User:TearroTime/BetterInfo

I've long considered GW2 to have one of the best wikis in MMO gaming. However, after taking a break from the game to play Old-School RuneScape, I've realised that it could always be better. People, especially newer players, typically come to the wiki to learn *how* to do something, or *what* to do *with* something. Whilst the wiki is excellent at the former, it often falls short on the latter.

Take for example, Piece of Rare Unidentified Gear. This page very helpfully provides all the data on the item you might want; In-game description, item stats such as rarity tier, binding status, and trading post price, where you can get them, identification results, and salvage results.

However this doesn't tell the player *what* they should do with them. Should they identify them? Salvage them? Just sell them on the TP? The wiki doesn't have that information, only the data. This forces users to rely on external sources such as the GW2 forums, official discord server, or subreddit. This may seem like a small hurdle, but for many players, especially those that might not use reddit, the forums, or discord, this can be a significant barrier to entry.

When a user comes to the wiki because they found a new item and don't know what to do with it, or just want to know the best use for an item, the wiki should oblige.

To this end I've begun drafting several updated pages as sub-pages to this page. These updates preserve all of the existing information and data already presented on the page, and add additional information that players will find useful. In many cases this is simply a short blurb at the top describing the item, what it's used for, and the *recommended* uses.

When describing what you can do with an item, instead of simply recommending what the user does, I've opted to way the pros and cons of each option. Using the above example of Piece of Rare Unidentified Gear, it can be sold on the trading post for minimal effort, but less profit. Salvaged in the hope of getting Glob of Ectoplasm, which usually sells for more, but requires more upfront effort. Or identified, which still offers the benefits of salvaging for ecto, but also gives the chance of certain more valuable rares, and even a chance at exotic items, for most effort, most reward.

This allows the reader to make their own judgement about what they want to do. If their focus is on making money as efficiently as possible, they'll likely identify the items. If they just happened to have some lying around and wanted to know what to do with them, they'll probably just sell or salvage them.