Feed The Beast Wiki:Article creation guideline

This guideline outlines what a basic article should contain and the basic layout of articles, please always follow this guideline when creating articles. A list of pages that can be used as examples for various article types is at the bottom of this page.

Basic article layout
An article should always have the following sections and components in the order specified (there are possible exceptions):
 * 1) Lead section (Article introduction)
 * 2) Main content
 * 3) Appropriate navboxes
 * 4) Categories
 * 5) Navbox (if applicable)
 * 6) Langbar

Lead section
The section of an article is the section before the first heading and before the table of contents. The lead serves as an introduction to the article and a summary of its most important aspects. Various article components, like infoboxes, should be also included in this section and will be listed later in this article.

Wikipedia states that "The lead should be able to stand alone as a concise overview. It should define the topic, establish context, explain why the topic is notable, and summarize the most important points—including any prominent controversies. The emphasis given to material in the lead should roughly reflect its importance to the topic, according to reliable, published sources, and the notability of the article's subject is usually established in the first few sentences. Apart from trivial basic facts, significant information should not appear in the lead if it is not covered in the remainder of the article.

The lead is the first part of the article most people read, and many read only the lead. Consideration should be given to creating interest in reading more of the article, but the lead should not "tease" the reader by hinting at content that follows. Instead, the lead should be written in a clear, accessible style with a neutral point of view; it should ideally contain no more than four paragraphs and be carefully sourced as appropriate."

In other words, the lead section should describe almost all of the info described in the initial infobox.

Articles with bad lead sections can be tagged with the following maintenance template: Introrewrite.

Articles with missing infoboxes can be tagged with another template: Infobox needed.

Articles without lead sections and/or infoboxes (when needed) will be tagged as such with the according cleanup templates.

Main content
The structure of this section may vary by the type of the article and will be discussed in more detail later.

Navbox
If applicable, a navbox (navigation box) should be added before the categories. Pages do not need to have a navbox, but one should be added if a navbox exists for the particular mod/concept being documented.

Navboxes should always be at the bottom of a page, above the categories, except in some rare cases; a navbox can be at the top of a noticeboard or talk page (like the centralized discussion page) to allow for the use of new sections.

Categories
The categories should always be the last thing before the langbar in the page source; categorizing pages allows for users (and perhaps more commonly, editors) to quickly find related content. Most pages should have two or more categories, including the mod the page references and what "systems" the described block or item is used for. Non-gameplay-related articles may have other categories. A full list of categories can be found below:

If an article fits in a category, then the article should not be in any parent categories. If you are unsure about creating new categories, check if a similar one exists (via the Category hierarchy), and either be BOLD and create it or post about it in the community discussion board.

Articles without categories can be tagged with the maintenance template: Uncategorized.

Langbar
A langbar (language bar) should always be present at the bottom of an article to allow for linking to translated versions of an article. Langbars should always be the last thing in all pages.

To create a langbar, insert the following code at the bottom of an article on a new line: The langbar will only show up when the article is marked for translation, so don't worry if it doesn't show up.

Standard appendices and footers
When an optional appendix section is used, they should appear at the bottom of the article in level 2 headings.

Order of section

 * 1) See also
 * 2) External links

See also section
An article is recommended to have a see also section. The links in the see also section should not usually be replaced by a navbox. A navbox can (and usually should) be provided, but only after the end of the page contents. The see also section should link related articles and topics to allow for readers to quickly find related content.

The see also section should contain an unordered list, preferably in alphabetical order, of links to related articles, a brief annotation when a link's relevance is not immediately apparent, when the meaning of the term may not be generally known, or when the term is ambiguous.

Wikipedia considers that "Whether a link belongs in the 'See also' section is ultimately a matter of editorial judgment and common sense. The links in the 'See also' section should be relevant, should reflect the links that would be present in a comprehensive article on the topic, and should be limited to a reasonable number. As a general rule, the 'See also' section should not repeat links that appear in the article's body or its navigation boxes.

The links in the 'See also' section do not have to be directly related to the topic of the article, because one purpose of 'See also' links is to enable readers to explore tangentially related topics. The 'See also' section should not link to pages that do not exist (red links) nor to disambiguation pages (About should be used for this).".

Elements of the lead section
As explained in more detail below, the lead section may contain optional elements presented in the following order:
 * 1) Maintenance tags
 * 2) Disambiguation links
 * 3) Infoboxes
 * 4) Introductory text
 * 5) Table of Contents


 * Maintenance tags should be the first elements of the page. These tags inform the reader/editor about the general quality of the article, and should be presented to the user before the article itself.
 * Disambiguation links should be the first elements of the article contents, after any maintenance tags but before any infoboxes or images; if a reader has reached the wrong page, they will want to know that first. A "for topics of the same name ..." disambiguation link is sometimes put at the beginning of an article to link to another article discussing another meaning of the article title. In such cases, the line should be italicized and indented using the About template. Do not make this initial link a section of its own.
 * Infoboxes contain summary information or an overview relating to the subject of the article, and therefore should be put before any text (though in the finished page they will generally appear to the right side of the text of the lead).
 * The content of the introductory text will be explained in more detail below.
 * The table of contents (TOC) will automatically appear after the introductory text if the article has more than three sections, the table of contents should not be floated or positioned in other places of the article. Exceptions can be made on excessively long TOCs (like on Witchery/Changelog).

Article types
Below is a list of common article types that will appear on the wiki. The standard structure of such pages listed above will be explained in detail below.
 * Item pages
 * Tool pages
 * Crafting component pages
 * Block pages
 * Machine pages
 * Fluid pages
 * Resource pages
 * Landscape pages
 * Biome pages
 * Structure pages
 * Dimension pages
 * Creature pages
 * Hostile creatures
 * Neutral or passive creatures
 * Bosses
 * Mod/Modpack pages
 * Guides
 * Disambiguation pages
 * Concepts*


 * Concept pages should be made only if required, and should be things such as energy systems. If community members feel the page is unnecessary, they should put a RfD to request deletion on the page, and make a case either in the template itself or on the page's talk page. Potentially controversial deletions should not be made boldly and should instead have coordination and consensus with other editors/readers.

Section definitions
Sections mentioned below should be displayed as level 2 sections when used in an article.

Recipe
This section should contain recipes that create the item that the article is about. A brief description of what the recipe is made up of and other notes and stuff can be placed before the crafting recipe. Recipes using multiple crafting grids should be merged if possible.

Articles with multiple crafting grids that could be merged can be tagged with the maintenance template: Merge crafting grids.

For other mod/modpack's changes to recipes, put them under a level 3 subsection titled identical to the mod/modpack that is changing it.

Usage
This section should contain how the item is used in the game. In this section instructions to operate items, tools and machines should also be included in this section, and can be split in to level 3+ sections when needed.

However, you should not put a full list of recipes that the item is used in.
 * The Wrench is mainly used to rotate and dismantle IndustrialCraft 2 machines. It can also be upgraded to the Electric Wrench.
 * The Wrench is used in the following recipes: ...List of recipes...

Keep in mind the usage section is optional. If the usage section is very small, like only a sentence or two, it may be better as being part of the main section.

Item pages
Items are entities which can be stored in an inventory, are for this section, is not a block.

Item articles should contain the Recipe section detailing how to obtain the item. They may also contain a Usage section describing how to use the item, but only if it has special functionality.

Tool pages
Some items can be used to do things, such as a Wrench can be used to dismantle machines.

For some tools, a Usage section may be needed, and should describe all unique functionality of the tool. If another tool already performs that functionality, then you should link to that other tool, and then detail any additions or changes to that functionality.

For example, an Electric Wrench effectively duplicates the functionality of the Wrench, so the Electric Wrench would link to the Wrench page, but then further describe how it consumes electricity instead of durability to function.

Crafting component pages
Some items are useless on their own, and their only purpose is to be crafted into other things. A Usage section should not be needed in most of these pages; a couple of the most important things that the item is used to craft should be listed in the lead description.

Block pages
Blocks are entities which can be placed in the world.

Block articles should contain the Recipe section detailing how to obtain the block.

Machine pages
Machines are blocks which are capable of special functionality.

Machines usually should have, in addition to the Recipe section, a Usage section describing how to use the machine. Just like for tool pages, the Usage section should describe all unique functionality of the machine, and if it duplicates the functionality of another machine, you should link to that other article, and then detail any additions and changes. If the machine has a respective  template, an example operation should be included in the Usage section or in a section of its own.

For machines which are made out of multiple of one block, a multiblock, such as the Railcraft Rock Crusher being made out of 12 Rock Crusher blocks, both the Rock Crusher block, and the resultant multiblock Rock Crusher machine should be on the same page.

For multiblock machines that are made of multiple different blocks, such as the Immersive Engineering Metal Press, the resultant multiblock machine should be on a page of its own.

Fluid pages
If a mod has more than 3 similar fluids in it, they should all be documented on a single page. See IndustrialCraft 2 Fluids for the layout of one of these pages.

If a mod has 3 or less, they should be documented on separate pages. See Steam for the layout of these pages. This example page does not have a crafting template for how it is made. In general, if possible, there should be a crafting grid template showing how to make the fluid.

Resource pages
All raw forms of metals and gems should be combined into one single page. The Infobox ore template should be used in place of the normal infobox on these pages.

Resource pages should be separated by mod, using Added by. Recipes for transforming one form of that material to another will be covered by specialty pages such as on Rods.

Landscape
Landscape pages are for anything that is a natural part of the world, or an entirely new world. Landscape pages themselves should generally not exist. Instead, pages for the subcategories of landscape should be made, such as biomes, structures, and dimensions.

Biomes
Biomes that are added by mods should be documented. It should have at least one picture of what the biome looks like, a brief description of the appearance and features of the biome, and any special attributes it has. The Infobox biome template should be used in place of the normal infobox on these pages.

Sub-sections should not normally be necessary for biome pages.

Structures
Structures are world-generated buildings that are created by mods. An example of a Vanilla Minecraft structure would be a Village or Stronghold.

Structures should have at least one picture of what the structure looks like, and a brief description of the appearance and features of the structure, and any special attributes it has. If it has dungeon loot, this should be noted. If it has sub-structures, such as rooms and corridors, they should not have their own page. Instead, they should have a picture and description.

Dimensions
Dimensions are alternate worlds added by mods. These pages should have at least one screenshot of what the dimension looks like, with a description of the appearance and features of the dimension, and any special attributes it has.

Sub-sections should normally be present. These should include a section for entering/exiting the dimension (they may be separate or combined depending on the dimension). Sections on the dimension's landscape, environment and mobs may also be recommended.

Creatures
Creatures are entities, which can include subcategories of hostile, neutral/passive, and bosses. The "Creature" type should not have its own page. Instead, use one of the types listed previously.

Hostile
Hostile creatures are enemy monsters that intentionally seek out players and attack them, or perform some sort of debuff towards them.

These pages should include at least one screenshot of what the enemy looks like. Other required information includes the health that they have, in hearts and health points, the damage(s) it can deal, how it attacks, and where/how it can be found.

Neutral/Passive
Neutral or passive creatures are entities that either will never attack the player, or will only attack the player when provoked.

These pages should include at least one screenshot of what it looks like. Other required information includes the health that they have, in hearts and health points, where/how it can be found, and, if possible, the damage it can deal and how it attacks.

Bosses
Bosses are creatures that force the purple boss health bar to appear at the top of the screen when they are present, or that have a large amount of health. They are almost always hostile.

These pages should include at least one screenshot of what it looks like. Other required information includes the health that they have, in hearts and health points, where/how it can be found, the damage it can deal, and how it attacks.

Mod/Modpack pages
Mod and modpack pages should use Infobox mod and Infobox pack respectively. These pages should contain a brief description of what the mod or modpack does and its purpose. A brief description of the role of mods in a modpack can also be included. A link to donation/support pages (like Patreon and Flattr links) for mod or modpack authors is allowed and supported; put them under a level 2 header titled "External Links".

Guides
Guides are unlike most pages; they can can use un-enycolpedic language. Most general guides are called "Getting Started" guides, even if they go beyond the basics of a mod.

Guides should not entirely replace block/item/creature pages, but may cover information on blocks/items in a mod or modpack.

Disambiguation pages
If more than one mod adds something of the same name, or there are multiple mods with the same name, they must be disambiguated. Content within the mod should be named as Item Name (Mod Name). Mods should generally be named as Mod Name (Mod Author).

Disambiguation pages should list everything under that name in alphabetical order. It should have the Disambiguation template at the bottom, followed by the langbar.

Concepts
There is no way to describe every single possible concept page, because it is too broad of a subject. When in doubt, contact a community member for assistance.

Example pages
The following is a list of pages that can be used as examples. This is not to imply that other articles are not good.
 * Witchery for a mod page.
 * Lord of Torment for a creature and boss page.
 * Twisting Band for an armor page.
 * Koboldite Pickaxe for a tool page.
 * RioV Dimension for a dimension page.
 * IndustrialCraft 2 Fluids for a fluid page.
 * Monster for a modpack page.
 * Small Coal Boiler for a machine page.
 * Lemon for a disambiguation page.
 * Dark Tower for a structure page.
 * Getting Started (BuildCraft) for a guide.
 * Mystic Grove (Biomes O' Plenty) for a biome page.

When in doubt, ask an active editor.