What should our FAQ contain?

Question

Enter a single FAQ (with answer) per answer. Vote on the ones you like the best.

Vote on other site attributes

Answer 1

What kind of questions should I not ask here?

Avoid asking questions that are subjective, argumentative, or require extended discussion. This is not a discussion board, this is a place for questions that can be answered!

If you want to talk about the site itself, please don't do it here. Visit our meta-discussion site where you can talk about things like what questions are appropriate, what tags we should use, suggest a feature, or generally discuss how {site name} works.

If your question is about ...

• Developing a game or writing modifications to a game, ask on {game-dev}.
• Non-video games (such as board game or card games), ask on {board-games} or {card-games}
• General computer software or hardware troubleshooting, ask on Super User.

Additionally, avoid asking questions that only apply for a short amount of time. We want to create a knowledge base here, so questions of what the newest version of X, or the release date for Y, are generally not considered helpful.

Answer 2

What kind of questions can I ask here?

{site name} is for knowledgeable and enthusiast gamers, people who have a passion for video games regardless of platform. We feel the best questions ask about a concrete problem encountered while playing a specific video game, but if your question generally covers ...

• game strategies and hints
• software tools commonly used by gamers
• matters that are unique to gamers
• any kind of problem that makes you stop playing

... then you're in the right place to ask your question!

Please do look around to see if your question has already been asked (and maybe even answered!) before you ask. It's also perfectly fine to ask and answer your own question, as long as you pretend you're on Jeopardy: phrase it in the form of a question.

Answer 3

Not sure if this is appropriate, since it's pretty much implied with this kind of site, but below "Be Honest" I would like to add

Be Helpful

We all share the fun hobby of playing games. We aren't all great, but we come to the site to get help and become better. Please provide answers that will be useful in addressing the question. We want this site to have useful information for future visitors!

Perhaps if someone finds it useful for the faq they could edit it to sound better :)

Answer 4

What is an acceptable answer?

A good answer is one that seeks to fully address the question asked. The StackExchange network is not a forum. Posting answers that are structured as such will most likely result in downvotes or a removal. Examples of this include:

"Im having this problem too. I heard there was a fix coming. I haven't seen one yet though :("

Answers should not rely solely on links to external sources. A corner stone within the StackExchange network is that the information should be available on the the site and not on a third party site. If the information stays within the network it can be edited and kept current while peer reviewed.

Extraneous information should be avoided. Such as including "Edit:" within the post when editing. StackExchange has its own feature marking edits. Adding "Thank you" at the end of posts are frowned upon and will most likely be edited away.

Answer 5

Which games can I ask questions about?

You can ask questions about any PC or Console game ever created. From Asheron's Call to Zelda II: Adventures of Link and from Pong to the game that was just released

Note: I'm open to other from, to suggestions, just wanted something with an 'A' and an 'Z'.

Answer 6

What is the Community Wiki?

Some questions cannot be satisfied with a single answer. They can require discussion to arrive at a consensus or require collaborative effort to assemble a list of satisfying options. These kinds of questions should be put into the Community Wiki. Essentially, the Community Wiki is the community, as distinct from any individual.

Questions that belong in the Community Wiki:

• What tools are there to capture gameplay video?
• What games are similar to X?

Questions that don't belong in the Community Wiki:

• What's the maximum level in [Game X]? - normal question
• What's the best MMO out there? - subjective, doesn't belong on this site at all

What is different about the Community Wiki?

• With a reputation of 100 points you can edit posts in the Community Wiki.
• You do not gain any reputation for contributions to the Community Wiki.
• Posts in the community wiki do not display user signatures.

Answer 7

Can I add a signature to my questions and answers?

No, because we take care of that.

Insert site name here always puts a box at the end of all of your questions and answers, showing off your avatar, reputation and badges. This is your signature. You can customize it by changing your avatar.

Answer 8

Under the question

What kind of questions should I not ask here?

I think it should be worth adding that before asking a potentially hazardous question, people should ask themselves: "Does this encourage gaming amongst all gamers?" That's the real rule of thumb for what should and should not be allowed.