Armagetron:Policy
If you want to write on the wiki, here are some basic policies you should probably be aware of. If you've found content you consider questionable, before complaining, you should read these policies and see if you can determine if it is truly objectionable. This isn't meant to be a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo, it's intended to lay down some guidelines that, if followed at least loosely, are hoped to help foster a wonderful wiki.
Talk Pages
As a convention, you should leave your name on talk pages when you talk on them. Just add your comment to the end, stick your name on the end of that, and then put a horizontal line after all of it so the next person to comment can start right in with their comment.
The Talk Pages aren't intended for socializing, really. They're for discussing the content, laying it out, working out what should be put on the page, and more of that sort of thing. Now, we're all people here and we'll do a fair amount of social-like things on the talk pages, they are talk pages after all. Just keep in mind that the forums at http://forums.armagetronad.net/ are there for discussing tactics, talking trash, laying out challenges, talking about development, and so forth. This wiki is for providing information to all, freely and selflessly (or not), and there is work being done here.
Page Style
All pages should start with a brief introduction. We're copying Wikipedia for that, because it's so nice on Wikipedia and it looks like it's just as nice here. So every page should have a brief introduction, about a paragraph. You know, maybe 200 words or so, not huge, not an essay, but not just a one-liner either.
You should organize your page into sections with headings. Simple as that. Follow outline style. Your level 2 heading is your top level heading, so make your top-level sections level 2 headings. Next is level 3, and so forth. Just like you would for an outline in your Engrish class.
A page should contain a complete topic. There's very little sense in splitting a topic over multiple pages just because you think it might be long. Long pages are good, short pages are not. Lots of short pages that should be one long page really really suck. So don't do that, for sure. Make nice pages that contain a complete topic. If the topic branches into related subtopics, and each subtopic is a distinct topic on its own, then please go ahead and branch it into several pages. What I'm trying to avoid is having, for example, a page that says "Here's how to configure network settings on a server", another page that says "Here's how to configure game rules on a server". If you want to write a long page describing the physics used in the game, that certainly belongs on a page by itself. But if you just want to crib down some descriptions of physics settings, you can work that in with other material.
Images
Screenshots
Screenshots of the game itself should have a floor grid that stretches across the whole floor, default wall textures (cycle and rim wall), and should be at least 640x480 in resolution. 800x600 is better, 1024x768 is probably best. If you happen to have a larger resolution than that, don't sweat it, take the full-screen screenshot and post it. Do not post moviepack screenshots unless the purpose of the screenshot is to show the movie. When you're trying to show someone something in-game, you should use default settings. There's room for minor variation, just keep in mind that for all of us, our common frame of reference is the default look of the game, so that should be used for screenshots.
Most importantly, a screenshot should actually show something that's in the content. So don't put a screenshot of some idiot grinding the rim wall when you're talking about how to build slingshots.
Link to all of your screenshots as thumbnails. If it makes sense to not do so, then do what makes sense. But it will make the most sense most of the time to link it as a thumbnail. MediaWiki does a wonderful job of scaling down screenshots into thumbnails, so let it do its job.
Other Images
For other images, let the content determine the appropriate resolution and stuff. Still try to get high resolution pictures and link them in as thumbnails, but don't sweat it if you either don't have a high resolution pictures or you think the page wants something different.
Language
Write conversationally, but probably not as conversationally as you would in an IM client. Think more like what you'd write in a formal letter to your brother/sister/girlfriend/boyfriend. First person is ok when it makes sense within the content, but otherwise stick to third person. Try not to name names, except on talk pages. The documentation here is intended to last for some time with community revision, and names just don't last on the grid for very long. (There are exceptions, or we wouldn't be here, but you get the drift)
Try to avoid parenthetical expressions (they're hard to read). Just remember that real people will be reading this, real developers will be using it, and real players will be playing with it.
Under no circumstance should you put documentation that is intended to make someone a worse player. I'm talking about writing up a noob guide that basically says "crash into my wall". While you wouldn't think someone would be stupid enough to take something like that at face value, just don't do it anyway. If you're going to contribute, try to contribute with a good work ethic and do the best you can do.
Objectionable Material and Language
Obviously no porn pictures. Right? Now, as to linking to porn, there's generally not a good enough reason to do so. If it becomes necessary, for example if you have an adult moviepack, PM Lucifer through the forums and talk about it. I'm not saying you can't link to it, but let's make sure we do it in a way that doesn't piss everybody off. Otherwise, there isn't any kind of porn I can think of that belongs here, so don't bring it.
As for swearing, I swear up a storm and generally don't care. However, there's very little reason to swear here. You should use the words that best fit the content you're writing. Occasionally a swear word here or there does, in fact, best fit the content. Go ahead and use some of the milder ones if you need to. Just keep in mind that there are people who will be reading this who are particularly sensitive to such things and we all need to be considerate of one another, so keep it toned down. I realize that many of those who are sensitive to certain words that start with f will find other words that start with f to substitute in its place and use the new word in the same way and that this is swearing just as much as if the original cussword were used, but let's try to behave. Use the language you think is best. Avoid the kinds of swear words that would get you the death sentence in the Middle East (and New Mexico).
Locking Pages
I don't know of many reasons to lock pages, so when I do, there will be a good reason for it. If two people get into a serious disagreement over a page and want to have a stupid little edit war over it, bring it to my attention and I'll lock it, send them to the shower and let them cool down. I won't censor anybody, in general, but you really should remain civil at all times. If you don't remain civil, then you should consider leaving civilization in favor of your natural habitat.
There are two pages that will always be locked. On a previous wiki I maintained, spambots attacked the front page, and I've seen it on several other wikis. Therefore the front page will be locked. When you view the edit page on the front page, you will find a link to a page explaining why the front page is locked. That page will also be locked. Since this page serves as something of a rulebook and will likely be quoted at some point by someone to justify their idiotic behavior, it will also likely be locked eventually. Let's all be cool so it doesn't have to happen, ok? I hate locking pages.
