Style Guide

This style guide is a compilation of best practices for those interested in contributing to the Kaiserreich wiki. It is not meant to be a comprehensive manual of style, but to cover the unique aspects of our particular project. For more granular questions of style, please refer to the Wikipedia manual of style, which is far more comprehensive.

Content

• The wiki should reflect the most current version of the Kaiserreich mod for Hearts of Iron IV. All outdated or inaccurate information should be updated and corrected when possible.
• It is no longer permitted that the wiki include new content before its release in the mod, but existing information of this type shouldn't be removed either. A notice should be added to the top of the relevant page stating that the information below does not reflect the current game state and may be subject to change.
• Editors should never include history that is their own creation and has no connection whatsoever to the mod or any development documents. It is permitted to include history that takes place before the point of departure (PoD) or facts that are reasonably inferred to be unaltered by the PoD.
• Though development documents and other releases (e.g. proposals, progress reports) may be used as resources for the wiki, remember that the game mod takes precedence. If the mod and an alternate source conflict in any point, always follow what is written in the mod unless instructed otherwise by the developers.

Hyperlinks

• In general, only the first mention of a particular subject on a page should be hyperlinked. Excessive linking creates visual clutter.
• Exceptions include timeline pages and lists, though links should still be limited to a maximum of one mention per paragraph.
• Do not create hyperlinks to pages that do not exist.

Tone

The conceit of the Kaiserreich wiki is that it pretends to be an in-universe encyclopedia, reflecting the Kaiserreich universe as it exists on January 1st, 1936. As such, all entries should be written in an encyclopedic style. This involves:

• Clarity: information should not be presented in a disorganized or confusing manner.
• Precision: whenever possible, use precise language and avoid generalization or vagueness.
• Plainness: avoid the use of unnecessary technical jargon.
• Formality: encyclopedias are by nature authoritative.
• Neutrality: without editorial bias.

Refrain from using the following:

• Informal or casual language. This includes contractions, sentence fragments, colloquialisms, and other kinds of conversational speech except as a quotation.
• Narrative or journalistic style. Though plenty of text in the mod and other sources such as progress reports uses a narrative style, it is not appropriate for this wiki. This includes writing that is biased, bombastic, or attempts to dramatize events. An example would be: “In a shocking turn of events, the Germans struck across the Moselle, sending the cowardly French running south with their tails between their legs.” An appropriate replacement would be: “The Germans attacked across the Moselle, surprising the French lines and causing them to break into a general retreat towards Paris.”
• Presumptuous language. Do not attempt to “call forward” to events that can take place after January 1st, 1936 through extrapolation or speculation.

Nation pages

Nation articles should begin with an introduction of the country’s name and a summary of its geography and history. Both the common and official country names may be included, and in either case should be bolded. This may be followed, in parenthesis, by the country’s name in a non-English language. Write the language, followed by a colon, and then the country name italicized. [e.g. Spain (Spanish: España)]

Sections are typically as follows: History, Politics, Military, Foreign Relations, Economy, and Culture. Additional sections may be added at whatever point may seem most appropriate, but if any of the above sections are included they should be in the relative order given above. Subsections may be added anywhere at the editor’s discretion.

The History section should not be an exhaustive history of that nation up to the start date; it should only include enough as is necessary to give context to its role in the Kaiserreich timeline, which will vary on a nation-to-nation basis. Consequently, the history should begin at the point of departure at the latest.

Nation pages should always include an infobox using the Nation template. To learn how to use templates, see the templates page.

Infobox Specifics

• National mottos should be given in quotations, unless they are Latin in which case they should be italicized, or if they are in a non-Latin script. The English translation of the motto should also be given in quotations and in parenthesis.
• English translations of national anthems should be given in parenthesis.
• Government structure should follow sentence case (i.e. with only the first word capitalized).
• Head of state and head of government should not include their titles.
• Currency should include the national demonym capitalized and the currency itself in lower case (e.g. German reichsmark).
• Numbers for area and population, even if approximated, should be given in numerals and not written out.

Biography pages

Biographical articles, also known as "person pages", should begin with a brief overview of the subject’s life, even if the article is not long enough to merit subsection headers.

These pages should always include an infobox using the Person template. To learn how to use templates, see templates page.

Path pages

Path pages are an exceptional case in that instead of reflecting the fictional history of the Kaiserreich universe, they provide information about the various paths that can be taken by a country, and can provide recommendations to players. Therefore, they do not need to observe the fiction of limited knowledge and can freely discuss events past the start date. The tone of gameplay pages may be more relaxed and may address the reader directly in the second person, but should still avoid using too casual language or making prejudiced statements about in-game choices or possibilities.

Unusual cases

There may on occasion be entities or subjects within the game that do not exist as of January 1st, 1948, but which nonetheless demand acknowledgement or coverage due to their significance. In these cases, always consult a member of the wiki team before making changes on your own. In general, these cases will be resolved with coverage or acknowledgement in a related article, with the insertion of redirects to point to this article. However, the approach chosen may vary.

Events after January 1st, 1948, even if they occur every game, should never receive acknowledgement or coverage outside path pages.

Useful templates

Templates can be an extremely useful tool when creating new pages, or for getting more out of existing ones. To learn more about how templates work, see the templates page.

Nation

This template should be used at the start of every page covering a nation or other in-game tag. Information like the country's full name, head of state, and currency will need to be included. A full list of required information, complete with an example, can be found on the template's own page.

Person

This template should be used at the start of every page covering a character in the Kalterkrieg universe. Information like the character's full name, place of birth, and allegiance will need to be included, though insertion of "Unkown" is acceptable in cases where required the information is unavailable. A full list of required information, complete with an example, can be found on the template's own page.