Advanced Style Guide update and feedback thread

[dhaabi]

Can the original style guide be updated once more to clarify specifically that, just like with Steam, game bundles found on any digital storefront are not permitted to add as entries? There have been recent attempts to submit these types of items, but I am not able to explain properly to those submitting them that this rule extends beyond just Steam.

What Steam items can be added to the site?
Games, Demos and most DLC can be added.

DLC that we do not track (no entries should be made)
- Soundtracks
- Digital Artbooks
- Workshop items
- Season Passes

Also do not make entries for Steam Inventory items such as cards, pack, gems, icons, wallpapers, coupons or in-game items such as CS:GO crates/skins, or other game cosmetics such as for CS:GO, H1Z1 or TF2 (just to name a few examples).

Game packs or bundles should not be added. All Steam items we add must have the word app in the Steam URL, for example:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/49520/Borderlands_2/

It may also be beneficial to combine the existing Digital Games section with specific information about Steam into one post as they're currently separated which, in my opinion, results in making the guide disorganized. Personally, some of the information outlined in the latter post seems unnecessary to mention as it's repeating general rules already outlined further above in the guide.

[tripredacus]

Made the mention at the beginning here:
https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,22.msg159.html#msg159

I put it on my list to redo that portion of the Style Guide to combine those sections in the future.

[dhaabi]

Symbols
Sometimes an item will use a symbol in its branding and sometimes it is a letter replacement. For item name, the representative letter should be used. In the case where a symbol is present and is not a letter replacement, it should be omitted.
Watch Dogs not Watch_Dogs.
Gal Gun: Double Peace not Gal☆Gun or Gal*Gun
Idolmaster, The not Idolm@ster.

For the purposes of our site, would instances of numbers replacing letters be subject to the rule? I have found no evidence of D1AL being an acronym within the game in question. If so, could this entry be added to the list of examples, or could it instead be made clear of this circumstance in the rule description?
https://vgcollect.com/item/292476

[tripredacus]

I'm sure there are other examples and I'd want to compare those first. I don't know whether those are using numbers like that or not. But if so, then the "word" they are supposed to represent should be in the alt name.

Not that we need to be concerned with game content for the purposes of our entries, but an LP of the game indicates D1AL-ogue is a named location within the game, named in the opening cut-scene.
https://youtu.be/VAh8nNSJLN4?si=6jldAmYD0TEglmCi&t=75

[dhaabi]

I'm sure there are other examples and I'd want to compare those first. I don't know whether those are using numbers like that or not. But if so, then the "word" they are supposed to represent should be in the alt name.

Below are other games with letters (and symbol, in one example) being replaced by numbers. I've grouped them accordingly:

1:1 letter-number swap
Element4l (Elemental)
Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of Sh1ft3r (Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of Shifter)
1nsane (Insane)

Number replacing word segment
Tony Hawk's American Sk8land (Tony Hawk's American Skateland)

Number replacing entire word
Left 4 Dead (Left for Dead)
OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (OutRun 2006: Coast to Coast)

Number replacing letter to signify sequel entry
Bioha7ard: Resident Evil (Biohazard 7: Resident Evil)
F.3.A.R. (F.E.A.R. 3)
Wip3out (Wipeout 3)

Number replacing symbol
I Maed a Gam3 w1th Zombies 1n It!!!1 (I Maed a Game with Zombies in It!!!!)

Not that we need to be concerned with game content for the purposes of our entries

Does this imply that titles featuring unique acronyms which aren't common knowledge that don't have supplemental packaging text information or digital storefront descriptions to explain what the acronym means need to be updated to title case? Below are examples:

MDK → Mdk
search results state that the acronym isn't even mentioned in-game but commonly represents Murder, Death, Kill

NG → Ng
search results state that the acronym represents No Good

SSX → Ssx
search results state that the acronym represents Snowboard Supercross

XCOM: Enemy Within → Xcom: Enemy Within
search results state that the acronym represents Extraterrestrial Combat

[tripredacus]

Common Name rule stands on this, then we have our exceptions: symbols or our own naming choices... which I believe covers the Resident Evil VII example.

But the version of the name with the actual words can be put into alt-name.

[dhaabi]

I understand that—I didn't mean to imply that the common name rule should be overwritten in these scenarios. I've merely provided examples of how letters and symbols may be substituted for numbers.

However, the common name rule does not dictate entry name formatting as you've said. With that understanding, the final four examples I provided in my previous post—MDK, NG, SSX, and XCOM: Enemy Within—feature title acronyms that are either only known with supplemental in-game information (that you've said we should ignore) or have no data information at all and are merely formatted as such as a stylistic choice. So, should those entry names remain in all uppercase, or should they instead be formatted to title case?

[tripredacus]

I understand that—I didn't mean to imply that the common name rule should be overwritten in these scenarios. I've merely provided examples of how letters and symbols may be substituted for numbers.

However, the common name rule does not dictate entry name formatting as you've said. With that understanding, the final four examples I provided in my previous post—MDK, NG, SSX, and XCOM: Enemy Within—feature title acronyms that are either only known with supplemental in-game information (that you've said we should ignore) or have no data information at all and are merely formatted as such as a stylistic choice. So, should those entry names remain in all uppercase, or should they instead be formatted to title case?

MDK and NG are acronyms, so they are fine. SSX is common to be represented that way.

XCOM is a different story since it is common to see it as Xcom. X-COM and X-Com. But searching for XCOM shows that it is overwhelmingly represented all capitalized, especially on Wikipedia. So we should keep it like that also.