Help:Contents/Creating & Editing Articles

Welcome to TCRF! Please read these guidelines before you start editing.

What information can I add?
Add this stuff.

Don't add this stuff.*


 * * Some exceptions apply.
 * ** If the information you want to add can be found in many other games on the same platform, it likely doesn't need to be documented here.

Who owns the information?
Nobody owns the information written here. TCRF is a community-based wiki. Anyone can write, fix, change, or contribute to articles. Don't be surprised when other users edit an article you've written to improve its accuracy and clarity, fix grammar, spelling, or formatting issues, or add more information.

If you want to start work on an article, but you aren't ready for other people to edit it, you can put it on a subpage in your User Space. Pages in your User Space will not be edited by others. You can move your article onto the main part of the wiki and open it to contributions when you feel ready. Visit User Spaces for more information.

Disputes and Edit Wars
Please don't undo other people's edits unless you feel that they have made a clear mistake. This includes edits that make the text of a page ambiguous or misleading or remove technical details. If you encounter this situation...


 * 1) Undo the edit.
 * 2) * Never undo changes made by an admin.
 * 3) Write your reason for undoing the edit in the article's Edit Summary box.
 * 4) * This box can be found underneath the main Edit box.
 * 5) * Be polite in your explanation.

If you have continuing problems with another user, or you want to discuss an edit, write a civil message on an admin's Talk page explaining the issue. If you don't understand how Talk pages work, visit User Spaces for more information.

Admin Talk Pages:
 * BMF54123
 * devin
 * Divingkataetheweirdo
 * Einstein95
 * GlitterBerri
 * GoldS
 * Inuyasha
 * RahanAkero
 * Rick
 * Sanky
 * Vague Rant
 * Xkeeper
 * zerojay

Other Rules
Speculation:

Avoid speculation in the articles. Ensure that there is evidence for your assertions.

Editorializing:

Don't harshly criticize a game just because you don't like it. Other readers might disagree.

Humor:

You are welcome to use a bit of humor in your writing. However...


 * Don't edit an article or image caption just to add humor.
 * Don't overdo it. The focus of TCRF is information, not wit.
 * Don't be offensive. Do be politically correct.

Using the Terms Alpha & Beta:

The terms "alpha" and "beta" are often misused, so we discourage their use on the wiki. Use "early", "prototype", or "unused" instead.


 * The only exception to this rule is when a game is specifically labeled an "alpha" or "beta" by the developer/publisher. For example, a public beta test of a PC game like Minecraft. If the game is actually an alpha or beta version, please add a note on the game's Talk page and in the Edit Summary box so your edits are not mistakenly corrected.

Creating Articles
Follow the steps below to begin creating an article. Only create an article if you have information to put on it. Don't make placeholder articles for games with no discoveries yet.


 * 1) Search TCRF to see if someone has already made an article for the game.
 * 2) * You can use the Search box on the left sidebar, or click here.
 * 3) If there are no results, you will see a link that says "Create the page on this wiki!"
 * 4) * (Example)
 * 5) Click the red link, and you will arrive at an edit screen where you can begin creating your article.
 * 6) * (Example)
 * 7) Use the "Show preview" button below the Edit Summary box to preview your changes before clicking "Save page".
 * 8) * Please try to add or edit as much as possible before saving the page so you don't spam the Recent Changes page and IRC channel with notifications.
 * 9) Use the Edit Summary box to describe what you added or edited.
 * 10) * Example: "Added debug menu screenshot."

Titles
When choosing a title...


 * 1) Use the proper name for the game.
 * 2) * Example: The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess
 * 3) However, if a game has a long title or subtitle, you can shorten it.
 * 4) * Example: "The Flintstones - The Rescue of Dino & Hoppy" can be shortened to "The Flintstones".
 * 5) Conventional abbreviations are also OK.
 * 6) * Example: "Super Mario Brothers 3" can be titled "Super Mario Bros. 3".
 * 7) If there is more than one version of the game, add the system to the title.
 * 8) * Example: Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)
 * 9) Use the American title for the game.
 * 10) * Example: The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time
 * 11) If the game was not released in the USA, use the Japanese title.
 * 12) * Example: BS Zelda - Inishie no Sekiban
 * 13) If the game was released in Europe but not the USA, use the European title.
 * 14) * Example: Mr. Gimmick

Redirects
Sometimes a game has more than one commonly-known name. For example, Doubutsu no Mori was only released in Japan, but English-speaking fans call the game Animal Forest. You can create a redirect, so people searching for "Animal Forest" will get to the article for Doubutsu no Mori. Add the following code to an article to create a redirect:

For example, you can add #REDIRECT Animal Forest to the Doubutsu no Mori page.

However, it is usually unnecessary and should be used sparingly.-->

Descriptions
Please put a short description of the game at the top of every article. TCRF does not require detailed summaries. A sentence is enough. If readers want to learn more about a game, they can visit Wikipedia.

Example:

Lufia II is an RPG for the SNES. It is actually a prequel to the first game in the series.

Bobs
Every article (except for articles about prototype games) needs a bob. A bob is a column with information about the game, including when it was released, its publisher, developer, and what kind of unused and debug content can be found on the article.

To create a bob, copy the code below and change the information to match your game. If your game doesn't have unused graphics, for example, simply delete the |graphics= yes line. You can see an example on the right.

If a game was released in two or more calendar years (such as 2011 and 2012), add |nocat=true to the later release dates.

Uploading Title Screens
Bobs need a picture of the game's title screen. Because you can't use box art or watermarked images from other websites, you will have to upload one. Title screenshots need to be taken with an emulator or in-game screenshot function at the game's native resolution. Visit Images for more information.

If you cannot take a title screenshot, delete this code from the bob:

The article will be added to the Missing Title Screen category. You can see an example on the right. Below is the code used to create this example.

No Title Screen
If the game has no title screen, delete this code:

Then, add this code:

You can see an example on the right. Below is the code used to create this example.

Arcade Games
If the game is an arcade game, delete this code from the bob:

Then, add this code:

You can see an example on the right. Below is the code used to create this example.

BIOS Pages
If the article is about a BIOS, it will need a title screen, title, developer, publisher, system, release date, and a list of what unused content it contains. You can see an example on the right. Below is the code used to create this example.

Uploading & Formatting Images/Video/Audio
Please see Uploading Files for more information.

Spacing Issues


If text isn't wrapping properly around bobs, images, or embedded videos, use a

tag to force unrelated content below them. I have used a

tag at end of this section to prevent the text in the Subpages section below from wrapping around the image on the right.

Subpages
If a game has a lot of content from a certain category (i.e., unused items), you can create a separate Subpage for the category so the main article doesn't get too full. First, you will need to create a section for Subpages, like we've done here. (Visit Sections for more information.) Then, add this code below the section name:

You will also need to add a thumbnail image that is relevant to your Subpage. The result will look like this:

The name of the Subpage will be a red link. Click the name to start editing the Subpage.

Sections
You can divide an article's content into sections. If you have 3 or more sections, an index will be automatically created at the top of the page. The section you are reading is called "Sections".

Sub-Headers
Sections can be divided into Subsections by using sub-headers.

Result:

Example
It's easy!

Text Formatting
A guide to basic text formatting on the wiki.

Bold
To bold text, place three apostrophes before and after the text that you want to be bolded.

Always use bold text for controller buttons and D-Pad/joystick movements:


 * Press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A to make your vehicle explode.

Italics
To italicize text, place two apostrophes before and after the text that you want to be italicized.

Always italicize game titles:


 * This spiritual successor to Vehicle Race Excellent was developed entirely on a ZX Spectrum, in only three weeks' time, on a budget of exactly three cans of SpaghettiOs.

Bold + Italics
To bold and italicize text, place five apostrophes before and after the text that you want to be bolded and italicized.

Always bold and italicize a game title when it appears in its own article description:


 * Jalopy Run Wonderful is a futuristic 3D racing game, and a prime example of what happens when you simply don't give a crap.

Hex Values & Codes
Use the code below when writing hexadecimal values (ROM addresses, Gameshark codes, etc.) in your article:

Don't forget to note which version of the game your code is for, if there is more than one version.

Links
To create a link, place square brackets around the URL. Try not to add red links to pages.

Adding Links to Text:

To add links to text, use the following code:

Linking TCRF Pages:

When you want to link pages or files on TCRF, use this code:

Example:

Linking Categories:

When you want to link categories on TCRF, use this code:

Example:

Tables
To create a table, use the following code:


 * }

Result:

Lists
To create a list, use # :

To add subpoints to your lists, use * :

Boxes
Create boxes around your text with   tags:

Citing Sources
If your information is from other websites or users, you can credit them with the tag:

Adding Categories
If you need to add a page to more than one category, use this code:

Series Templates
TCRF has articles about many games from many different series. If you create an article about a game from a popular series, add a tag to the bottom of your article:

Result:

Don't add unlicensed or fan-made games to series templates.
 * Exception: Ports licensed by the original creator of the game but not licensed by the console manufacturer; specifically:
 * Tengen's unlicensed NES games for Atari, Namco, and Sega; though they are not licensed by Nintendo, they are licensed by Atari, Namco, and Sega, and thus qualify
 * Accolade/Ballistic's unlicensed Genesis ports of computer games and the first Double Dragon title, for the same reason

Tags
You can attach tags to your article in order to alert readers about things that need to be done.

Work in Progress
This tag shows that someone is still actively working on an article. However, it does not prevent others from contributing. Anyone is free to edit articles on the wiki, even if they are still under construction. If you are not ready for other users to contribute to your article, put it on a subpage in your User Space until you are ready to move it to the main wiki. For more information, visit User Sub-Pages.

Article Talk Pages
Every article has a Talk page. Here, users can discuss the article's content, bring up concerns, or ask questions. You can find the Talk page by visiting an article and clicking on the "discussion" tab to the right of the "Page" tab at the top left of the screen.

(Example)

If the word "discussion" is red, that means that no one has written on the page yet and you will be brought to an edit screen.

Rules
Article Talk pages are not for arguing with other users. If you are having problems with someone, visit Handling Disputes for more information.

Don't alter the content of an article's Talk page. This includes deleting comments.

Leaving Comments
To write on an article's Talk Page use the following format:

Writing four tildes ( --~ ) attaches your signature and a timestamp to your comment, so other users will know who wrote it and when. --GlitterBerri 21:32, 25 December 2012 (EST)

Replying
You can reply to people's comments by using a : in front of your response. It will automatically indent your reply.

Comments can be indented further by adding more colons.

Article Note Pages
Note pages can be created to keep track of or share information with other users. They are used for hacking notes or to record small details that aren't noteworthy enough to include in the main article.

(Example)

To create a note page:


 * 1) Go to http://tcrf.net/Notes:Game_Name (Example)
 * 2) You will see a page with the words "There is currently no text in this page. You can search for this page title in other pages, search the related logs, or edit this page."
 * 3) Click the words "edit this page" or the "create" tab at the top to start editing.

If a game has a Notes page, the sentence "This game has a notes page" will automatically appear on the article's bob.

(Example)