Little gamefaqs rant

[Mozgus]

You should be glad people make an effort.

Agreed

[MrPopo]

I do agree with your point that GameFAQs does a bad job of telling you whether an FAQ is complete or not. When I'm picking an FAQ I generally go by filesize, but once you get beyond 200k or so you start seeing stylistic differences with the same amount of important information. For example, one guy has a list of items and a short, concise description. The second guy has the list of items with the in game description, a concise description, and a list of drops (which is unnecessary for 75% of the list).

[Ivo]

I see Gamerforlife's point, but it is definitively true that everyone should be allowed to write and submit their own if they want to. If they were getting paid or anything, then I would totally agree that it would be more professional, efficient etc. to just pool together and make, edit and improve a single guide which is to the point, complete, unambiguous and well ordered (e.g. complete the way in the "best" way without extra unnecessary wastes of time wandering about - often the case in RPGs).

It is certainly very nice when hobbyists do a professional guide with those characteristics, of course.

Ivo.

[corn619]

I usually don't use faqs, I just try to figure it out the game for myself. Kinda ruins the experience if you your not challenged by the game. They charge enough money for them, and I want to suck out every last cent of that games worth by the time I beat it. Of course theres those games that you need a nudge in the right direction due to poor development. For the most part though, I don't use them. There a pain in the ass to navigate though anyways.

[RCBH928]

I think you are totally wrong
how come you are upset with something that is free?
If you do not want it just refuse it.

There are official strategy guides you can buy for a lot of games.

Those people put in a lot of effort writing a FAQ for games specially ones like San Andreas , a long game with detailed information and different approaches to a lot of the missions including a lot of tips and advice.

I find multiple FAQ's to be a blessing, if I do not get the right idea from one guy I skip to the other FAQ/tutorial and I get a better description on how to do things.

I usually go for the largest FAQ they are usually the best, I look into the style of writing in the first few paragraphs . If I find it good enough I use it , if I find it skipping a lot and moves too quickly I leave it to get another choice of the many other FAQs.

If the FAQ is incomplete then just look at another one that is complete, what is upsetting you?

I too think it is a waste of time to have 10 FAQs, but its not your time is it? And if someone decides to make an 11th FAQ its their life and their time and it makes them happy.

[Gamerforlife]

You guys have brought up a good point. It is nice that people put in the effort when there is no monetary gain.

I guess I just don't understand two things. Why put in the effort if you're not going to give it your all? There are quite a few faqs that just remain in limbo, forever unfinished and I kind of wish they would just get taken down. If the original creator doesn't care anymore, why should anyone else?

And the second thing I don't understand I've already stated already. I just don't get why someone sees five guides and thinks, "let me do another one! Five isn't enough! More redundancy! Woohoo!"

I guess it's just the cynical part of me. If there are one or two good guides available, I highly doubt anyone is going to have anything worthwhile to add so I'd rather not see five more guides wasting space.

We're all different. I just know that for me personally going through a bunch of different guides to finally find out that the second to last one is actually complete, organized and efficient just annoys me, but that's just MY OPINION. Take it for what it's worth. Seriously though, does any game need THIS many general faq/walkthroughs:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/game/197344.html

Good god

[noiseredux]

I have to agree with gamerforlife. I'm not there to read a fucking novel and get a "kick out of" the writing style. I'm there because I'm stuck on a really hard part of a game, and I have been for a while, so I'm like "OKAY!! How to get out of here already???" Which means, I want a quick and to the point answer. Not 5 Dane Cook wannabe's and then the answer.

[JWatts]

Though it's hard to find a good FAQ when there are multiples a lot of times the other authors put more detail into certain parts that the other left out. I've found several times that I'm looking for an answer or clarification to an answer from another FAQ and had to use multiple ones to understand what is going on.

[RCBH928]

pick the ones with stars next to them I think they are the best
I am not sure how too much of free stuff is bad

I do agree to what you say, but it doesn't cost you a thing of time or money. Actually you can just not go there at all and forget about them.

I also think paid for strategy guides are better because I think they have visuals that help you out and make it easier

[noiseredux]

I do agree to what you say, but it doesn't cost you a thing of time or money. Actually you can just not go there at all and forget about them.

Actually it DOES cost time. That's what the real complaint is.