View source for Stargaze Community Wiki:Contribution guidelines

Welcome to The Stargaze Community Wiki. Anyone can edit here and you do not need permission to start.

Much of what this wiki records happened during live events that cannot be
replayed. The Museum on the Stargaze Minecraft Server holds a record of many concepts, logs, and characters seen in the universe. This creates a stable record for us to work with when creating, editing, and managing wiki pages.

If you have any valid concerns about these guidelines, please feel free to let me know in the Lore channel of the Stargaze Discord. Discretion of these rulings are held by the wiki owner thatrobin3001, and she has final say over any aspect of the guidelines.

== The short version ==

* If the Museum has it, cite the Museum by using the name of the log.
* If it does not, please attribute it accordingly with provided evidence, a linked recording, a screenshot or link to an assertion made by a staff member.
* Write about the character, not the player/actor.
* Keep theories out of articles. If they are prevalent, they may have their own "Theory" page, if permissed.

== Citing the Museum ==

The Stargaze Museum, holds transcribed works from events across the universe. It is the best source this wiki has, and will be the primary cited source. The Museum itself, is NOT canon.

To cite a work, give the details the Museum itself records for it:

 Stargaze Museum Location: Getran Terminal near GCM Monist. Source: Getra. Tags: Getra, Getran History.

Include enough of the line to identify the work. The title of the log can be found in the library written on the bookshelf with the log.

'''Copy the text into the article.''' Quote the passage you are relying on
rather than only pointing at the shelf. A citation that depends on the server
being up, and on the reader walking to the right floor, can eventually fail.
Text written into the article does not.

Use the tag system when researching. /tag Constellations, /tag Golden Strings,
/tag Seeds of Calamity, /tag Getra and /tag Meinrad will each highlight related
works.

=== Museum works that are summaries ===

Not everything in the Museum is a verbatim record. Some works carry a curator's
note marking them as summaries of events or conversations, for example the
conversation with GCM Monist. Where the Museum says a work is a summary, say so
in the article too, rather than presenting it as a direct quote. In cases like these, 
it is also permissible to use citations other than the Museum, given that more accurate
evidence may exist elsewhere in a video, flashback, or transcript.

=== Damaged works ===

Several of the entries in the Museum have expunged or otherwise with unreadable characters. 
Reproduce the damage as it appears. Do not reconstruct the text of these works.
If a damaged passage is the only support for a claim, say in the article that
the source is incomplete, if the damage pertains to the validity of the claim.

=== The Museum is out of universe ===

Sovereign states plainly that nothing in the Museum is connected to the
universe itself and that the Museum has no bearing on anything inside it. Treat
it accordingly.

Sovereign, as seen in the Museum, is a curator and a source, not an active figure in the story. Sovereign, as seen on Getra, is a character that only exists as a concept. Curator Sovereign cannot be used as a reference for how Getran Sovereign would be.

Do not write the Museum, its floors, or its tag system into lore articles as though they exist in the setting.

=== Unknowns ===

The Museum is explicit that when something is stated to be unknown, it means no
answer has been given through events and story, not that no answer exists.

Articles should say what has not been revealed rather than filling the gap.
"The method by which someone becomes a Stargazer has not been revealed" is
correct. Inventing a mechanism, or implying none exists, is not. 
You also cannot speculate or theorise in the main body of an article.

== Sourcing outside the Museum ==

Plenty happened that the Museum does not cover, and events are still running over time.
For anything not transcribed there:

* If possible, upload the isolated clip of the recording to the wiki, and cite the page of the recording.
* Please cite the Event that the recording is from, and the user who owns the footage.
* Where something is known only secondhand, or from an unverifiable but trustworthy source, because it was mentioned in chat or referenced later, say so in the article text.
* Quote key dialogue into the article rather than relying on the link alone. VODs expire and creators delete uploads.

=== Firsthand accounts ===

Because there is no complete record of any event, firsthand accounts are
allowed here. Most wikis do not permit this, and it works only with strict
attribution.

* Attribute clearly: "According to NAME, who was present, ...".
* Prefer two independent accounts. One clearly attributed account is acceptable. An unattributed claim is not.
* Where something rests on memory alone with no recording behind it, say so, so readers can weigh it.

 NOTE: Firsthand accounts are VERY weak evidence for something taking place. 
 As there is no substantial evidence of the event taking place outside of word of mouth. 
 Unverifiable claims are not wanted on this wiki, though they are accepted in cases where
 it is unavoidable.

=== Volatile Sources ===

Accounts given over time may conflict, in cases like these, where retcons are made, tend towards using the most recent evidence, as it is usually more reliable.

If the Museum has a piece of evidence, and a new event provides more information that contradicts the Museum, do NOT use the newer information, and instead rely on the Museum's information until the Museum is updated accordingly. As the Museum is the objective Truth dictated by the writers, and information provided during ongoing or new events may be volatile.

== Actors and characters ==

Stargaze events were played by real people. This wiki documents the characters
they played and the events that happened in-server. 

* Character articles cover the character. It may be that a certain person plays multiple characters in different events, each character should get their own page.
* Do NOT write about actors' personal lives, real relationships, health, finances, family or identity beyond what is directly relevant to their participation.
* Do not document community drama, callouts, allegations or interpersonal conflict between actors. This wiki is not the place for it, however well sourced it is.
* No romantic content involving real people. In-character relationships as portrayed during an event can be documented as story events. Real-life romantic speculation about actors is never appropriate here.
* When an actor asks for something about themselves to be removed, remove it. No questions asked.

If you are unsure whether something crosses this line, it crosses this line.

== Canon, Theories, and Speculation ==

Sovereign points visitors here for the theories and discussion of the
community, and says that answers exist for the open questions and can be found.
Theorising is part of what this wiki is for. It just needs to stay separate
from the record. Theory ''Discussion'' is held in the Lore Channel of the Stargaze Discord.

"Canon" refers to an Objective Fact with a Verifiable Source. For example: "The Seed of Calamity made the Players". This was explicitly said as one of Meinrad's Scripted lines.

"Theory" refers to substantially acceptable ideas. Ideas that are backed up using existing concepts and information, whilst not being directly stated. For example: "The Seed of Calamity is a Prime Lifeform". We know that the Seed fo Calamity ''acted'' in a way that Prime Lifeforms do, and it was ''suggested'' that the Seed of Calamity is a Prime Lifeform, however, it is never asserted as a fact.

"Speculation" refers to unsubstantiated ideas. Ideas that might refer to existing concepts, but the ties between them may have no evidence. For Example "The Seed of Calamity created The Players using Remnant Energy". There is no evidence that this happened, and we do not know what Remnant Energy is yet. So this claim is unsubstantiated outside of coincidental and literary connotations.

The Main Text of an article, contains The Canon and the most commonly Accepted Theories; the "Currently Accepted Canon", which may be disproved at a later date. Speculation, however, has no place on this wiki outside of Theory/Speculation pages, if approved. Theory pages must show their working. Cite the Museum works or recordings the theory rests on, and mark clearly where the reasoning leaves the evidence. If there is not a substantial amount of evidence for a Theory, it will be deemed Speculation.

Finally, not everything during an event was story. Jokes, technical problems and out of
character conversation are not events. If it is unclear whether a moment was a
bit, say that it is unclear rather than picking a reading.

== Dates ==

The universe uses in-universe calendars, and events have real-world run dates.
Keep the two visibly apart.

* In-universe dates use the calendar of the source, written as the source writes them, for example 2201/06/20 for Getran records.
* Real-world event dates are written in full, for example 13 July 2026.
* Where an article gives both, label which is which.

== What gets its own article ==

If you cannot write three sourced sentences about a subject beyond a
one-sentence definition, it does not need its own page. Cover it as a section
of a parent article and create a redirect.

Events, characters, factions, planets and major concepts usually warrant
articles. Single moments, minor items and one-off jokes usually do not.

Organise "by event" where content is event-specific, and "by concept" where it
spans events. A faction that appears across several events gets one article
covering all of them, not one per event. It may be that the singular article contains a tabbed page with differing contents for different events, in the case that information is exclusive to the singular event.

== Writing perspective ==

Write from a real-world perspective, in past tense, about events in a fictional
universe and the events they were played in.

: '''Yes:''' Meinrad's Shadow merged with the Seed of Calamity in the fight's second phase, becoming the Aspect of Meinrad.
: '''No:''' The King rose again, and the arena shook beneath his fury.

Quoted Museum text keeps its own voice. Do not paraphrase in-universe documents
into wiki pages when quoting them directly will do.

== Article layout ==

Follow the structure of existing articles of the same type. See
[[Erin]] and [[Weeklong_SMP|The Weeklong SMP]] and copy their
section order.

Every article opens with a one-paragraph summary identifying the subject and
where it first appears.

== Images ==

* 2D textures, such as for items and logos, can be uploaded directly, provided that you are authorised to search for them by Stargaze Staff.
* For 3D Models, Renders are heavily preferred, as they are clean and uniform. There will be a guide written up in the Stargaze Lore Channel for how to get renders of enemies from in-game using Greenscreens and flashback.
* Screenshots and clips from events and from the Museum. No fan art in articles.
* Credit the source of any recording or screenshot in the file description.
* Name files descriptively, for example <code>Meinrad-Shadow-Render-2026-07-18.png</code>, not <code>image1.png</code>.
* Do not upload images of actors themselves, such as camera footage, photos or face reveals. Skins and in-game characters only.

== AI-generated content ==

AI is not permitted on this Wiki. Any evidence of AI use will result in a ban from editing the Wiki. 

== Working with other editors ==

* Leave an edit summary on every edit.
* Nobody owns an article, including the person who created it.
* If you are reverted, and want to know why, please go to the Lore Channel in the Stargaze Discord.
* Being present for an event does not settle a dispute about it; "I was there, and you weren't" is not a valid rebuttal to assert authority. You must provide Evidence of your claims.
* If you want to make a page that doesn't exist, please state that you are creating it in the Lore Channel of the Stargaze Discord, and provide a link to the page in your declaration. This is to assure that there is no page-overlap, with multiple people writing the same concept, on different pages. 
* If you wish to create a Theory or Speculation page, please raise your concept in the Lore Channel of the Stargaze Discord, to be approved for a page. If your idea is not substantial enough to warrant a whole page, it may not receive one, though discussion of theories in the Lore Channel is always welcome.

== Vandalism ==

Obvious vandalism is reverted without discussion. Report anything persistent in the Lore channel of the Stargaze Discord, by pinging thatrobin3001. Repeat cases of vandalism will result in a contribution ban.

== Editing Special Pages ==

Editing any kind of special page, that is not about the Stargaze Lore, such as this page, is strictly not allowed. Any attempt to edit such pages will be seen as vandalism; being reverted, followed by a contribution ban. 

== Licensing ==

All Models, Textures, Events, and Transcripts, are created by The Stargaze Team. They hold all say in what can and cannot be done regarding these aspects. And all images presented on this wiki are subject to their licenses.

== Getting started ==

Writing up an event you watched is the most useful first contribution you can
make, and the sooner after the event the better. If you would rather work from
solid ground, pick a Museum tag, read the works under it, and check that the
articles they touch actually say what the works say. Copying the structure of
an existing article is a perfectly good way to write your first one.