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BRWiki:Policies

Policy status and phases






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This page is an official policy on BRWiki.

This policy has wide acceptance among editors and is considered a standard that all users should follow.
  • Feel free to propose any changes to this policy, but please make sure that changes you make follow the official process and reflect consensus on the discussion page before you put them into practice. Any changes need to be Adopted or Decreed to be enforced as policy.
  • See the Policies home page for an overview of BRWiki policies.
  • See Policies for a list of proposed and adopted policy articles.


Shortcut: WW:LORE

[top]Writing Lore

This is a sub-policy of the Writing policy concerning writing lore articles.

[top]Canon


[top]Official sources of lore


  • All official sources of lore are considered valid.

This includes the games and the manuals, the novels and the RPG books.
Comments by authors, artists, and Wizards of the Coast may also be of interest, but should always be clearly cited as such, and not taken as definitive statements of fact.

[top]Citation


  • Cite your sources.

As verifiability is crucial to the integrity of information in the wiki, statements which are likely to be disputed should provide citations to the above sources. Providing a citation allows other users to verify that information is correct, and helps identify speculation masquerading as official lore. Citation is particularly important when dealing with controversial topics, as well as statements including specific numbers, such as populations.
If a specific claim lacks a citation, it may be tagged with the {{Fact}} template. The {{Source needed}} banner can be used if an entire article or section has an unclear foundation in official sources. If no citation is provided within a reasonable time, the impugned material should be removed from the wiki.

[top]RPG Information


  • Clarify the context of information.

While this wiki serves as a repository for all Birthright lore, there is an emphasis on the Birthright RPG. Information which focuses on aspects of lore which do not match the version presented by the game should be clearly labelled.

[top]Conflicts


Where two or more sources of lore conflict on a significant point, there are two main ways the difficulty can be resolved. If there is disagreement as to which method should be implemented, a consensus-building discussion should take place.
Please note that attempts to reconcile conflicting versions of lore fall under the category of Speculation, and are governed by the guidelines under that section.

[top]Retcons


  • Where it is clear that one version overrides another, use the current version.

Where it is clear that one version of the lore overrides another, provide the current lore of as the definitive version. A detailed description of exactly what was changed may be placed in the Retcon article, and this may be referred to in the See Also section of the main article.
For example, the Goblin article can simply describe their peaceful history on Thurazor. A discussion of their original depiction as inherently violent and evil can be included in the Retcon article.

[top]Unclear lore


  • Where it is not clear which version is current, provide both.

If a conflict between two sources is not a clear retcon, then both conflicting versions should be presented in the main article. Citing sources is particularly important in such discussions.

[top]Speculation


  • Keep speculation separate.

Speculation consists of anything that is not verifiable in an official source of lore, and usually includes attempts to fill in blanks, resolve discrepancies, or predict future events.
It is imperative for the integrity of the information in the wiki that all speculation be kept clearly distinct from objective, verifiable information. Ideally, this means placing the conjecture in a completely separate article, with a title that includes "speculation," "theory," "rumor," or some other word indicating the uncertain and unofficial nature of the content. If included in a regular article, conjecture should be placed under a separate subheading clearly labelling it with one of the above words.
This policy is of particularly importance when dealing with the sometimes confusing issue of retcons or lore conflicts. When describing these, the conflicting information from the cited sources should be presented without commentary. Theories as to how the conflict could or should be resolved should be relegated to separate sections or articles.

[top]Concise Articles and Source Text


Lore articles on characters, places, and events should be kept reasonably concise, summarizing and cleanly presenting the facts and events directly relevant to the topic. Large sections of copied source text are discouraged, as they tend to make articles overly long, create repetition, contain much information that isn't directly relevant, and are problematic to update.
Citations to an official source should be included where relevant in the form of a link. Following the policy of preferring internal links, the link would ideally be to an internal page containing a complete transcription of the source, clearly identified as Source Text. This should also allow for easier verification and citation of sources.


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