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The Help Page has an Info Problem - Misleading, Inconsistent, and Incorrect Information

The Help Page has an Info Problem - Misleading, Inconsistent, and Incorrect Information
Posted 2023-04-19 18:11:27 (edited)
After a recent error about incorrect lead wolf death information on the official Help page was brought up, I wanted to also make note of some other issues I've noticed with the Help page.

This page is the only official source of information that players get and, if they don't want to read User-Created Guides or just don't know they exist, the information they would gain on this page could be misleading, contradictory, and confusing. If a wiki isn't a possibility or verifying/fact-checking User-Created Guides so they could be "official" themselves couldn't happen, the one official page on site with information straight from staff should be sufficient enough to understand most major aspects of the game.

Here's a few instances of misleading, confusing, or contradictory information I've noticed:
  • Under "What's a breeding male?", it claims that "only breeding males can breed to females within your pack", which is no longer the case with pair bonding. This sentence is also directly contradicted in the next question, where it clarifies that pair-bonded males actually can breed even if they're not a breeding male.
  • Random mutations are referred to as "spontaneous mutations", but this term is not used anywhere else on site. Hovering over the icon on a mutated wolf's page calls the mutation Random. Tala also specifically calls the type of mutation Random multiple times in the tutorial.
  • Applicator mutations are not mentioned at all, especially to differentiate them from genetic mutations which they are very commonly confused with.
  • Less than 100% mood on a pup or nursing mother doesn't cause a rollover survival penalty unless the wolf is also not fed. The Help page implies that not feeding or playing both cause penalties. (Feeding but not playing has no survival change, while playing but not feeding has a survival change)
  • Pup training is not mentioned at all when slow/halted energy regeneration is discussed. It's not mentioned in the pack wolf question with the other roles, and it's also not mentioned in the lead wolf question, only hunger is. Due to this, one could assume that pup training has no effect on energy.
  • It's explained that hunger can make your lead wolf's energy slow, but it doesn't mention that this is also true for pack wolves. Since it's not mentioned for pack wolves while it is specifically mentioned for lead wolves, it's easy to assume that it does not apply to them.
  • It's noted that pack wolves will leave your pack if they reach 0% mood or hunger, which is untrue. Wolves can remain in your pack at 0% mood or hunger, and will only leave once they've reached below 0%.
  • More detailed information about contagious illnesses is provided in the Wolves tab than the Illnesses tab, for some reason.
Alongside these, there's a couple issues that have been bug reported:
  • The Help page claims that lead wolves can die anywhere from 7 year 6 months old to 8 years old. Lead wolves always live until they're 8 years old.
  • The Grove is referred to as the Oasis.

This list doesn't include a massive amount of other questions asked by players in chat every day, which seem like common enough issues that including them on an official Help page would be beneficial (like issues with finishing tutorial quests when the text doesn't fit in Tala's dialogue box, what a "Unique Quest" even is, how to rescout, how to train apprentices, when new features are unlocked, and so many more).

I appreciate and enjoy that players can get answers to the questions they need by reading my Grouse House guides, but the stress of needing to provide accurate information where official information is severely lacking dampers the enjoyment a bit. I'd like if the information I provide could be without error, but my guides are still unofficial - they're not fact-checked by developers or all-inclusive.

I would like to encourage admins to ensure that the information provided on the Help page is accurate, complete, and helpful, especially since, for now, this is the only official source of information we have. I appreciate all of the hard work done with the page already, and understand that priorities are set in new features, but Wolvden is not an easy game to get started with, and I think the Help page could be a very useful resource for new players if given the opportunity.
Mel 🏜️
#201

Posted 2023-04-20 02:35:32
Once Maddie asked us to find errors in Grouse House guides and I realized how much more difficult it is to find more errors in these guides, even though there's a whole bunch lot of them, than on this small Help section.

Dżanek
#24018

Posted 2024-10-12 20:01:07
Good points but there are spontaneous mutations like blindness. Your points are valid though.
Stevyloo-semi-hiatus
#142448

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