Guide to Alternate History

Welcome to the Althistorical Games Wiki! This brief guide will introduce you to the environment of the wiki and learn the ropes, including making timelines,The Map Game Patrol, the Timeline Patrol, and explaining several terms frequently used, so on and so forth. We hope you enjoy your stay here, at the Althistorical Games Wikia!

Useful Guides
This guide itself probably will not make you completely familiar with the in-and-outs of this wikia. We strongly suggest and recommend that you read these other guides. However, you should read my guide prior, as it gives an overview of the wiki, while these guides are a bit more specific.

Vital Guides

 * Conventions - official guide '''

Other Guides

 * 5 Basic Principles of Flag Design - Good ground rules for making flags

Terminology
Here, the guide will explain the terms used by most of the Alternate History community. It may take you a short while to memorize the entire list, but it will surely help you if you decide to make a timeline or moving around the wiki in general.


 * ASB - Alien Space Bats - Any event or decision that is usually deemed implausible in a timeline, map game, or any other project. ASB Projects are at times, looked down upon, with numerous exceptions.
 * Biased - The first example is Biased ASB. This is pretty explanatory, and includes any project where specific nations or individuals are biased, in favour of them.This is acceptable to an extent.No extremely biased TLs or Map Games or you will get a warning and then they will be deleted!!
 * Random - Random ASB is used for projects where completely random events or decisions happen.Unacceptable,Not to be used on TLs or Map Games,Random playing is not ok either.
 * Wars - This label is for projects where the issue is wars in the project that are considered implausible.Fine
 * ISOT - Named after the book, Island in the Sea Of Time. This is the practice of taking a person, a group of people, a nation, island, or other landmass and moving it back in time, or into the future.This is an interesting one acceptable.
 * Zombies - Although zombies are theoretically possible, they are mostly fictitious.acceptable if the Map Game Patrol says so not in timelines.
 * OTL - Our Timeline - Known as history, this term means everything that happened in our history, the one that you are living in.
 * PoD - Point of Divergence/Departure -  This is an event or decision that diverges, or breaks apart from OTL, leading to form an Alternate Timeline. This forms the basis of Alternate History.
 * Counterfactials - These are PoDs where some aspect of a, or our society become alien to OTL.
 * ATL - Alternate Timeline - A timeline after a PoD happens, diverging from OTL.
 * Template - On Template Page
 * Timeline Patrol - The Timeline Patrol is the management team of the wiki. They are broken up into three ranks, the Brass, Lieutenants. and Constables. You can report any major wrong-doings around the wiki and chat


 * Talk Page - These pages is most often used for talking off-chat. Links to these pages can usually be located right to the edit button.
 * Community Timeline - A timeline where the entire wiki community is welcome to join and contribute to said timeline.

Rules
These rules are unofficial, I advise you stick to these standard rules to avoid getting in trouble. Don't feel like not following these rules will get you banned, but it would surely keep you out of trouble in this wiki.


 * 1) Never be disrespectful to anybody on chat, or anywhere on the wiki, even if they are annoying.
 * 2) Never vandalize or touch a page (not talk pages) without permission. (Fixing spelling and grammar mistakes are the exception.)
 * 3) No Aliens,Magic,or Disease.
 * 4) Never spam or use all capitals anywhere on the wiki.
 * 5) Solo Timelines only on blogs as stated below.

Solo Timelines
Solo Timelines are produced by a single individual.These are to be only on blogs by the rules.


 * Example 1
 * Example 2
 * Example 3
 * Example 4
 * Example 5
 * Example 6

Group/"Semi-Open" Timelines
Semi-Open Timelines are made by more than one individual, yet they are not completely "open", meaning that people interested in contributing must either fill out an application of some sort, be invited, must speak to the creator of the timeline about your idea, or may not even be allowed to contribute in the first place. These timelines are usually a "happy medium" between the community and solo timeline styles.These are also allowed on the wiki itself.


 * Example 1
 * Example 2

Community Timelines
Community Timelines are usually almost-to-completely open for every althistorian to edit. They do, generally, have rules for contributions, so they are usually not a free-for-all. Also, be ready for other users to comment on your work, as they are just as interested in building the timeline and making it the highest quality possible as you are.These are allowed on th wiki.


 * Example 1

Map Games
Another popular format on this wiki for the map game. Map Games are collaborative althistory games in which a starting map is posted and players take turns making changes to the map and posting alternate history events. There are many different types of map games, but at their core they involve a starting premise, usually either a historical era (Napoleonic Era, World War II Era, etc) or a creative alternate universe (What if aliens visited Earth?, etc). Map games also include a map and a sign-up list, where you can sign up as a nation to begin playing. Since each map game is slightly different, it is important to read the rules and requirements of any map game you wish to participate in. If you are still unsure about an aspect of the game, you can always ask questions on the game's talk page, where the game's owners or moderators will answer your question.