User blog comment:Mjb24v/Using the wiki/@comment-4783389-20121029081402

Do you also consult the wiki, as a player?

I do at some times check our Wikia prior to checking Wikispaces or Wikidot. Usually it's for data on upgrades for weapons, but sometimes I check to see if we have other information on stuff I'm looking for. Even if I wrote a number of the data tables for upgrades, I usually forget the numbers almost immediately after writing them. Sometimes when I check the Wikia and see that we don't have that data but other sites do, I make a note to go back and edit that for later reference.

'''How do you typically use wiki? Do you consult it before, during or after playing the relevant game? If you consult it during play, what sort of device do you tend to use?'''

With checking the Wikia, I usually do it any time I have a question that arises such as what does this benefit for me, what am I possibly missing out in this place, what seems like the best weapon to get for this playthrough etc. I will simply Alt+Tab the game (I play the PC version) and click onto the Wikia and check almost straight away should something arise and I am in a safe place to check. I often check for our data on items especially on upgrades. In terms of bosses, I do sometimes reference it for ways to more easily defeat them, but in most cases I just kinda wing it and hack and slash until something good happens. A perfect example is looking up what Frampt will trade you for specific titanites. Unfortunately that data is not currently on Wikia, so I (or someone else) will have to include that data in at sometime soon. I will probably do that when I have some down time.

What other resources do you use, in addition to the gaming wiki?

I don't really use any other resources other than our Wikia, the WIkidot page or the Wikispaces page (usually the go to is the Wikispaces page). I never bother with forums. Much like Brainwasher5 mentioned, a lot of the information is subjective and mostly personal opinions. If I want data I usually consult a wiki. There's no real reason to check other forms of social media for data because (much like forums) everything is pretty much personal opinions on items and tactics. It can be interesting to hear how other people play and their tactics, but learning to adapt to those specific tactics when you have already learned a certain way to play is hard to do from how I find it.

Printed guides are something that I never really bother with nowadays. Back in the day I remember reading Nintendo Power for guides on how to play certain games. Now that we're in the digital age, where almost everything is available online for information, printed guides are becoming a dated source for a guide. Much like Brainwasher5 said about strategy guides, I feel that because Dark Souls comes down to more of how the individual has learned to play the game rather than just reading and research on how to play it. Much like teaching someone to fish, just telling them how and actually letting them do it can end up with rather different results.

As experts on the game, do you feel you get less out of the wiki than you give?

I wouldn't necessarily say I'm an expert on the game. I have played through it but I am always learning new things every time I play it. I do find that I get less use out of the wikia for pages I write. That being said, it is still a useful guide that as we develop it I will still continue to use it as my first go to place before consulting any other wikis. I feel that writing up the wikia is just as important as using it as not only am I learning information myself but also giving back to the community for such an excellent game. Any time I have some free time I try to get some information updated or try to fix up problems or formatting that we may have missed so that others may find information more conveniently and more thoroughly written.