User:DannyOnCurse/TheoryWiki

This policy governs the creation and subsequent deletion of poorly thought-out builds and other miserable theorycrafts. This is PvXwiki, not TheoryWiki, and it's high time that this was enforced.

PvX
As the name of this wiki suggests, PvX is here to allow easy and ready access to builds. However, players coming here expect to find functional, well thought-out, and possibly overpowered builds. They do not come here to find your tired excuse for a theorycraft that attempts to use a different profession, an under-used skill, or anything else which is not nearly as effective as that which is effective.

Efficiency

 * Naturally, people desire to be efficient. Efficiency means achieiving the most gain for the least amount of work. This is the very reason we seek out jobs where we can do as little as possible and get paid as much as possible. It's all about maximizing the input:output ratio.
 * Builds which are less efficient than other builds at a specific task are, by definition, not as good. Some leniency is to be allowed across classes in PvE (due to a lack of "re-rolling"), but not so in PvP.

Clutter

 * Although the argument has been made multiple times that we do not have a limit, per se, on server space, there comes a point when the categories and searches simply become cluttered. Looking up keywords or opening up a category should provide a user readily with that which he or she is looking for, not various "alternatives" or other sub-par builds.
 * All too often, it has become difficult find builds easily and without sorting through numerous look-alikes. There are numerous builds that are unused currently because of their clear inferiority and obvious theorycrafting.

Wiki

 * Wikipedias are, as the name implies, encyclopedias. They are created in a style which allows numerous users to contribute to quickly expand knowledge. This relies on positive user contributions and determined administrators. Wikipedias are meant to store knowledge. They are not meant to be research laboratories.
 * Somewhere in history, PvX took a wrong turn. As a wiki, PvX's goal should be to store builds which are used commonly in Guild Wars, as well as builds which the majority of players find desirable. Commonly, here, means that the build is likely to be searched and used, as the phrase "build" alone could imply any tens of thousands of skills.
 * Given the above, common and desirable builds should be stored on the wiki. Collectively, common and desirable define "meta". PvX should store the meta, not attempt to create it. The meta has not and never will originate from PvX - the meta can only evolve in actual play, after which it may be documented.

Breakdown
Meta builds, and only meta builds, should be stored. After they have fallen out of the meta, they should be archived appropriately.

Handling theorycrafts
As always, Theorycrafts will be permitted in the user space, for ease of access or any other numeous reasons for which a player may desire to have his or her theorycrafted builds posted. They may not use official build category tags.
 * Any theorycrafts spotted in the Build space should be immediately moved to the authoring user's userspace.
 * This should not be taken as an offensive action, but rather as a regulatory one. Should the author subsequently violate PW:NPA, particularly with regard to the user who moved the build, the author shall be subject to a ban of no less than one week. Any evasion of ban will extend this period appropriately. Should an evasion of ban include a successive violation of PW:NPA, that user will be permabanned, having proven clear hostility towards the wiki.
 * Should a user contest that his or her build is not a theorycraft, a concensus should be reached. The build will remain in userspace until it is determined not to be a theorycraft. If any violations of PW:NPA occur during the process, both the build page and its talk should be locked to enforce PW:CHILL. If a concensus cannot be reached, the administrative team will have the final say.
 * Any continued contestation without clear evidence of the build's entry into the meta may be grounds for a ban per the discretion of the administrative team.