Wiki+Style+Guide

toc =**Spelling:**= Just to keep things the same as the game, please use the US spelling of words as opposed to the UK spelling. So it would be Armor, Color etc. This is just in an effort to remain consistent with the country of origin of the game and because the games own rules uses these spellings. When in doubt, spell it like the book does.

=**Fonts:**= To keep things at least somewhat cohesive, just stick to the default font across the wiki. This wiki was built by a number of different people, but it shouldn't look that way

=**Templates:**= All Master, Avatar, Henchmen, Totem, Enforcer and Minion pages have an appropriate template. This is to keep some semblance of unity between the various parts of the wiki and allow for easier reference by users. However, Malifaux is a complex game and trying to explain a Master or Henchman's full utility might not fall into the templates provided. So branch out from the template if you need to, but remember that those sections SHOULD be covered regardless of the changes you need to make to the original template.

=**Headings**= The Templates provide you with a set of Headings to work with, some examples are: “Offense”, “Mobility”, “Resilience” etc. Hopefully everything you have to say about a model should fit into one of these Headings and often one topic will need to branch into multiple Headings.

Some entries can be very much about Mobility and Offense, for example, and could thus have entries in both. Use common sense when deciding where to talk about things. Try your best not to go too much into the Mobility applications of something when talking about it in the Offense section. Some cross over is fine as it helps give people a better picture of what you’re talking about, but don’t go overboard.

Note: All Headings are Heading1 font.

It is best to try and group any headings you wish to create under one of the existing Headings provided by the Template, making them sub-headings. Obviously this is not always possible and we fully recognize this and leave it up to the discretion of the writer(s) on how to handle it.

**Subheadings**
Under each of the headings provided by the template, you should have several sub headings to try and break up the information there. A wall of text is far too hard to read and reference.

When the article will talk about a new Ability, Action, Spell etc in detail, make it a new heading. Since the Wiki is presenting its self as a sort of walk through guide to each model, you want to discuss every Ability, action, weapon, etc on the model somewhere. This means each __may__ have its own subheading, or sometimes you will want to combine them into 1 sub heading since it’s best to discuss them together

You are not required to make a sub-heading for every ability, for some models and their abilities this creates a mess. Sometimes a whole section may just be best discussed all at once, blending everything together under the heading and completely ignoring the subheadings. Only do this if it isn’t going to be longer than one screen and if breaking it up would make it harder to read and comprehend.

Remember, Sub headings do not just have to be about a single Ability, they can also be about a concept.

Also be aware that any text in any of the Heading fonts will appear in the Table of Contents. So if you wish to make a Subheading that you think does not need to be in the Table of Contents, just add some spaces and bold the text you want to use for your heading. See the Som’er Teeth article for good examples of this.

Basically, use common sense and group things so that they are easy to read, easy to comprehend, don’t spam the table of contents, and are grouped logically. A good rule of thumb is, if a section will only have 1 Sub Heading, you probably don’t need a Sub Heading at all.

Note: All subheadings are Heading3 font.

**Subheading Names**
Try to keep them as short as possible. The wrap on the Table of Contents is not very good and is often hard to distinguish a wrapped link from the next one in the list.

**Heading Font Types Warning**
Be aware, everything made with a Heading Font will appear in the Table of Contents on the side of the page. So while we want you to break things up like this, don’t use the Heading text for any other purpose then declaring Headings and Subheadings! If you want to make something look like a Heading/Subheading, but not actually appear in the Table of Contents, you can use the standard Font controls to change the size, underline, bold, etc. This way the ToC won’t get cluttered, but the style of the wiki will be maintained.

=**Captialization, Game Terms, Etc**=
 * **Ability** Names: Capitalized, put in Bold
 * **Action** Names: Capitalized, put in Bold.
 * Model Names: Capitalized, short hand for them is ok in an article (ie Madness for Insidious Madness).
 * Game Terms: Capitalized, spelled exactly how they are in the Rules Manual/Model’s rules.(ie: Soulstone not Soul Stone)
 * Abbreviations: Must match how they appear in the Rules Manual/Model’s rules. (ie: Ca not CA.)
 * **Conditions**: Capitalized, put in Bold.
 * //Triggers//: Capitalized, put in italics

Note: Just to be 100% clear, Capitalize refers to Capitalizing the First Letter in each of the words. Ex: The Box Opens.

=**Model's Names and Linking**= In each Section and Sub Section, __at least__ the first time a model's name is given it should be made into a link to that model's page. If the subsection is large, it may be a good idea to make each instance of a model's name in it a link. It is up to the author/editor. Ensure that model link are directed towards the proper M2E pages.

=**When to use Bold/Underline**= Use Bold or Underline font when you want to grab someone’s attention, make a point even more intensely, or are doing a reminder about something.

=**Special Characters and Page Names**= Try to make them as short as possible while still conveying their meaning. Also avoid the use of special characters, these are incredibly bothersome and cause a wealth of problems we don’t need to deal with. But beyond the page names, feel free to use them.

For example, don’t use the ê for Bete Noire page name, just use a regular e.

When creating a new page for a model please start it with M2E+. For example M2E+Bayou+Gremlin. This makes it easier to distinguish 2e pages from 1e ones.

=**Fine Line: Facts vs. Flavor**= This is probably the hardest part of working on a page to get right. We are trying to create a balance of facts vs. flavor. This means that a page has to present all the relevant information about a model, the strategies, advice, etc in a readable manner but we also want this to be more than a reference site. So we want to interject a bit of humor and personality to what is written, which is often why many pages are written from Second Person view and that you will see little humorous, or dare I say witty, things thrown around.

Basically the best advice when writing a new page is to write as if you were telling someone about the model. Keep the almost conversational tone while still clearly presenting the facts, because those facts are what people come here looking for. If you go too far with the flavor, you start getting a really muddy article where the facts are farther and farther between or disguised as flavor which makes them even harder to find. But if you use too little, it ends up very dry and becomes just a presentation of the facts.


 * When in doubt:** go more on the facts and less on the flavor. It’s easier to correct too little flavor then it is to correct too much.

If you are unsure about this, please write as you think best and make a post in the discussion section asking for others to look it over.

=**Editorializing**= Or simply giving your opinion as if it was a fact. Yes nearly everyone is guilty of this from time and time but when working on an article here you need to be very careful of it. The main place this pops up is in statements such as "Model X is more complex then model Y". While there may be some truth to this, it is still your opinion. You have to be especially careful of this when declaring the power level of a model (if you aim to do that in an article). It is MUCH better to go into detail about the model and let people decide for themselves how powerful the model really is. So sweeping statements like "Model X is the most powerful/broken model in the game" are completely unacceptable. This is a wiki dedicated to tactics and helping players learn their masters, not anyone's personal soap box.

We realize it is hard to avoid this so we are more then willing to be flexible and some times it's hard to avoid. In cases where you really want to make mention of a widely held opinion, the simple phrase "In the opinion of many players..." will often be enough. The whole point is to declare flat out that this is an opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt.

=**Questions**= If you have any questions or concerns about the style guide, please open a discussion on this page and say your piece. Or contact MisterShine, Rathnard or Osoi