xEdit’s official documentation exists as a running “What’s New and Version Info” page on the GitHub Pages docs site: https://tes5edit.github.io/docs/. The “user guide” or Tome of xEdit is the unofficial place modders can go to learn how to use xEdit for modding. This includes some common use cases like conflict detection and resolution, using ModGroups, scripting functions, and more.
The documentation, however, could stand to benefit from modern technical writing and information architecture best practices such as a following a documentation framework, including built-in search for the docs, adhere to a style guide, and much more. Implementing these best practices for xEdit’s docs will make them more discoverable, easier to use, consistent, and more inclusive. As well as potentially making xEdit less of a “scary” or “difficult” piece of software to use with the backing of easy-to-use and organized docs. The initial documentation will at least meet the same level of completeness of existing xEdit docs.
This doc plan aims to persuade stakeholders/maintainers of the xEdit documentation to recognize Sovngarde Tools (sovngarde.tools) as the official documentation site for community-created, open source modding tools. Once launched, Sovngarde Tools will be an open source resource that documents popular tools used for modding: xEdit, Mod Organizer, etc.
I’m focusing on xEdit as a proof of concept for the project to gain traction because, as a professional technical writer and long-time modder, I want to see xEdit’s documentation match the same level of success at helping modders use xEdit as the software itself helps modders make awesome mods and modlists. So even if this ends up being a site that only documents a single piece of software, it won’t be in vain. (I really hope that is not that case and we can just have a kick-ass central docs site for modding tools!)
The documentation for this project is intended for the following audiences:
Modders - Those that modify their video game experience through modifications (or mods for short) they get from mod hosting websites such as NexusMods (or other explicit places). For now, the intended audience for this site will be modders who are somewhat familiar with modding (they know what it is, they know the main tools, etc.) and understand computers at a basic-to-intermediate level (familiar with file compression programs (7zip, WinRar), understand file/folder structure, permissions, etc.).
<aside> 🌲 Absolute beginner guides which include basics like how to use 7zip/WinRar, Windows, etc. are plentiful throughout the modding community and won’t be a focus for this site until enough of the community decides that sovngarde.tools is the central place for modding documentation. Thus, novice modders are not included in the initial audience analysis for this doc set. (thoughtful beginner tutorials are very time consuming to create and I’m only one person.)
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This audience can be broken down further (being pedantic here—though the distinction shouldn’t be ignored outright):
The difference between these two sub-audiences may be a determining factor for how some docs are written and—at the very least—be indicated in some way for clarity.
Mod-Tool-Developers -