User talk:Markfeh/Past Discussions

Actually
She only says that it fires something, but doesn't look like any bow she's seen. She doesn't specifically state that it is a bow. 8.36.253.135 15:08, 4 October 2018 (UTC)
 * Your right, but I thought I saw somewhere in the preface that said it was a bow. My bad. -Markfeh (talk) 15:45, 4 October 2018 (UTC)

Hey
Could you have a bot remove - Special from all the Special Hero pages? Turns out it's not actually doing anything. 8.36.253.135 23:26, 8 October 2018 (UTC)
 * I don't know how to use bots, and I think I have to be a Moderator (Which I am not) to do that. You might want to talk HertzDevil about that. -Markfeh (talk) 23:47, 8 October 2018 (UTC)

Turning sections of pages into templates
Just some advice, I don't think it's worth it to turn tables or other parts of a page into a template when the content is specific to that page and will only ever be used for that page. In the end, I think it doesn't really have any organizational or performance benefits and it just makes editing the page more tedious. Endilyn (talk) 21:55, 18 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I have noticed that I have been doing it a bit too much. I have since stopped doing it and only do it with tables that can be used on multiple pages, like Template:Blessing table. Markfeh (talk) 22:06, 18 November 2018 (UTC)

Short template redirects...
...like Fba or Ga are unnecessary because they will never be used frequently enough on a single page (only one for each accessory) or template (does not reduce PEIS significantly). --HertzDevil (talk) 09:55, 29 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Thanks for letting me know. I have removed all instances of the shorthands from pages that they were used on. Could you please delete Fba and Ga when you get the chance? Markfeh (talk) 17:40, 30 November 2018 (UTC)

Section order: Notes and Lists
Why are you moving the notes section under the list of Heroes? Notes has previously been on top and I think it makes sense considering notes on how the skill operates is inherently tied to the skill itself while lists of Heroes with it are circumstantial and can get very long. Endilyn (talk) 04:44, 10 December 2018 (UTC)
 * On most of the weapon, assist, and special pages the notes section is underneath the list of heroes. I believe that the notes section should be in the same place on all skill pages. If you'd like to be above the list of Heroes, that is fine with me. I just want the position of the notes section to be consistent on all skill pages. Markfeh (talk) 05:07, 10 December 2018 (UTC)
 * I'll move the notes section above on the weapon boilerplates then. New pages will follow this appropriate format until a bot fixes the old section orders, unless there is another reason not to besides consistency. Endilyn (talk) 04:48, 27 December 2018 (UTC)

Addendum: Since you asked in a recent edit summary, I am also moving the upgrades above the list as well, for the same reason notes is moving up. Information tied directly to the skill itself will be up top, while circumstantial info like lists go after. (Exceptions are global sections like Gallery, In other languages, See also, etc. which have a tendency to go last.) Endilyn (talk) 05:46, 15 January 2019 (UTC)
 * In that case I think that ==Weapon Upgrades==&#10; should be directly under Weapon Infobox, so that we can merge both notes section into one notes section. Markfeh (talk) 06:20, 15 January 2019 (UTC)
 * You may be on to something here. Since weapon upgrades are now directly defined by the weapon infobox unlike before, it might be better to have the infobox generate the section automatically, there is no longer a need to have a manual upgrade section. Endilyn (talk) 06:24, 15 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I was about to suggest merging Weapon Infobox and Weapon Upgrade List for the same reason, but I thought it might cause a problems with Upgradable Weapons Table. Markfeh (talk) 06:35, 15 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Actually, it might be better to keep the notes sections separate, since the refined version of a weapon and the base weapon itself is different. And since refinery often changes the way a weapon functions, it would be incorrect to merge them into a single notes section, especially if there are drastic changes such as Brynhildr. I can see why the notes section was separate in the first place. In that case I'd also have to cancel modifying the infobox, as it would make it impossible to add sections in between it and upgrades. Endilyn (talk) 02:47, 16 January 2019 (UTC)

Moving pages without leaving redirects
You may have noticed that when moving a page, the option to leave a redirect is checked by default. This is for good reason, and unless there is a reason not to leave behind a redirect, you should leave one behind by default. Endilyn (talk) 04:24, 2 January 2019 (UTC)
 * 1) As mw:Help:Redirects states, "There's generally no need to delete redirects. They do not occupy a significant amount of database space. If a page name is vaguely meaningful, there's no harm, and some benefit, in having it as a redirect to the more relevant or current page". This reason alone is sufficient to warrant leaving behind redirects.
 * 2) Old templates and files appear in page history. If you don't leave a redirect behind viewing old revisions of a page will be broken.
 * 3) If someone has a page bookmarked or in page history, or there are old links to this wiki on the internet, those will break without redirects as well.

Skill requirements
Please see [ revision 307636 on Slaying Lance+] for why evolutions don't list their previous form in requirements. They are not present in the skill data as well. If needed, there is a weapon evolution cargo table to access possible pre-evolved forms. Endilyn (talk) 23:42, 12 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Then why is there a task on Project:To-do list that says "Improvements to Template:Weapon Infobox:


 * Automatically display pre-evolved weapons as one of the requirements"? Markfeh (talk) 23:52, 12 January 2019 (UTC)
 * That probably means to display the pre-evolved weapons without storing it in requirements, i.e. the template queries for the pre-evolved form automatically instead of someone adding it to the required field. Endilyn (talk) 23:56, 12 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I thought it was talking about having template display pre evolved weapons in the required field, my mistake. Would it be better to have a separate field in Weapon Infobox that says evolves from? Markfeh (talk) 00:04, 13 January 2019 (UTC)
 * It's better to just list in the required field directly, since not all weapons that can be evolved from another weapon are the result of an evolution. It'd be more appropriate for an "evolves into" field since that is always true, however that is already handled by a separate section in the page. Endilyn (talk) 00:42, 13 January 2019 (UTC)

Skill comparisons
Moving forward I'll be removing most skill comparisons from skill pages. Some of my reasoning is as follows:

Don't include stat skills in any comparison. If a weapon says "Grants Atk+3" that is already the most simplest form of explanation. Saying something like "This skill has the same effect as Attack+3, which grants Atk+3" is unneeded. This effectively just sends the reader in a minor circle for something they already knew. It's not a complex effect and comparing it to a stat skill does not add anything. In this vein, especially do not compare any skills to Squad Ace skills, since they also aren't the primary example of stat skills.

In a similar vein, don't add "Has a similar effect to Attack +2, but it only activates when the user is transformed." to the Laguz weapon pages. With this you could also say something like, "Death Blow 1 has a similar effect to Attack +2, but it only activates when the user initiates combat." or "Fortress Def 1 has a similar effect to Defense +3, but it also subtracts 3 Attack."

Don't combine effects, like what was done with Winter Envoy's weapons or Deathly Dagger. If there are unique effects that cannot be appropriately explained with only one skill, it's better just to leave it as the weapon already has the simplest form of explanation. Saying the upgraded version had similar effects of Poison Strike 3 and Savage Blow 3 for example, was a bit messy.

Deathly Dagger: "After combat, if unit attacked, deals 10 damage to target and foes within 2 spaces of target and inflicts Def/Res-7 through their next actions." Poison Strike 3: "If unit initiates combat, deals 10 damage to foe after combat." Savage Blow 3: "If unit initiates combat, deals 7 damage to foes within 2 spaces of target after combat."

Saying it had similar effects to those two skills is like saying "Deathly Dagger has similar effects to Poison Strike 3 and Savage Blow 3, except Deathly Dagger does not require the user to initiate combat, and also Deathly Dagger deals 10 damage instead of 7 to the foes within 2 spaces, and also Deathly Dagger does not require the unit to survive like Poison Strike and Savage blow do." If there are unique effects that cannot be appropriately explained with only one skill, it's better just to not add a comparison and leave it since comparing skills that do not function identically can also create misconceptions on how they operate. It seems that this comparison was added to illustrate that it does out of combat damage, however that was already shown with another note in the list which also linked to the out of combat page. Notifying readers of similar skills is also already done on the See also section.

The only ones I'll leave on a skill page are ones where the skill being compared to has complex identical conditions and effects, and does not have any extra effects the skill on the skill page does not have. Please avoid adding new skill comparisons not of this nature. Endilyn (talk) 23:29, 14 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Why is this on my talk page? This seems like an issue that should be added to Fire Emblem Heroes Wiki:Guidelines or Fire Emblem Heroes Wiki:Tutorials/Adding new skills. I'm not the only user that edits skill pages. Markfeh (talk) 00:25, 15 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I'm informing you ahead of time until I add a more complete version in the guidelines. You are one of the few active editors editing multiple skill pages. Endilyn (talk) 00:46, 15 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Shouldn't you be informing all of the active editors that edit multiple skill pages of this change ahead of time? (By adding this discussion to a more general talk page so we can all see it? (And leaving a link to the discussion page on all of our talk pages.)) What I'm trying to say is, more people should be notified of this ahead of time than just me and I think it would be more properly discussed on a more General talk page. Markfeh (talk) 01:05, 15 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I am informing specifically you as a courtesy ahead of time because you are the only active editor that adds skill comparisons I can think of, so that you would be informed and not add anymore. If I removed them without explanation, you may have reverted my edits. I see that informing you is not needed now. The guidelines talk page is always open for anyone to discuss any changes. Endilyn (talk) 01:30, 15 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Just FYI, I have a habit of frequently checking Special:RecentChanges whenever I am on the wiki, so I can see all of the most recent changes. I always read edit summaries (especially when they are edit reversions, or for changes such as the kind discussed above). Markfeh (talk) 01:52, 15 January 2019 (UTC)

Comments + Other extremely minor edits that don't change a page
Please stop removing comments on template pages. They are there to make code more readable. There is no performance downside to comments and they are not in the final output. Endilyn (talk) 01:50, 28 January 2019 (UTC)

In addition, there are no storage spaced saved by doing that. The minor amount of spaced saved by removing comments, (if there even is any significantly saved at all, database contents are compressed) is already rendered pointless by the fact that it has to store the revision data as well, which includes date and your username, revision id, and the new revision etc. which will definitely contain more data than what was saved. Not to mention the database has to perform a write operation to the database for every edit, which would be a performance downside. And in fact, it may even cause an even more significant downside in the case that it's harder for future editors to parse, taking them longer to make any changes.

Everything here I've said also applies to edits that do not change the rendered page at all, like your edits that do nothing except remove whitespace, or edits that only change a template name. Especially so for edits that remove the line break at the end of the section, since if someone were to use the edit section feature it would automatically add it at the end anyway, making the edit even more pointless as nothing has changed in the end.

Template transclusions that call redirects don't necessarily need to be changed to the actual template page: Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Tools/Navigation popups/About fixing redirects

The reason why some terminology pages had text such as was because the terminology was unofficial and it would conveniently change during a page move. Or PAGENAME could be used because it conveys the fact the very template or file itself is based on the page itself. For example, if the Hero= parameter in the stats page template was changed, and then the Hero's page was moved, it would break the template. The reason why some PAGENAME uses were removed was because they had no meaning. If a specific prf weapon had something like is one of Grado's sacred treasures in it's trivia or notes, it would make no sense to use PAGENAME because that statement only applies to that one specific weapon. Please understand why or why not PAGENAME is used in each specific instance instead of mass-converting them to one method.

I've given a couple of examples, but these also apply to other extremely minor non-page changing things as well.

In short, if you're concerned about performance/storage reasons, it's actually better for to not make edits like these unless you happen to be making a edit for more substantial reasons, because doing so can actually have the opposite effect.

However, don't worry about performance, if you think changing whitespace in a template or changing a redirect has meaning or makes things easier for editors don't be afraid to do so, just that you should not be making edits purely only for performance/storage reasons, it's literally not worth the effort for you to do so. Endilyn (talk) 22:23, 2 February 2019 (UTC)

Dates
Why are you converting dates in summoning focus fields and Hero Infoboxes to M/D/YYYY format? Endilyn (talk) 03:17, 30 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Start date and end date were displaying as Error: Invalid time. here. Markfeh (talk) 04:10, 30 January 2019 (UTC)
 * That's because they misspelled January and February there. Is there another problem with the Hero infoboxes? I just thought it was strange for these edits that don't change anything since the templates auto-convert already. Also, I recommend using the ISO date format as mentioned in the guidelines. Endilyn (talk) 04:18, 30 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I did not see the misspelling. I thought it was because the date was formatted incorrectly. As for why I input dates in MM/DD/YYYY format, I have never heard of ISO date format before. So I just put dates in the format that I'm used to using. Markfeh (talk) 04:27, 30 January 2019 (UTC)

Do not expand UnitDataTableEnd
Having an alias template aids external tools that read wikitext, and also avoids assuming that the corresponding header template starts a raw table (so that things like doc/end are possible). --HertzDevil (talk) 19:10, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

Enemy slot order
Please see User talk:Falconpunch10070481. Endilyn (talk) 01:03, 11 February 2019 (UTC)