Editing Contributor Resources

<span style="float:right; margin-left:2em;">__TOC__</span>
== Overview ==
The Heroes III Wiki Team welcomes you to contribute in a multitude of ways. Please read the Editorial and Submission Guidelines on this page for a broad overview of how to contribute to the wiki and about user-generated content respectively.

;Accounts
* To avoid the account creation spam, view {{extLink|link=https://{{SERVERNAME}}/index.php?namespace=2&invert=1&tagfilter=&days=30&limit=500&title=Special%3ARecentChanges|title=custom recent changes here}}.
* Don't worry about confirming your email address. Email has been disabled on this wiki to put less pressure on the server.

;General Tips
* Do not worry too much about making mistakes. All changes are recorded and easily reverted.
* If an image doesn't seem correct after you or someone else has uploaded a new version of it, it is most likely a caching issue. Test opening the page in an incognito window to verify that is the case. If so, you just need to clear the cache of your web browser.
* Beware of caching issues. If something doesn't seem to be changing even though it seems it should, it might be due to caching. It's been known to happen to images, templates, pages, etc. Clearing your browser cache doesn't always fix it. So if you've tried a bunch of stuff and it still isn't working, just leave your change as you think it should be and let it sit for some time to allow the server to refresh its cache on its own.
* To check specifically for talk pages, use [[User:Imahero/talk|this link]].
* Use the browser extension {{extLink|link=https://darkreader.org|title=Dark Reader}} to test CSS changes for dark mode users. Also keep in mind that settings in your web browser can also affect this (e.g. chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark).
* If you find a use for any [[:Category:Misc pictures|miscellaneous pictures]], feel free to rename (move) them as you see fit for your purpose. Just leave a redirect behind so as not to break any [[template:misc pages|miscellaneous pages]].


== Editorial Guidelines ==
=== What to do? ===
* Take a look at [[Proposals]] for more specific requests.
* Look through the [[Special:RecentChanges|recent changes]] to see which pages have been most recently edited. It's always good to have new content double-checked by other contributors.
* Browse through categories starting at the top level [[:Category:Content|content]] to see if there are any areas you are interested in. There may also be areas you find lacking, or altogether missing.
* Try to make sure a page doesn't already exist before creating a new one. Don't worry about this too much though, as a more experienced contributor will be able to see your new page when they check the recent changes and will help you resolve the issue.
* Check out [[map check]] to find maps that still need images uploaded. See [[template:extracted|extracted]] for all the images in game data.


=== Categories ===
* Categories help us keep the wiki organized. Every page should have at least one category, but can also belong to several categories.
* [[:Category:Contributor resources]] contains many resources you may find useful as a contributor.


=== Images ===
* If you find any articles missing images, or you have a better one, you are welcome to add it to the wiki!
* To upload images, use [[Special:Upload]].
* Just like pages and categories themselves, images should be given a proper category to help keep the wiki organized.


=== Templates ===
* Templates help us keep the wiki more consistent. Secondary skills are a good example of this. We can use a single template that requires just the name and description of the skill. The template then uses the name to get the correct images, and then takes those images, the name, and the description, and puts them all together in a consistent manner for each different skill. Most templates provide instructions and examples to help beginners.
* You can also study the existing templates on the wiki. When you open a page preview, you can scroll down to a line of text with a dropdown arrow that reads "Templates used in this preview". You can click this dropdown to show any templates the current page is using. You can read these templates and then study how they are used on that page. 
* For a complete list of templates, see: <span class="plainlinks">[https://{{SERVERNAME}}/wiki/index.php?title=Special%3AAllPages&from=&to=&namespace=10&hideredirects=1 All Templates]</span>.
* For help creating templates, use <span class="plainlinks">[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Template Template Help]</span>.
* As a small example of what templates can do, here are a few text templates we use to keep our references to {{homm}} consistent throughout the wiki:
{| border=1 cellspacing=0
!Template!!Effect
|-
|[[Template:homm|<nowiki>{{homm}}</nowiki>]]|| {{homm}}
|-
|[[Template:roe|<nowiki>{{roe}}</nowiki>]]|| {{roe}}
|-
|[[Template:hommroe|<nowiki>{{hommroe}}</nowiki>]]|| {{hommroe}}
|-
|[[Template:ab|<nowiki>{{ab}}</nowiki>]]|| {{ab}}
|-
|[[Template:sod|<nowiki>{{sod}}</nowiki>]]|| {{sod}}
|-
|}

== Submission Guidelines ==
''Note: All custom or user-generated content is featured at the discretion of the Wiki Team.''
=== Custom Maps ===
Certain custom maps may be featured here on the Heroes III Wiki based on the following criteria:
# The map is able to be completed (whereby the player wins and is able to enter their High Score) on all difficulty levels.
# The map is playable on {{sod}}{{-ws}}, {{hota}}{{-wh}}, or {{dor}}{{-wd}}.
# The map is not an edited or otherwise modified version of an original {{homm3}}, {{hota}}, or {{dor}} map.
# The map is not an edited or otherwise modified version of another user's custom map.
#* Maps made by multiple collaborators are permitted; all authors will be credited.
# The map's primary language is English.
#* Maps that use another language alongside English for narrative purposes are permitted.
#* References or "Easter Eggs" that are in another language are permitted.
#* Maps that were initially released in another language but have been translated to English are permitted; we will only document the English translation.
# The map has accumulated over 10,000 downloads across all websites it is hosted on.
# Notable maps that do not meet these criteria but have otherwise been well-received by a large audience are permitted at the discretion of the Wiki Team.

This criteria is set in place for a few reasons:
* To prevent numerous low quality maps from being added to the Wiki.
* To show recognition and give support to the mappers who have put the time and effort into creating original, high quality content for players to enjoy.

If you would like to discuss the addition or removal of a map to or from the Wiki, please let us know through our [[Discord servers|Discord server]].

=== [[VCMI]] Towns ===
Certain custom towns may be featured here on the Heroes III Wiki based on the following criteria:
# The town is complete in its graphics, audio, heroes, creatures, and other data (spells, abilities, etc.)—henceforth referred to as '''assets'''—of which none are missing or incomplete.
# The town uses original, high quality assets that are made by the author(s) of the town and are stylistically similar to {{homm}}.
## Exceptions can be made regarding original assets if work done to assets can be classed as "transformative" or "restorative", for example:
##* Creating a building or creature based on unused [[New World Computing]] artwork or ideas.
##* Restoring and/or modifying an unused hero portrait.
## Exceptions can also be made when creating smaller assets that need to be created for pre-existing game content that does not have certain assets created for it, for example:
##* Creating a specialty icon for a spell or creature that did not receive one in the base game (e.g. a [[Dimension Door]] or [[Pikeman]] specialist).
##* Re-using a graphical asset for an icon that is relevant to the asset (e.g. using the [[Orb of Silt]] to signify an [[Earth Magic]] specialist).
## The town does not use any AI generated assets, regardless of whether the AI generated asset has been modified.
##* AI may be used as a tool to assist in generating ideas or refining concepts, but any asset incorporated into the town must be fully created by a person.
## The town does not use any creatures that are kit-bashed ("frankensteined") or recoloured from pre-existing models or sprites.
# The town is not incredibly over- or under-powered; it respects {{sod}} / {{hota}} balance.
# The town is not made as a joke or for unserious play.

This criteria is set in place for a few reasons:
* To prevent low quality, unoriginal, and/or copyrighted content from finding its way onto the Wiki.
* To show recognition and give support to the modders and community members who have put the time and effort into creating original, high quality content for players to enjoy.

If you would like to discuss the addition or removal of a town to or from the Wiki, please let us know through our [[Discord servers|Discord server]].

For more information on undocumented towns, please refer to [https://heroes3towns.com/ Heroes3Towns] or the [https://vcmi.eu/Mod%20Repository/Overview/ VCMI Mod Repository].

== Spam/Trash/Garbage/Delete ==
<nowiki>Replace the page content with the appropriate template (e.g. {{delete}}) and someone will eventually delete it.</nowiki>
*[[:Template:Spam]] / [[:Category:Spam]]
*[[:Template:Trash]] / [[:Category:Trash]]
*[[:Template:Garbage]] / [[:Category:Garbage]]
*[[:Template:Delete]] / [[:Category:Delete]]

== See Also: ==
* [[Capitalization reference]]
* [[Disambiguation list]]
* [[Discord servers]]
* [[Tools]]
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[[Category:Contributor resources]]
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