MHWiki:Manual of Style

The Manual of Style contains the general formatting for the different categories of pages in use at the moment, and lists down the basic structure of an article in that category.

Mice

The Mouse pages are as laid out below. This can also be used as the basic structure in creating a new Mouse page. Note that the sections should always be laid out in the order in which they are shown below, which is in the order of importance that most players will consider the information.

The article starts by using the editor's descriptions of the mouse. Does not have its own section header since it is the first set of text on the page. Differs from the in-game description. Normally contains the following: The locations in which it is encountered. For example, The Grey Mouse can be found in all locations in the Gnawnia Region. Where loot can be found. Do not include how frequently it is found. For example, say The Vampire Mouse are known to drop Greater Radioactive Blue Potions in the Mousoleum., not Vampire Mice are known to drop Greater Radioactive Blue Potions uncommonly in the Mousoleum. If the Mouse does not drop any loot, it should contain a simple one-line statement such as: The Grey Mouse are not known to drop any loot. Generally, the more complicated any of the above is (lots of loot, lots of locations), the more consideration should be made for moving that information to the Hunting Strategy section. Bold the mouse's name wherever it appears on the page. Other mouse names, baits, locations, loot, etc. should use the square bracket [[ ]] format to link the hunter to the individual wiki entries for those items. Try to maintain pronoun agreement. If the mouse is refereed to in the singular, try to maintain that form throughout the entry. This information is followed by the Mouse Template. When listing multiple items, use a line break between each item. Mouse Subgroup (subgroup): Should be left blank if the mouse does not have a subgroup. Weaknesses (traptype): List them in the order they appear on the mouse's in-game page. If a mouse has several weaknesses, list only those that appear in the highest category (Very Effective, Effective, Less Effective) that does not say "none". Bait Pref (bait): Include bait in the order of preference, if there is one, otherwise list it alphabetically. If the mouse has no preference, please use "No Preference". Use only the current bait preferences for Event mice Loot (loot): List in alphabetical order. List only the loot currently dropped by the mouse. List "None" if the mouse is not known to drop any loot outside of events. Loot for the Event mice should only show that loot which is dropped in the current (most recent) event. All non-current loot drops can be listed in the Event Participation section. Locations (habitat): List in alphabetical order. List only the current locations the mouse can be found in. Locations for Event mice should only show the location for the current (most recent) event during which the mouse appears. All non-current locations can be listed in the Event Participation section. Manual of Style Mouse Group: Mouse Statistics Points: Gold: Location & Attraction Info Required Power Types: Other Requirements: Cheese: Charm: Locations: Loot: Links Larry's Loot Lexicon: Image: Mouse ID#: Preferred Cheese This section should always be included, clearly stating if a mouse has any preferences. A sample writeup would be, While the Student of the Cheese Claw Mouse can be attracted by standard cheese, it has a distinct preference for SUPER|brie+ and Maki. Thus clearly explaining that while there is a bait preference, standard cheese can be used. This is information that is not covered by the infobox. If cheese preference varies by location use this arrangement: Location 1 Cheese Preference Location 2 Cheese Preference Hunting Strategy This section is optional, since not all mice need a strategy. An example would be, It is typically recommended that a hunter who wishes to find the elusive Mole should use White Cheddar cheese and hunt in the Meadow. Unlike the Town of Digby, this area is overrun with White, Grey, and Brown mice which are not attracted to White Cheddar cheese. The theory is that eliminating them as potential trap visitors will dramatically increase a hunter's chance of encountering a Mole mouse or, at the very least, another breed more valuable in terms of points and gold. This section differs from the preferred cheese section, and should be considered for inclusion if there is a bait preference. Loot Use this section if the loot dropped by the mouse varies by location. The loot can be listed after a single indented bullet point or each loot item can be listed with it's own indented bullet point. Loot should be listed alphabetically in either case. Mice found in only a single location or that drop the same loot in all locations will not need this section. Location 1 Loot item Location 2 Loot item Loot from Library assignments can be listed using this section and the following format: Library Assignment Name Loot item found in Location Name Event Participation This section is optional since not all mice will participate in any events. Items should be listed in reverse chronological order with the most recent information listed first. Use Bullet Points to list each individual event. The current event location, bait preferences, and loot drops of Event mice should also be included in the InfoBox. Example of Format to use when listing a permanent Spring Egg Hunt drop. This entry should always appear first. The Name of Mouse drops the Egg Name during the annual Spring Egg Hunt. Example of Format for a standard Event: Event Name - Event Date Location: Name of Event location Cheese Preference: If none, then delete this line Attraction: Any charm, trap or Hunter action required to attract, except cheese preference Loot: Any loot drops, listed alphabetically. If none then delete this line. History and Trivia This section is optional, since not all mice have any associated history or trivia. The two terms are consolidated into one section as they are typically associated in MouseHunt. Items should be listed chronologically with the oldest information first. An example of trivia might be The Burglar Mouse was -really- named after a particularly nasty forum scammer. An example of history would be The Birthday Mouse was introduced to commemorate MouseHunt's first anniversary on 7 March 2009. These two examples are both part of MouseHunt and their respective mouse's history, as well as the trivia about it. Additional examples of items to include: The date a mouse was released into the game and the content it was associated with upon its release. Any locations where the mouse used to be found. Any loot the mouse used to drop but no longer does. Any references to pop-culture included in the art or description of the mouse. Images This section is optional. If a mouse has more than 1 image, such as the Dwarf, this section should be included, along with the list of the different images the mouse has taken over time. Additionally, include a time-elapsed drawing video if available, such as in the Harpy article. Categorization and Table of contents Lastly comes proper categorization. This does not have a section on its own. The infobox automatically includes the appropriate Mouse Group category and any optional sub-group. However, the mice should also be categorized by their respective region, such as Category:Gnawnia Mice for the Grey Mouse. The only text that needs to be added is "[[Category:Gnawnia Mice]]". Replace the region accordingly. The table of contents should also be hidden by using the __NOTOC__ tag. This is to prevent the page from looking odd by having a TOC on the left that would push the infobox further down the page.

Locations

The various locations are as laid out below. This can also be used as the basic structure in creating a new Location page. Note that the sections should always be laid out in the order in which they are shown below, which is in the order of importance that most players will consider the information.

Article starts with the in-game description for the location in italics. Description and Requirements This section should always be included. It contains these basic elements: Description of the region in which this location lies, such as Burroughs or Gnawnia. States the requirements for entering this location, mainly rank and map or key needed. For example, The Harbour is accessible only to hunters of rank Apprentice or higher. Additional notes on the location, such as whether gold can be stolen here. For example, Hunters will be relieved to learn that mice are unable to steal gold, cheese, or points in the Town of Digby. Shops This section should always be included. It should have either a list of the shops, or state that there aren't any. For example, There are no shops available in the Mountain. The nearest available shops in the region are in the Town of Gnawnia and the Harbour. An introductory line that can be used for shops: The following shops can be found in the Town of Gnawnia: followed by the list of shops sorted in alphabetical order. Any shops should also be linked to the exact shop location. For example, the Cheese Shoppe in the Town of Gnawnia. Linking directly to Cheese Shoppe#Town of Gnawnia Cheese Shoppe is more useful than a generic Cheese Shoppe link. Location Mice This section should always be included. It basically contains a table of all the mice that can be found here, as well as information on the amount of gold, points, power type, and loot. Mice infrequently encountered in the location should be highlighted in the table. A rough gauge of frequency would be if a mouse is not encountered at least once every 100 hunts (1/100), using its most preferred cheese. For example, in the Pinnacle Chamber, neither the Master of the Dojo nor the Hapless are considered infrequently encountered as they can be easily attracted when using the correct cheese. It should be noted that the encounter frequency is a term mentioned only on the MH Wiki, and is not an official in-game definition. It is meant to highlight to players which mice would pose more of a challenge to encounter and thus require more patience to catch. Encounter frequency should also not be confused with Rare Breeds. While some rare breeds such as Black Widow mice are infrequently encountered, others are can be described as event specific mice, for example Cupid and Hollowhead mice, which are not too difficult to encounter when released. Bait preference (or dislike) should be covered in the Hunting Strategy section below, and not in this table. A sample table is shown below. Notice that Black Widow mice are shaded. The table is properly formatted and should be used. Full links to the loot, even if repetitive, should always be included. Note that short mice name links should be used here, as there is no need to bloat the page using [[Bionic Mouse|Bionic]] when [[Bionic]] will suffice. This cuts down on page size for links that are not frequently used. Mouse Max Points Min Gold Power Type Loot Bionic 300 551 Physical Brie Alchemy Potion Black Widow 480 11 Physical SUPER|brie+ cheese Highlighted mice are less than 1% of the population and are infrequently encountered in this location. Hunting Strategy This section should always be included, and bait preference must be written up. If there are no hunting strategies available (unlikely due to game design), it should state so. Hunting strategy covers a broad scope, and can be something like: Monster mice can only be encountered in the Laboratory if the hunter uses Radioactive Blue cheese as bait. Cheese Usage This section should always be included as a subsection under Hunting Strategy. It covers the nuances of cheese usage in the location. For example: For hunters who prefer to hunt at a regular pace, using standard cheese such as Brie or Swiss is more than adequate in the Laboratory. However, hunters who wish to encounter the elusive Monster will have to use Radioactive Blue cheese instead. Using Radioactive Blue, they will still encounter the other breeds of mice, but the odds of facing a Monster goes up. Hunters are advised to be prepared with their strongest traps in this case, due to the immense strength of the Monster. Hunting tips by Larry This section should always be included as a subsection under Hunting Strategy. Simply copy Larry's words from the Camp Page and link the important terms. For example: Welcome to the calm and peaceful Meadow! The majority of mice that are found here are fairly tame and easy to catch, making it a great place to hunt while you save up for a better trap! If you need to purchase more cheese or buy a new part for your trap, you will have to travel back to town and visit the shops there. When you graduate from Novice and become an Apprentice, you may want to travel to the Harbour. Location-Specific Effects This section is optional; it should be included if any weapon, base, charm, or cheese has a location-specific effect triggered while hunting in this area. For example: When hunting in Claw Shot City, the following items have a special effect: S.L.A.C. and S.L.A.C. II receive a bonus of 1,000 power when equipped along with Claw Shot Base and most charms, or an additional 1,500 power (2,500 total bonus) when also using Cactus Charms or Super Cactus Charms History and Trivia This section is optional. Self descriptive. This section can be used to hold information on the previous visits of Ronza's for example. It can also contain information like, The Abominable Snow Mouse could be found in this location for a brief period of time around Christmas 2008. Links This section is optional. It may contain Trap Setup Options link for the location. It may also contain a link to the location banner image. Categorization & Navbox Finally, the navbox needs to be updated and added to the bottom of the page using "{{location}}". The navbox template will automatically insert the Locations category, so the only text that needs to be added is {{location}}.

Weapons

Guidelines for adding new Weapons to the game, and the style to use for individual weapon pages, can be found here: MHWiki:Manual of Style - Weapons.

Skins

The Skin pages are as laid out below. This can also be used as the basic structure in creating a new Skin page. Note that the sections should always be laid out in the order in which they are shown below, which is in the order of importance that most players will consider the information.

Manual of Style Skin Info Obtained Via: ?? Tradeable: ?? Event: ?? Giveable: ?? Cost: ?? Craftable: ?? Larry's Loot Lexicon: ?? Image: ?? Weapon Article starts with the Skin Template, followed by the Weapon section to mention which Weapon the skin modifies, and a brief editor's description of the skin. Typical entries can be something like, The Extremely Enraged Rhinobot Skin can be used on the Enraged RhinoBot. The trap's stats (power, power bonus, attraction bonus, etc.) do not change at all. Related Skins This section is optional. It should be included when more than one skin can be applied to the same weapon. History and Trivia This section should always be included, with a minimum entry of the date the skin was introduced into the game. Categorization and Table of contents The infobox automatically includes the Skins, Tradable, and Giveable categories as needed. Thus no further categorization is needed. The infobox automatically hides the table of contents with a __NOTOC__ tag. This is to prevent the page from looking odd by having a TOC above the infobox.

Bases

Guidelines for adding new Bases to the game, and the style to use for individual base pages, can be found here: MHWiki:Manual of Style - Bases.

Charms

Guidelines for adding new Charms to the game, and the style to use for individual charms pages, can be found here: MHWiki:Manual of Style - Charms.

Cheese

Guidelines for adding new Cheese to the game, and the style to use for individual charms pages, can be found here: MHWiki:Manual of Style - Cheese.

Maps

Guidelines for adding new Maps to the game, and the style to use for individual charms pages, can be found here: MHWiki:Manual of Style - Maps.

General Formatting

The general formatting section provides basic guidelines for the following aspects of the MH Wiki:

Dates

The dates in MH Wiki should be in the following format:

• 5 March 2009

This is to keep in line with the format used by the Developers.

In-Game Spelling

In general, all in-game text quoted on the wiki is an exact copy, spelling mistakes included, if any. Editors should avoid correcting any spelling or grammar mistakes, such as when posting in the MHWiki:Current events page. (sic) must also be avoided as it is condescending and makes the Developers look bad. Some exceptions to this is when it involves a critical element of gameplay, such as the description of Attraction Bonus as Accuracy Bonus. If you spot any mistakes, inform the Developers on the Tech Support forums.

Linking

How many links is too many?

In general, linking to another page should be done once per article. Exceptions are when each section is self contained, such as in the Location Quick Reference, or the Mouse pages, such as the Monster Mouse page, where links already in the infobox are repeated in the main write up. The main idea is to provide accessible links without overdoing it.

What to look out for when linking

When linking articles, make sure to link to the actual name as much as possible, rather than linking to a centralized article. For example, when linking to Combat cheese, which currently resides in the centralized article Crafted cheese, you would use the link [[Combat]]. Avoid using the link [[Crafted cheese|Combat]]. This is to prevent broken links if the section name is changed. In this way, only the redirect in [[Combat]] needs to be updated.

Mouse page links

When linking to a mouse page, it is acceptable to use either the short or long name depending on your needs. For example, you can link to either [[Bat]] or [[Bat Mouse]], since Bat is a redirect to Bat Mouse. There is no need to use [[Bat Mouse|Bat]], which adds unnecessary bulk to the page. However, do be cautious when using ambiguous links like [[Gold]] which may not link to the intended page.

Linking other pages/external websites

Always provide a link description in order to aid ease of navigation. For example, linking to the Cheese Effect page from the Stale Cheese article, it can be written as:

• Cheese Effect – Information on how cheese goes stale.

As can be seen from the example, it explains the link in a quick summary. This is much more informative than just tossing in a link itself. Additionally, please use the en-dash '–' ('–') rather than the standard minus '-' sign for consistency in the wiki.

Lists

In general, when there's a long list of items in a table or sub-category, the list should be alphabetized from A to Z. If it's mixed format with numbers, that should come before the alphabets. Using some of the weapons for example:

• 500 Pound Spiked Crusher
• Ambrosial Portal
• High Tension Spring
• Mouse Mary O'Nette

The exception to this is when the article intends to preserve the natural order. For example, the natural order of locations in Gnawnia would be:

• Town of Gnawnia
• Meadow
• Harbour
• Mountain

Numbers

Large numbers should always have a comma ',' at the thousands and millions mark and so on, for example:

• 250
• 6,000
• 1,200,000