PvXwiki:Guide Format and Syntax

This page is designed to help give users an understanding of the how a Guide should be formatted and suggests ways to ensure the layout is orderly and logical.

Overview
Every guide should begin with a short overview that broadly describes the content and subject of the guide. The overview should touch upon the main themes of the guides but contain as little detail as possible to ensure the guide is not drawn out and repetitive.

Sections
Each section should be concise and clear as possible. Each paragraph should cover one element and consist of no more than five to seven sentences. When the subject of a paragraph begins to change, you should start a new paragraph to create a sense of completion and transition from one subject to another.

As you write your guide, be aware of any jargon you may be using. It's better not to use slang in a guide, but if you do then be sure to explain the word or concept. Making the word a link to its definition the first time you use it is an ideal way to achieve this. While it means the reader's attention is momentarily diverted, it also means your article is more compact.

Finally, try to arrange your sections so that your guide progresses in a logical order. If your guide is about running a particular mission, don't go over the details of how the run is achieved before you introduce the build or skills you will need to run it.

Sub-Sections
If your section is covering variations on a theme, consider using sub-sections to break up the paragraphs. For example, if your guide is covering a multi-level dungeon in Eye of the North, consider making each level of the dungeon a section and separating the rooms or areas of those levels into sub-sections. Not only will this make your article look more organized, but it allows readers to take full advantage of the Table of Contents to quickly access subjects of particular interest.

Categorizing Your Guide
All guides should be included in Category:Guides. In order to do this, put this tag at the end of your guide's edit window:

This makes it easy for anyone looking for a guide to quickly find it.

Sample Template
This is a sample template taken from the Profession Guides. This guide can be copied and pasted as a starting point. The sections should be renamed and the format restructured to fit your topic.

Overview of Profession

Primary Weapon
Description of the primary weapon(s) this profession uses.

Primary Attribute:

 * "Quote from Guild Wars about the passive bonus of this attribute."

Description of the passive bonus this profession's primary attribute bestows including any elaboration on the mechanics.

Attribute 1

 * "Quote from Guild Wars about this attribute."

Quick description about what types of skills this attribute has available and any other relevant information.

Attribute 2

 * "Quote from Guild Wars about this attribute."

Quick description about what types of skills this attribute has available and any other relevant information.

Attribute 3

 * "Quote from Guild Wars about this attribute."

Quick description about what types of skills this attribute has available and any other relevant information.

PvP

 * PvP Build 1 with a short description
 * PvP Build 2 with a short description
 * PvP Build 3 with a short description

PvE

 * PvE Build 1 with a short description
 * PvE Build 2 with a short description
 * PvE Build 3 with a short description