My question was incorrectly put on-hold for "being about video games"

Question

I have a question about my Role-playing Games Stack Exchange post: Are there any published sources on what a "Templar" should be?

A member of the community incorrectly placed my question on-hold for "being about video games" when all edited versions of the stated question make no reference to video games.

Sample definitions of a Templar were provided from video games, but this was only used as a point of reference in the absence of pen and paper references, of which my question asks for in the first place. My question was bolded and separated with a horizontal line across all versions and clearly makes no distinction as to being about "video games" or "game development".

Answer 1

Thank you for taking this to Meta: comments on the question itself were clearly not a productive channel for improving your post.

I need to clear up one misconception above: you say that a member of the community put your question on hold. That's not true. Five members of the community put the question on hold.

As one comment pointed out, only the most-votes-getting close-reason gets displayed. If I recall correctly there were three close-votes for being off-topic as about video games, one as too broad, and one as primarily opinion-based.

Looking back at the early version of your question--which was the one visible when the close-votes were cast--I hope you can understand how someone would think it was about video games. It mentioned players and a session in one sentence, while devoting six paragraphs to video game examples and most of two paragraphs to sweeping generalizations about what "people" think of Templars.

Your latest revision doesn't do much to make things clearer, but you indicate in comments that you are actually asking about TTRPGs, and just thought the video-game examples would communicate your question well.

So now your question's [on hold]. And it's for the wrong reason.

That's okay. The hold is there to stop people from answering a question that's unclear, or off-topic, or a bad fit. Your question is some combination of those. So the hold's doing a good job.

Many users have commented, asking you for clarification or suggesting other ways of approaching the question. Now you should take a look at those comments and look for how to improve and focus your question. If you think you've addressed the issue a comment raises, flag the comment for deletion. (I usually put in the custom reason "obsolete: I now address this in the post.")

Once you edit the question (as long as it's during the next five days), it will be placed in a review queue for reopening. Other users will come along, look at the question, and vote on whether it seems site-ready. Any user's reopen vote will also place the question in that queue, and you can always flag it for an elected moderator's attention if you think everything's in good order and it should be reopened.

Answer 2

Your question was put on hold for other reasons, as KRyan explained in a comment on your question (bolded). Immediately afterwards, he goes on to explain the real reason why it's remaining closed:

Ultimately, the reason given is just what received the most votes, which may have been due to misunderstanding. But even if it’s on-topic, it is still hopelessly too broad, and primarily opinion-based. No one here can speak for the entirety of the RPG audience as to what “templar” means to them. There is no way to authoritatively or even credibly answer this question. Speculation and blatantly asserting one’s personal preference is universal are the only ways this might be answered, and those are not answers we want or allow.

You responded to this comment so I presume you read it.

If a question needs significant improvement, we place it on hold. Having a precisely accurate reason isn't really important; the fact it is closed at all is what's important.

Several of us have, in comments, explained at great length why it is closed and asked you to reframe your question into something actually workable. If it's going to be adjusted, it's only going to be adjusted to be closed for the proper reason: too broad or primarily opinion-based.

Answer 3

Your description of the on-hold status of the question seems somewhat disingenuous to me.

You engaged in a long conversation in the comments on it which include statements such as:

Ultimately, the reason given is just what received the most votes, which may have been due to misunderstanding. But even if it’s on-topic, it is still hopelessly too broad, and primarily opinion-based. No one here can speak for the entirety of the RPG audience as to what “templar” means to them. There is no way to authoritatively or even credibly answer this question. Speculation and blatantly asserting one’s personal preference is universal are the only ways this might be answered, and those are not answers we want or allow. – KRyan

and

Yes, RPGs have published descriptions of what templars are within their own system. But that isn’t what you’re asking (and asking for statements of that sort from all systems that have ever done so is massively too broad). No one has, or even could, state definitively what the word means for all RPGs ever. – KRyan

and

The problem is that this site works around a correct (and best) answer. But also works around that it (the answer) should be precise. Your question does not have an objectively good answer. The question is good in itself, is the possible answer that is bad. It is too broad. We can cite maybe a hundred or even more fantasy works, and each of them would be correct. You can even throw a stone at any game (with Templars) and find a correct answer, but not THE correct answer. – Chepelink

and

Not every question asking for source material is a valid question here. That depends on what it is asking. For example, if I ask for the best tabletop game utilizing sources and so on, it would be a very bad question. On the other hand, if I ask "Is there an RPG that is widely acclaimed as an economical success and has over 1,000,000 players?" That would be close to what this site can answer. – Chepelink

While the original close reason may have been incorrect (I'm not entirely convinced that it is, since all the supporting material you mention references video games and not TTRPGS), the question (in its current state) is a poor fit for the site and should remain closed (just for different reasons) unless and until it is improved.