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This page has everything you need to get you started creating and editing StrategyWiki pages.
{{Header Nav|game=StrategyWiki:Guide}}


== How to Contribute ==
On StrategyWiki, anyone is free to create or modify game strategy guides! There are many ways to help out. Here are a few ideas:
On StrategyWiki, anyone is free to create or modify game strategy guides! There are many ways to help out. Here are a few ideas:
 
* '''[[StrategyWiki:Guide/Starting a new guide|Create a new guide]]''' for a game that doesn't have one yet. Right now we're small, but we're growing. You can help out by starting a page for your favorite game and working on it over time. Gradually, other people might contribute to your guide too, and soon it will be the best around!
* '''Create a new guide''' for a game that doesn't have one yet. Right now we're small, but we're growing. You can help out by starting a page for your favorite game and working on it over time. Gradually, other people might contribute to your guide too, and soon it will be the best around!
* '''[[:Category:Guides at completion stage 0|Update an existing guide]]''' if you spot any mistakes or if you think you could say it better. This site is all about collaboration, so feel free to jump right in and contribute.
 
* '''Photographers''' go into a game and take screenshots to explain parts of a game that words cannot. In a similar fashion, '''cartographers''' make maps or charts for games to better explain things. '''Artists''' hunt down official game art with which to beautify the guides. StrategyWiki guides are expected to have at the least the box artwork on the game's main page. See [[:Category:Pages needing box artwork]] for a full list of pages without one.
* '''Update an existing guide''' if you spot any mistakes or if you think you could say it better. This site is all about collaboration, so feel free to jump right in and contribute.
* '''[[:Category:Pages needing wikification|Format a guide]]''' if it's looking a little bland and you're familiar with [[StrategyWiki:Guide/Wiki markup|MediaWiki markup]]. Divide pages into sections, split long pages, add in images—anything you like to improve presentation of your favorite guide.
 
* '''[[:Category:Pages needing cleanup|Copyedit a guide]]''' if you're a stickler for spelling and grammar and can't stand seeing a page with a mistake, fix it! With so many authors working on one guide, mistakes are bound to slip in. See [[:Category:Pages needing cleanup]] for a list of pages with known problems.
* '''Photographers''' go into a game and take screenshots to explain parts of a game that words cannot. In a similar fashion, '''cartographers''' make maps or charts for games to better explain things. '''Artists''' hunt down official game art with which to beautify the guides. StrategyWiki guides are expected to have at the least the boxart on the game's main page.
 
* '''Format a guide''' if it's looking a little bland and you're familiar with Mediawiki markup. Divide pages into sections, split long pages, add in images -- anything you like to improve presentation of your favorite guide.
 
* '''Copyedit a guide''' if you're a stickler for spelling and grammar and can't stand seeing a page with a mistake. With so many authors working on one guide, mistakes are bound to slip in.
 
* '''Check for errors''' in cheat codes and glitch descriptions. A single button out of place could be the difference between victory and a reload screen.
* '''Check for errors''' in cheat codes and glitch descriptions. A single button out of place could be the difference between victory and a reload screen.


== Editing Pages ==
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In order to begin editing pages, you will need to register for an account. Don't worry, the process is very simple. Look at the top-right of the page to find a "log in" button, then fill out the information on the page that appears and you'll be editing articles in no time.
 
Once you have an account, all you have to do to modify the page you're reading is click the "Edit" tab above the page's main heading. This will display the page and the page's edit box below. Simply enter your changes into the edit box and click the "Save page" button, and your generous contribution will be instantly visible to all the visitors to the page.
 
If you want to try out a few edits without fear of messing up a page, you can use the [[StrategyWiki:Sandbox|sandbox]]. It's the perfect page to learn how to edit and test Mediawiki markup.
 
Oh, and don't worry about messing something up. Wiki pages keep track of all the changes that have ever been made to them, from the most recent edit back to the very first version of the page! Nothing is ever really lost, so dive right in!
 
=== Wiki markup ===
Mediawiki sites have a fairly complex and unfamiliar formatting syntax. To learn how to format your pages, please check out [[Help:Editing]] (and try your new skills in the [[StrategyWiki:Sandbox|Sandbox]]). There you can learn everything in a quick and easy reference!
 
=== Templates ===
You can use templates to help give your guide a consistent appearance between its pages and with other guides on the site. See the [[Help:Template|template help page]] for information about how to use this powerful feature.
 
=== Discussion pages ===
Every page also has an associated "talk page" that can be viewed by clicking the "Discussion" link on the right-hand sidebar. These pages are usually used to aid collaboration between multiple users who are all making edits to the page.  If you have any questions about a possible edit you'd like to make, you can always ask other users by using the talk page.
 
== Creating a Guide ==
{{mergeto|StrategyWiki:Guide}}
What's that? Your favorite game doesn't have a StrategyWiki guide yet? You can create it! The easiest way to get started is to type the full name of the game you want to work on into the search box (at the top-right of every page) and press the "Go" button. If nobody has started a guide for your game, the search result page will tell you so. Then, just click on the "this exact title" link to begin editing your guide's first page!  Please be sure to check out the [[StrategyWiki:Naming|naming conventions]] before creating a page in order to avoid possible problems.
 
NOTE: while you should use the correct name of the game wherever possible, please do not use % (percent) or + (plus) in the page name. Due to server configuration these symbols do not work correctly. Any characters other than these two should be fine, and there is no problem using these characters within page text.
 
===Before you start===
First of all consider what type of game you are writing about. A platform game with a few dozen levels may be simple enough to cover on a single page, while a strategy game or [[RPG]] will usually require many pages. The advantage of the wiki format is that any number of pages can be added and removed as the guide evolves from basic notes into a heavily detailed resource. There are generally two guide formats on StrategyWiki, as follows:
 
===Writing guidelines===
When writing, always maintain a single focussed "voice". Do not refer to yourself ("I", "me", etc.) in the guide, unless it is specifically necessary (e.g. "[[User:NameHere]] has found that collecting all five keys within 30 seconds can actually be done, as long as...". However this is solely for the purpose of asserting that something is possible, rather than claiming glory for having achieved it.
 
Always give alternate options. Many solo guide writers often choose what they say is the best way to complete a certain objective, but another gamer might choose another route. If there are multiple ways to do something writing them all out could be useful to the reader.
 
===Avoid spoilers!===
Revealing main plot points such as the identity of a main boss at a point in the walkthrough earlier than that at which it occurs in the game is generally considered bad form. However, in some cases plot points are revealed by the game box, manual, or introduction. These are not considered spoilers as it is highly likely the player knows of them. An example would be the death of a central character in ''[[Grand Theft Auto Advance]]''--this is stated right on the back of the box.
 
===Adding side notes===
{{sidebar|width=200px|title=Example sidebar|contents=The sidebar runs helpfully alongside the core text without interrupting its flow.}}
If you want to mention helpful things to do along the way that are not part of the current stage of the walkthrough (for example sidequests or specific things needed for later in the main game) use [[Template:sidebar]].
<br clear=all />
<br clear=all />
 
===Copying from other guides===
Copying from other guides released into the public domain or under the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) is perfectly acceptable, however when copying from another GFDL source you are required to provide a link back to the source. When mirroring an entire guide from another site putting the notice on the first page only is considered acceptable.
 
 
 
=== Helping others find your guide ===
To help other people find your new guide, you should place its main page in several categories. We already have categories set up for systems and genres. To add a page to a category, simply put the following into your page:
 
<pre>[[Category:NAME]]</pre>
 
Replace NAME with the category name you would like to use. To put your page into more than one category, just duplicate that line and change the name.

Latest revision as of 00:19, 14 March 2018

StrategyWiki:Guide | Table of Contents | Gameplay | Walkthrough

Table of Contents

Getting Started
Wiki markup
Advanced topics
Walkthrough
  1. Main game page
  2. Table of contents
  3. Gameplay pages
  4. Walkthrough pages
  5. Appendices
  6. Researching more information
  7. Adding more information
  8. Polishing a guide
Policies
Appendices

On StrategyWiki, anyone is free to create or modify game strategy guides! There are many ways to help out. Here are a few ideas:

  • Create a new guide for a game that doesn't have one yet. Right now we're small, but we're growing. You can help out by starting a page for your favorite game and working on it over time. Gradually, other people might contribute to your guide too, and soon it will be the best around!
  • Update an existing guide if you spot any mistakes or if you think you could say it better. This site is all about collaboration, so feel free to jump right in and contribute.
  • Photographers go into a game and take screenshots to explain parts of a game that words cannot. In a similar fashion, cartographers make maps or charts for games to better explain things. Artists hunt down official game art with which to beautify the guides. StrategyWiki guides are expected to have at the least the box artwork on the game's main page. See Category:Pages needing box artwork for a full list of pages without one.
  • Format a guide if it's looking a little bland and you're familiar with MediaWiki markup. Divide pages into sections, split long pages, add in images—anything you like to improve presentation of your favorite guide.
  • Copyedit a guide if you're a stickler for spelling and grammar and can't stand seeing a page with a mistake, fix it! With so many authors working on one guide, mistakes are bound to slip in. See Category:Pages needing cleanup for a list of pages with known problems.
  • Check for errors in cheat codes and glitch descriptions. A single button out of place could be the difference between victory and a reload screen.
Go to top
← Interwiki map | Other ways to contribute | Partnerships →

Table of Contents

Getting Started
Wiki markup
Advanced topics
Walkthrough
  1. Main game page
  2. Table of contents
  3. Gameplay pages
  4. Walkthrough pages
  5. Appendices
  6. Researching more information
  7. Adding more information
  8. Polishing a guide
Policies
Appendices
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