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MarioWiki:Good writing: Difference between revisions
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Obviously we don't want our articles to be bland and repetitive, but users sometimes go over the top in their attempts to spice up the content. | Obviously we don't want our articles to be bland and repetitive, but users sometimes go over the top in their attempts to spice up the content. | ||
Overly fancy language is the worst offender - to put it simply, it feels forced. To use the ''Luigi's Mansion'' quotation form earlier as an example, there's no good reason to call a ghost baby a "cherubim", just call him a "baby", or change things up with ''normal'' synonyms like "infant". | Overly fancy language is the worst offender - to put it simply, it feels forced. To use the ''Luigi's Mansion'' quotation form earlier as an example, there's no good reason to call a ghost baby a "cherubim", just call him a "baby", or change things up with ''normal'' synonyms like "infant". Flowery language often goes hand-in-hand with attempts to inject a sense of epicness to the content, and using grandiose and overly-dramatic language is just as bad as run-of-the mill thesaurus regurgitation. There is no need to fill the pages with superlatives about how heroic a character is, or how harrowing their situation is, or whatever. | ||
Flowery language often goes hand-in-hand with attempts to inject a sense of epicness to the content, and using grandiose and overly-dramatic language is just as bad as run-of-the mill thesaurus regurgitation. There is no need to fill the pages with superlatives about how heroic a character is, or how harrowing their situation is, or whatever. | |||
Similarly, users sometimes fixate on the darker aspects of ''Mario'' plots and blow things way out of proportion. Yes, [[Dimentio]] turning out to be a psychotic puppetmaster who wants to wipe all of reality out of existence is interesting and serious stuff, but it does not require half a dozen pages to adequately cover this one-time character. Similarly, while Bowser ''does'' make a habit of invading the Mushroom Kingdom, saying he's a ruthless, bloodthirsty tyrant who threatens hundreds of lives with his incessant violent attacks is going a little too far. This is ''Mario'' we're dealing with after-all: it's fine to take it seriously if you want, but keep the heavy-handed dramatic prose off the articles. | Similarly, users sometimes fixate on the darker aspects of ''Mario'' plots and blow things way out of proportion. Yes, [[Dimentio]] turning out to be a psychotic puppetmaster who wants to wipe all of reality out of existence is interesting and serious stuff, but it does not require half a dozen pages to adequately cover this one-time character. Similarly, while Bowser ''does'' make a habit of invading the Mushroom Kingdom, saying he's a ruthless, bloodthirsty tyrant who threatens hundreds of lives with his incessant violent attacks is going a little too far. This is ''Mario'' we're dealing with after-all: it's fine to take it seriously if you want, but keep the heavy-handed dramatic prose off the articles. | ||
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;'''Beta''': "Beta" refers to the period in software development where a product is feature-complete, but has yet to be extensively bug-tested or optimized. This usually happens long after things like concepts being rejected, characters being cut from the game... etc. While the MarioWiki uses the name "[[Beta Elements]]" for pages about unused, changed or cut content for the sake of concision, "Beta" should '''not''' be used as a shorthand for "things that changed during development". More precise terms such as "cut", "unused", "concept art" or simple "early" should be used instead. Of course, this does not apply if the information is confirmed to be from an ''actual'' Beta build. | ;'''Beta''': "Beta" refers to the period in software development where a product is feature-complete, but has yet to be extensively bug-tested or optimized. This usually happens long after things like concepts being rejected, characters being cut from the game... etc. While the MarioWiki uses the name "[[Beta Elements]]" for pages about unused, changed or cut content for the sake of concision, "Beta" should '''not''' be used as a shorthand for "things that changed during development". More precise terms such as "cut", "unused", "concept art" or simple "early" should be used instead. Of course, this does not apply if the information is confirmed to be from an ''actual'' Beta build. | ||
;'''Prequel''': A prequel is a work released as part of an established series whose narrative is chronologically set before another, ''previously released'' work. However, it's frequently misused to say "The previous game in the series". ''[[Yoshi's Island]]'' is a prequel to ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', but ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' is not a "prequel" to ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''. Most usages of it on the wiki should be substituted with "predecessor". | ;'''Prequel''': A prequel is a work released as part of an established series whose narrative is chronologically set before another, ''previously released'' work. However, it's frequently misused to say "The previous game in the series". ''[[Yoshi's Island]]'' is a prequel to ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', but ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' is not a "prequel" to ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''. Most usages of it on the wiki should be substituted with "predecessor". | ||
;'''Remix''': "Remix" is frequently used to refer to a new recording of a music track, when the proper term for that would be "cover". A "remix" uses the original recording and modifies it (such as by altering the pitch, adding new percussions and beats. | ;'''Remix''': "Remix" is frequently used to refer to a new recording of a music track, when the proper term for that would be "cover". A "remix" uses the original recording and modifies it (such as by altering the pitch, adding new percussions and beats, etc.) while a cover version is a new recording of an existing composition. | ||
;'''Sprites''': "Sprite" refer to pre-rendered graphics, but it is often used to refer to any graphical assets in games with a 2D playing field, including ones such as ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' where almost all graphics are fully-rendered 3D models. | ;'''Sprites''': "Sprite" refer to pre-rendered graphics, but it is often used to refer to any graphical assets in games with a 2D playing field, including ones such as ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' where almost all graphics are fully-rendered 3D models. Of course, ''pre-rendered'' 3D graphics can be sprites (such as with ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' and ''[[Yoshi's Story]]''). | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||