Over the past two decades, numerous internet users have turned to online wikis to settle disputes or answer lingering questions. Among these resources, Wikipedia stands out as the primary free encyclopedia, offering a broad overview of various topics, including video games. However, it often lacks the depth that dedicated game wikis present, which provide detailed insights, gameplay guides, lore, and historical context for specific games and franchises.
This raises intriguing questions about what it takes to create and maintain a game wiki, and what motivates individuals to dedicate their time and efforts to such projects. To explore these themes, I focused on one of my personal favorite games.
The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages
After a hiatus of over a decade from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, I immersed myself in the game again last fall, investing over 80 hours into a new playthrough. Early on, the nostalgic familiarity enveloped me, and before long, I was once again known as the “Hero of Kvatch.” Yet, as I delved deeper, the experience felt like a fresh challenge, and I found myself struggling with gameplay mechanics that I had forgotten.
Without the original manual or an official strategy guide for my now long-gone Xbox 360 version, I did what many others have done—I turned to The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages.
UESPWiki is a comprehensive repository that covers not only The Elder Scrolls franchise but also its intricate lore, accompanying literature, merchandise, and tabletop adaptations. Despite its distinctive design reminiscent of the early internet and its unique namespace organization, UESP operates as an independent wiki fueled by a dedicated group of editors.
The wiki boasts over 110,000 articles and proudly proclaims its mission: “We have been building a collaborative source for all knowledge on the Elder Scrolls series since 1995,” marking its 30th anniversary this year. Dave Humphrey, the founder of UESP, humorously notes, “We’re older than Google. While we’re not as big, we have longevity, and no other Elder Scrolls-related site predates us.”
The genesis of UESP traces back to a simple USENET message called the Daggerfall FAQ, published in 1994. This initial text shared prerelease information about The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall and eventually evolved into the website we recognize today. Following the release of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Humphrey found himself inundated with reader inquiries, prompting the transition to a wiki format in 2005 to facilitate community contributions.
“Managing everything was unsustainable for me alone,” Humphrey explained. “A wiki allows contributors to share their insights directly instead of relying on emails for suggestions.” In 2012, Humphrey transitioned to overseeing UESP full-time, focusing on back-end operations rather than content creation.
What distinguishes UESP, according to Humphrey, is its independence, allowing flexibility in advertising and the implementation of innovative tools like the ESO Build Editor. “While larger wiki farms have approached us, we would sacrifice what makes UESP special by joining them,” he stated.
The wiki has progressively expanded and recently ventured into hosting other game wikis. Notably, in August 2023, UESP launched the Starfield Wiki, which already contains over 10,000 articles. Humphrey mentioned ongoing plans to host additional game-related wikis later this year.
While the future of The Elder Scrolls VI remains uncertain, speculations around an Oblivion remaster were circulating at the time of the interview. Humphrey anticipated organizational challenges regarding how to integrate new content, akin to the complexities of DLCs.
“We would likely create a distinct namespace for the remake, mirroring our approach with DLCs,” he added. Organizing updates and remasters is a continual challenge, but Humphrey emphasizes letting the community decide the best formatting.
Following the release of Oblivion Remastered, the game now indeed has its own namespace, and editors are actively documenting the new enhancements.
When Humphrey first shared the Daggerfall FAQ, he had no vision for a community or a website like what UESP has become. However, attending conventions and connecting with fans over time allowed him to recognize the thriving community surrounding the wiki.
“It wasn’t planned, but it’s gratifying to be part of this development,” he reflected. With over 23,000 registered users contributing edits, the wiki flourishes not based on sheer quantity but on the quality of its content.
Scraping and editing
Robert “RobinHood70” Morley, a 54-year-old from Ottawa, Canada, has been active in the wiki since May 2006, shortly after it became a community-driven platform. His involvement began during a challenging period of illness that left him homebound.
“Engaging with the wiki allowed me to escape my worries and forge friendships within the online community,” Morley shared via Discord. “It filled the social void. Even now, that remains a significant part of my experience.”
Initially joining the wiki as a user, Morley has steadily ascended to the roles of admin and bureaucrat, becoming one of the few editors with server access alongside Humphrey. His contributions now include running bots that automate the upload of significant game information onto the wiki.
Morley noted, “A bot can operate like any human editor but with a high-speed capability. For instance, they are used to gather data from game files, such as NPC details, allowing human editors to expand them into comprehensive entries.”
When updates for Elder Scrolls Online are released, Morley promptly deploys the bot, which scans for changes and populates the wiki with the latest information, serving as a starting point for human editors to build upon.
The same principle applies when launching a new Elder Scrolls game—pages are created shortly after the release, with editors collaborating to analyze the information.
Among these editors is Dillon “Dillonn241” D., a 26-year-old who has been part of the wiki since he was 11 or 12. Although his participation has fluctuated over the years, he attributes his return to the inclusive and dynamic nature of the community, which fosters ongoing collaboration.
Dillonn241’s prolific contributions earned him a “gold star” recognition for editing more pages than anyone else in 2024, amassing an impressive 18,864 edits. He describes his engagement with the wiki not as an obsession but as a productive use of free time, often fixing minor issues in entries.
His editing style aligns with that of a “WikiGnome,” focusing on subtle improvements and behind-the-scenes quality control. When he’s ready to edit, he explores the wiki for random pages in need of attention.
Over time, he has honed his editing skills and gained familiarity with numerous articles, often recognizing his contributions across various pages.
His efforts have notably revitalized sections of the wiki, such as the Tamriel Rebuilt mod and the namespace for The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard, which he notably restructured even though he doesn’t particularly enjoy the game.
Frustrated by the lack of useful information in the wiki about Redguard, he took it upon himself to enhance its entries significantly. Now, this section boasts extensive quest details, character insights, and item descriptions, all sourced from content he captured himself. He even believes that if the game were to disappear, the wiki would be sufficient to recreate the entire title.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” he stated. “Some namespaces, like Oblivion, are nearing completion in terms of valuable content.”
Efforts all over
While Dillon exemplifies the enthusiasm of prolific editors and Morley provides specialized support, it is the collective efforts of thousands of contributors that shape UESP into its rich tapestry of information. Across the internet, similar communities are passionately dedicated to various wikis, driven by the desire to recreate the games they cherish in text format.
These collaborative endeavors enable players to navigate virtual worlds more easily in an era where physical game guides are increasingly rare. Moreover, the cumulative insights into these games contribute to a dynamic historical record that can inspire modded content or even entirely new titles. This ongoing process of documentation and community engagement continues to breathe life into the gaming landscape.
