View source for Project Redcap:Content guidelines

This page explains how to make useful contributions 

== Before You Contribute ==
Please read and follow our [[Project_Redcap:Copyrights|copyright]] policy. It's important. 

Also, please keep in mind Project: Redcap's twin [[Project Redcap:Purpose|purposes]].

== What to Contribute ==
Anything you can do to make Project: Redcap better will be appreciated. See [[Project Redcap:About]] for the site's goals, or [[Project Redcap:Sub-Projects]] for a list of the sub-projects we have initiated to further these goals.

We are especially interested in links to Ars Magica material elsewhere on the Web, regardless of its language, age, or perceived quality. Please search Project: Redcap to find the most relevant page on which to add a link. The [[Internet Site Index]] is a good place to add links to general fan sites, and sites about players' [[Saga]]s are best to add to the [[Regional Tribunal]] page where the saga is set.

Adding new articles and improving existing articles are also great ways to contribute. You can improve existing articles by expanding the text, editing for clarity and brevity, and adding [[Help:References|references]].

Project: Redcap also welcomes [[:Category:Fan-created|fan-created]] material. Here are some suggestions of things you might want to consider creating:

* Links to interesting Web sites you've found, either about Ars Magica or about [[Real History]]
* Downloadable character sheets, maps, or other play aids
* Ready-made characters, [[covenant|covenants]], or creatures
* Original articles about some aspect of [[Mythic Europe]] or the [[Order of Hermes]]
* Short articles that summarize how a [[Rules | rule]] works or explain something from the [[Canon | canon]], such as a [[Hedge Magic]] tradition or a [[Regional Tribunal]]. Please keep in mind our [[Project_Redcap:Copyrights|copyright]] policy when writing about the canon.
* Original illustrations, maps, and diagrams.
* Original characters, adventures, covenants, and creatures. Please mark such contributions with the [[:Category:Fan-created|Fan-created]] category.
* Almost anything else you can think of!

== What Not to Contribute ==
At the risk of repeating ourselves excessively, do not post copyrighted material to Project: Redcap. We're totally serious about our [[Project Redcap:Copyrights|copyright policy]]. If you are unsure, please [[contact]] the maintainers for advice.

If, in the maintainers' sole judgment, you violate or come close to violating copyright policy, a maintainer will attempt to contact you to explain the error and request you correct it. If the maintainer cannot reach you, he or she will make any necessary edits up to and including deleting the page.

== Qualities of a Good Article ==
The best articles are:

* Focused on a specific topic
* Well-organized with appropriate headings
* Linked to other articles
* Supported by references
* Assigned to one or more [[Special:Categories|Categories]] so others can find them

Here follow some guidelines, not strict rules, for how to make your pages useful without violating copyright or hurting Atlas Games' business.

* The main point is not to write so much detail that someone could use your page instead of referring to his or her bookshelf.
* Go beyond what's in the Ars Magica books. Add examples, or suggestions on how to use something in play. Explain when a rule works differently in one edition as opposed to another.
* Include lots of links to other pages (either on this site or elsewhere)
* Refer to game rules by page number rather than quoting from them.
* Similarly, refer to fictional places, events, and characters by page reference when possible.
* If you must explain something from the game world, be very brief: one or two sentences.
* For long out-of-print material (ArM3 and earlier) you can write more extensive summaries, but still be sure to only summarize, not replicate.
* Remember that other people can, and probably will, edit the pages you create.
* Avoid writing detailed timelines of fictional events. Timelines of Hermetic history are included in several ArM5 books.

== Civility ==
Be civil. It is all right to express opinions on this site. We're not trying to be completely objective (that's an unattainable ideal). Be careful to:

# state opinions as opinions, not as facts;
# separate opinions from fact where possible, for example in a section marked "opinion," "commentary," or "reviews"
# remain respectful toward authors, other people's play styles, and opposing opinions.

Just because you think something is poorly done or a bad idea, does not mean the person who wrote it is an enemy of civilization.

== Controversial Topics ==
The nature of [[Mythic Europe]] leads [[Ars Magica]] to deal with potentially offensive and/or controversial topics such as anti-Semitism, the Crusades, witch-burning, slavery, medieval attitudes toward gender, and so on. Please ''do'' feel free to write about these topics, but write carefully. One of the great things about the [[Fan Community]] is our diversity. This implies we owe it to ourselves to be respectful of all religions, nationalities, etc.

When writing about historical events, be sure to use the past tense. Atrocities committed 800 years ago have little direct bearing on modern events. Remember that a lot of players enjoy Ars Magica for the magic and fantasy, so don't get too hung up on [[Real History]].

Perhaps the best angle is to present the controversial topic in a matter-of-fact way, then go on to explain at length all the fun Story ideas it inspires.

== See Also ==
* [[Help:Style guide]]

[[Category: Help]]
[[Category: Project_Redcap]]
[[Category: Policies]]