? I will volunteer my time and writing talents to updating some of this info. While some of the essays are fantastic, many of them just are obsolete and are talking about a system gone over 5 years ago. How about updating?

Noted with caveat ...

All I need now are a few people dedicated to updating info, and we wont be 9000 + pages of old content

asked answered and waiting now ... rolleyes:

Seconds ?
other Nominations / Volunteers ?

 

[Jeremy]

Sadly, we're all in the same boat on this one. UO is so complex that it takes a fair amount of pure grunt work to get updated info - even if you have access to the raw code.

 

[Basara]

I'm already updating some material (essentially, some essays and FAQ materials I've sent to zigzag are being converted into new info and new pages for mining & smithing), and I'm considering rewriting the REALLY out of date Tailor essay - unless one of you all that is a tailor primary wants to do it. Any takers?

 

[love2winalot]

Hail: This is so damn easy...........

1. Post the update request help from players. This can be, ANYTHING that is out of date. Like the monsters that have been around for years, and it says, "No Info" when you reasearch it.

2. Some sort of Reward system as incentive for doing this. I also think EA/Mythic should jump on the bandwagon here, and offer rewards.

3. A guid line on how to submit the info. Screen shots, journal log, How many creatures to lore to get the average, and so on.

If the good folks here at Stratics would ask, then the players who visit these forums would help.

 

[_zigzag_]

Hail: This is so damn easy...........

1. Post the update request help from players. This can be, ANYTHING that is out of date. Like the monsters that have been around for years, and it says, "No Info" when you reasearch it.

2. Some sort of Reward system as incentive for doing this. I also think EA/Mythic should jump on the bandwagon here, and offer rewards.

3. A guid line on how to submit the info. Screen shots, journal log, How many creatures to lore to get the average, and so on.

If the good folks here at Stratics would ask, then the players who visit these forums would help.

All very good suggestions, and ones that we have, or will have in place very soon.
What's happened in the past has been a random 'hey..I'll update this' and one page in a series of 10 gets updated, so the other nine then become obsolete.
This has contributed, over the 5 years I've been here anyhoo, to the fustercluck of "whaaaaaa..." that we have now

My plan is to first get our forums set. We added trade forums last night, and I have begun working on the professions forums. First step there is to re-catagorize them (yes Rico, I heard you ) so we have an easy, user-friendly setup and information is easier to find.

Once our forums are complete and tweaked, I will begin a very serious and thorough updating of the entire site.

So yep....y'all get your writing utensils dusted off - this is *your* site, and I definitely need everyones help to make it what you all want.