Forum:Proposal: Use templates to handle introductory text

	This forum page has been archived. Please do not make any further edits unless they are for maintenance purposes.

Proposal[]

Our article page intro passages are typically handled by plain text, which leaves them particularly vulnerable to typos and inconsistencies. My proposal is to implement a template with which to handle sections of the intro passage.

I have already created and experimented with Template:In FO76. It is a simple, modular tool that allows for management of the introductory passage across all articles, although only Fallout 76 is supported at this time.

By using a template, we guarantee 100% consistency across all articles and also arm ourselves with the capability to bulk edit as needed. This prevents variability in how the information is presented, allows syntax to be manipulated in one click and allows for infrastructure changes to update/addon articles. An example would be moving "Nuclear Winter (mode)" to "Nuclear Winter", to improve search optimization.

This is something I would like to start small on - it doesn't need to be some big clean up project, it's not that high priority. At this time, I recommend making it part of the article creation templates.

How to use Template:In FO76

---

Replace:
in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[Wastelanders (update)|Wastelanders]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].

With:
{{in FO76|WL}}

### BEFORE ###
Radiation Rumble is a public event in Fallout 76, introduced in the Wastelanders update.

### AFTER ###
Radiation Rumble is a public event in Fallout 76, introduced in the Wastelanders update.

Modular options

---

{{in FO76}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]''.
{{in FO76|WA}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[Wild Appalachia (update)|Wild Appalachia]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].
{{in FO76|NW}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[Nuclear Winter (update)|Nuclear Winter]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].
{{in FO76|WL}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[Wastelanders (update)|Wastelanders]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].
{{in FO76|LR}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[The Legendary Run (update)|The Legendary Run]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].
{{in FO76|OW}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[One Wasteland For All (update)|One Wasteland For All]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].
{{in FO76|SD}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[Steel Dawn (update)|Steel Dawn]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].
{{in FO76|LL}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[Locked and Loaded (update)|Locked and Loaded]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].
{{in FO76|SR}} = in ''[[Fallout 76]]'', introduced in the ''[[Steel Reign (update)|Steel Reign]]'' [[Fallout 76 updates|update]].

Additional/future expansion:

---

• Support for "cut"/"unused"/"removed" etc.
• Support for all other games and DLCs
• Expansion to include other parts of the introductory passage
  • Article name
  • Article type (eg: "is a creature")

Examples from other fandom wikis using this kind of thing:

---

Borderlands wiki:

### CODE ###
The '''Hellwalker''' is a {{Rarity link|legendary}} [[shotgun]] in ''[[Borderlands 3]]'' manufactured by [[Jakobs]]. {{random|name=It|boss = Road Dog|loc = The Splinterlands|loc2= on [[Pandora]]}}

### DISPLAY ###
The Hellwalker is a legendary shotgun in Borderlands 3 manufactured by Jakobs. It is obtained randomly from any suitable loot source but has an increased chance to drop from Road Dog located in The Splinterlands on Pandora.

Cyberpunk wiki:

### CODE ###
The '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a [[Cyberpunk 2077 Weapons#Power|Power]] Assault Rifle in {{CP|2077}}.

### DISPLAY ###
The Arasaka HJSH-18 Masamune is a Power Assault Rifle in Cyberpunk 2077.

Conclusion:

---

Despite our success, our wiki is woefully behind most others on the technical side. We shouldn't be spending so much time correcting tiny typos or syntax errors in text that is copy/pasted all over the place - let the robot do that. Let's work on showing Star Wars, Runescape and Naruto just how SPECIAL we can be.
Scribe-Howard (waster93) (talk) 04:30, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

Comments[]

Strong yes

I support this completely. Fallout 76 is unique, not set in a static year as we are so accustomed, instead moving forward in time as updates are released. There are thousands of articles dedicated to the game, more added each day, listing a year in the lead sentence. When the timeline moves forward, it equates to thousands of maintenance edits required to correct to the new year.

This template would be incredibly helpful, beyond helpful, as with one single edit, all articles would simultaneously be brought to speed. I can't see a reason not to embrace it whole-heartedly. If we can utilize templates to free us to tend to other needs here, we absolutely should. I appreciate your skill in creating something so valuable and support its implementation without reservation. -kdarrow ^{take her for a spin!} 05:08, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

I'm quite opposed to it. It's nonsense to create templates for small pieces of text. (I've done an effort to remove the PAGENAME templates over the years). The templates can rather easily be checked for conformity while they are made in recent changes, it's not a disaster if it's a bit phrased differently. All those templates on pages only make the content more uninviting to edit, people are confused what to put where, and where to find the text which has been replaced by templates. The less templates (at least for simple pieces of text), the better. And we already have almost all of the Fallout 76 content in place (maybe one more update), it's useless to go over them once more adding templates. About the introduced, that's only to be used in the appearances section, not the introduction. Jspoel 13:36, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

Low key, 76 is getting updates for at least another 8 years. It's likely to get shifted into high gear after the main teams are finished with Starfield. This game's development is more like ESO than Fallout 4. As I've spoiled in the post, we already have the names of 2 conformed upcoming updates. What I'm hearing is, "work harder, not smarter." I don't have time to spend copy pasting a thousand times.
Scribe-Howard (waster93) (talk) 19:03, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

Scribe-Howard is correct, Bethesda has a 10-year plan for Fallout 76. If anyone has trouble understanding templates, the documentation is readily accessible, and the Vault Academy is an amazing resource for users. I'm in favor of working smarter, not harder.

intrepid3597/30/24 [2:28pm]

Abso-freaking-lutely.

One of my biggest frustrations with editing is trying to maintain consistency. I try to copy and past as much as I can from articles that look 'done' but I inevitably find articles that are off on the one thing I'm copying from. I'm constantly second guessing how the introduction is supposed to be phrased and linked. Putting the template in is so much easier than trying to juggle the wording of game/update/etc. This will also allow for changes to be made site-wide in a couple clicks instead of tens of thousands of edits. If Bethesda has been consistent about one thing its their inconsistency. Allowing the possibility for changing update names, links, etc. as we adapt to an ever changing game is invaluable.Gilpo1 (talk) 19:30, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

Easy choice

I agree with what both Kate and gilpo already stated. Fallout 76 is constantly changing and whatever we can automate to make future changes to articles easier, we should automate. --Findabair^{The benefit of the doubt is often doubtful.} 02:18, 10 March 2021 (UTC)

A wonderful idea

This is a fantastic idea and could very well be expanded to any game and to the entirety of the wiki. It would make it so much easier to make/edit pages and change things as they are updated, whether that's from new updates in fallout 76 or even from new games. If the same thing is said or done on multiple pages it should be in some sort of template or transclusion. A good example is infoboxes. Can you imagine if you had to manually build an infobox on every page instead of just specifying the information that goes into it? Granted this is my point of view from a technical standpoint, but I'm still way in support of this. -Eckserah ^{Head Dataminer} 03:21, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

• I think im late to the discussion but I wanted to say that I think this is a good idea. I see these templates on other wikis and it looks clean and makes it easy to update. I hope we can use it too. Hellotalos (talk) 14:20, 5 April 2021 (UTC)