Thread:ZDee/@comment-4085424-20130403050326/@comment-6042046-20130403072155

I added the category "Manuscript Page" to the page Consign it to the flames before reading its History. It isn't a coup d'état, haha. I see your point. This entire time, I thought items were indexed so that people could view all the "You've lost 'Something'" pages. I thought the category was a completely self-explanatory one. As a user, I am interested in knowing which storylets or cards require an item as an Unlock, and I'm also interested in which actions use it up and how many. If I encounter a new item, I always skim the Uses and Sources pages to see how it's used and in what quantity along with how easily I can get more. Readers can generally assume that if they see a short list of Sources but a long list of Uses, they shouldn't sell the item for spare Echoes.

If the Unlock, Success or Failure mentions an item being needed, obtained, used or vanishing, I always add its category. This is how I mentally organize the game's messages: Unlocked with 10 x Something Needed but not necessarily Used; put in its category as "Something"

You've gained 5 x Something Obtained; put in its category as "Something Sources"

You've lost 20 x Something Used; put in its category as "Something"

You no longer have any of this: 'Something' utterly Used & Vanished; put in its category as "Something"

The same goes for a quality vanishing: 'Something' has been reset: a conclusion or a new beginning? put in its category as "Something"

Your 'Something' Quality has gone! put in its category as "Something"

If we ever need to rename, delete, or track down a certain item or quality, this makes things incredibly easier. You cannot fully rely on "What links here" from the My Tools editor navigation bar at the bottom. I know this from agonizing personal experience. People occasionally do not link or incorrectly link an item or quality in the success/failure descriptions; on the other hand, if they try to categorize something, they never fail at it or misspell it. Admittedly, they also occasionally misuse "Something" when they should have used "Something Sources" or vice versa, but that's the worst of it and easy to fix.

Heck, I do it for the area move message, too: You've moved to a new area: 'Something' put in its category as "Something"

Everyone should do the same! You don't know how many hours I spent double checking and hunting down those Temporary Unlock links for the revised area pages! ...Neither do I, but it was A LOT!

Back to the issue in question, why don't we try a new system for differentiating between item use, unlock and lock? We could also do that for qualities. Ex: for Consign it to the flames, it would be "Manuscript Page", but its referral storylet Wreckage! would be "Manuscript Page Unlock".

Multiple purposes of "Your very own Infernal Contract": "Your very own Infernal Contract" - item is used (er, vanishes) in Apply appropriate methodology "Your very own Infernal Contract Sources" - item is obtained in Hear him out "Your very own Infernal Contract Unlock" - item is needed as an unlock requirement in Just desserts "Your very own Infernal Contract Lock" - item blocks a player from the card A devil's taken a shine to you

We would add "Category:Something" to the "Category:Something Unlock" and "Category:Something Lock" pages. Then when readers open the "Category:Something" page, they will see the Unlock and Lock as subcategories and can click on them if they purely wish to see those related pages. At a glance, readers will also see how frequently an item is used for actions.

As for qualities, they could split like this: "The Hunt is On! is dropping..." and "'The Hunt is On!' has been reset: a conclusion or a new beginning?" gets "The Hunt is On!" "The Hunt is On! is increasing..." gets "The Hunt is On! Sources" "Unlocked with The Hunt is On! 10" gets "The Hunt is On! Unlock" "Locked with The Hunt is On!" gets "The Hunt is On! Lock"

The Connected: Faction pages are a mess, too. FL has ramped up the benefits and restrictions of Connections considerably in recent months. At the least, readers will want to know which options raise and decrease them. There's no debate on whether Connections should be separated like Menaces; it's just a matter of deciding how to do it. At least indexing them the way we do for Menaces is easiest for consistency and veteran readers of this wiki will understand immediately.

"Connected: Bohemian is increasing..." gets "Bohemian Sources" "Connected: Bohemian is dropping..." gets "Bohemian" We should also start using Unlock and Lock categories.

I do NOT enjoy extra work, but we should prepare for new conditions: FL is certain to release many more story options which will be unlocked or blocked by certain factions. It's narratively sound and people, both players and developers, have been discussing the increased prominence of factions for ages on the Feedback forum. As an educated guess example for the future, Church-friendly characters will not be able to even see (forget playing) certain Hell-oriented storylines because they have at least 1 point in Connected: The Church. Such a case is when the Unlock and Lock category pages shall be necessary.

Dang, this got hella long. Originally, I had planned two or three paragraphs. I think I set a new record for wikia FL wall post length.