Achievements - Include them in my leveling guides?
I've been thinking about it. Should I try to include as many achievements as I can in my leveling guides or should I not?
Before we even start to debate it, it must be said that certain achievements will be automatically included in my leveling guides, without it being intentional. For example:
Horde Achievement - 150 Quests completed in Borean Tundra. That one popped on my screen as I was writing the first chapter of my Northrend leveling guide, and I still had a few quests to finish.
Alliance Achievement - 130 Quests completed in Howling Fjord. Just the same as above, I've easily reached the quota while doing the Howling Fjord section of my guide.
Both - Complete all the quests at the D.E.H.T.A Encampment. Also automatically included in my guides.
No problem so far, right? But what about the following achievements:
Friend or Fowl?
Higher Learning
Going down?
To All The Squirrels I've Loved Before
They could be included in my leveling guides, and I know exactly at which point they could be added without interfering with our xp circuits. However, wouldn't I end up overloading my guides with information, making them too big and too long to read? Also, some people probably prefer doing those achievements on their own, for fun, or worse, they've already done those achievements and don't care much for that kind of information.
Should I try to include such achievements in my guide or should I just make seperate guides for achievements?
Before we even start to debate it, it must be said that certain achievements will be automatically included in my leveling guides, without it being intentional. For example:
Horde Achievement - 150 Quests completed in Borean Tundra. That one popped on my screen as I was writing the first chapter of my Northrend leveling guide, and I still had a few quests to finish.
Alliance Achievement - 130 Quests completed in Howling Fjord. Just the same as above, I've easily reached the quota while doing the Howling Fjord section of my guide.
Both - Complete all the quests at the D.E.H.T.A Encampment. Also automatically included in my guides.
No problem so far, right? But what about the following achievements:
Friend or Fowl?
Higher Learning
Going down?
To All The Squirrels I've Loved Before
They could be included in my leveling guides, and I know exactly at which point they could be added without interfering with our xp circuits. However, wouldn't I end up overloading my guides with information, making them too big and too long to read? Also, some people probably prefer doing those achievements on their own, for fun, or worse, they've already done those achievements and don't care much for that kind of information.
Should I try to include such achievements in my guide or should I just make seperate guides for achievements?
Posts
I'd say that you shouldn't add achievemnts unless you complete them while doing the guides.
I vote for the separate achievements. Or better, for ADDITIONAL achievements (such as the optional experience circuits).
Agree with the above poster, only include achievements that can be done in the course of leveling. Otherwise, a separate achievement guide would be better.
I love your guides, use them all the time. Think you should make a seperate guide for achievements, and please one for reputation while your at it :D, because any you ding while leveling dont need to be explained, and the others would only be interesting to those who really want to do them.
Save your energy for all the guides your currently slaving away on, much to our benefit.
Keep up the good work, fingers crossed that the guides come out on time, can't wait to get there.
My vote would be to not include them in your guides, but rather make a separate guide.
I'd prefer an extra guide as well. Archievements is something most people will want to do after they hit 80. Although they might be a nice distraction from questing, for most people it would probably only result in additional scrolling while leveling to skip the parts.
I think since you can add achievements without interfering xp circuits you should add them and write them in yellow or pink or ... so if one wants to skip them it would be easy.
would be cool to have some achievments included, if u notice that an achiement is missing 1-2 pieces from beeing complete by following your guide, u could include it. but not more then that.
I agree on making a seperate guide for that.:-)
Keep it up mate:-D your making many ppl happy with your guides;-)
Optional circuits are likely the best route. But only for those achievements that are 1-2 steps away from completion.
I think there could fairly easily be a best of both worlds answer, Have a separate achievements guide, but if there is a point in the leveling chain where completing an achievement is easy to add have a link in the leveling guide to that achievement in the other guide.
i think that u should add theese achievements such an optional circuit or a separate guide but u MUST create a guide that can be integrate in the levelling^^^
I honestly would have to say no unless its an incedential achievement. if the goal is right there in front of your face then yes.
i look at the achievements as something to do after you hit 80. fun goals for people that dont raid or pvp. mostly as solo content. when you cant get a group or are bored. go achieve something on your own.
another reason i think it should be seperate is because people that want to get the achievements and didnt follow the guides will be a bit left out. or folks like me that allready have 5 70's dont want tto go through the 1-70 guides to pick all the achievements out of the many pages.
Once again, thank you guys. That's some very useful feedback right there. I'll base my decision on that and Im' sure you'll like the end result :)
I think ziah's got it about right.
I'd love to see hints saying something like "if you want to get the XYZ achievement now read below: ..."
and a greyed out text so that you can easily skip it if you feel like dont doing it now.
Or maybe you could add reference like "if you want to get the XYZ achievement now, read the achievement guid, page XX". That would keep the levelling guide clean while offering the option for players who want to get the achievements right away.
Yea, I think that's the best option, adding a little line and a link to another guide for the achievement.
I really enjoy the new format I saw in your Alliance DK preview, Jame.
As far as achievements, if the achievement or a portion of it can be completed in the course of leveling, I would like to see it mentioned, even if it is only a small note with a link to an achievement guide or some form of further information.
If it's really out of the way or usually can't be completed at the level of the zone, then I wouldn't expect to see it.
Great Jame, I see from yr last post you already intend to do whet I wanted to suggest :)
Line a link to an other guide.
Love your guide!
While there are many arguments for inclusion of achievements in a leveling guide, I would much prefer them to be separate. I view achievements as separate and even a detraction from the main goal of a leveling guide, which is to level as quickly as possible. As soon as you begin to add appendices or links to other guides for achievements, you begin not just to overload the guide but the user as well.
You could create separate achievement guides for levels x to y like you do with you leveling guides if people want to take a break from leveling, but it would upset me to see anything other than what is absolutely necessary for leveling in a guide that's only purpose should be to get from level 1 to 80 in the shortest time possible.
Yea what biggoofy said, a separate one could prove better and less of an interference to the leveling guide.
The point of the Leveling guides would be to level and only that, imo.
Separate guides for Achievements.
I believe it should be as follows:
Quests seem to be the most efficient way to level. Since you're now doing one chapter as one zone, I think each guide should automatically get you the "Do X quests in zone Y" achievement. It's extremely difficult to do a zone, or think you did it, and discover you're missing a few and have to find out where.
If it's something simple and not very time consuming, I don't have a problem with it being in the guide. Example: Friend or Fowl achievement. One line, color coded, that says something like "While in this area you can get the Friend or Fowl achievement by going to coordinates XX, YY which has a large group of turkeys.
Other than that I say leave it for a seperate guide.