Editing PotterCraft:Wiki Guidelines

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<div class="page-header-box">
    <h1>PotterCraft Wiki Contributor Guidelines</h1>
    <p>Welcome to the wiki! This article contains standards, conventions, and best practices for contributing to this wiki.</p>
    <p>If you're unsure about anything, feel free to ask! And you're more than welcome to click edit on a page if you want to see how it's formatted.</p>
</div>

== 1. General Principles & Tone ==
The PotterCraft Wiki serves as the official community archive and gameplay encyclopedia. When writing or editing articles, please keep the following principles in mind:

* Articles should be written from a neutral, third-person perspective (e.g., ''"Players obtain cards by..."'' rather than ''"You get cards by..."'' or ''"I bought cards by..."'').
* Focus on practical information, clear steps, and accurate numbers. Avoid unnecessary filler.
* When documenting staff members, lore, or past events, keep descriptions respectful, factual, and community-focused.

== 2. Content Accuracy & Server Canon ==
* Only document features, spells, commands, and rules that exist or historically existed on PotterCraft.
* While community-driven events and historical server lore (such as tournaments, PvP wars/kingdoms, and such) are encouraged, completely fabricated fan-fiction or rumors should not be documented as server canon.
* Do not document instructions on how to perform active server crashes, duplication glitches, or economy exploits. If a known bug is being patched, discuss the historical context without providing reproduction steps.

== 3. Standard Formatting & Templates ==
To maintain visual consistency across all articles, use the server's standard template library.

This library will continue to grow as the wiki evolves. If you find yourself repeating a certain style of formatting, consider making a template out of it to save yourself (and others!) time.

=== Event & Tournament Pages ===
For tournaments, and events, place the <code><nowiki>{{Infobox Event}}</nowiki></code> template at the top-right of the article:

<pre>
{{Infobox Event
| title       = First Triwizard Tournament
| image       = Triwizard_2016.png
| caption     = The opening ceremony at the lake
| date        = August 2016
| location    = Hogwarts Castle & Arena
| winner      = PlayerName
| organizer   = StaffName
| reward      = Triwizard Trophy & 500 House Points
}}
</pre>

=== Feature & System Pages ===
For custom plugins, gameplay mechanics, and collectibles, use the <code><nowiki>{{Infobox Feature}}</nowiki></code> template:

<pre>
{{Infobox Feature
| name        = Wizard Cards
| image       = Cards_Preview.png
| release     = 2016
| category    = Collectibles
| status      = Active
}}
</pre>

=== Section Headings & Hierarchy ===
Always use proper MediaWiki heading syntax rather than bold text for headings:
* <code>== Section Heading ==</code> (Level 2 - Main article sections)
* <code>=== Subsection Heading ===</code> (Level 3 - Sub-topics within a section)
* <code>==== Topic Heading ====</code> (Level 4 - Minor subdivisions)

If you use the visual editor (strongly recommended), make sure you select the correct heading tier from the "Paragraph" dropdown.

== 4. Screenshot & Media Standards ==
Visual documentation makes articles significantly easier to follow:

* If uploading screenshots of events or things in-game, press <code>F1</code> to hide your hand, crosshair, and chat for clean, cinematic presentation.
* When uploading images, give files clear & descriptive names (e.g., <code>Easter_Event_2020.png</code> instead of <code>2020-04-14_01.12.33.png</code>).
* When uploading images, ensure they look legible against dark backgrounds (avoid pure black text with transparent backgrounds).

== 5. Page Creation & Organization ==
* Before creating a new page, check [[Special:AllPages|Browse All Pages]] to verify that the topic has not already been documented under a slightly different name.
* Use categories - categorize new articles at the bottom of the page using category tags:
** <code><nowiki>[[Category:Events]]</nowiki></code> for tournaments and live events.
** <code><nowiki>[[Category:Features]]</nowiki></code> for custom server plugins and systems.
** <code><nowiki>[[Category:History]]</nowiki></code> for historical eras and resets.

== 6. Prohibited Actions & Moderation ==
To protect the integrity of the wiki, the following actions will result in account suspension or revocation of editing privileges:
* Vandalism, blanking legitimate articles, or deleting content unnecessarily.
* Inserting unauthorised commercial links or advertising external servers.
* Harassment, personal attacks, or doxxing of community members.

If you notice vandalism or incorrect information that you cannot fix yourself, please report it in the official PotterCraft Discord support channel.