RollerCoaster Tycoon Wiki:Manual of Style/Q&A

This Q&A page exists to answer some fundamental questions regarding the policies in the Manual of Style (MoS). Please remember that these answers may not fit in all circumstances; in cases where you are unsure what to do, please remember to use common sense in editing. If you have a question regarding the MoS or wish to discuss it, please go to the MoS discussion page.

Q: "Editors should italicize game titles;" Does this include RollerCoaster Tycoon or is this regarding outside sources?
 * A: Yes it does. It applies to anything which should be italicized, including game titles (such as RollerCoaster Tycoon).

Q: "Promptly remove, fix or address broken (red) links;" Is a page linking to RCT2 considered broken as it is linked to a redirect page?
 * A: No, though instead of linking to RCT2, it should instead link to RCT2 - This effect can be done using a vertical bar after the page address, as in this example:  RCT2  is displayed as RCT2.

Q: "Add available relevant pictures or images to articles that lack images;" What are the guidelines regarding pictures: upload only self created screenshots and if so, should the source be inserted?
 * A: If an image is a screenshot from the game, it is technically under copyright by Atari/Chris Sawyer. However, posting here would constitute fair use. Otherwise, if an image is taken from a copyrighted location (such as a 3rd party website), the copyright information should be included. If an image doesn't have any licensing information, it is subject to deletion. However, Wikia may have additional rules and information regarding images that this manual doesn't cover.

Q: "Editors should not take information from sources without properly citing the sources;" Only when taken from outside of the games, correct?
 * A: Short answer - yes. Long answer - it depends. If someone states information or facts, even if the information came from the games, then that person should provide some evidence to back it up unless there is community consensus that a statement is true. This is especially the case in articles that don't directly relate to the game, such as articles about real people; in this case, only facts cited from reputable sources will do.

Q: "In-game articles should... Adhere as closely as possible to other preexisting pages and templates;" What pages are considered the lead in disputes regarding non-template pages?
 * A: There is no specific page that serves as the guide, but in a case where many pages follow the same or a similar format (such as with scenarios), then a page fitting into that category should follow a similar format to the pages that came before it. As far as pages that don't follow a previous guide or template, the preferred layout would be one that is most logical and presents the information in the best way.

Q: Are we to change article names such as Car Ride and Hedge Maze to Car ride and Hedge maze, or are both words considered proper nouns?
 * A: There is no easy answer to this, but it may be easier to identify proper noun titles by doing this: Take the title of a page (such as Car Ride) and insert it into a sentence; if you would normally leave the name capitalized, then the Article Title should be capitalized too. If you would normally make it lowercase, then only the first word in the Title should be capitalized. In cases such as Chris Sawyer, the whole title is capitalized because it's the name of a person.

'''Q: Real-Life Articles- Shouldn't this policy apply to all pages, not just real life ones? Or do we consider in game articles are written using the games themselves as sources?'''
 * A: Using the terms Real-Life and In-Game is only meant to differentiate styles that may differ between articles focused on game content, and articles focused on the games themselves, or things outside of the games. Certainly, the game does serve as a good source of information about the game, but if a person is stating information that did not come from the game, then they should explain how or why they know, and show where the knowledge came from. That being said, most info from the game shouldn't need a citation.

Q: Differences in the English Language- Does this mean we can use British or American English, as long as it is consistent with the article?
 * A: Short answer - yes. The intent of the policy is that the whole Wiki does not need to conform to one single convention. If one page switches back and forth between conventions, it can tend to be a bit jarring to the reader, so it's best to write a page so that the entire page fits into one - it doesn't matter whether that 'one' is British/Commonwealth English or American (or other) English, just as long as it's uniform in the article.