User:Slate Vesper/Sandbox 2.0

Achievements

1. ==The Achievement System==

Assassin's Creed Wiki, since the 19th of July, 2010 has supported achievements, medals and points as rewards to proficient editors.

However, there are some editors who think they can out-smart the system by adding random spaces, periods and nonsense to articles.

We, the writers of this guide, know that some users may not know they are breaking the rules. It is heavily encouraged that all users should read this guide first before being warned or having their points taken from them.

1. ==Punishable offenses to the Achievement System==
2. ===Saving page constantly:===

Most heavily used on the Timeline pages; adding overused links, one or two periods, random spaces or adding 'st' or 'th' to date numbers on a page using the 'separation technique' (see example) is a bannable offense. Besides over-use of links, all of those others aren't bad and can make a page look good sometimes, but when you add periods or fix up date numbers be sure to edit them as a group, using the 'group technique' and not to use the 'separation technique' (shown below)!

1. ====Separation technique and group technique====

If an editor performs the example listed below (known as the 'separation technique'), they can and will be punished:

 Click edit on one sub-heading > Add 'st' to 1st of Janurary > Save Page > Click edit on another sub-heading > Add 'th' to 4th of March > Save Page > Etc, etc. 

- Vice Versa with periods, linkage, etc...

This exploit is a bannable offense and can result in a user's loss of points.

Instead, the editor should scroll to the top of the page, and click 'Edit This Page'. This will show the editor the whole page to edit as a group (i.e. 'group technique') and not individually with sub-headings, if they edit by adding to multiple sub-headings using the 'separation technique', even on the same article, those small edits will count as different contributions and give the user a high edit count and badges for nothing, the main reason why it is against the rules.

The example below is editing as a group using the 'group technique', this is what you are supposed to do, and is not a bannable offense.

 Click Edit This Page (not edit next to a sub-heading) > Add 'st' to 1st, add 'th' to 4th, add 'nd' to 2nd > Save Page 

1. ===Removing and adding imagery:===

Removing an image off a page, then saving the page, then adding it back in an effort to get points will result in you actually losing points. It is a bannable offense to do this and you will be caught.

Example:

 Remove current image > Save Page > Add the exact image but under user's name > Save Page 

1. ===A list of other offenses involving the Achievement System:===

• Adding nonsense to pages, then removing it yourself.
• Editing an article, using multiple sub-headings instead of grouping the edit.
• Constant postings of blogs that have been done before.
• Removing categories, then re-adding them and vice versa.

You may be wondering how a cheat is caught, since his/her edit is lost in a mass of other edits.

Everytime a user makes an edit in this wiki it is logged and can be tracked back to the user, so think twice before abusing the achievement system.

Article rules

Mainly in accordance with community vote, the Assassin's Creed Wiki has various rules and guidelines about article construction and naming. These are addressed in the following list:

Images

Main article: Assassin's Creed Wiki:Images

1. Images, when not featured in a gallery, must always be in thumbnails.
2. In relation to secondary clauses in image descriptions, punctuation – such as commas, colons, semi-colons and dashes – are acceptable, though periods are discouraged.

Article naming and organization

1. Article names for landmarks must be written in English, in accordance with the Wiki's chosen language to maintain consistency, and native translations must be featured at the start of the article in brackets. Any alternative translations not featured in an Assassin's Creed medium are strictly not allowed.
2. Categories must maintain a certain structure, mainly addressed by relevancy. See the following example:
   1. Featured Articles, 1459 births, 1524 deaths, Individuals, Italians, Couriers, Farmers, Auditore family, Assassins, Master Assassins, Mentors, Individuals with Eagle Vision, Individuals who held Pieces of Eden, Ancestors of Desmond Miles, Ancestors of Clay Kaczmarek
3. Use edit summaries wherever possible. When undoing reverts, always list a reason. Edit summaries are not to be used to hold conversations.

Community guidelines

Welcome to the wiki! This page lists some of the guidelines you have to follow while taking part in the Assassin's Creed Wiki community.

1. ==Guidelines==
2. Behave normally. You will never be asked to be "nice" or not use foul language. This is common decency. Repeated violation is grounds for sanctions.
3. No complaining to other users. Users who ask for something from another wiki user and are refused it should not fill the wiki with complaining, which is grounds for sanctions. It is acceptable to be persistent, but in a mature manner.
4. Refrain from discussing real-world politics and/or religion in community forums or blogs. More often than not these result in unwanted arguments or bad discussions.
5. Assassin's Creed Wiki's official language: English. We don't care if it's British or American, as long as it's not "L33t" or "TXT." Abbreviations are fine, but keep it within reason.
6. Stay on-topic. Don't sidetrack a conversation on an unrelated talk page, blog or forum. Start a new place of discussion if you want to talk about another subject or discuss it on a user's talk page.
7. No spamming. The meaning should be obvious. Don't say the same thing six times because no one is responding to you. Don't keep pushing a subject nobody is interested in.
8. Not being aware does not make you exempt. It is your own responsibility to make sure you are following the rules. Not knowing about them does not mean you can violate the rules.

Violation of these guidelines is grounds for warnings. Repeated warnings or major violations may result in blocks of unspecified length. Repeated blocks will result in a permanent ban. Please consult an administrator or moderator if you have any questions.

Images

The following is the official Assassin's Creed Wiki Image policy. The policy dictates requirements for sourcing images and information about the usage of images on the Assassin's Creed Wiki. In the Wiki's never-ending quest to improve the quality of information provided to our users, it is important that the Wiki follows not only the basic copyright laws required of it, but that we stringently restrict the flow of unused, low quality and purposeless images being brought onto the site. In order to achieve these aims, it is absolutely required that all images uploaded to the Assassin's Creed Wiki be properly sourced and licensed using the appropriate copyright template when uploading an image. The original source must always be used, meaning members must cite the original source rather than the website where they found the image, assuming that a member of said website did not create the image themselves. The policy also requires that permission from the original artist/photographer be obtained, whenever possible, before the image is uploaded. If permission is not obtained or images are not properly sourced then the uploader is essentially stealing, hence why this policy was enacted.

1. ==Sourcing==
2. ===Guidelines===

All images uploaded to the Assassin's Creed Wiki must be sourced with the original source rather than any website that the image may have been found on. For example, an image of Ezio Auditore da Firenze may have been found on a website containing a gallery of Assassin's Creed images, but that is not a proper image source to put. Instead, the image should be sourced to the media it originally came from, be it a game, novel or concept art. Likewise, screenshots taken from videos posted on YouTube and similar sites must also be sourced to the original media.

It is a legal requirement that images uploaded under Fair Use serve a function. As such, images cannot be uploaded solely for inclusion in a gallery unless the gallery is integral to the function of the article. For example, the images in Tiber Island headquarters serve to provide a visual representation of the location in question; each image is unique and depicts a different part of that location. The inclusion of another image of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad solely for use in the gallery is not permitted, as there is already an ample supply of images depicting his character in use.

1. ====Proper names, subtitles and watermarks====

Images should be uploaded under a proper name that accurately describes the contents of the file. For example, File:Daniel Cross-The Fall1.jpg is fine, as it simply informs the reader of the contents of the image. [:File:639c39706e7a090c2693753600d47d86.png] is not acceptable, as it falls under the category of improper names and does not simply describe the contents of the image.

Images should, wherever possible, avoid featuring subtitles.

Images that are watermarked should, if possible, be cropped to exclude the watermark itself. If a watermarked image cannot be cropped to remove said watermark, please do not upload it. If a watermarked image is uploaded, it will be marked for deletion.

When uploading the image, the source should be included in the images edit summary.

1. ===Licences===

Clarification on which licences to use can be found here.

1. ===The games and Google===

Ambiguous terms such as "The games", "Ubisoft", "Google" and "Yahoo Images" are not acceptable for use as image sources, despite the fact that users may find images for our articles from those locations. Simply stating “Google” as a source is not acceptable and will be grounds for the deletion of the offending image. Likewise, linking to the website that the user found the image on is also not acceptable, as they are not the original source.

There will, however, be exceptions to this rule. Sometimes a newly uploaded image has been sitting on a user’s computer for some time. That user must make every effort to find the original source, though if they cannot find it then they must state the exact reason why they cannot find that source. If a user saved an image from DeviantArt long ago but cannot find the image again on the website, they must state that they know they found it on DeviantArt but cannot find exactly where due to the length of time that has passed. The same goes for any other website image gallery such as DeviantArt or similar gallery sites. The image may still be deleted if this is the case, though it must be clearly stated or an Administrator will assume that it simply has not been sourced.

As far as search engines like Google and Yahoo are concerned, no user can justifiably use Google or Yahoo, as the source, in any situation. Use of such an ambiguous source for an image is no different than citing “The Library” as a source on an essay paper. If you found the image on a Google Search, then you will clearly be able to find the site again. If the site has, in fact, disappeared, then state that but do not mention Google. If the image also happened to be deleted from its original website, cite the website as a source and mention that the image is no longer there.

1. ===Permission===

Permission is an important factor to be considered before any images are uploaded. Any images taken from the games, comics or other media almost certainly have Fair Use permission attached to them. This means that explicit permission from the authors is not required, so long as sufficient attribution is given, the image is being used in a descriptive, not degrading fashion.

As the uploading of fan-art to the mainspace is not permitted (see Fan art below), the chances of express permission being required are slim, though if such a case does occur, verifiable evidence of permission being granted must be readily available, in case accusations to the contrary occur. If permission cannot be proven, appropriate action will be taken.

Acceptable forms of proof include emails and private messages with the author.

1. ===Fan art and realworld images===

The uploading of fan art for use on a mainspace article is expressly forbidden, regardless of the quality of the image in question, or whether permission has been obtained. If you wish to add fan art, add it to the fanon section's ACFanon:Artwork|art page.

In the case of realworld images, such images should be avoided at all cost, unless there are no alternative means of procuring an image. For example, the image File:Adolf Hitler.jpg is not taken from any Assassin's Creed material; however, as the image is suitable for the article (and as long as it follows the requirements of this policy) and no reasonable alternative can be found in-game, it may be used on the Adolf Hitler article only. On the other hand, a realworld image of the Basilica di San Marco is not acceptable, as suitable in-game images are easily obtainable.

Realworld images are permitted for use in articles when an in-game image is already present if it is being used to show comparative differences between the realworld and in-game subjects. For example, File:800px-Hagia Sophia.png portrays the Hagia Sophia in both senses, showing the stylistic differences between the two. Use of comparative images purely for the sake of it is not permitted, and such images will be treated as fan-art.

1. ====HUD====

All images uploaded from the games should, if at all possible, feature no Heads Up Display, or HUD, unless the image is being used to describe the features present in the Animus' interface.

1. ==Personal images==

Users may only upload up to five images for their own personal use. In this context, personal use is described as for use solely outside the article mainspace; qualifying pages include user pages, blogs, forum posts and the likes. These images are not, under any circumstances, to be inserted into the mainspace.

The number of personal images for use within userboxes is limited to ten images per user, and must be under 250 x 250 pixels. Once again, these images must follow all policy requirements needed of them. Any images created by the user for use on their personal page must be sourced to the user in question.

Note: A user is entitled to upload a maximum of fifteen uniquely named images for personal use.

1. ==Failure to source images==

If a user fails to source their images, then they are in breach of this Image Policy. It will therefore be treated as a breach of any other policies are and, thus, there will be consequences. The Administrators keep a close eye on recent uploads to ensure that all images are properly sourced, so it is next to impossible to upload an image, fail to source it and get away with it. A user has up to 24 hours from the time of upload to provide a proper source for the image, although files infringing multiple requirements of the policy may be deleted before this time period is completed.

The first time a user breaks the policy, they may (depending on whether an administrator deems it necessary) be warned that they have failed to follow the policy and that the next time it happens they will be blocked for a pre-determined length of time, and the offending images will be deleted. Like with all other blocks, the length of time a user is blocked for increases as the offenses continue.

The following punishments are used for users who fail to follow the image policy:

• First offense: Warning
• Second offense: One day ban
• Third offense: Three day ban
• Fourth offense: One month ban
• Fifth offense: Infinite ban on uploading media, and one week ban for disruption

1. ==Animated .GIF images==

The use of animated .GIF images (which are considered personal images) is not allowed in mainspace pages. Mainspace pages are also commonly referred to as articles. If a .GIF image is found in an article, it will be removed and a notice will be given in the edit summary not to reinsert it. Despite being restricted from articles, animated .GIF images are allowed on talk pages, user pages, blogs, and all other pages outside of the article mainspace.

1. ==Questions or concerns==

Any user who has any questions about the nature or content of this policy or any user who has any concerns about the policy should not hesitate to contact an active Administrator for help. Administrators are elected to their positions to enforce our policies, but also to help users with any problems they might be having on the Assassin's Creed Wiki. Therefore, it is expected that any questions or concerns be directed to an Administrator, especially if the Administrator warns said user about the violation of this policy. Active and veteran members are also always available to help answer questions.

Relevancy

1. ==Relevancy==

Here on Assassin's Wiki we have a guideline that says: "Everything is relevant, except the irrelevant". It means that although information is knowledge and therefore worthy of attention, some things are just plain useless and uncalled for.

1. ===Examples:===

Article: Guards

Relevant Example:

Venetian Guards are more better outfitted and equipped than those of the Florentine ones.

This is relevant to the 'Guards' article because it is interesting, note-worthy and your average reader probably wouldn't have known this on his/her first playthrough of the game.

Irrelevant Example (Stage I):

Guards can fight Ezio.

This is irrelevant because everyone who has played the game, watched the game or even heard about this game would know that guards have the ability to fight Ezio, the main protagonist and player.

However, there is one more stage of irrelevancy that should be removed on sight, this is the act of writing about a totally different article on another page. Here's an example;

Article: Ezio Auditore da Firenze - Trivia Section

Relevant Trivia:

 Ezio was most likely the only son of Giovanni to know that his family were of an Assassin culture. 

Irrelevant Trivia (Stage II):

 Militia Guards always stick with Seekers or Brutes. 

1. ==Repetition==

"But better die than live mechanically a life that is a repetition of repetitions."

Repetition is the act of writing what is said on an article again, but in a different manner or location. This isn't as important as relevancy, but conjures the same consequences, your writing gets removed and you anger the wiki users. Here's an example of the most typical and common repetition on this wiki.

1. ===Example:===

Article: Desmond Miles

Taken from the article;

Desmond is a descendant of Aquilus, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Connor Kenway.

Trivia:

Desmond is a descendant of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

This is repetition, as you have noticed on the first paragraph of that article, it is written already that Desmond is a descendant of Altaïr, so why state it as a 'fun-fact' in Trivia? It offers no additional merit to the article.

Sourcing

The following is the official Assassin's Creed Wiki Attribution policy. The main space of the Assassin's Creed Wiki is not a forum for personal or original thought. All and any information on the Wiki must be attributed to a verifiable source, the names of which are listed below.

In particular, editors must provide attribution for any material that is challenged or likely to be challenged, or it may be removed. The burden of evidence lies with the editor wishing to add or retain the material. If an article topic has no reliable sources, the Assassin's Creed Wiki should not have an article on it.

It must also be noted that the following policy applies only to the Wiki's main space articles, and not to the associated Forums or ACFanon:Home|Fan Section.

1. ==Key principles==
2. ===No original thought===

Original thought refers to material that is not attributable to a reliable, published source. This includes unpublished facts, arguments, ideas, statements, and personal opinion; as well as, by extension, unpublished analysis or synthesis of published material. It is forbidden to include such information, especially when accompanied with an introduction such as "This is pure speculation, but..."

All information on an article must be attributed to a reliable source, and any material added to articles must be explicitly presented in said source.

1. ===Reliable sources as bases===

In order to be classed as a "reliable source", a medium must meet the following criteria;

1. The medium must be published or endorsed by Ubisoft, and relate explicitly to the Assassin's Creed series.
2. Information given on an official Ubisoft forum should only be considered canon when it is published by an administrator of the forum (who should subsequently be an employee of Ubisoft), and confirmed as fact in said post.
3. Information given in any medium must explicitly indicate a view before it is entered into the article. Assumptions cannot be derived from stated or ambiguous data.

Speculation or "news" posted on popular gaming websites does not constitute a reliable source, and cannot be included unless supported by one of the above.

1. ==Reliable sources==

Below is a non-exhaustive list of media that can be considered as reliable sources.

• Administrators or employees of Ubisoft on the official Assassin's Creed forums, or any other official Ubisoft website.
• Main games;
  • Assassin's Creed
  • Assassin's Creed II
    • Battle of Forlì (DLC)
    • Bonfire of the Vanities (DLC)
  • Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
    • Copernicus Conspiracy
    • The Da Vinci Disappearance
  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations
    • The Lost Archive
  • Assassin's Creed III

• Spin-off games;
  • Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles
  • Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
  • Assassin's Creed II: Discovery
  • Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
  • Assassin's Creed: Recollection
  • Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
  • Assassin's Creed: Utopia

• Films;
  • Assassin's Creed: Lineage
  • Assassin's Creed: Ascendance
  • Assassin's Creed: Embers
  • Assassin's Creed film

• Written material;
  • Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia
  • Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
  • Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel
  • Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel
  • Assassin's Creed: Forsaken

• Comics;
  • Assassin's Creed: The Fall
  • Assassin's Creed: The Chain
  • Assassin's Creed comic
  • Assassin's Creed Penny Arcade webcomic
  • Assassin's Creed French comic

1. ==General standards==

Once a source is found for the information to be added, the user who wishes to add the information must also cite it. However, a few key points must be observed before any information is placed into an article.

1. ===Canonicity===

With the growing amount of material available to the Assassin's Creed series, the possibility of conflicting information is present. As such, the following assumptions should be made before information is entered into any of the articles on the Wiki;

1. In most cases, the main games (as listed under the "Reliable sources" section) are the highest tier of canon. If any information given in another medium explicitly contradicts that given in these games, it is considered non-canon. For example, if Assassin's Creed: Renaissance states that it took an individual three days to travel from Venice to Florence, while Assassin's Creed II clearly indicates it only took two, the article will cite the game over the novella.
2. The canonicity of media is tiered. The highest tier contains the aforementioned main games, while the second tier contains the spin-off games. The third tier contains the films, novellas, the Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia, and two comics, Assassin's Creed: The Fall and Assassin's Creed: The Chain. Finally, the fourth tier contains the remaining three comics.

1. ===Introduction===

Sources must not be cited in the introduction or lead section of an article. Most if not all of the information in the introduction is mentioned again later in the article, and should be cited within the main text. This helps to limit congestion of the introductory text and keep the overall presentation respectable.

If, however, a sourced piece of information in the introduction is not mentioned again in the main text, it may be cited where required.

1. ===Positioning===

Citations go immediately after punctuation and outside of quotation marks, with no space between the end of a sentence and a reference tag. It must be made directly after that which is being cited, so as to prevent confusion to the reader.

If an entire paragraph or section cites information from a single source, then simply place the citation at the end of the paragraph or section.

1. ==Formats==

Upon confirming that both the information and citations to be used are valid, the citations must be properly formatted in accordance with the formats listed below.

The formats needed for each citation shall differ based on whether an article possesses one or many references, and whether each reference is inserted within the article one or many times.

1. ===Multiple references===

By standard, most articles require the citation of several different references. The format of each individual reference differs, based upon whether it is only used once within the article, or multiple times.

For the single insertion of a citation, the following format must be used;

<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref>

For multiple insertions of the same citation, two separate formats must be used; one for the first insertion point, and one for all subsequent insertion points.

In this case, citations must also be named appropriately through the "ref name" parameter. Numbered main games must be named "AC", "AC2", or "AC3" respectively, while all other media must use either their subtitles only (such as "Project Legacy", "Revelations novel", or "The Chain") or their appropriate acronyms (such as "ACPL", "RBook", or "ACTF"). A full list of the acronyms may be found on the "Variables" section of the Era template.

The following format is used in the first insertion point;

<ref name="Lineage">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref>

while the format below is for subsequent insertions points;

<ref name="Lineage" />

1. ===Outside references===

Outside references, or those external to the Assassin's Creed series, should be kept to a minimum, and preferably only mentioned in the "Trivia" section of an article. The references must add something constructive to the article, and come from a source reliable in relation to the field it is from.

For example, if sourced from Wikipedia's article on The Prince, the line "Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a book which seems to counter the very ideals of the Assassins." should be written as such;

[[Niccolò Machiavelli]] wrote ''The Prince'', a book which seems to counter the very ideals of the [[Assassins]].<ref>''{{Wiki|The Prince}}''</ref>

1. ===Specified references===

In the case of subcategories of a source, such as the chapters of Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy or the numbered issues of Assassin's Creed: The Fall, the original source must first be listed, followed by the subcategory; as written below. The same method also applies for all instances of downloadable content.

<ref name="Project Legacy - Bartolomeo d'Alviano">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' - [[Italian Wars: Chapter 1 - Bartolomeo d'Alviano]]</ref>

1. ===Reference list===

Whether the article makes use of multiple series references, multiple outside references, or a mixture of both, the "References" header must be included. At the bottom of the article, just before categories and appearance templates such as {{ACII}}, the following must be inserted;

==References==
{{Reflist}}

1. ===Singular reference===

In the case of an article possessing only a single reference for its entirety, the formats listed previously do not apply. For this special case, neither <ref> citations nor the "References" header need be used; since citing every section with the same source would be unnecessary and time-consuming.

Instead, the bottom of the article must contain the single source under the "Reference" header, and may be written as such;

==Reference==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' - ''[[Copernicus Conspiracy]]''

Writing tense

In the Assassin's Creed Wiki, we set the canon timeline as the latest known event in the timeline. So any and all events that have already occured must be written in a encyclopedial past tense instead of a narrative present tense.

Characters, locations, objects or events that still exist must be referred to in a present tense, as to not give the implication that they no longer exist by the time of the latest event in the series' timeline.

If you need help understanding Present Tense from Past Tense, or you're just having a blank, it is encouraged to read the guidelines that are written below;

1. ===Past Tense===

The past tense is a verb tense (or sentence) expressing action, activity, state of being in the past of the current moment (in an absolute tense system), or prior to some other event, whether that is past, present, or future (in a relative tense system).

1. ===Present Tense===

Present Tense is the tense that may be used to express:

• action at the present
• a state of being;
• an occurrence in the (very) near future; or
• an action that occurred in the past and continues up to the present.

1. ===Examples:===

Past Tense:

 Ezio 'jumped' from one rooftop to the other, but 'missed' the ledge and 'fell' into a haystack. 

Present Tense:

 Ezio 'jumps' from one rooftop to the other, but 'misses' the ledge and 'falls' into a haystack. 

1. ===Rules===

• If an article is written in past tense, the text a user adds must also be written in past tense and vice versa.
• Quotes must be kept in the tense they are written in. Regardless of the article's tense.
• It is generally more accepted to write in past tense, unless you are writing about an event or battle.
• Do not change articles to a tense of your choice, leave it as it is unless it is mixed with the two tenses.