Select FAQs: Four of a Kind

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/9/4/AAOhO2AABl4O.png
I take a glance of this number once daily, and I don't think this ever happens on the previous four numbers. Such a rare occasion.

Meanwhile, at this point I'm currently placed 56th. The lowest-ranked user with 10k votes (my longtime goal) is placed 31st. With the average speed of two - four votes a day, it may take around four - six years to accomplish that. What a long journey.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/9/5/AAOhO2AABl4P.jpg

Rome wasn't build in a day

Keep it up!

Don't worry, you'll be 55th soon.

I feel like Select FAQs is a good blanket evaluation on quality/quantity. Anyone on that top 100 list is doing great by this site, because positive feedback is something that a reader has to make an effort to give. It's more indicative than just your hits, and it's not like you can pad the numbers easily (at least I don't think you can).

That said, be aware that there may be people placed higher than you on the list that you can't see, because people have to have Badges visible. I thought I was in a certain place, but then someone else shot way past me and it had hit me that they'd only at that point turned their Badges on to be visible.

Coming for you Bkstunt. :D

I totally agree. This badge kind of reflects on how the readers judge the guides. Obviously because the authors can't really judge their works by themselves.

After looking at the list, I'm also very impressed at some authors who managed to collect 10k by writing guides for old games (and still in the plaintext format). I wrote guides for old games too but they lack hits and as result, almost have no progress at all. The quality of the guides should be very high so the almost-to-none daily reader has a higher chance to leave a vote.

Since it's cumulative, I'd say find a popular game that has few guides, and run off a bunch of in-depth guides for it. Or a popular niche game from back in the day. Having more guides will lead to more votes, but you also want to make sure those guides are on games that are going to get seen. You've got that far with a relatively small number of guides, which is actually pretty damn impressive. But if you want to climb the ranks faster, quantity will be your key. That said, don't skimp on quality, just cover niches that are underserved by existing guides, or games that don't have anything to begin with. And cover games you enjoy playing - if you're not enjoying playing the game, your guide will be a drag to write, and the quality will likely suffer. With a game you enjoy, you're more likely to try and learn new tricks, or complete all quests, etc, and make quality guides for it.

Anyway, I did check your list in case there was something I've played in your log - would've tossed a few votes your way if you did, but none of your guides are games I've played, so I don't feel right ranking them without knowing how helpful they actually are. That said, I also looked at a few of them, and you have a solid writing style, and your guides seem to be well organized and nicely laid out. I've no doubt you'll start climbing the charts on your own. Just figured I'd toss a few ideas to help get them votes quicker :P

the_wizard_666 posted...

You've got that far with a relatively small number of guides, which is actually pretty damn impressive.

Well, the best guide-to-vote ratio is probably owned by MaiShinobimasu, who only wrote one PS4 guide and got ~11600 votes at this moment. I have 13 guides and don't event reach half of his votes :D

the_wizard_666 posted...

But if you want to climb the ranks faster, quantity will be your key.

I'd like to write more guides, but now I don't have much free time compared to myself a few years ago. Meanwhile, I have no intention to "push" the 10k goal because it will put some weight on myself. It's better if I just let it go on its own, slow pace.

the_wizard_666 posted...

just cover niches that are underserved by existing guides, or games that don't have anything to begin with.

Old games that I played usually have at least one FAQ or in-depth guide. But then, when I was trying to follow the guide, I felt like they were missing a lot of key information, and I had to look up in other websites / youtube videos to cover them up. Originally I only wrote a few personal notes, but its size grew bigger than I expected (thanks to the new information not mentioned in the existing guide). That's how I started writing for a guide; not really planned ahead.

the_wizard_666 posted...

With a game you enjoy, you're more likely to try and learn new tricks, or complete all quests, etc, and make quality guides for it.

Yes, from time to time I also replayed the games and used different strategy to approach the game. For instance, if my first playthrough was a normal one, the second playthrough would be a challenge run such as "no level up run" or maybe on harder difficulty. By using different path, sometimes I found new information (or tricks like you said) that was not covered on my first run. So yeah, this helps to improve the guide. I think Crisis Core is the most game I ever replayed so far; for a total of 7 times (still have the final save point on every playthrough; can't even remember what challenge I took on each game. :D )

the_wizard_666 posted...

I also looked at a few of them, and you have a solid writing style, and your guides seem to be well organized and nicely laid out. I've no doubt you'll start climbing the charts on your own.

Thank you very much for the feedback. Only from these positive feedback I can keep on writing. If only there is a way to convert feedback into money...