Help:Contents/Rules & Guidelines

This is a sub-page of Help:Contents.

Please read these guidelines before you start editing.

Subpages

Leaks

What information can I add?

Add This Stuff

1. Unused content still present in the game.

   • Example: Unused characters, enemies, levels, items, objects, cutscenes, music, sounds, text, textures, animations, models, abilities, game modes, and code.

2. Debug functions.

   • Example: Debug menus, audio debuggers, and level selects.

3. Leaked prototype games.

   • Example: The Half-Life 2 Prototype and the Ocarina of Time Debug ROM.

4. Differences between released versions.

   • Example: Documenting the regional differences between the Japanese and American releases of a game. Documenting the revisional differences between the two versions of a game from the same region.
   • Exception: Multiple ports to a platform, from different developers.

5. Hidden content.

   • Example: Hidden developer messages, developer credits, development text, bonus content, disc dummy files, uncompiled source code, interesting anti-piracy.

6. Content that is no longer accessible due to an online service shutting down.

   • Example: A level that was only accessible while playing online.
   • Exception: Server-side content that is removed from any MMO is not valid for documentation as it can no longer be verified.

7. Sources for unsourced information.

   • Example: If you see information on a page that isn't cited properly, see if you can track down a source for it. If none exists, or the reliability of the source is in question, it should be removed. When in doubt, use the development article's talk page to discuss the matter with other editors.

8. File paths for material described.

   • Example: When adding information about particular files, it can be useful to add a full path to where the file was found, including its file name.

9. Secrets/Easter eggs.

   • Examples:
     • Secrets that took many years to be discovered
     • Secrets that require button inputs
     • Secrets with obscure actions required
     • Secrets with obscure setup required
     • Secrets that are so obscure they'd only be noticed by going through editors
     • Secret developer credits
     • Parts of the game that aren't meant to be secret, but have unrealistic requirements to ever be seen in normal gameplay
     • Recurring easter eggs over multiple games
   • Exception: Easter eggs that are merely references to other games.

Don't Add This Stuff

1. Prerelease screenshots & videos.

   (Unless you're making a Prerelease page, in which case, you're looking at the wrong set of rules.)
   • Exceptions:
     • A prerelease screenshot or video that shows how something that can still be found in the game's code was originally going to be used.

2. Unreleased games and prototypes for which no publicly-available ROM or disc image exists.

3. Games that have at least one announced release date, but have not been officially released yet.

4. Glitches.

   (Unless you're making a Bug page, in which case, you're looking at the wrong set of rules.)
   • Exceptions:
     • A glitch that has been fixed or introduced in a different version of a game.
     • A glitch that grants players access to unused or debug content.

5. Cheat codes.

   • Exceptions:
     • A code that grants players access to unused or debug content.
     • Level select or sound test codes.
     • Other cheat codes which are newly discovered and not published anywhere else.

6. Minor publisher, logo, or copyright/licensing changes between regions, like changing/adding ©, ™ or ® symbols.

   • Games are frequently published in different regions with different laws regarding copyrights and trademarks. Minor changes (such as adding or changing these symbols) aren't worth adding. Any substantial changes outside of that are fair game, though, like spelling fixes, screen layout changes, or design differences.

7. Common SDK and compiler strings.

   • Check the Common Things page for more details.
   • Exceptions:
     • Strings that contain unique comments, developer credits, or other noteworthy information.
     • However, 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.

8. Media, Manual, and Goody checks.

   • Although these are forms of anti-piracy, there are way too many games with these, and documenting all of them would just clutter up the wiki.
   • Exceptions:
     • A game that checks for an authentic game copy and modifies gameplay if one attempts to subvert these checks.

9. "Unused" alternate language settings/files for games that saw an official release in those languages.

   • Exceptions:
     • Languages that never saw an official release.
     • Significant differences between used and unused versions of the same translation.

10. Content that was later made available as DLC.

    • Exceptions:
      • Content that was modified or updated before being released as DLC.

11. Games of a highly/extremely pornographic, racist, or otherwise immoral nature.

    • When in doubt, use the talk pages or ask on IRC or Discord. That's the best way to resolve whether or not a game should be added.

12. Internal lists of prohibited words and terms.

    • Games with online and/or multiplayer aspects often contain lists of words and terms that cannot be used (typically when registering a player or character name).
    • Exceptions:
      • Word lists that are not actually used by the game.
      • Words that trigger some kind of notable response or Easter egg in the game (example: the NES port of RodLand).

13. Speculation that lacks strong evidence.

    • Background information on content can be scarce, making it difficult to comment on screenshots and footage without including some degree of speculation. Clearly denote speculation and information from non-official sources, so readers won't mix up fan observations with official info.

14. Unsourced information.

    • To ensure an article's accuracy, all information should be derived from reliable sources, and properly attributed via source or reference tags.

15. Fan theories and rumours.

    • Fan theories and unverified rumours should be avoided entirely, unless there exists strongly compelling evidence to support them. Once again, unofficial information should be clearly denoted as such.

16. Hidden content from your own recently-released games.

    • Including hidden content in your games specifically for the purpose of documenting it on TCRF at release time robs players of the joy of uncovering your secrets. If you want something to be found, tease its existence to fans, then wait a few years before adding it if no one has succeeded in discovering it yet.

17. User-generated content.

    • TCRF is not a place to advertise your own content. This includes videos and sites not directly related to the material covered here.

18. Hacks.

    • Please don't add information about hacks of games created by you or others (e.g. a hack of Super Mario World with modified levels). This does not mean you can't use modified commercial games to help you discover content in them, e.g. enabling a debug menu by editing the ROM. If you're not sure, ask an admin.
    • Exceptions:
      • Commercially released bootleg ROM hacks based on other commercially released licensed games (example). In this case, they fall under the unlicensed games category and they have to be treated as such, with the only exception of omitting from their page all the unused content that is already found in the game they are based on.

19. Multiple screenshots or videos depicting the same thing.

    • In many cases, only one screenshot or video clip is needed to illustrate something that was changed or deleted. Choose wisely.

20. Placeholder pages.

    • Do not add pages with no content in the article, waiting for someone else to add it. Pages should include content when made. If you want to make a WIP page that might not be up to scratch, feel free to create and work on it here.

Amateur games

You may add amateur games to the wiki subject to the above rules, as well as the following:

1. If you are a developer or were involved in the production of the game, you must say so by adding a {{source|Joe User (developer)}} tag to any information you add.
2. You may not create an article for a game that is currently being advertised on the wiki.
3. As stated above, articles about hacks (patches or modifications made to a pre-existing game) are not allowed.
4. Hidden shoutouts to TCRF are not to be documented.

Fan games

1. Fan games may be added to the wiki, but they require explicit admin approval before they may be created. Please contact an admin before creating an article about a fan game.
2. This includes Scratch and Roblox user creations.

Who owns the information?

Please see the Ownership of Information page.

Editing Guidelines

Grammar/Spelling

Endeavor to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation at all times. Some mistakes are forgivable, especially if English is not your first language, but please do your best to check over your writing before you save the page!

If you're terrible at spelling and grammar, try pasting the text you write into a word processor or an online spellchecker like SpellCheckPlus before submitting it to TCRF. It will help you fix it up!

Speculation

Avoid adding speculation to articles. If you don't actually know how something was supposed to have been used, don't just make something up, even if it seems to make sense to you. Ensure that there is evidence for your assertions. Also, please do not make speculations based on fan-made works.

However, if you're extremely convinced that you've figured something out that nobody else has, feel free to add your information to the article's talk page.

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, intro, or image caption just to add or change humor.
• Don't overdo it. The focus of TCRF is information, not wit.
• Don't be offensive. Do be considerate of others.
  • That being said, our editors are mature and we expect as much from our readers. Some articles may contain humor or language that is not suitable for all ages; please do not change our editors' word choices for the sake of censorship. If you feel an article is overly offensive or highly inconsiderate, feel free to notify an administrator.
  • Please note that your attempts to be funny by referencing genitalia or sex are not witty or funny and are not welcome here, ever.

"Alpha" and "Beta"

Terms such as "alpha" and "beta" refer to specific points within a game's development cycle. These are commonly (mis)used to refer to all early or unused content in games (e.g. "beta levels"). Since it is often impossible to determine which point in development said content is actually from, we discourage the use of these terms on the wiki. Please use the more generic terms "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.

"NTSC" and "PAL"

These are (now obsolete) analog television standards. Please do not use these terms when referring to the country or region a game was released in, as there can be multiple region- or country-specific versions of the same game that use the same video standard. This even goes for PlayStation 1 and 2 titles, where the country or region is preferred over designations such as 'NTSC-J', 'NTSC-U' and 'PAL'.

• These terms should never be applied to portable systems that did not use analog television standards in the first place!

Platform Tagging

Only add platforms in the bob section for which you have researched and verified. For example, do not assume that unused content in a Nintendo 64 game is also present in its PlayStation counterpart without checking the actual PlayStation data.

When creating a page for a game that was released on multiple platforms, make the page title specific to the version or versions you have researched. For example, if you have only done research on the PlayStation Vita version of Borderlands 2, the page title should be Borderlands 2 (PlayStation Vita).

Cheat Codes and Hacks

For safety's sake, please list the RAM address(es) to edit and which values these should be changed to. If a ROM hack is required to make something work, note which hex address(es) to edit and which changes should be done at those address(es).

When posting codes for cheating devices like Action Replay and GameShark, note which device the code is for. If multiple releases of a cheat device or program exist (e.g. Action Replay v2 and Action Replay v3 on the Game Boy Advance), please note which version the code is for. Make sure these codes work on the real platform and reasonably accurate emulators.

Multiple Edits

When working on a page, instead of committing multiple small edits in a row, please use the Show preview button at the bottom of the wikitext box to preview your changes. When you're satisfied with how everything looks, press the Save page button. To make site administration easier, we have a bot in our Discord channel that reports every page edit in real-time, and "spamming" page edits on the wiki only serves to fill the channel (and clogs the recent changes log to boot).

Vandalism

Vandalizing any part of the wiki (e.g. replacing valid information with gibberish/irrelevant text, spamming useless pages) will result in an immediate and permanent ban. If you have a problem with something, talk to an administrator; don't take out your aggression on our articles!

Translation

Do not use machine translators under any circumstances, including those supplied by several popular search engines. Please do not remove or move the location of translation tags either, especially for articles already marked for translation. Removing these can result in existing translations having problems when the article is marked for translation again after being updated.

Please see our page on translation rules for detailed guidelines on translations.

URL Shorteners

Please do not use URL shorteners under any circumstances. In many cases, these tend to last only a short period of time before being replaced with another URL to redirect to. These also make it hard to determine the source behind the material, should it go down for any reason.

Romanization

To do: Expand and correct this section further. This is a very incomplete section that needs a lot of fine-tuning.

Try to maintain the stylistic choices for the game's title.

Japanese

This wiki generally prefers to use Traditional Hepburn for the titles and the pages.

When 'は' is used as a subject marker, it's romanized as 'wa' rather than 'ha'. 'ヘ' and 'を' are transliterated as 'he' and 'wo' respectively. Don't use macrons for long vowels (e.g. using kyou and kyoo for きょう and きょお instead of kyō) in the page titles. Instead, spell out the kana (e.g. kyou for きょう and kyoo for きょお). This is both to make it easier for users with keyboards without the ability to type in macrons and to make the spelling as close to the original language as possible. Use 'n' in all cases for ん. When it appears before a vowel or y, an apostrophe (') is used to separate them.

For しゃ and じゃ, these are romanized as 'sha' and 'ja' respectively.

For loanwords written in katakana, use the spelling from the language it was borrowed from (e.g. ロマンス is 'Romance').

Chinese

Use the Pinyin system for both titles and pages.

Korean

Use the Revised Romanization of Korean.

Greek

Use ALA-LC for both article titles and transliterations of text.

Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian

Use GOST 7.79-2000 for game names.

Serbian

Like Bosnian and Croatian, Gaj's Latin Alphabet is used.

Macedonian

ISO 9 (1995) is used for game titles and transliterations.

Bulgarian

Use the 2013 BGN/PCGN romanization for both article titles and transliterations of text.

Arabic

Use ALA-LC for both article titles and transliterations of text.

Hebrew

Use the 2006 Academy of the Hebrew Language romanization system

Persian

Use the 2012 romanization system from Encyclopædia Iranica.

Armenian

Use the 1981 BGN/PCGN romanization for both article titles and transliterations of text. This goes for both Eastern and Western variants.

Georgian

Use the 2002 national system for transliterating game titles.

Thai

Use ISO 11940 for both titles and pages.

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.
   • ...But never undo changes made by an admin. If you disagree with an administrator's changes, bring it up on the article's talk page.
2. Write your reason for undoing the edit in the article's Edit Summary box.
   • This box can be found underneath the main Edit box.
   • Be polite in your explanation.

Handling Disputes

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 Talk Pages for more information.

Getting Banned

If you break the rules, make too many irrelevant edits, or have a nasty attitude, you may find yourself facing a ban. Remember, this wiki is privately run, and it's a privilege to be here, not a right.

Temporary Bans

Sometimes, bans are temporary. That means that they will expire after a set time, and you will be able to edit the wiki again. Think of the ban as a warning, try to understand what you did wrong, and change your behavior, or you may not be so lucky next time.

Permanent Bans

If your ban is permanent, that means you've done something very wrong, or you've been warned in the past but haven't changed your behavior. It's unlikely that a permanent ban will be overturned, but you can try waiting a few months and request a second chance if you can prove that you understand what you did wrong and that you will not make the same mistakes again.

Ban Evasion

Creating new accounts to circumvent a ban is prohibited. This will often result in your IP getting banned. That means you will never be welcome to participate at TCRF again. Don't do this.