Over the last few months, I've been thinking about the problems inherent in the wikipedia format, and the problems that we create for ourselves by how we use it. I've basically boiled them down to two things.
1) Information Redundancy Definition : Having the same information in multiple places.
It might seem like no big deal, but this is the single largest enemy on the wiki. Unlike reality, facts in FFXI change every update. We have to be able to locate all the obscure places that mention former "facts" and replace them with the new facts. These are problems that we wouldn't have (as often) if we were a database, but we aren't a database.
Solution : Combine information that affects multiple pages onto a category page that includes them.
Example : Valor Minuet vs. Category:Minuet
Example : Valor Minuet vs. Valor Minuet II
Potential Problems : Now that the information isn't directly on every single page where it may apply, you can't find it as easily. We need to figure out some way to train people to check Category pages for families of spells and abilities.
2) Inconsistent Formatting Definition : The same type of information being represented in a totally different way.
Inconsistent formatting is an unfortunate outgrowth of having multiple good editors working on a project that lasts years and outgrows editing teams. While we don't need the same formatting everywhere to convey the same information (thank god), it really does make it a lot nicer looking and uniform.
Solution : Use Templates, which allows us to streamline adding new abilities and reformat things in the future as necessary without remaking pages.
Example : Blood Pact: Rage vs. Astral Flow
Example : Helices vs. Barspells
Potential Problem 1 : Some people are intimidated by using Templates. Permit me to assure you that they're a lot easier than learning how to make tables that cool looking.
Potential Problem 2 : Some things (like the Helices vs. Barspells example) are so simple and single-purpose that it is almost pointless to make a Template for them. Other things (like Blood Pact: Rage/Ward JA pages) are so complicated that it's also almost pointless to make a template for them. Standardization must be done by hand, which means it is time editors spend not-doing other things.