Board Thread:Consensus track/@comment-4787430-20130809213148/@comment-5308644-20130816010112

TombRaiser wrote: Next topic: How we categorize DLC characters, etc...

We need to take a look at how we categorize characters in DLCs, and agree on which category should be used; the main game's category or the DLCs category. I'll use as an example. For Dragonborn characters we only use the Category:Dragonborn: Characters category and after that we use Category:Skyrim: Nords and Category:Skyrim: Males instead of Dragonborn: Nords and Dragonborn: Males. On the other hand, the DLCs and  use only Bloodmoon or Tribunal categories including race and gender. So, question here is should Dragonborn characters also use Dragonborn: Males, Dragonborn: Nords or should Bloodmoon/Tribunal use the category system that Dragonborn currently uses (i.e., Morrowind: Nords, Morrowind: Males instead of Bloodmoon: Nords, Bloodmoon: Males)? I personally feel that organzation is better when the DLC category is used on DLC pages, and only use the main game's category if it is something that doesn't change when the DLC is installed, such as skills. (i.e., Morrowind: Marksman should be used on DLC pages instead of creating Bloodmoon: Marksman).

Personally I don't like the idea of mixing DLC/expansion content with the vanilla game. To me it feels like a step backwards in terms of organization. If it isn't included in the vanilla game it shouldn't be categorized as such. If Carnius Magius isn't in Morrowind, why categorize him as a Morrowind character?

I prefer a structured tree system, with Bloodmoon: Characters and Tribunal: Characters as a subcategory of both Morrowind: Characters, and their respective games. That way anyone looking at either Morrowind: Characters or Bloodmoon is one click-away from finding specific content they want, without mixing everything together.

Granted, it is debatable how people actually use categories, or if the average reader actually pays any attention to them at all. Either we believe that someone looking at a category page wants to see everything in the expansion packs as well as the main game in one list, or only wants to see what is in the game itself. Ultimately it is being user-friendly that should take priority, but we can only guess about how to do that.