Purpose and Principles

Mission

The Novitas Wiki is the main knowledge base and information hub for our Live Action Roleplaying game, balancing two needs:

Clarity: Making rules and procedures easy to find and understand.

Immersion: Building a rich world that pulls players into the game.

Core Principles

The Dual-Voice Approach

We use two different writing styles in the Wiki:

Out-of-Character (OOC): For rules, safety, and game mechanics - clarity comes first.

In-Character (IC): For lore, world-building, and atmosphere - making the world feel real.

Hierarchy of Importance

Safety Information : Always clear, direct, and easy to spot.

Game Rules: No ambiguity, easily located.

Lore & World Content: Rich and interesting while still easy to navigate.

The Living Document Philosophy

The Wiki isn't just a rulebook—it's a growing encyclopedia that evolves with our game. It should:

Track Changes: Clearly show what's new or updated, especially during major events like Feb Feast.

Preserve History: Keep version records so players can see how rules evolved.

Reward Exploration: Hide cool lore connections throughout pages for players to discover.

Connect Everything: Link related content so one discovery leads to another.

Grow Responsibly: Add new content as it's discovered in-game, not before.

Responsible Editing & Protecting Discovery

Being an editor means you're a curator of a living world, not just a rules documenter.

Core Responsibilities

The Wiki is a Record, Not a Spoiler Guide

We document the world as it has been discovered, not every hidden truth that exists. Even if you know something as a staff member or veteran player, it stays off the Wiki until it's been revealed publicly in-game or formally announced by plot staff.

Protect the Magic of Discovery

Never publish undiscovered lore or secrets.
Don't add "common knowledge" that hasn't been officially revealed.
Let new players experience the same excitement of discovery you did.
When in doubt, check with the Plot Marshals before adding lore content.
Use the World Book as your guide- if it isn’t in there, then it probably shouldn’t be on the Wiki.

The Discovery Test

Before adding lore, ask yourself:

Has this been discovered or revealed in-game?
Was it announced publicly (not just overheard or said by another character)?
Would publishing this rob someone of a cool discovery moment?

If you answered "No" to #1 or #2, or "Yes" to #3, then don't add it.

Save Some Surprises for Yourself!

As an editor you will have access to pages you wouldn't see as a player, such as the Monster Codex or scarce item lists. Try not to look at this content unless you are specifically asked to work on it. This helps protect the game's secrets and, just as importantly, saves some of that discovery for your own in-game experience.

Be a Good Teammate

Follow this style guide consistently.
Double-check your facts before publishing.
Document major changes properly (see Section 7.1).
Remember: we're building a reliable resource together. Reach out for help if you need it!

Know Your Role: Redirect Rules Questions

Your responsibility is to document the rules clearly, not to be an authority on them. If a player approaches you with complex rules questions, please direct them to a member of the Rules Committee (or tag @Rules on Discord). This ensures players always get the official, correct answer from an approved source and avoids confusion.

Types of questions that should be sent to the Rules Committee:

Questions about stacking and interactions.
"What if..." and edge-case scenarios.
Questions of ambiguity or "The rules don't say..."
Questions about legality or "Can I...?"
Any question involving a Feb Feast item interaction.

Basically: If it is not in black and white on the Wiki, send it to the Rules Committee.

Current Rules Committee Members:

First Marshals
Other people
More people
We should par it down probably
Also more people

Contacts

First Marshals: Ryan, Christina, Jimmy (just talk to Ryan)
Server Host/ Github boss/ Character Portal: Frank
Wiki God: Shauna