User:Kermit-old/Style Guide

This article explains how to create articles, both lore and gameplay guides, that are clear and informative to a player. Wikipedia's Guide to Writing Better Articles is encouraged extra reading.

The Wiki Style Guide has been created with the goal of ensuring reader comprehension across the wiki. A lot of information is contained on the wiki, and it is important it remains concise, organised, and readable such that it is properly communicated. Micro-level style guiding is not present, so as to allow each writer to employ their own voice or style.

General Guidelines

Organisation

Avoid the creation of superfluous pages. Where possible, merge superfluous pages to an existing page so as to not create needless clutter.
Maintain consistency between related pages. This means to follow the style guide of page if one is present and ensure related pages share a similar style.
Important information should be present on higher-level, centralised pages. Information flows downstream. EG: readers should not learn from city page that NanoTrasen produces a specific product.
Do not create Work in Progress pages. Every section of a page should be complete before posting. This doesn't mean pages can't be revisted later to expand on certain sections, they just need to be presentable on initial release.

Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks are the most important wiki tool, use them as often as you can. They are the through-thread between related pages and prevent re-explanation of already explored topics.
When referencing a topic already explored elsewhere, hyperlink to it. "See Also: Link"s and "Main Article: Link"s are strongly encouraged. The hyperlinked topic then needs not be re-explained, derailing the current topic and impacting brevity. EG: The NanoTrasen page should not re-explain the discovery of phoron, and instead present a 1 clause summary before hyperlinking to the relevant page.
The first mention of a name, organisation, place, etc. per section must be hyperlinked. You don't need to hyperlink something that has already been hyperlinked earlier in the same section.

Structure

Begin with an introduction that presents a concise summary of the page. Save explanations for the relevant section below. Aim for 1-2 paragraphs.
A Table of Contents must be added after the page introduction. A long page should use the {{TOC Hidden}} template.
Use a clear structure for your page, broken up with headings and subheadings.
Navigation boxes and categories can be present at either the top or bottom of the page.
Dropdowns should not contain novel or important information. The Ctrl+F and Wiki Searchbar searching does not scan dropdowns. Dropdowns should be reserved for non-critical information and similar. Create a new page if you’re using dropdowns to conceal large amounts of information.
Be mindful of paragraph and sentence length. A paragraph begins when there is a change in topic or idea. A sentence should generally not run-on for more than 4 clauses; avoid using parentheses to enclose multiple clauses when a new sentence could be created.
Create a new page if you are condensing too much information in one place. A page should not take more than 30 minutes for the average person to read.
Do not repeat ideas or topics, and stay on topic.

Language

Wiki spelling is based on British English. No one enforces this, but it helps players using search functions.
Use dispassionate, objective language. Detailings of events should not be opinionated, so as to allow the reader to come to their own conclusion and so characters cannot point to the ‘correct’ opinion. Ambiguity describing in-universe events is acceptable and encouraged.
Do not use ‘purple prose’. Wiki writing is for the reader’s comprehension, not a literature exam. Overly embellished/adjectivised writing, metaphorical speech, conjecture, rhetorical questions, and similar prose derails a reader’s train of thought and thus their comprehension.
Be concise. Avoid filler words, redundancies, and abstract language. Your first draft can always be slimmed down.

Game Page Guidelines

Consult an expert on the gameplay. Even if you consider yourself an especially good player, errors can still surface. Ensure you have someone to proof-read your article who is aware of the mechanics behind it.
Do not include bugs, exploits, or other unintended behavior in the guide.
Use bold to emphasize lifesaving information. Use italics to put stress on a word, or differentiate it from a proceeding or succeeding statement.
Provide a brief explanation of a technical term when it first appears.
Do not use the most effective method in a guide. Provide and encourage room for exploration of different or better methods.

Lore Page Guidelines

Always have another member of the lore team — preferably from your own species team — proofread your page. No one is immune to making mistakes. The Lore Team Administration can be asked to proofread wide-ranging changes.
Do not use hard numbers, especially for populations. Ranges and averages are preferred.
Sections in a lore page should strive to stay at or below four paragraphs. If a section extends over four paragraphs, the section should be heavily trimmed or move onto its own page. Do not use dropdowns to hide large sections.
Bold text to denote emphasis should be avoided. One exception is the name of the subject within the introductory paragraph of the article. For example, the Republic of Biesel page's emboldening of "Federal Republic of Biesel" in the introduction.

Quotes

Quotes should generally be formatted with the quote (in quotation marks) in italics, a hyphen, the name and occupation the quote is attributed to, and the context of the quote. An example is:

“The people of Biesel could all collectively protest for a century. It still won’t change anything, because power in the Republic does not lie with people. It lies with corporations.” - Hugo Beasley, “A Himean In Mendell City”, released 2464

The year the quote is from is relevant if the quote is from a "published work", such as a book or movie. If the quoted individual is deceased, their date of birth and death should be next to their name, as exemplified:

“I think there are better ways to build a society than draining the life and light from its best citizens.” - Mahmud ibn Amin (2328 - 2419), physicist and second leader of “Project Hubris”

Planet and Faction Page Structure

A full, complete planet or faction page should have the following sections:

A brief introductory paragraph, summarising basic elements of the subject. Do not put an "Overview" header over this paragraph.
If the page is a faction, Population and Planets, in which the planets of the faction are listed and described in brief.
History, in which the planet/faction's history is explained. If this section extends beyond 4 paragraphs, a history page should be created and linked both ways.
Environment, in which the planet's landscape, general climate, and basic atmospheric composition is explained. If this section extends beyond 4 paragraphs, an environment page should be created and linked both ways.
- An environment section is also where the planet's continents and its star system should be elaborated upon, provided its system does not have its own page (such as Tau Ceti or Sol).
Economy, in which the planet/faction's economy is elaborated upon. Currencies, industries, employment, and megacorporate involvement should be included here. Megacorporate involvement should have approval from the Lore Team Administration. If the planet/faction has its own corporations, these do not need to be approved by the Lore Team Administration unless they are involved with the megacorporations.
Politics and Government, in which the planet/faction's governmental system should be elaborated on. Political parties and common ideologies can be included. Note that if a planet is already part of a faction, they do not require a Politics and Government section (but it can be included if relevant). If this section extends beyond 4 paragraphs, a politics page should be created and linked both ways.
Culture and Demographics, in which the general culture and attitudes of the planet are expanded on. This is the widest-ranging section of the page; it is where content such as cuisine, language, societal attitudes, media, common sayings, architecture, art, fashion, etc. can be placed under. If a digression on a specific aspect of culture extends for more than two (2) paragraphs, it should be placed under a subheading. If this section extends beyond 4 paragraphs, a culture page should be created and linked both ways.
- If the planet has a significant population of immigrants, whether they be humans from another nation or aliens, this can be placed under a subheading. The relevant page describing the species abroad should be linked, such as Skrell Abroad or Unathi Abroad. Make sure to consult with the relevant lore team when including demographics from alien species teams.
  - Crime, if included, should also be placed under a subheading in Culture and Demographics.
Military, in which the planet/faction's military and armed forces are described. This includes branches, general actions, and structure. If the planet is part of a larger faction, this section is not required.
Technology, in which the planet/faction's notable technological advances or specializations are expanded on. If the planet is part of a larger faction, this section is not required.
If the page is a planet, Major Cities/Population Centres, where a number of major population centres can be described in brief. This should range from one to two paragraphs. Not applicable to faction pages.

Species Page Structure

Species pages are structured slightly differently than faction pages, but otherwise the general rules for formatting and style should be observed. Anything relevant to the species that cannot be categorized within these boundaries is permitted to be organized as the author sees fit.

A basic species page should have the following sections:

A brief introductory paragraph, summarising basic elements of the subject. Do not put an "Overview" header over this paragraph.
Heads of Staff, or a section in which the jobs that the species or their subspecies can take are elaborated on.
- Relations with Megacorporations is a subsection where the species' relationships with megacorporations, and which ones will employ the species, is elaborated on. Some megacorporations may not employ Vaurca or specifically free IPCs, for example.
Mechanics, where the mechanics such as the strengths, weaknesses (such as damage modifiers), language keys, and features are explained in bullet-point form. Non-mechanical traits can also be elaborated on here, but are suggested to be placed in Biology, Culture, or Social.
Biology, in which the species' general appearance, lifespan, internal biology, morphism, colour ranges, and diseases can be elaborated on.
History, in which a brief history of the species is explained; this can be its own page.
Culture, in which the species' general culture should be explained. This should have subheadings, and can link to multiple pages depending on the factions within the species, and the length of the content.
- Language, diet and cuisine, entertainment, media, and holidays should be within this section.
Social, in which the species' social workings should be explained. This should likely also have subheadings and multiple pages.
- Societal attitudes, religion, and relationships should go in this section.
Politics or Factions, in which the notable factions within the species should be elaborated on. For Vaurcae, this can mention the Hives; for Skrell, the Free Traverse or an expansion on the structure of the Nralakk Federation, etc.
Interspecies Relations, in which the species' attitudes towards humanity and other species, as well as any internal strife or differing views, can be documented.
Playing the Species, which is intended to be a more out-of-character guide to how to portray the species for a player writing a species application. This can also be its own page separate from the main species page, depending on the length.