Wurmpedia editing handbook

Guidelines

The Wurmpedia is a resource used by new and experienced players alike. It is typically the first place a new player will turn when they want to understand something. As such, we want the Wurmpedia to be as organized, accurate, and user-friendly as possible. These are some guidelines in place to help us all keep the Wurmpedia to a high standard.

Stylistic Guide

• Please use correct spelling and do not use slang, 'txtspk' or 'leet speak'. Example: 'You need to', not 'U need 2'.
• Spelling in Wurm is a strange and diverse mix of UK and US spelling. However, the Wurmpedia must conform to the game, not what we feel is the “right way”. So armour, but favor.
• If you aren't a spelling and grammar pro, use a spell checker. (IE FF Opera).
• Excluding proper nouns, words in page titles should not be capitalized. Use "Small metal shield" or "small metal shield"^[1], and not "Small Metal Shield". Also, don't capitalize nouns in the middle of sentences, unless they're proper nouns.
• Don't use underscores in links - you don't need them! Example: [[item creation]] is equivalent to [[item_creation]], and looks twice as neat.
• Use wikitext instead of HTML when possible. Example: * lists instead of <br> lists
• Use the categories and templates when appropriate. Look at a similar page and see what it uses for hints.
• Use [[links]] when referring to other pages (refrain from linking the same page multiple times in the same article.)
• Avoid personal bias when editing. When in doubt, take it to the talk page.
• Do not post suggestions. They belong in the forums or on IRC - not here.

Breadcrumbs

Please try to keep the breadcrumbs at the top of each page. In the Complete Database it is done like this:

[[CDB|Main]] / [[Example Page 1]] / '''{{PAGENAME}}'''

and in the rest of the wiki like this:

[[Main Page]] :: [[Example Page 3]] :: '''{{PAGENAME}}'''

Weights and measures

When indicating crafting materials, please be as explicit as possible.

For items with only one possible size (same weight, no combine), note the number of items needed with the suffix 'x', e.g. "15x stone brick". If the item can be reduced in weight (e.g. shaft), also include the minimum weight possible for use. For other items specify the total weight needed and avoid listing the "normal" number of items used.

If the craft has separate 'create' and 'continue' phases, it may be useful to specify the materials separately as well. Use case: The create step consumes an entire item regardless of weight, while continue only subtracts a specific weight amount per step.

For the English portion of the wiki, please use a decimal point (period) when referring to fractional numbers. Always specify weights with two decimal places. This avoids ambiguity between "item has integer weight" and "didn't bother to check exact weight".

Namespaces

What is a namespace?

A namespace is a section of the wiki dedicated to different sorts of topics or functionalities. They help organize the wiki and keep things easy to follow and understand. All namespaces begin with the namespace’s name followed by a colon, except for the main namespace. For example, Template:ItemBox is in the Template namespace.

What namespaces are there?

Namespace	Usage	Permissions
Category	Used in creating lists of similar items. To add an article to a category, add to the bottom of the article, and the category will list it!	Editor+
File	Where images are stored	Assistant+
Guides	For writing guides on anything Wurm Online related - contains as much bias as wanted! All Guides namespace pages must have a {{guide}} template tag at the top (adds a disclaimer saying it is a player guide that is not staff maintained etc)	All
Help	Not really used, but contains (little) info on how to edit	Editor+
Historical	Wurm Online actual PAST mechanics	Editor+
Lore	Used to write stories that players want others to know about	All
Main	Wurm Online actual mechanics	Editor+
MediaWiki	Contains wiki interface options; Manager only	Admin+
Player	Players can write about their character here (or link to user page - typically, they tend to link their user page to their player page) - Note: Current owner of the account owns the player page, so if an account is sold, the account owner takes over	All
Settlement	Users can write about their settlements here. Must have permission from the Mayor to write (not monitored unless a complaint arises)	All
Talk	Discuss information found on the article	All
Template	Templates - Used when having the same information on multiple pages. Gives articles a specific look or text.	Editor+
User	Wurmpedia account page - Users can write about themselves here	All
Wurmpedia	Information about the wiki, including wiki roles	Admin+

Main namespace

The main namespace contains articles regarding current mechanics. Pages in the main namespace do not have any label in front of the article name. EG: “Onion” is in the main namespace, “Historical:Onion” would be in the Historical namespace. More information on namespaces is in the next section. Here are guidelines for the main namespace: Current information only (past functionality belongs in the Historical namespace) Avoid the use of the words: current, now, used to, will, etc. Avoid dates for when a feature was implemented. Users can check the edit log or the patch notesif they want to know when a feature was added. Known true information only (unknown information can be written on the article’s Talk page) Avoid the use of the words: probably, should, might, seems to, etc. Information may only be tested on Wurm Online, not Wurm Unlimited. You may use Wurm Unlimited to get an idea of what to do to test facts in Wurm Online as long as the information has been confirmed on Wurm Online. Keep information as clear and simple as possible. A table of what every skill level and tool quality affects is not necessary. The wiki does not contain any recipes. Recipes are meant to be discoverable by players, and players have other means to acquire help with their cooking questions.