Editing Manual of Style

The '''Project Rebearth Wiki Manual of Style''' is the style guide for all articles on the [[Main Page|Project Rebearth Wiki]]. It covers grammar, formatting, linking, template usage, and other conventions that keep articles consistent and readable. For article structure and section ordering, see the [[Project Rebearth Wiki:Layout Guide|Layout Guide]].

All articles should follow these guidelines and when in doubt, editors should consult each other on the wiki channel in {{Discord|our Discord server}}.

== Perspective and tone ==
All articles are written in '''present tense''' and from a '''game-mechanics perspective'''. Articles should describe the current state of the game as it exists now. For example, editors should write like "The Bakery produces Food" rather than "The Bakery produced Food."

Articles should be '''factual and neutral'''. Editors shouldn't editorialize about game balance, and avoid subjective judgments such as calling a building "the best" or "overpowered." Gameplay advice and optimization tips belong in the optional '''Strategy''' section.

As the game's lore is revealed over time, lore-related content should be kept softly separated from mechanical descriptions. Use distinct sections or paragraphs for narrative context versus gameplay data.

== Numbers ==
Always write numbers as '''digits''', never spelled out:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Correct !! Incorrect
|-
| provides housing for '''4''' people || provides housing for '''four''' people
|-
| costs '''35''' Wood || costs '''thirty-five''' Wood
|-
| produces '''2.5''' Food per day || produces '''two and a half''' Food per day
|}

{{MessageBox|title=Programmatical approach for game data|text=When talking about how much resource a building produces, don't detail it with numbers, but use the {{tl|BuildingData}} template. See [[#{{BuildingData}}|the BuildingData section]] for more details}}

Always include '''units and signs''' with numerical values: <code>+50/day</code>, <code>-2.0/day</code>, <code>-0.1/day</code>.

For large numbers (1,000 or more), use the <nowiki>{{formatnum:}}</nowiki> template to add comma separators: <code><nowiki>{{formatnum:10000}}</nowiki></code> renders as {{formatnum:10000}}.

== Capitalization ==
=== Headings ===
Use '''sentence case''' for all headings. Only capitalize the first word and proper nouns:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Correct !! Incorrect
|-
| <code><nowiki>== Resource production ==</nowiki></code> || <code><nowiki>== Resource Production ==</nowiki></code>
|-
| <code><nowiki>== Housing upkeep ==</nowiki></code> || <code><nowiki>== Housing Upkeep ==</nowiki></code>
|-
| <code><nowiki>== Affected by ==</nowiki></code> || <code><nowiki>== Affected By ==</nowiki></code>
|}

=== Game terms ===
'''Always capitalize''' the names of resources, buildings, biomes, and other named game concepts when referring to them specifically:

* '''Resources:''' Wood, Stone, Earth, Food, Grain, Flour, Milk, Wool, Drinks, Clothes, Scrap, Tools, Glass, Ore, Metal, Coin, Knowledge
* '''Buildings:''' Bakery, Town Hall, Woodcutter, Iron Mine, etc.
* '''Biomes:''' Wood Biome, Stone Biome, Earth Biome, Arctic Biome
* '''Other game concepts:''' Happiness, Trade, Expeditions, etc.

Follow standard English capitalization rules for everything else.

== Formatting ==
=== Bold ===
* '''Bold the article subject''' on its first mention in the intro paragraph using three single quotes: <code><nowiki>'''Tavern'''</nowiki></code>.
* '''Bold key statistics''' in Overview sections to make them easy to scan: "The Tavern costs '''50''' of the biome's primary resource."
* Do not use bold for general emphasis elsewhere in the article.

=== Whitespace ===
'''Never leave an empty line''' directly below a heading before the section content begins:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Correct !! Incorrect
|-
|
<pre>== Overview ==
The Tavern costs 50 of the biome's...</pre>
||
<pre>== Overview ==

The Tavern costs 50 of the biome's...</pre>
|}

=== Other formatting rules ===
* Prefer wiki markup over raw HTML wherever possible.
* Never use code-style formatting in articles: no backticks, no <code><nowiki><code></nowiki></code> tags, and no config file key names (e.g. write "Bakery" not "bakery" or <code>bakery_1</code>).
* Write in prose paragraphs, not bullet-point lists, for article body sections.

== Linking ==
=== Resource icons ===
All mentions of resources in article text must use the {{tl|Icon}} template, which displays a 15px icon alongside a wikilink:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Correct !! Incorrect
|-
| <code><nowiki>consumes {{Icon|Wood}} and {{Icon|Food}}</nowiki></code> || <code><nowiki>consumes [[Wood]] and [[Food]]</nowiki></code>
|}

Supported resources are Wood, Stone, Earth, Food, Grain, Flour, Milk, Wool, Drinks, Clothes, Scrap, Tools, Glass, Ore, Metal, Coin, Knowledge.

=== Wikilinks ===
Use <code><nowiki>[[wikilinks]]</nowiki></code> for game terms such as building names, biome names, and game systems on first mention. Use piped links when the display text differs from the page title: <code><nowiki>[[Wood Biome|Wood]]</nowiki></code>.

== Images ==
Building images follow the naming convention <code>BuildingNameBiome</code>, where the biome suffix matches the biome type:

* '''Wood biome:''' <code>BakeryWood.png</code>
* '''Stone biome:''' <code>BakeryStone.png</code>
* '''Earth biome:''' <code>BakeryClay.png</code>

No Arctic biome images currently exist for any building.

== Tables ==
=== Article tables ===
All data tables in articles use the themed <code>rb-table</code> style, which matches the wiki's brown and gold visual identity. Wrap the table in two <code><nowiki><div></nowiki></code> layers and use <code>class="rb-table"</code> instead of <code>class="wikitable"</code>:

<pre>
<div class="rb-table-frame"><div class="rb-table-inner">
{| class="rb-table"
|-
! Column 1 !! Column 2
|-
| Data 1 || Data 2
|}
</div></div>
</pre>

The outer <code>rb-table-frame</code> provides the gold border, <code>rb-table-inner</code> provides the cream background, and <code>rb-table</code> styles the table itself with dark brown headers, zebra-striped rows, and themed link colors.

==== Section rows ====
Use the <code>rb-section</code> class on a table row to create a medium-brown sub-header that groups related rows:

<pre>
|- class="rb-section"
| colspan="4" | Food Production
</pre>

==== Value styling ====
Use these CSS classes inside table cells to color-code values:
* <code>rb-buff</code> for positive values (green, bold): <code><nowiki><span class="rb-buff">+3.0</span></nowiki></code>
* <code>rb-nerf</code> for negative values (red, bold): <code><nowiki><span class="rb-nerf">-1.0</span></nowiki></code>
* <code>rb-center</code> on a <code><nowiki><td></nowiki></code> or cell to center-align its contents

==== Cell alignment ====
To center a cell that spans multiple columns, use inline style on the cell:

<pre>
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center;" | +2.5/day
</pre>

=== Infobox subtables ===
Standard wikitable syntax (using <code><nowiki>{|</nowiki></code> and <code><nowiki>|}</nowiki></code>) '''breaks''' inside template parameters. When a table is needed inside an infobox template, use HTML tables with the <code>rb-ib-subtable</code> class instead:

<pre>
| cost = <table class="rb-ib-subtable">
  <tr><th>Biome</th><th>Cost</th></tr>
  <tr><td>[[Wood Biome|Wood]]</td><td>50 {{Icon|Wood}}</td></tr>
  <tr><td>[[Stone Biome|Stone]]</td><td>50 {{Icon|Stone}}</td></tr>
  <tr><td>[[Earth Biome|Earth]]</td><td>50 {{Icon|Earth}}</td></tr>
  <tr><td>[[Arctic Biome|Arctic]]</td><td>50 {{Icon|Wood}}</td></tr>
</table>
</pre>

Infobox subtables use <code>rb-ib-buff</code> and <code>rb-ib-nerf</code> for value styling (same as <code>rb-buff</code>/<code>rb-nerf</code> but scoped to the infobox CSS).

== Templates ==
The wiki provides several templates to keep articles accurate and consistent. Editors should familiarize themselves with these before writing.

=== {{tl|Icon}} ===
Displays a 15px resource icon alongside a wikilink to the resource article. '''Required''' for all resource mentions in article text. See [[#Resource icons|Resource icons]] above.

=== {{tl|BuildingData}} ===
Pulls [[Module:Changelog/data.json|live game data]] directly into article text, keeping values in sync with the game automatically. '''Always use this template instead of typing numbers manually''' for any building-related statistic (costs, production rates, storage, population).

Parameters:
* <code>name</code>: the building's config key (e.g. <code>woodcutter</code>, <code>house_1</code>, <code>bakery</code>)
* <code>data</code>: the type of data to pull (<code>cost</code>, <code>rate</code>, <code>balance</code>, <code>storage</code>, <code>marketStorage</code>)
* <code>biome</code>: which biome's value to display (<code>wood</code>, <code>stone</code>, <code>earth</code>, <code>arctic</code>)
* <code>resource</code>: which resource within that data set (e.g. <code>wood</code>, <code>food</code>, <code>tools</code>)
* <code>section</code>: for non-building data, use <code>choices</code> to pull from the choices config
* <code>crop</code>: for Field crop types

Example:
<pre>
The Woodcutter produces +{{BuildingData|name=woodcutter|data=rate|biome=wood|resource=wood}} Wood per day.
</pre>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Correct !! Incorrect
|-
| <code><nowiki>costs '''{{BuildingData|name=house_1|data=cost|biome=wood|resource=wood}}''' {{Icon|Wood}}</nowiki></code> || <code><nowiki>costs '''35''' {{Icon|Wood}}</nowiki></code>
|}

=== {{tl|Chain}} ===
Renders a visual production chain diagram. Provide alternating resource and building names. Supports up to 15 items.

<pre>
{{Chain|Wood|Tools Workshop|Tools|title=Tools chain}}
</pre>

Optional parameters:
* <code>title</code>: a title for the chain diagram
* <code>direction</code>: <code>horizontal</code> (default) or <code>vertical</code>

=== {{tl|Changelog}} ===
Automatically detects and displays relevant changelog entries for the current page. Place inside a <code><nowiki>== Changelog ==</nowiki></code> section.

=== {{tl|Production Rates}} ===
Renders a comparison table of production rates across all biomes. The <code>highlight</code> parameter (wood, stone, earth, or arctic) bolds the column for that biome.

=== {{tl|Navbox}} ===
The site-wide navigation box. Placed at the bottom of every article, after the last section and before categories.

=== <nowiki>{{formatnum:}}</nowiki> ===
MediaWiki built-in template that formats numbers with comma separators. Use for values of 1,000 or greater: <code><nowiki>{{formatnum:10000}}</nowiki></code> renders as {{formatnum:10000}}.

=== Infobox templates ===
Each article type has its own infobox template. See the [[Project Rebearth Wiki:Layout Guide|Layout Guide]] for which template to use and how articles of each type should be structured:
* {{tl|Building}} for building articles
* {{tl|Resource}} for resource articles
* {{tl|Biome}} for biome articles
* {{tl|Choice}} for choice and policy articles

=== {{tl|MessageBox}} ===
Used for disambiguation notices at the top of articles when a term could refer to multiple pages. See the [[Project Rebearth Wiki:Layout Guide|Layout Guide]] for placement rules.

== Game updates ==
Articles should describe only the '''current state''' of the game. Do not document historical changes in article prose (e.g. "Prior to version 1.2, the Bakery cost 50 Wood"). Version history is handled automatically by the {{tl|Changelog}} template, which should be included in every article.

== Prohibited content ==
The following are not permitted in any article:
* '''Speculation''' or unverified claims. All information must reflect the current game.
* '''First or second person''' ("you", "we", "I"). Write in third person.
* '''Exclamation marks.'''
* '''Casual or colloquial language''' ("awesome", "insane", "totally").
* '''Code-style references''' (backticks, <code><nowiki><code></nowiki></code> tags, config key names like <code>bakery_1</code>).
* '''Editorializing''' ("the best building", "overpowered", "a must-have").
* '''Strategy advice in factual sections.''' Gameplay tips belong in the optional Strategy section only.
* '''Hardcoded game numbers.''' Use {{tl|BuildingData}} to pull values dynamically wherever possible.

[[Category:Wiki policies]]