CivWiki:Getting Started

This page is about contributing on the CivWiki. For a guide on getting started playing a Civ server, see Getting Started Guide.

Welcome to editing on the CivWiki! As a new user, you may be overwhelmed with the amount of history and information that's contained on the wiki. This page is not intended to be a complete guide, however it does help to know Wikipedia's information on getting started, as many of our policies continued there. Don't worry if you don't understand everything, but be mindful to use common sense and be respectful of viewpoints from other users.

If you need any help with getting set up and started writing your first CivWiki page, the main way to get help is to join the CivWiki discord, where most editors are active and looking at the recent changes on the wiki.

What is CivWiki?

CivWiki is a player-run wiki serving as a central database and encyclopedia for all Civ server information. The wiki contains information dating back to the original Civcraft wiki, created in 2013. By participating on the wiki, you're contributing to the ongoing history of the Civ genre of Minecraft servers, dedicated to building player-run realistic civilizations in Minecraft.

Make an account

For vandalism and real-life purposes, we require that every editor creates an account. There are also numerous reasons why to do so for yourself. We highly recommend you use an email address that does not contain any real-life information; while admins on the wiki cannot see this information, it may be helpful for all Civ-related purposes in the future.

Writing

Finding or creating a page

Now that you've created a page, you're now able to edit any page on the wiki.

Unlike on Wikipedia, both editing and creating pages are frequent on CivWiki. If you're looking to edit or write about a certain topic on your server, you can find pages up at the search bar in the top right hand corner. If a page is already created, you'll be redirected automatically; otherwise you can create a new page with a brand new link:

   There were no results matching the query.

   You may create the page "Red-linked Text You Searched For".

You can also create a new page by inputting in the box below:

Editing

There are two ways you can edit pages, either by using the Visual Editor or the Source Editor.

• The Visual Editor acts like a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, similar to other places like Google Docs. If you're intending on writing content and providing information, we recommend using this method, as it's much easier to learn. For more info on this type of editing, view the guide on Wikipedia.
• Source editing is the standard way of writing pages on Wikipedia, using wiki markup. If you're intending on making templates, working on navigation, or other affairs generally not related to directly writing content, we recommend using this method. For more info on this type of editing, view the guide on Wikipedia.

On an already existing page, there will also be tabs in the top right-hand corner, Edit, and Edit source (or, if creating, Create and Create source). If you're using Visual Editor, click the item without the word "Source".

Edit the page using your respective editor, with the following guidelines:

• Cite your sources!! We highly encourage you to cite verifiable sources, mainly Reddit posts, or Discord announcements. In general, we don't condone the use of Discord message citations, or screenshots of Discord messages, as these could be easily deleted or fabricated screenshots of actual messages. It makes it easier for editors to review your page if there are verifiable citations to back them up.
• Upload images: To make your pages stand out, feel free to include in-game screenshots. Upload these images using the Upload file link on the sidebar, taking note of the file name, and then adding it onto the page (either using ```[[File:Name]]```

Once you're done editing, we highly recommend using "Show preview", to make sure your page works with all the formatting. If you're happy with what you've written, press "Save page". Congratulations! You've made your first edit.

FAQ

• How do I resolve a dispute between edits?

• First, contact the editor who made the edits, and/or raise a Talk page. On the top left, there is a "Discussion" tab, where you can address these concerns.
• Another way to reach editors is through the CivWiki discord, where most editors are active and asking questions about their projects.
• Be mindful and respectful of disputes, and be approachable and assume the other editor is acting in good faith, and listen to their ideas for improving the page.
• If the dispute is not resolved, contact an administrator or bureaucrat on the wiki or discord.

• Why is a page blocked?

We block pages about contentious current events, or highly contested pages, to prevent spam or edit wars occasionally. Generally, most of these are under temporary ban; contact an administrator on the CivWiki for more information about a certain page.

• What happens when two users edit a page at the same time?

This is called an edit conflict. You'll get a conflict screen that displays both versions in separate windows, along with a summary highlighting the differences, and instructions on how you should proceed. It's virtually impossible to lose any data.

• Why was the edit/page I made removed?

There are a variety of reasons (some common reasons). The first thing you should do is look at the history page for the article you edited. This will tell you who changed it, when they changed it, and hopefully a short reason why they changed it. If it says something like see talk, then you should look at the talk page for the article. Also, you should look at your own talk page to see if you have a message there. If you don't find a reason that is satisfactory, politely ask in the article's talk page about your proposed change, and maybe you will get suggestions about changes that you can make so that your change will go in, or you may get reasons why your change should not happen.

In general, be polite and understanding of the editor(s) making criticisms, assume they are acting in good faith and listen to their ideas for improving the page.

Sometimes, we also move pages for a

• What standards should I use to edit the page?

In general, you should edit using Wikipedia's manual of style; while there are some Civ-specific exceptions we try to keep the discord as neutral as possible.