PCGamingWiki:Editing guide/Wiki policy

This section of the guide is for the wiki's site policies and guidelines specific to article content.

For details on bannable offenses and standard moderation protocol, see Code of conduct.

Who the articles are for

1. First time user: Thinking of buying game and conducting prepurchase research.
2. Just bought the game: Wants to know the ideal recommended way to run the game.
3. Have the game but can't run it: People with issues that need fixing.

What the wiki does not cover

Although the wiki's main goal is to be the go-to source for all PC games, there are some types of games and game-related information it refuses to carry:

• Information for "alternative" systems (i.e. any desktop-caliber OS not currently covered by the wiki).
  • Examples of such OSes are AmigaOS and OS/2.
• Information for pirated or cracked versions of games.
  • See Piracy for details.
• Games only available through crowdfunding sites (ex. Kickstarter).
  • Once the game can be bought through a store such as Steam or Amazon, this restriction will no longer apply.
• Games only available for mobile devices (ex. iOS, Android).
  • Mobile versions of desktop games also fall under this category.
• Mini-games distributed though movie media formats' built-in menu functionality.
  • This affects e.g. the 2005 Backpacker 3 re-release (DVD-Video), and Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal (Netflix).
• Internet browser-only games.
  • Linking to browser versions of retail games is OK.
• PCGamingWiki does not host pornographically explicit content (games with mature content are allowed, but cover art and other media should be safe for work).
• Games blatantly promoting or encouraging hate against a group of individuals or race, unless they're still available on Steam.

Due to the rather subjective nature of the definitions, it is up to the editor to use common sense to determine if a game falls under any of the above categories.

If there is confusion in determining the validity of a new article, contact a mod or admin (either through PM or the wiki's Discord server).

Cut content

Our goal is to provide information about the best way to run any game on PC. Sometimes a PC game has had content cut due to development constraints, and we will host information about how to restore this content. Sometimes a PC version of a game had been localized, remastered and has been altered from a previous release e.g. the console version of the same game. This new PC version could have changes as big as entire levels missing, or it could be a simple name change or single texture swap. Our articles should contain information about these differences and link to or host the mods to restore them.

Our aim is to be as neutral and quantitiative, and avoid the word 'censorship' where possible due to how emotionally charged this word can be. We should refer to mods that restore content as 'restoring original content or appearance'. Also the positioning of specific mods should be proportionate to how substantial these are - if they represent large overhauls e.g. KOTORII's Restore Content Mod then these should be higher in the article, or if they are minor or small and numerous, they can be placed within the Other information heading.

Paid software

Our game articles should not cover mods, utilities, or third-party addons which require payment or a subscription (i.e. Patreon or equivalent) of some kind. The PCGamingWiki staff may on rare occasions make an exception for a specific game or mod, utility, or addon if an official proposal is raised and approved.

Piracy

While PC games are our specialty, pirated versions of them are not. Please do not add links or information specific to pirated or cracked copies of games, as they will be removed. Note that this applies to illegitimate copies of abandonware title as well, as such copies are also considered pirated content and are thus subject to all restrictions stated above. If a pirated game is experiencing a problem, in most cases the best fix available is buying the game through a legitimate channel.

Bypassing copyright protection and fixes

Applications and files made to bypass a game's copyright protection (ex. No-CD patches/cracks, keygen programs) and/or access normally-locked content, such as DLC, are generally-considered as related to pirated content and subject to all its restrictions as stated above.

However, PCGamingWiki acknowledges that many fixes are only available for games that either require or bypass copy protection in themselves. Therefore if a file falls under the following categories it is allowed:

Official patches

• Officially developed or supported patches/applications by the developer/publisher which remove copyright protection do not fall under this definition.

DLC unlocks

• The DLC was never released for PC, but the data is either included in the game regardless (see Prototype 2) or is otherwise-compatible with the PC version of the game (see Burnout Paradise).
• The DLC for PC has stopped being sold or has never been sold on PC due to licensing issues (see Final Fantasy XIII-2).

DRM removal

• If a fix or patch happens to removes DRM but is not its sole purpose (for example, a patch includes essential quality of life improvements but also strips DRM) then it can be mentioned.
• The DRM prevents the normal operation of a legitimately-acquired game, and there are no legal workarounds or fixes of any kind.

In the case of DRM removal, due to it being able to be used on illegitimate copies as well, PCGamingWiki requires certain steps be taken when describing it:

1. The fix can only mention that the copy protection needs to be bypassed.
   • Mentioning that the copy protection bypass method type is acceptable (ex. "A No-CD patch is required to run the game").
   • Steamless: if a fix requires the game executable to be de-obfuscated using Steamless, a mention of the tool is acceptable as long as no links or instructions on how to use the tool are included.
2. Do not give details on how to install/use the patch/application and how to fix any issues that come up while using said patch/application.

Other exceptions

Furthermore, PCGamingWiki staff may, on rare occasions, make an additional exception for older DRM solutions where a bypass can result in an easier user experience to get the game functional on modern systems, although possibly with a loss of functionality. In these cases the tool as well as instructions might be provided, and the exception officially stated on this page. Currently the exception only applies for:

• SafeDiscShim / unSafeDisc
• XLiveless
• GFWL Zero Day Piracy Protection (ZDPP) decrypted game files
• ActControl bypassed game executables

Contact

If there is confusion in the validity of a fix that requires bypassing copy protection, contact us via #wiki-support on our Discord.

Handling new and upcoming games

For upcoming games, and games that were released or entered Early Access less than 3 weeks (21 days) ago, special guidelines apply to avoid chaos:

1. A row with no references in its notes, can at any time for virtually any reason be changed if the change adds a Refurl or Refcheck note (For Refcheck, feel free to use to use the |comment= part). Likewise, a row with Refcheck can be changed to one with Refurl.
   1. While a no-reference row is in fact allowed to be changed (or even reset back to Unknown) without any ref, this could easily lead to edit wars. Regardless, it is not a good idea to fill rows for upcoming games based on assumptions alone.
2. The priority order for conflicting edits is, in descending order:
   1. Admins, mods, and senior editors.
   2. Edits made by the user who has been assigned on PCGamingWiki (if any have been assigned) to review the game.
   3. Any other users.
3. If there are contradicting claims by non-assigned users for a row that can all be backed up with Refurl, then the handling is left up to standard wiki customs.
4. If you want to change a no-reference row, but can't find any suitable source at all, don't feel afraid to use the {{cn}} "Citation needed" tag.

Editing guide

Article creation and editing basics