Talk:Main Page

Potentially redefining what gets "primacy" and what doesn't
The wiki's first-and-current stance is that each main game has a main page section, a sidebar entry, and an article icon, with TTGC counting because it is available to buy separately (as opposed to only being available as DLC). This has started to feel like the wrong way of doing things, so here we'll try to find a better answer.


 * The purpose of the main page sections are to group a bunch of "high level" articles and categories together as an "entry point" for people looking for basic game information.
 * The purpose of the sidebar entries are similar, but naturally must be much more concise (i.e. just the games themselves).
 * The purpose of the article icons are to tell the reader at a glance "what game is this in".

We held an informal poll in the Discord that suggested people were leaning towards giving primacy to either "all story DLC" or to "all titled extra stories". Then the idea was brought up about creating a new "category" for extra stories, giving them a separate section on the main page and sidebar. People were very against the idea of selecting things on a case-by-case basis, or the idea of just leaving things unchanged.

So, now we have the "real" vote: which do you think is correct? The raw vote count doesn't matter as much as the strength of your argument, so don't just pop in your signature and leave. You can change your vote by crossing out your previous one. STM (t) 14:06, 28 April 2023 (EDT)

Vote 1: What to include on the main page?

 * A: Main games only
 * B: Main games and separate extra stories
 * C: Main games and all extra stories


 * A I just don't think we need that many sections on the main page, really. STM (t) 14:06, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * C but do it in the way I mentioned in the discord so each "box" holds the game + the side story Zachruff (talk) 14:14, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * C All side stories should be included --Dragon146 (talk) 14:28, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * A On the main page, I think it makes sense for the main games only to get their own sections, and then for the extra stories to be included in their box as an item, as it currently is for Future Connected and Future Redeemed. I would move Torna into XC2's box. Coelocanth (talk) 15:02, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * C Games like TTGC and FR are big enough to be considered games in their own right, hence they should be on the main page with their own boxes. Reggimato (talk) 17:12, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * C Maybe a separate section for side stories? Also, if A comes to pass, what will we do with things like Pied Piper and Missing Year? Or more importantly Xenosaga DS? I think doing C would help us avoid that headache. --Twiilit (talk) 15:39, 3 May 2023 (EDT)


 * C Not all extra stories fit under a main game (e.g. the aforementioned PP/AMY), so if they're to be mentioned at all (which they should be in some form or another) they need to either have their own box or go under an 'other media' box as is currently being done. Rtg142857 (talk) 05:58, 16 May 2023 (EDT)

Vote 2: Should extra stories have their own section on the main page?

 * A: Everything in a single section
 * B: Main games in one section, extra stories in another
 * C: I voted for "no extra stories" above and have no preference of A or B (this one's okay to not explain your reason for)


 * B Things would get messy if everything is in the one section. STM (t) 14:06, 28 April 2023 (EDT)
 * Other Like I said above, put each game and its companion story in one box each. Zachruff (talk) 14:16, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * B I rather see the Main page and organized, having Main game in one section, extra stories in another option --Dragon146 (talk) 14:28, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * C Coelocanth (talk) 15:02, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * B Keeping them separate would look more organized I think. There could also be a smaller section for spin-offs/other media that could be more detailed than what we have now. Reggimato (talk) 17:12, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * B It'd be weird for things like Torna and Future Redeemed where the gameplay is very different from base XC2/3. --Twiilit (talk) 15:39, 3 May 2023 (EDT)

Vote 3: What to include in the sidebar?

 * A: The same setup as whatever the main page is
 * B: Same as the main page, but with everything in a single section
 * C: Same as the main page, but with extra stories in a separate section
 * D: Base games only
 * E: No games, actually (include what your better idea is)


 * A No reason to make the two any different from each other. STM (t) 14:06, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * A agreed Zachruff (talk) 14:21, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * A No changes should be made --Dragon146 (talk) 14:28, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * A It would indeed be odd if the sidebar were different from the main page. In effect, the sidebar is just a quick access version of the main page. Coelocanth (talk) 15:02, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * A (actually C so the extra stories don't look so out of place but it'd also be weird if it was different from the main page.) Reggimato (talk) 17:12, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * C Torna does look out of place, so maybe have them in a separate space from the "main" games. (Would this count as a vote for A or C?) --Twiilit (talk) 15:39, 3 May 2023 (EDT)


 * C(/E?) Regardless of what the main page ends up being I think the sidebar should have all extra stories. There are aesthetic reasons to not have everything in the main page, but the sidebar is a navigational tool first and foremost, and the extra utility from having more links easily-accessible outweighs aesthetic concerns here IMO. Plus there's vertical space for it. Putting extra stories in a separate section helps visually organise it and makes it easier to find the most-likely-to-be-used links at a glance. Rtg142857 (talk) 05:38, 16 May 2023 (EDT)

Vote 4: What gets article icons?

 * A: Must be a main game
 * B: Must be a main game, or is available separately
 * C: Can be a main game or a DLC extra story
 * D: Can be a main game or any extra story
 * E: Can be anything if an article exists that would use it and no others


 * B or C Because article icons are for "what game is this in", I don't think it makes sense to allow them for a "sub-mode" that you can't have without the base game. STM (t) 14:06, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * D since like are there enemy pages that are shared between both the base game and the side story or are they always separate? if separate then icons should be separate too Zachruff (talk) 14:22, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * D I believe all side stories, DLC or not should have their own icons. --Dragon146 (talk) 14:28, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * D In this case, the icon is for informational purposes, rather than organizational purposes. Therefore, I think it makes sense to have one for main games and side stories, as that conveys more information at a glance, which is what an article icon should do, in my view. Coelocanth (talk) 15:02, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * E Why do we limit it to main games only? XS1+2 needs one for all the enemy entries like this one. Xenosaga Freaks already has many pages, and Pied Piper could also use one. Not just games, though: The Xenosaga Anime absolutely deserves its own icon too eventually. Reggimato (talk) 17:12, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * E Haha I forgot that more things existed than just the games. Yeah as Reggimato pointed out non-game things would benefit from article icons, which I believe are best used for informational, rather than organizational, purposes. Coelocanth (talk) 22:51, 28 April 2023 (EDT)


 * E Actually, as Reggimato said, even non-game, such as the Xenosaga: The Animation should also have icons in addition to side-stories --Dragon146 (talk) 22:17, 29 April 2023 (EDT)


 * E Like Reggimato said. We could also have icons for spin-offs like Smash Bros. or Project X Zone. --Twiilit (talk) 15:39, 3 May 2023 (EDT)


 * E What the others have said. Since plenty of side stories don't fit neatly under one of the mainline games, if we were to be more restrictive it'd leave plenty of pages without an icon, and I don't really see any benefit to that above giving them an appropriate icon. Rtg142857 (talk) 05:29, 16 May 2023 (EDT)

Results
Looks like people are in fairly strong agreement, I hate you all for being wrong STM (t) 19:35, 21 May 2023 (EDT)
 * put all extra stories on the main page
 * put extra stories in their own section on the main page
 * the sidebar should do the same thing as the main page
 * moar article icons