Deadlock:Style guideGive feedback

This style guide is a guideline for writing articles and related content on the wiki. It establishes our in-house style, so editors can write content with consistent, clear, and precise language, layout, and formatting. If everyone follows the same conventions, it makes reading and navigating easier for readers, and editing and coordinating easier for editors. Reading this style guide helps keep edits consistent across the wiki.

A more expansive set of guidelines can be found on Wikipedia:Manual of Style.

Structure

Article pages

Different pages will not have the same information, but there is a general structure for every article. Sections should always appear in this order:

1. Notice: This includes {{Cleanup}}, {{Construction}}, and {{Outdated}} templates.
2. Disambiguation
3. Infobox: Corresponding information is displayed here.
4. Introduction: A brief overview of the article, optionally including the patch it was introduced in.
5. TOC: Appears automatically before the first section on most articles.
6. Main Page: The main information of the article, covered in further depth.
   1. Heroes, Items, Units, and Update history have varying section orders, but they should each be internally consistent.
7. Background: For Hero pages, this is the hero's in-game background. For non-Hero characters, this can be renamed "Lore" (see below).
   1. Lore: Subsection of Background, listing extra information about the character and their backstory from other official sources (voice lines, visual novels, etc.).
8. Character interactions: For Hero pages, relevant information from voice lines related to other heroes.
9. Update history: Any content that has changed over the course of the game.
10. Gallery: Images too bulky to fit into the main article.
11. Trivia: Tidbits not appropriate for the main page, or references to content outside the game (see "Trivia" below).
12. Navigation: Navigation templates go at the end of the article.

Voice line pages

For voice line pages, sections should always appear in this order:

1. Select
2. Unselect
3. Conversations: Match start conversations between Heroes.
4. Ability voice lines: One sub-section per ability, named after the ability (e.g. Abrams' Ability 1, "Siphon Life"). Voice lines such as upgrade_power and use_power go here.
5. Generic voice lines
   1. Generic kill voice lines: Unspecific voice lines triggered by a kill, such as kill_anyhero and kill_high_networth.
   2. Item use voice lines
   3. Gameplay voice lines: Contextual voice lines, such as shop_reminder and tower_denied.
6. Hero-specific voice lines
   1. Enemies: Lines referring to a Hero on the opposite team, such as pings and kill_hero.
   2. Allies: Lines referring to a Hero on the player's team, such as pings and killed_in_lane.
7. Other characters: Voice lines of other characters referring to the Hero, such as Patron match_start voice lines.
8. Removed and unused voice lines
9. Other voice lines: Anything that doesn't fit the above sections.

Writing style

• American spelling, grammar, and sentence structure are used on the wiki and any templates involved, with one exception: if quoting a source, never alter the quotation, even if it does not use American spelling or contains errors.
• Capitalization is reserved for proper names: heroes, items, abilities, units, locations, anything Valve capitalizes regularly, and quoted content.
• Use commas to structure large numbers.
• All sections should follow the same tense.
• All articles are written in third person; never use "you" when referring to the reader.
• Never use contracted forms.
• Formal language is mandatory on all wiki pages.
• Don't instruct readers directly or presume their prior knowledge. Avoid injecting point of view or subjective perspective.
• Strategy sections may take some liberties with recommendations, but should explain why an outcome may or may not work.
• Quotes spoken by characters may be used outside of their original context as long as they fit the article. For example, Mirage's voice line for his Fire Scarabs ability is used to describe Troopers.
• Quotes placed on top of Hero pages should hint at that hero's gameplay. For example, Seven's quotationThe masses will fall! suggests that his kit's AoE abilities.
  • Unused heroes (e.g. Fathom and Kali) can instead have other characters humorously commenting on their removal

Trivia

• Speculation about character backstories, relationships, or interactions should not be included under trivia. If something is mentioned or implied in the text of the game, list it under "Lore" or "Character interactions" with appropriate citations instead.
• References to real life or outside media may be included if significant or relevant enough, including references to other Valve games. Hero/Item forum suggestions may be included if credited by the devs or if they share significant aspects with the final version of the hero/item.
• Community in-jokes should not be listed under trivia unless acknowledged in the game itself or by relevant sources (e.g. the Slork joke is referenced in voice lines and by developers).

If you would like to discuss the inclusion or removal of specific trivia points, use talk pages or the Discord server.

Categorization

Every page, including images, should have at least one category.