Yakuza Wiki:Manual of Style

The purpose of this manual is to create guidelines to help keep content more uniform across all articles on the Yakuza Wiki. The formatting described here is a guideline and can be overridden where circumstances warrant it.

These guidelines will never be unerringly perfect for every situation. However, please try your best to keep to the advice outlined in this article so others may use your edits as an example when creating and editing their own articles.

General

Preferred Terminology and Language

As both the localization team and the majority of readers accessing the Wiki are based in America, the use of US English is preferred. However, because this standard is not always consistent within the series, quotations and terms found in-game should be written as they are seen in-game.

Try to keep articles formal. Avoid the usage of slang and conversational or casual undertones. Language must be clear and unambiguous. Avoid unnecessary verbosity. This Wiki should use simple language and sentence structure for the sake of all readers. Language should not be too vague, and sentences should not be too long.

All character names should be listed as given name, followed by family name unless the character hails from a game set in historical Japan, namely Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! or Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan!

The use of special characters on this wiki (such as the ū in Ryū Ga Gotoku) is discouraged, as it leads to broken links and is not consistent with the naming schemes seen in the English releases of the games.
Articles should use present tense whenever possible, except for in Background or History sections when recounting past events.

This wiki uses the protagonist characters' names in favor of "The Player", as it intends to keep the content of the wiki as close to in-game lore as possible. Using "The Player" is acceptable in very specific circumstances only (when discussing controls on minigame pages, for example), but should be avoided whenever possible.

Chapter recaps and substory pages should also refrain from using "you" or "The Player", and should instead use the playable protagonist's name along with he/she/they. Present tense is especially encouraged in these articles.

"Epilogue", "Monologue", "Dialogue" etc. should be preferred over "Epilog", "Monolog", "Dialog".

When referring to a game, this wiki uses "in" in place of "on".

Both of the following examples are correct:

"The karaoke minigame first appears in Yakuza 3."
"The karaoke minigame is first featured in Yakuza 3."

This wiki also uses "featured in" instead of "features in".

DO NOT under any circumstances copy and paste from other sources. This is most important when dealing with fan-translations of JP exclusive games; this is plagiarism and will not be tolerated. Citing translations by way of linking externally is encouraged, as is writing articles in your own words.

Trivia

The trivia section on every page should ideally be filled with relevant, factual, and interesting information.
If a piece of trivia would fit in a previous section of the article without breaking the flow of the text, it is suggested to add it there instead.
If a piece of trivia is speculative it should not be included.
Remarks made on twitter by localization team members or SEGA/RGG Studio executives must be sourced.

Writing

Keep your writing concise. Don't use two words where one will do. Keeping your writing simple will make it easy to understand and easy to expand on. Use complete sentences whenever possible. Avoid play-by-plays for game recaps; leave out inconsequential details whenever possible.

Check your spelling and grammar. Do not use 'u' in place of 'you' or '2' in place of 'to'. Write the way you would for a class paper or a newspaper article.

Keep all of the topics you cover within the scope of the article. Consider the article's title as your point of origin and write from that perspective. Make use of the wiki's ability to link to more detailed articles or external sources for more information. Avoid delving too deep into other characters stories or plot details that do not relate to the article you are writing for.

Don't be afraid to make changes. If you know something is wrong, correct it. If you think you could word something better, rewrite it. If an article has a glaring deficiency, fill it. Even if your first attempt isn't golden, you can fix it later or someone else will come along and fix it for you. Don't be afraid to screw up.

That being said...

Don't take it personally. This is a community wiki, and there are bound to be discrepancies between authors. Come to agreements amicably, don't play wiki ping-pong with others.

Article layout

Due to the nature of the wiki, it is impossible to always have the perfect layout for each situation. However, for each different type of page, it is recommended that these specifics be followed as closely as possible:

Character Article

The ideal layout for a character article is a short lead section, followed by headings for Profile, Background, Involvement, Other Media, Fighting Style, Trivia and Gallery where applicable.

If the character is a hostess, the headings should instead be Profile, Background, Involvement, Dialogue Tree, Trivia and Gallery.

When writing an article on a minor character, details beyond their involvement are generally not necessary. Unless the character is a recurring character or serves a purpose and is present in a scene, information about them should be covered on another page. This especially applies to characters only present in substories.

Profile

The== Profile == heading should contain subheadings for === Appearance === and === Personality ===.
The === Appearance === section should contain a short physical description of the character followed by an optional ==== Tattoo ==== section and an ==== Attire ==== section.
- Any aspects of the character's appearance that are part of the character but are not seen in-game (e.g. Jo Amon's scars) should by marked with a citation.
- If the character does not have an in-game appearance, Appearance is not a necessary section.
The === Personality === section should contain a description of the character's traits and behaviors.
- Personality sections should only make note of observable characteristics that reflect how a character behaves as a whole. Additionally, they should refrain from speculation.
- Personality sections should maintain a neutral point of view. It is inappropriate to utilize an overly-disparaging or an overly-approving or defensive tone.
- While it is acceptable to use more loaded language provided it is either quoted from official material or commonly observed in official material (e.g. Goro Majima being described as "hyper-combative"), care should be taken to avoid skewing the point of view presented in the article.
- It is recommended that quotations within the personality section are marked with a citation.
- If the page features a minor character, === Personality === is not a necessary section.

Background

The == Background == section should recount notable events in the character's life prior to their earliest involvement in a playable section of a main series game (e.g. all of the events in Ichiban Kasuga's life prior to December 31, 2000.)
- Background sections should be written in the past tense.
- Specific years may have subheadings (e.g. Daigo Dojima#1993) if a {{Main}} article can be linked pertaining to the events of that year.
- If the page features a minor character, Background is not a necessary section.

Involvement

The == Involvement == section should recount the character's involvement in chronological order in each game they are in, under a subheading for each title.
- Subheadings should be formatted as === [[Game Title]]: YYYY ===; specific years may have subheadings (e.g. Daigo Dojima#1993) if they are sufficiently notable, particularly if a {{Main}} article can be linked pertaining to the events of that year.
- Involvement sections should be written in the present tense.
- Game-specific recaps should be kept concise and only relay information that relates to the specific character (i.e. an unrelated character's title, background, etc. should be kept to their own page).
- A character should be mentioned by name (and linked upon their first mention on a page) but not title. For example, when writing Kiryu's page, it should be, "Kiryu fights Majima," not "Kiryu fights Majima, patriarch of the Majima Family."

Other Media

If a character is featured other media outside of the main series, including spin-offs, the == Other Media == section should recount the character's involvement in chronological order in the media in question, under a subheading for each title.
- If the character is only featured as a cameo or mention and has no relevance to the plot, their appearance in the media in question should only be noted as == Trivia ==
- If the media in question is an adaptation of the Yakuza series, it is not necessary to note the appearance.
- If the character is not featured in the main story of Ryu Ga Gotoku Mobile, Ryu Ga Gotoku Kizuna or Ryu Ga Gotoku Online, it is not necessary to note the appearance.
- Subheadings should be formatted as === [[Title]] ===
- Other Media sections should be written in the present tense.

Fighting Style

If the character is playable and/or is featured as a boss/AI companion, the == Fighting Style == section should describe their fighting style with separate headings for alternate games or "modes."

Location Article

The ideal layout for a location article is a short lead section, followed by a heading for each game that the location appears in, followed by Trivia and Gallery. Avoid mentioning specific game titles in the lead section, even if the location is exclusive to that game at the time of writing.

If the location is a bar or eatery, add a Menu heading above Trivia, with subheadings and a store inventory table for each game that the location appears in. If nothing about the inventory changes between games, do not create new subsections; instead, merge the titles in a single subheading, eg. Yakuza 4/Yakuza: Dead Souls.
If the location is a shop, add a store inventory table under the headings for each game that the location appears in. If nothing about the inventory changes between games, do not create new sections; instead, merge the titles in a single heading, eg. Yakuza 4/Yakuza: Dead Souls.
If the location is a primary location or the starting location of a substory, add a Substories heading above Trivia and list each substory in bullet form.
If the article covers a large area, such as a street, city, etc., a Notable Locations heading may be added above Trivia.
If there is additional information related to the location that warrants a new section (such as Arcade Games in the article for Club SEGA), it may be added above Trivia and Gallery.
Information on location articles should be concise and not give away any major plot details unless absolutely necessary. Information included in any game recap sections should only discuss relevance of the location in relation to the plot.

Substory Article

The ideal layout for an substory article is a short lead section, followed by headings for Plot, Gallery, and Navigation. The Navigation section should include a link to the game's substory page.

If the substory is part of a series of substories and has the same name as the other substories in the series (such as Big Daddy Part 1, Big Daddy Part 2, and Big Daddy Part 3), do not create new articles for each substory. Instead, add a new subheading under Plot for each part.

Item Article

The ideal layout for an item article is a short lead section, followed by a list of locations where the item can be found, and/or related items.

If it is a recovery/status affecting item, the effects should be listed.
If it is a weapon, the stats should be listed, as well as the specifics of how to obtain it.

Minigame Article

The ideal layout for a minigame article is a short lead section, followed by a description of the game. The headings should be as follows: Gameplay, (article-specific heading, e.g. "Songs" for Karaoke and Disco), Related Trophies, a header for each game that the location appears in, followed by Trivia and Gallery.

Lead section

Each article should start with an introductory lead section, before the first subheading. The lead should not be explicitly titled as Introduction or any equivalent header.

The table of contents, if displayed, appears after the lead section and before the first subheading.

The lead should be capable of standing alone as a concise overview of the article, establishing context, and explaining why the subject is interesting or notable. It should be between one or two paragraphs long, and should be written in a clear and accessible style so that the reader is encouraged to read the rest of the article.

The ideal lead section for a Main Character should look like this:

Goro Majima (真島吾朗, Majima Gorō) is a major recurring character in the Yakuza series and one of the main playable protagonists of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza: Dead Souls, as well as the Majima Saga of Yakuza Kiwami 2.

His ferocity in battle earned him the nickname "The Mad Dog of Shimano" (嶋野の狂犬, Shimano no kyōken). He is the sworn brother of Taiga Saejima, patriarch of the Majima Family, president of Majima Construction, and lieutenant advisor to the Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan.

For Majima, this amount of information is necessary in order to establish his importance in the series, however, for a less important character, it is better to follow a format more like this:

Character Name (name in kanji, name in rōmaji) is a(n) (role/occupation) in Yakuza. (Short description here).

Please note when writing out a character's name in kanji that there should still be a space between the given and family names.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLES:

Saaya Kawai (川合紗綾, Kawai Saaya) is a character featured in Yakuza: Dead Souls. She is a hostess working at JeweL and can be requested by Goro Majima.

Hiroshi Horie (堀江博, Horie Hiroshi) is a supporting character in Yakuza 5. He is Haruka Sawamura's manager at Dyna Chair.

The first time the article mentions the title, put it in bold using three apostrophes — '''article title''' produces article title. Avoid other uses of bold in the first sentence, except for alternative titles of an article; for example:

Fumiya Sugiura, also known as Fumiya Terasawa, is a character in Judgment.

Italics should always be used when referring to the title of a game, unless it is in the infobox. Game pages should be linked unless mentioned twice in the same section.

Refrain from putting links to the current page while on the current page; ie. linking to Haruka Sawamura while on Haruka's page.

Quotations

Using quotations outside of a citation is allowed. At the top of relevant sections, such as Personality or Fighting Style, defining quotes regarding the subject should be placed using the {{Quote}} template. Defining quotations shouold never be placed at the top of a page. The quote should be as it appears in-game, unless some changes are deemed necessary.

I'm no kind-hearted soul. I can take another name, and build a new life... But on the inside I'll always have that instinct, no matter how much I hate it. I'm yakuza through and through.

— Kiryu to Aoyama, Yakuza 5

Square brackets must be used to indicate any changes in instances where the subject matter may need clarification, or to cut out portions of the text if the quote is too long or is interrupted by another character's dialogue which lacks relevance.

No, not Daejim Kim and Yeongmin Ji. [...] They were only 16 at the time, but somehow they made it out [of the Christmas 1980 massacre] alive.

— Murai, Yakuza Kiwami 2

If not using a citation template, the relevant game should be [[linked]], and should ''always be in italics'', and that especially applies to the quotation template.

Japanese Quotations

For Japan-exclusive games, defining quotes should be placed using the {{JP Quote}} template. The quote should be as it appears in-game followed by a translation of the same dialogue. A citation must be provided for the source of the translated dialogue if it is not the user's own work.

ワシぁ大勢の人間を斬ってきた・・・・・・。
こうなりゃ後は、地獄か天国かしか待っとりゃせん。
どうせやったら、大手柄立てて天国行こうやないか。

I've already killed a lot of people...
I'm just waiting for the reaper to catch up with me anyway. Winning some glory for myself here is the closest I'm gonna get to heaven.^[1]
— Majima to Kiryu, Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan!

↑ egomaniacSALP (October 6, 2011) - "Let's Play Ryuu ga Gotoku: Kenzan (English) - Chapter 01B" (10:22 - 10:34)

Dialogue

Exchanges of dialogue between two characters may be placed using the {{Dialogue}} template. However, it should be noted that singular quotations are preferred wherever possible. Dialogue should never be placed at the top of a page without a good reason.

Why do you keep calling me "[aniki]"? — Well... Because you're [my aniki, Aniki].
You're the lieutenant of the Ryudo Family.
I'm not your [aniki]. I'm not anything to you. — It's not a big deal.
It is a big deal. I can't have yakuza hanging around calling me "[aniki]." It's a bad influence on my kids. — Oh, c'mon! I respect your strength and courage, that's all.
To me, you're [my aniki, Aniki].

Section headings

Use the == (two equal signs) style markup for main headings, equivalent to <h2>. Do not use a single =. This is because a single = creates an <h1> heading which is already used by the page header and leads to issues with the page's code.

Capitalize the letter of each word found in the section heading (aside from "on", "in", "and", etc.).

Do not use [[Wiki Links]] in subject headings. When edited, these sections become confusing in the edit history due to the link code. Instead, link to subject referred to within the section text itself. Avoid other special characters in headings as well, such as an ampersand (&), or plus sign (+). In place of the ampersand, use the word "and", unless the ampersand is part of a formal name.

Always keep headings short and simple. Headings are guidelines to your page's structure and should inform the reader rather than confuse. Avoid unnecessary words or redundancy in headings.

Images

Images make an article stand out, and can give a visual representation used to separate a longer block of text. At the same time, misplaced or untidy images can detract from an article. When choosing images, keep in mind placement, size, and the appropriateness of the image to the section.

Large images such as screenshots should use the "thumb" (example:[[Image:CoolImage.png|thumb]]) option which displays larger images as thumbnails. Try to use images sparingly, as they can cause text to be displayed incorrectly and may decrease the readability of the page.

File names should be unique and descriptive; avoid using names that may cause conflicts with other files. Instead of simply naming an image "Kazuma Kiryu.png" consider naming it "Kiryu Visits Purgatory.png".

Images that reside in the infobox should be named (Abbreviation for game of origin) - Character Profile - (Character's name).png, eg. "YLAD - Character Profile - Kazuma Kiryu.png". This allows the image's auto-categorization to work as intended.

Appropriate abbreviations are as follows:

Y1 - Yakuza (PS2)
Y2 - Yakuza 2 (PS2)
Y0 - Yakuza 0
YK1 - Yakuza Kiwami
YK2 - Yakuza Kiwami 2
Y3 - Yakuza 3/Yakuza 3 Remastered*
Y4 - Yakuza 4/Yakuza 4 Remastered*
Y5 - Yakuza 5/Yakuza 5 Remastered*
Y6 - Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
YLAD - Yakuza: Like a Dragon
LADG - Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
LADIW - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
LAPYIH - Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
RGGK! - Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan!
KRGG1 - Kurohyou: Ryu Ga Gotoku Shinsho
Y:DS - Yakuza: Dead Souls
KRGG2 - Kurohyou 2: Ryu Ga Gotoku Ashura-hen
RGGI! - Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!
LAD:I! - Like a Dragon: Ishin!
J1 - Judgment
LJ - Lost Judgment
RGGO - Ryu Ga Gotoku Online

*(If a character's appearance changes between original release and Remastered, "Y3R", "Y4R", or "Y5R" may be used.)

Lossless .png is the preferred format for all images on the wiki.

The preferred aspect ratio for all screenshots is 16:9. For non-cutscene captures from the PlayStation 2 games, 4:3 is allowed.

It is encouraged that the black border that appears around games using the Dragon Engine is cropped out prior to uploading.

If possible, the black box SEGA logo that appears due to the PS4's video SHARE feature should be cropped out. The SEGA logo that appears on still images is fine.

For more information, see Help:Images.

Galleries

When an article has many images, or can be improved by having more, and having inline images be detract from the readbility of an articles, the use of a <gallery> section is encouraged. When linking videos, this is also highly encouraged, as it keeps them in line as opposed to spanning the length of the page.

Templates

Spoiler warnings, stubs, notices, etc. are extremely important tools to utilize; there are several different types of templates that can be found on the wiki.

The most important templates are:

This template should be used at the beginning of an article to mark it as a stub.

MAJIMA CONSTRUCTION IS AT WORK! This article is a stub and is under construction.

This particular template requires you to fill out both sections, and when completed, it should look like this: {{Spoilers|<major/minor>|<Game title>}}

If you do not wish to specify major/minor spoilers, you must go into source editing mode and remove the middle option so that it reads: {{Spoilers|<>|<Game title>}}

SPOILER WARNING: Plot details for Yakuza follow. (Skip)

This notice should be used beneath a section header in an article where a notice is needed as a disclaimer.

MAJIMA CONSTRUCTION IS AT WORK! This section is under construction.

Tables

The wiki uses a variety of different tables, namely the hostess dialogue table {{t|Hostess Dialogue Template}}:

"The dialogue should go in here!"	The first option goes here!	+
	The second option goes here!	-
	The third option goes here!	+

And the store inventory table:

Name	(¥)	Description
Toughness Light	270	Toughness Light is easy on the wallet but doesn't restore a lot of health.
Toughness Z	628	Toughness Z comes in handy when you need a little health boost.
Toughness ZZ	2,148	Toughness ZZ will restore your health quite a bit.

Examples of the hostess dialogue template: Goromi, Saaya Kawai.

Examples of the store inventory table: Poppo, Don Quijote.

Infoboxes

Every page should have an infobox. This wiki has a plethora of different infoboxes for every page type, and can be accessed either by clicking on the "infobox" button in the visual editor, or by typing one of the following into the source editor:

This infobox is used on game pages, such as Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Judgment.

This infobox should be used on every character page. Examples of a completed character infobox: Kazuma Kiryu, Goro Majima.

This infobox is used on location pages, such as Onomichi, Morning Glory Orphanage and Kamurocho Hills.

This infobox is used on organization pages, such as Tojo Clan, Majima Family and Omi Alliance.

This infobox is used on chapter summary pages, such as Yakuza 3/Chapter 1, Yakuza 4/Part 1 Chapter 2 and Yakuza 6/Finale.

This infobox is used on substory/side-case pages, such as Be My Baby and The Price of an F-Cup.

This infobox is used on karaoke pages, such as Pure Love in Kamurocho, Samurai Ondo (Dirge of the Warrior) and Machine Gun Kiss

Links and Navigation

Redirects

If a page is renamed, do not leave a redirect with a link to the new page unless the old name was officially used in-game (e.g. the link Seong-hui redirects to Seonhee). For the purpose of making searches easier, it is recommended to leave flipped-order name redirects for characters whose full names are given (e.g. Kiryu Kazuma redirects to Kazuma Kiryu, Ryoma Sakamoto redirects to Sakamoto Ryoma).

#REDIRECT [[PAGE NAME]]

Notes and References

The last sections, if they exist, should always be "Notes", then "References", followed by "See also". In the case of "See also", use bullets to list the internal links. If there are no internal links, the last section should be "External links". {{Notelist}} should be placed under Notes, while {{Reflist}} should be placed under "References".

[1] SALP (October 6, 2011) - "Let's Play Ryuu ga Gotoku: Kenzan (English) - Chapter 01B" (10:22 - 10:34)

[1]