User:Redshift/Methods

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First, a short list of usefulness:

On to the glibness!

Current settings[edit]

My personal editing functions* are set as thus:

In general[edit]

  • My language is dense. This is a personal habit.
  • In-game, I favor the flavorful. This is subjective.
  • Outside, I favor the thorough.
    • Not to be confused with Thoreau, of whom I've forgotten if I have an opinion on either way.
      • Thaw-roe? Really?
  • I use Oxford commas.
    • I use too many commas.
      • Nonetheless, I will still use the Oxford comma.
        • ANet uses the Oxford comma. Except when someone doesn't.
  • I use American spelling. Unless it's the word 'grey.'
  • I avoid textual contractions in outside text.
  • I put my periods and commas on the inside, because I'm down 'like that.'

In caps[edit]

  • For creatures and items, I currently abide by a balance between title case and sentence case.
    • Title case for page titles (again of specific things in-game) and enumeration.
      • Page titles are titles of pages. Page titles are also an external view of the use in-game.
        • Specifically, the page title is of 'the item: Loaf of Bread' or 'the mob: Brown Bear'.
      • Capitalization in-game is unlikely to change. In my guess, it just keeps things neat.
        • Otherwise it'd be Guild Wars 2: e. e. cummings.
      • By enumeration, I mean specific items in a list. Those items link to the page and the corresponding page titles. And, like in-game usage, it keeps things tidy.
    • Sentence case for text.
      • Textual usage is situated more from within the game; it is less mechanically oriented.
      • Mostly, common nouns are not capitalized.
        • Vegetable: No.
        • Animal: No.
        • Mineral: No.
        • Major-general, modern or not: Not unless it is a direct address or followed by a name.
  • Fun aside and exception: If following ornithological convention, something like Golden Moa, as a specific species of bird, would be capitalized.
  • Does Tyria even have binomial nomenclature?
  • For Wiki terms of mechanical use, capitalization of the first word per title.
    • This is for handy dandies like Harvesting sickle or Gathering tool—things that are part of our glossary but not codified in-game.
      • I think of it as the 'Garden shed' approach.
        • I could use a handy dandy.
  • This topic is unlikely to be resolved soon.
Want to know how others feel? Go here.

Creatures[edit]

  • Are not separately ranked. Veteran and champion distinctions, if any, are considered part of the 'basic' creature and not as a separate page.
  • Are capitalized in page creation, as above.
  • Are lowercase in text. A bat is a bat is a bat. Also, a crested macaque is not capitalized; why should a crested raptor be as such? Yes, I looked that up.
  • Are generally pluralized to begin the text.
    • Though the title is singular, the creature is not.
    • The creature shares its name and special abilities in a group.
    • An overall reference to all occurrences of the creature is a useful point of entry.
    • Unless it truly is a singular entity, at which it is further distinguished from a normal creature.
      • And it can keep its Veteran / Champion designation in the page title. Must've done something to earn it, I suppose.
    • Individual characteristics or behavior—description of a single member, like long walks on the beach, enjoys cuddling, etc—can follow afterwards.
  • Have special abilities enumerated separately. This is how it is expressed in-game, and it is cumbersome to reword and then force players to find.
    • Separately, and verbatim. That's right, cap it like it is, [sic] it like it should be.
  • Are placed in pluralized categories.

Places[edit]

  • Are finally consensus'ed out... at least, until someone else comes along, I suppose.
  • Are Region, Explorable zone, Area, and Point of Interest.
    • And sometimes y.
  • Zones are also maps.
    • Maps are tasty.
  • Are preferentially referred to as is, favoring 'in Gendarran Fields', as opposed to 'in the Gendarran Fields':
    • Place names are formal names for a specific place.
      • It's like when talking about a person. 'John' is not 'The John'. That's really quite different. Nor is John 'a John'. Although one time...
      • ...Hmm. Maybe that's not relevant. Back on track!
    • Area names do officially exist as 'The Blankenblank.' 'The Lawen Ponds,' for example. Adding in 'the' to formal names—as one could easily do for many places—seems extraneous.
    • No, not even the game is consistent about this, nor will I be a hawk about it...
      • ...so long as subject-verb agreement is made in accordance.
  • Exceptions are made for mountains and rivers. 'The Witherflank' is fine. As fine as something called 'Witherflank' can be. Think about it.
    • Don't go swimming there.
    • Otherwise, sparing usage of the 'the' should assist in distinguishing an area. For example, the Dragonbrand.

*This page is intended as a somewhat fluffy explanation of why I might have made an edit in the way I did, and to document my own approach. It is not meant to be a standard guide. However, should one find my efforts to be seriously unsound, do drop me a line.