General metaFAQ v2 (please read before posting!)

Welcome to the GameFAQs FAQ Contributors Board, the board on this site (originally three separate boards) dedicated to FAQ contributors! This means that this board encompasses a number of topics, from how to construct FAQs to how we're doing on our current ones to just some general social topics.

This metaFAQ is, essentially, an FAQ about FAQs and goes over a fair number of frequently asked questions or issues that have been brought up over the years. It's intended to replace the previous seven-year-old ''General FAQ'' topic (written by Kirby021591) and to update AbsoluteSteve's more recent ''General metaFAQ'' with up-to-date information; it borrows some information from these topics where still applicable. Redundant answers to non-existent questions have obviously been removed entirely.

Table of Contents:
- Useful links
- FAQs About FAQs
- Images, Maps, & Charts Questions
- Guide hosting sites
- Credits
- BONUS: Tips from the pros

~ USEFUL LINKS ~

This section is subject to change and contains a few websites you may find useful or interesting. They all contain information on a wide variety of subjects that all have to do with writing FAQs.

General FAQing help, tools, and things of interest:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/contribute (GameFAQs Contributor Central)
http://www.gamefaqs.com/contribute/help (GameFAQs Contributor Central Help pages)
http://www.gamefaqs.com/contribute/test_file.php (Formatted FAQ preview)
http://selmiak.bplaced.net/gf/gf.php?lang=eng&page=FAQ (Collection of FAQ related content, tools, and more!)
http://www.network-science.de/ascii/ (Best ASCII art generator)
http://www.freewebs.com/domz_ninja/asciiart.htm (DomZ Ninja's ASCII art website)
http://faqs.darkspyro.net/prolific.html (Prolific contributor rankings, updated monthly on the 1st)
http://www.shillatime.org/faqsforcharity.html (FAQ Charity Projects collection, maintained by AbsoluteSteve)

Links to useful FAQ programs:
http://liquidninja.com/metapad/ (Metapad's website - an alternative to Notepad for non-Windows OS's)
http://www.textpad.com/download/ (Textpad's website - an alternative to Notepad for non-Windows OS's)
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/v6.8.6.html (Notepad++ download page - better than Metapad or Notepad)
http://www.tanos.co.uk/jlpt/extras/jwpce/ (JWPce download page - a free JIS word processor with kanji conversions, radical lookup, and a dictionary!)

Links to useful mapping programs:
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ (GIMP - an advanced image processor for Windows, Mac, and Linux OS's)
http://pnggauntlet.com/ (PNGGauntlet - the best PNG/GIF compressor; downloadable, best with 4+ GB of RAM)
http://psydk.org/pngoptimizer (PngOptimizer - a great PNG/GIF compressor; downloadable and fast!)
http://jpeg-optimizer.com/ (JPEG Optimizer - a compressor for those rarely-used JPEGs)
https://github.com/revned77/mapping-tools (Various tools by Revned, a veteran screenshot mapper at VGMaps)
http://www.stefan-pettersson.nu/site/bmpfont/ (BMPFont - a way of allowing you to type text for game maps in the game's font, best for screenshot maps)

Historically interesting links:
http://www.capsu.org/games/writers/ (Old contributor ranking page)
http://members.optusnet.com.au/astroblue/faqwarp.html (Old FAQ helpsite)

~ FAQS ABOUT FAQS ~

Hey, man, you didn't answer the question I had!
This metaFAQ is only meant to be a general FAQ for common questions. Trust me, there are plenty of board regulars willing to answer any questions you might have that are not answered here, anything from glitches with certain systems to how to guide someone through certain sections to peer reviews and more; just feel free to make a topic about it! Heck, if you feel that the current phrasing is too awkward, weird, or whatever, feel free to post as well! Or just post, questions or not - we always welcome newcomers and would love to speak with you, be social, whatever. We don't bite. :)

I lurk here but never post.
Good for you, but that's not a question! You're more than welcome to show yourselves every once in a while though; the board could use the activity. (It's known that some moderators lurk this board but (almost) never post...)

Where should I keep my FAQs on my computer/elsewhere?
Regardless of whether you've written a couple FAQs or a couple hundred, you'll want to keep all of your information on your computer somewhere, or on a flash drive, for one, somewhere you can easily access it and it's all organized. Your organizational scheme will differ depending on your personal tastes and what you cover in the game (if you have just one guide or several, or have maps), but the point is to make sure you can find your FAQs when you need them. There's nothing worse than makiong a stupid mistake in a guide than not being able to find it ... except, actually losing the file.

A more important tip is to regularly back up your files. You never know when something might happen. We've had several authors' hard drives crash or get drowned or, basically, bad luck just hit them hard. Particularly when you've written lots of guides, after losing all the data on your computer, getting all the FAQs back there so you can update them is a pain. Having back-ups eases your troubles immensely, if just in that regard. The most recommended means of backing up your files is by using Dropbox, which is free and you can sign up for it here -- https://www.dropbox.com/. It's free, and it's not worth losing the dozens and hundreds of hours of work you've put into these files to pass this up.

What types of FAQs does GameFAQs accept?
- General FAQs: These are guides that cover the game on a general level. These typically include general strategies, walkthrough, etc.
- In-Depth FAQs: These guides cover specific subjects, such as items, enemies, sidequests, etc.
- Patch Code Lists: These are lists of codes for cheating devices such as the GameShark and Action Replay.
- Maps & Charts: Visual media rather than textual.
- Foreign-Language FAQs: FAQs not written in English, as not everyone on this site is fully fluent in English. GameFAQs will usually only accept the European languages (Spanish, Portugese, French, Italian, Dutch, and German are the most common).

I want to make an FAQ! Any particular game I should write for?
Sweet, welcome aboard! For the most part, you'll want to try to focus on games that fit one of the following criteria:

- The game has no guides whatsoever. (Most people are tempted to think this means Japan-only titles - while those are a sizeable demographic, there are also VERY many English-language ones and others available on a multitude of platforms.)

- The game has guides, but the guides are relatively poor or uncomprehensive. In other words, if you can contribute something significantly beyond what is already there, it is worth doing! (If it is a minor tidbit of information, it is better to contact the authors about it rather than writing a whole new guide.)

- The game is new. New games can still get a lot of guides, so if two or three people are already working on guides for it, it's best to keep your hands off of it for now. But new games often have no guides soon after release; you can sort of plan ahead for your next guide, writing for it when it's released.

- Games on the ''Most Wanted FAQ'' list (http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/mostwanted/). These games are the top 100 most-wanted guides on the site, for a number of reasons, usually because it's a new popular game. People need guides for these games! Many end up with FAQ Bounties or contract FAQs offered.

- Games with an FAQ Bounty on them (http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/faqbounty.html) also apply. Many of them end up in the top-100 list.

Essentially, anything with a void of coverage is thereby worth covering. Guide users will appreciate you more for covering an uncovered title than one that 20 people already covered, you know?

There are some games to not write for, however.

- Games with too many FAQs. Usually, a good guideline is that, if it has five, you might want to write for something else. (Granted, if you can still bring something of significance to the pool, PLEASE do so!) If you basically just rehash another FAQ, then it's honestly wasting your time since that content was already available, if you understand what I'm saying. (Note that the limit of five can vary depending on the complexity of the game. For example, an RPG may work with 5 as the limit, but a simplistic game like Galaga or Pac-Man or Pong, which you cannot write step-by-step guides for, will work better with a limit of 1 or 2. Again, all in the context of whether you can contribute something extra.)

... That's it!

I will note that, due to the expanded functionality of Formatted FAQs, if you really want to write an FAQ for a popular title with many FAQs, you may manage to get one in via an FFAQ if it has none since they convenience the users if nothing else. It must still be very well-written to be accepted, however, and I would personally suggest still examining options for less-covered games, but it is a good option for those people wanting to make guides as a labor of love for their favorite titles. A good example of such a guide is bover87's Final Fantasy VII FAQ/Walkthrough, the most recent of 13 FAQs for FFVII - http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps/197341-final-fantasy-vii/faqs/71240

What's a good text editor for text-based FAQs?
The standard Notepad text editor is a good tool to work on simple FAQs, but only has basic functionality. Two text editors with more features are Metapad and Textpad. Notepad++ is also much worth considering. These have functions such as automatic linebreaks and block text selection, allowing vertical selection of pre-formatted table rows or indented paragraphs. This can speed up the creation of more advanced text-formatted tables and boxed headers. Textpad also includes a spellcheck feature that automatically allows you to correct all misspelled words in the entire file.

For Mac users, TextEdit is the standard text editor. TextWrangler is recommended by most authors to be the best editor for the Mac.

In general, for processing Japanese characters in the Shift-JIS format, JWPce is your best bet.

What's the maximum character width for FAQs?
On GameFAQs, the absolute maximum is 80 characters. It used to be 79 characters, and it's still preferred that you manage with 79. The extra character might be implemented to automatically allow for any accidental single trailing spaces. You'll find the extra character useful with particularly large, complex tables, but pay extra attention you don't go over the limit.

This limit only applies to writing plain-text FAQs, however. Formatted FAQs do not require such a limit.

What is a ''plain-text'' FAQ? How do I make one?
Plain-text FAQs are the original style of guide-writing for GameFAQs, preserved since the site's creation. Writing a plain-text FAQ is really simple, as all you need to do type your stuff into a word processor and it essentially ends up being posted looking like what you typed! There's not a lot of HTML/mark-up to fiddle with, and it's overall a pretty simple way to do it, particularly for beginning authors.

It is best to use and do the following for plain-text FAQs:

- Use Notepad, or an alternative word processor like Textpad, Metapad, etc. Be sure to save your file in the *.txt format with ANSI encoding!

- DO NOT use Microsoft Word and other processors; their formatting (bold, etc.) will not appear on GameFAQs and the characters in MS Word in particular can often be changed minorly to be out of ASCII-II. This will just corrupt the output on the GameFAQs end, which is bad.

- When writing, turn ON Word Wrap. However, be sure that your headers, tables, and ASCII art are not exceeding 80 characters in width. The text can be returned to the 80 character-per-line format with selmiak's excellent tool here: http://selmiak.bplaced.net/gf/gf.php?lang=eng&page=linebreak.

- To reiterate, you MUST have no more than 80 characters per line. Your FAQ will be auto-rejected if that occurs.

- It is best to use a fixed-with font when you write it. Courier New, 12-point, is what is used on GameFAQs. Thus, you can see the guide as it will appear when posted.

What is a Formatted FAQ (FFAQ)? How do I make one?
Formatted FAQs are an alternative to standard plain-text FAQs; they use a Wikimedia-style mark-up to generate HTML formatting on the user's end. There are two ways you can make them:

- You can create them using the raw formatting. This formatting is limited, but there are advantages to using raw formatting as compared to the Editor, such as the easy ability to sort tables if you have spreadsheet programs (i.e. Microsoft Excel). You can find the formatting markup here - http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/help/entry.html?cat=53. If you are using raw mark-up, it is best to preview the actual guide before you upload it to the site, for formatting errors and the like - http://www.gamefaqs.com/contribute/test_file.php

- The alternative is the Formatted FAQ Editor. Unlike raw formatting, you must be connected to the Internet to use this, and it is recommended you use Firefox in order to use it with the least number of glitches. Google Chrome is said to be somewhat glitchy, and Internet Explorer is a big no-no. The Editor works in a WYSIWYG (''what you see is what you get'') style for the most part. Thus, unlike raw formatting, you can more easily visualize what the guide will look like. The Editor also has no limits on cell-merging (max: 16 in raw) or number of images (max: 100 in raw). The Editor can be found here - http://www.gamefaqs.com/contribute/ffaq_editor_select.php

Here is a quick list of do's and don't's for your FFAQ:

- Do use Notepad, still, if using the raw format. Notepad and like tools are best if you need to use Excel and the like to sort tables of data, which is MUCH harder to edit from the Editor. If you like writing in code (like with programs and webpages), you may find the markup easier to get a grip of and otherwise faster to write for. Otherwise, the Editor is probably your best bet.

- Do not overload on tables too much. This is a particularly nasty instinct with statistics-heavy RPGs. In other words, don't have table after table... You can try condensing them into one table, similarly to how you see here - http://www.gamefaqs.com/snes/588739-super-mario-rpg-legend-of-the-seven-stars/faqs/8365#section20

- Don't use ASCII art as a solely decorative thing. It looks like junk on mobile, and just doesn't mesh with the style of Formatted FAQs. Use the game's logo instead; you can easily find them via Google, there's no need to scan the box. Be sure to credit the source!

- Make use of the tools you have available. After writing many text FAQs, it becomes a habit to say ''check this section'' when needed; however, if you link to that section, it makes it a lot easier. Trying to describe a complicated solution to a puzzle or something? Instead of text, why not draw it? Or even make a video or find one on YouTube? Game screenshots may be hard to come by unless you're playing an emulator version of the game, so sometimes you will indeed have to learn some basic mapping techniques so you can include the picture.

- Make sure your guide has at least one header; the system can glitch when you don't, preventing submission. You should always have at least an intro, contact and legal info, and then all of the details of the game (how to play, walkthrough, and various appendices that cover side info).

- Learn from example. There are hundreds - if not thousands - of Formatted FAQs on this site. There is a lot of freedom in how you can choose to format your guide and how you make the guide look. (The aforementioned Super Mario RPG guide looks nothing like my Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire guide, for example.) There's no need to copy-and-paste their styles, though; eventually, you'll branch off and develop your own style and improve upon that.

Can I use my markup file in the Editor?
Yup - in fact, you can still do this even after the markup version is added to the site, as an update! When you enter the Editor, you'll have an option to convert the raw markup file into the formatting and text for the Editor, essentially as your FFAQ would have it. After, you'll be able to use the Editor-exclusive features to touch it up and later upload it as you would any other FAQ or update. Do note, however, that any images you have for the markup version will have to be reuploaded for the Editor version!

Which type of FAQ should I write - plain-text or Formatted FAQ (FFAQ)?
Each style has its advantages, and there is no one clear-cut winner. It is increasingly preferred by GameFAQs that you use Formatted FAQs; for example, they are a requisite for FAQ Bounties.

Advantages of plain-text FAQs:
- More ''custom'' formatting, such as the ability to freely design headers with ASCII art
- What you write is largely how it appears on the output end, while there are some slight differences with Formatted FAQs
- FAQs are always displayed on a single page, while Formatted FAQs (by default, though you can change it) are sliced into 50-KB-or-so pages; some users prefer the former
- Easier for a beginning FAQ author to write, rather than memorizing lots of code or messing with a lot of Editor functions
- More readily passed along to other websites (though this comes with the risk of plagiarism!)

Advantages of Formatted FAQs:
- The ability to input maps, images, charts, and videos directly into the guide
- A more ''modern''-looking formatting system
- Tables in Formatted FAQs are not held to the 80-character limit of plain-text FAQs, thus allowing them to hold much more info
- The ability to actively link content, rather than use the CTRL+F tagging system
- Better compatibility with Shift-JIS characters and other such character sets
- More ''secure'' in terms of other sites snagging your guide (though it also makes it harder to port to other sites)

What should/shouldn't be in FAQs?
There's a general consensus that excessive swearing in FAQs is unnecessary and not allowed. The same applies to taking a clear stance on political issues. Keep your FAQ to the point and try to create a clear, light layout that doesn't clutter empty spaces too much. It's a good idea to use humor, but with moderation. It's allowed to write introductory sections that do not directly involve the game you're writing for, but try to keep this within boundaries and use common sense.

Additionally, it helps to have a consistent, visible formatting scheme; you want clear headers that are easily seen, for example. Your tables should be lined up properly in a text FAQ. Stuff like that. It is also recommended to have the following sections:

- An introduction of some sort (can be about yourself, the game, whatever)
- A ''how to play'' section (basically teaching people how to play)
- A section for walking people through the game, general strategies, etc. (will vary upon the game chosen)
- Appendices where needed (for example, lists of items, collectables, enemies, etc.)
- A section for legalities and allowed sites
- A section for contact info

A note for authors for games with Trophy/Achievement systems (PS3, PS4, Vita, X360, Xbox One, Steam etc.) -- it is very much worth putting in the details of the game's Trophies and Achievements as well as tips on how to get them when possible. Some games are self-explanatory in getting them, yes, but it helps the reader all the more if you can give them a nudge in the right direction instead of just providing a list of stuff.

How should I structure my guides?
Largely, it depends on the game you're covering. If you're new to writing FAQs, it may be best to look at the organization of another author's work for the same or a similar game. Generally, a good structure is like this. Note, however, that games are very unqiue from one another at times, so you may have to alter this scheme as necessary; for Pokemon, for example, I often end the guide with lots of statistical info on Pokemon and moves. But, in general, there are usually a sufficient number of other works to look at for inspiration in your own guide; this schematic is only really based on the most common aspects of games we see today.

- An opening to the guide. This often consists of a header of ASCII art in text guides or the game's logo in FFAQs, with some basic information on the game: what game it is, what platform it's on, who's the author(s), and date and version of last update.

- Introduction. Be brief, since people honestly just scroll past this a lot anyways but some people like an introduction to the game.

- A ''how to play'' section, covering the basics of gameplay. Try to assume they don't have the manual, unless it's something that's included on the game's cartridge/disc, like with many 3DS games for example. Even something as generic in nature as battles in RPGs can be detailed further, in terms of strategy and basic mechanics. And some things just don't get in some games' manuals at all, for some bizarre reason.

- The ''walkthrough'' section. For games with a definite start and end, that will suffice. If it's not so definite or it's not reliant on that concept of an ''ending'' (as with many arcade games, party games, board games, etc.), then details on overall strategy should be considered, or just an analysis of every aspect of the game. For example, with my Mario Party: Island Tour guide, I detailed every board, various strategies and other details about the board, and every minigame.

- A sidequests section, if applicable. By keeping it separate from the walkthrough, and it not being a standard part of progression, you make it easier to look up. For example, if you can do a sidequest one hour into the game, and cover it at that point in the walkthrough, it makes it harder for someone to look it up if they're past that point but still want to do it.

- A section for PlayStation Trophies or Xbox or Steam Achievements, or just such material in general if it's somehow within the game. It is expected that you not only list the Trophies/Achievements like anyone could, but also provide tips/walkthroughs for how to get the Trophy/Achievements. Some are obviously self-explanatory (''Play songs 500 times'' or whatever), but others require a bit of a nudge in the right direction. Further, it's a nice idea if you list the Trophies and Achievements for all platforms your game has them on, even if you only own one. You should know enough about the game to be able to help people with the PS4 version's Trophies, even if you own the Xbox One version, unless there are significant differences between the two. It can help to ask people on the boards or do some research!

- Details on the enemies in the game, if applicable or possible. It's a nice companion to the walkthrough and sidequests (thus its closeness), with RPGs in particular, as it gives you information on monsters, and how to beat them if such is needed.

- Details on the various items in the game, if they're worth putting. This is a particularly big thing with RPGs as well. Usually, you'll want to detail the item's effects and, if applicable, how to find it. This gives people motivation to find items that they didn't know exist, examine them (to see if they're good - not everyone will 100% the game), and figure out how to find them or otherwise unlock them.

- Credits, legalities, and contact info. Basically, stuff that should be in a guide that people would just scroll past if they weren't looking for it.

My FAQ got rejected! Why?
I would recommend checking your contribution status page; there is typically a reason listed under its status on that page, telling you why. Usually, these are the more common messages:

- ''Lack of Content:'' This guide doesn't have a lot of information, or not a lot of useful information. This is often applied to ''placeholder'' FAQs (empty FAQs that basically say nothing but ''I'll get to it later'').

- ''Oversaturation:'' Too many guides on this subject have been made, and your guide doesn't offer any significant new info. Try another game or subject. Typically, the limit for General FAQs is 5-10 FAQs, depending on the game in question, or for maps and in-depth FAQs you'll find a limit of 1-2 FAQs/maps per subject. If rejected, you shouldn't submit this again without telling the admins exactly why your FAQ is better than the rest.

- ''Overspecialization:'' The scope of this guide is too narrow. This was historically applied to FAQs that would only cover how to beat one dungeon or one boss. It's best to cover the broader term when possible: for example, instead of how to find X weapon (if it's not a very in-depth, long quest), how about a guide about all weapons? Instead of X boss, how about all bosses?

- ''Corrupted Text:'' The guide has corrupted characters. You may have saved it improperly, or uploaded a Shift-JIS FAQ without telling the admins that it uses Shift-JIS formatting. (These do not always get caught, however, so be SURE to check beforehand that everything looks like it should, and NEVER use Microsoft Word.)

- ''Duplication:'' Basically, you submitted the same file twice for some reason without cancelling the first one. In these cases, GameFAQs will look at the most recent submission and just let the other one be ignored.

- ''Bad Margins / Trailing Spaces:'' This only applies to plain-text FAQs. It occurs when a guide has lines over 80 characters in width. Sometimes this can be due to spaces left at the end of lines (''trailing spaces''). You will be told which lines are messed up, though, so you can usually check. For example, in Notepad, turn off Word Wrap and use Go (CTRL+G) and you can input the line number. Note that the numbers may sometimes be one off.

- ''Plagiarism:'' Your guide has significant amounts of information taken from other sources, and in particular uncredited sources. These guides are not to be submitted again without explaining how there is not plagiary. Keep in mind that repeated submission of these guides could get you banned from contributing.

Do FAQs still get plagiarized, and what should I do in such a case?
Unfortunately, plagiarism is still of this day, and it comes in several forms:

1. Copying information from uncredited sources is not allowed. Do you think this has happened to one of your guides? PM some of the regulars on this board first to ask for help. After consulting them you can decide to make a topic on this board about the problem.

2. Mostly in the past now, but some websites used to steal FAQs by hosting them without permission. This rarely happens these days, and if it does, it's usually a very small website that doesn't get much - if anything - out of it anyway. Should it happen, simply create a topic on this board to discuss the problem.

3. Unfortunately, FAQs have recently been plagiarized on a massive scale by someone who sold guides on amazon.com without permission of the original authors. Be sure to check sites hosting eBooks every once in a while to see if they're not hosting illegal FAQ content. This type of plagiarism greatly harms certain writers who sell their official version of their guides in the form of eBooks, so please make a topic about it on here immediately whenever you see this type of piracy. The same applies to app stores for smartphones (Apple/Android).

I think someone on a different website plagiarized/stole my guide! What should I do?
If someone outside of GameFAQs has plagiarized your work, send them an email in which you kindly ask them to remove your guide from their website. Here's an example of a letter you could write (an adaptation of BB_Buttface's letter) to a host of your plagiarized work (such as amazon.com):

''To <website host>

It has come to my attention that one of your clients, <client website name>, is hosting an unauthorized copy of my copyrighted work, located at this URL:

<link to your work on website server>

I hereby state under penalty of perjury that I am the legally recognized author of this file, and that everything written in this message is the truth. I have not granted your client permission to use my work in this manner. This is a violation of copyright, as well as my right to control my own creative property. I hereby politely request immediate removal of my work from your servers.

The original version of my work can be found here: <link to GameFAQs version>

I hereby hope to have sufficiently informed you,

Kind regards,
<your name>''

Usually, it's preferred to contact the site in a hierarchial fashion. First a user on the site, then the site's admin, the ''WhoIs'' (http://www.whois.com/) contact for the website, and then the website host.

Can I use information from other FAQs and strategy guides?
You may (though the specific legalities are complex), but it appropriate to give credit. It's definitely recommended to ask for permission as well if you want to use information from someone else's guide, and it's frowned upon if you don't. This is especially true for large amounts of information (which can stretch into copyright infringement and plagiarism).

What's a version number?
A version number helps both authors and readers to keep track of updates. There used to be 10 characters available for version numbers, but this has been slimmed down to 5 to prevent non-useful inputs such as ''ULTI-MATE''. A version number looks like this: ''1.24''. In this example, the ''1'' means that the guide is complete (it contains for example a full walkthrough of the game plus perhaps some subsections). The ''2'' refers to the second large update since the completion of the guide. A section rewrite would justify talking about a ''large update''. The ''4'' refers in this case to a more minor update since the previous version. Some people prefer to use an additional number to refer to even smaller updates: 1.246 for example, with ''6'' referring to typo fixes or very minor edits. It's not required to use version numbers, although it's recommended.