Greetings fellow Arks!

I thought I would take a moment to make a small tutorial on how to use the search feature that is built in to the forum. This featured should be used before creating new topics, especially question related topics.

When new Arks join the community, certain questions will persistently arise. Using this feature will help reduce clutter and potentially get an answer faster than creating a new topic and waiting for a response.

STEP 1: Click the search icon!

This icon appears as a magnifying glass located above the topic posts.

STEP 2: Click Advanced Search!

There will be a drop-down after clicking the search icon. For the best search options, pick Advanced Search.

STEP 3: Choose Titles and Posts!

After it loads the form for specifying your search parameters, take notice of options at the top of the form. Having Titles and Posts selected will make sure it searches Topic Titles as well as individual posts that contain your keyword.

STEP 4: Select All Categories!

Slightly below the previous step you will see the start of the Advanced Search form. You want to make sure the All Categories option is selected simply because your particular question, suggestion, or topic idea may be located in a separate category.

STEP 5: Specify how your search is displayed!

Towards the bottom of the form you will see a modifier called Sort By. This allows you to specify how you want tour search results displayed. In descending order means that the newest posts/topics will be displayed first.

Show results as has two choices: Posts and Topics. Posts will show you content of a topic based on your keywords, as posted by another Ark. This option is good for seeing if others asked the same question or mentioned your term in their discussion.

Topics will only show you the thread your keyword was found in. This option is good if you are considering creating a topic of discussion about an idea or suggestion.

STEP 6: Useful Topics to consider!

IMPORTANT - Community Guidelines:

https://forum.pso2.com/topic/72/phantasy-star-online-2-community-guidelines

General Question thread:

https://forum.pso2.com/topic/45/new-recruits-have-a-question-post-it-here?page=1

Questions for experienced Arks:

https://forum.pso2.com/topic/302/ask-a-veteran-arks?page=1

IMPORTANT - Suggestion rules/etiquette:

https://forum.pso2.com/topic/581/please-read-this-before-posting-replying-in-this-section

Suggestions for forum/website:

https://forum.pso2.com/category/60/forum-suggestions

Suggestions that impact the GAME:

https://forum.pso2.com/category/61/in-game-suggestions

Space Reserved for Links to other topics

If anyone who happens to view this has any feedback/suggestions on formatting or content, please let me know either through a reply or through the chat function.

Effort's appreciated. However if experience with online forums in the past 20 years or so is an indication, this is probably an exercise in futility.

Nice write up!

@GM-Deynger or @GM-Rappie would it be possible to pin this?

This was funny, thanks.

@Rantious said in [TUTORIAL] Using the "Search" feature before creating a Thread:

Nice write up!

@GM-Deynger or @GM-Rappie would it be possible to pin this?

Done!

Lmfao It got pinned

@SamuraiCrazy said in [TUTORIAL] Using the "Search" feature before creating a Thread:

Lmfao It got pinned

What, would you prefer to see the same thread over and over? Or at least there be some semblance of effort made by noobs? Also there's now a thread that we can point noobs to that's standardized and informative.

The admins and mods need to dare I say it.."police up" the posts more. Especially when people start topics about when will the OBT be released, along with the game release and PC release. There shouldn't be any posts about that. And if there is, there should only be 1.

@Toy-Soldier-Ken said in [TUTORIAL] Using the "Search" feature before creating a Thread:

there should only be 1.

Ahh yes, you subscribe to the Highlander ruleset.

@Rantious I'm not, but if I were...I'd use this pic.

Should probably delete this thread, the search function is the final, unbeaten boss.

@John-Paul-RAGE def keep it. even if it only reduces repeat post clutter by 10%, that is still a positive impact.