This article is a guideline for the creation of and contribution to World Instance articles. It is designed to help editors learn how to do the aforementioned, and also serves as a standard for all current and future World Instance articles. Although contributions are not forced to comply with this standard, they may be edited until they do.

Note: Changes to this guideline may be discussed here.

Article Creation

Every few months, a new patch for LOTRO is released, and with it usually comes one or more new World instances. This section will guide you through planning and setting up a World instance article.

Considerations

Before doing anything else, check the World instances page to see if the instance has already been added to the list and if the article was created. If not, then check the page discussion, as well as the Category:Instances discussion to see if anything has been mentioned about it. If this is not the case, then there are only a few more things to consider before actually starting the new article.

World Instance Verification

Though this may seem obvious, it's important nonetheless to make sure that you are actually dealing with a World instance. Quest instances, Public dungeons and Raids all use different page layouts, so getting it right from the start will save other editors a bunch of work. To find out more about how the different instance types are defined, check the Instances page.

Special Character Naming

Determine whether any special characters are used in the instance name, and if this is the case, create the page without the special characters as a redirect to the properly named one. The new article should always be created with respect to special characters. For example, if you were creating the article for Carn Dûm, you would first go about creating the page without the special character - Carn Dum. On that page, the contents should be #REDIRECT [[Carn Dûm]], which redirects to the properly named article. This is done to allow users to access the article without having to enter the special character into the search term.

Setup

There are many different things that need to be set up when creating a new World instance article. This subsection is designed to give you all the information you need in order to do so properly.

Adding toc-right

The {{toc-right}} code should be added just below the category declarations in a World instance article. This will move the Table of Contents to the right side of the page, allowing it to be useful without seeming obtrusive. For example, this guideline is using the toc-right template.

Headlines

Headlines are used across all pages to help organize the information, and these articles are no different. The current standard for World instance articles is designed to display the information in a way that the instance editors have decided upon as a good solution. In order to discuss changes, please use this discussion. The current standard is as follows:

(in order from top to bottom)
== Location == (includes background (lore) information, instance coordinates, the entrance location and how to reach it)
== Quests == (a list of all quests leading into the instance)
== Overview == (concise information on one or more ways to proceed through and what to expect)
== Mobs == (an expandable category tree of all non-boss mobs)
== Bosses == (table listing all bosses found in the instance)
== Loot == (all rare+ non-boss drops go here)
== Map == (a map of the instance, or several maps of instance sections)

List of World instances

Every World instance must be listed on the List of World instances table. This allows users to get a good overview of the World instances found in LOTRO and some general information about them. To add the article to the List of World instances found here, edit the table and add a new column. It should look like this (with information changed/filled in properly):

|- style="background: #eeeeee;" align="center"
| [[Instance Name]] || Abbr. || [[Location]] || ##-## || Summary

The following information above needs to be filled in:

style="background: #eeeeee;" - Determines the background colour of the column by using the standard Web colors, with Hexadecimal values for the amount of Red, Green and Blue used to create the color. For this table, the colour code can either be #eeeeee;" or #dddddd;". The current column being added should be of the opposite colour code to the above one.
[[Instance Name]] - The name of the instance, such as [[Carn Dûm]] or [[Fornost]].
Abbr. - The common abbreviation used when referring about the instance (usually used by players in the LookingForFellowship chat).
Location - The region that the instance is located in, such as the Lone-lands or Angmar.
##-## - The recommended level for the instance. For example, new level 50 content is usually 45-50.
Summary - A short "what and where" summary of the instance, for example "Deep within northern Angmar, south-east of Carn Dûm" or "The throne room and outlying chambers of Annúminas".

World instances by Level

As with the List of World instances, every World instance must also be listed on the World instances by Level. This table allows users to see the distribution of World instances by level. To add the article to the table, edit the table and add a new column. It should look like this (with information changed/filled in properly):

| width="###" |  
| width="50" bgcolor="#aaaaaa" | <div align="center">6</div>
|  [[Instance Name]] (Levels ##-##)

The following information above needs to be filled in:

width="###" - The numeric value entered for ### determines how far from the left the new column will be moved. This value is determined by multiplying the minimum recommended level for the instance by 10. For example, if the minimum recommended level is 35, then 35 x 10 = 350, so width="350".
[[Instance Name]] - The name of the instance, such as [[Carn Dûm]] or [[Fornost]].
Levels ##-## - The recommended level for the instance. For example, new level 50 content is usually 45-50.

Completion Checklist

In order to keep track of the current completion status of the instance article, the Instance Article Completion Checklist should be placed on the new World instance article's discussion page. When it is first implemented with no content filled in on the article, it should look as follows:

Completed	Percentage
Introduction Text	2%
Instance Image	5%
Location Lore	3%
Location Entrance (+coords)	5%
Location Walkthrough	5%
Quests	10%
Overview	20%
Mob Names	5%
Mob Information	5%
Boss Table	10%
Boss Articles	20%
Loot Drops	5%
Map	5%
Current	0%
Total	100%

Once the content on one of the sections listed above is completed, bold the section name and percentage on the table, and add it to the Current percentage. Since some sections, such as the Overview and Boss Articles etc., can be re-worded and improved for a very long time, give a section the "Completed" percentage as long as the base information is there.

Article Layout Example

[[Category:Instances]][[Category:Locations]]
[[Image:Placeholder-Instances.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Placeholder.]]
{{toc-right}}
'''''"This is the text that is read to you upon entering the instance."'''''
==Location==
This instance is an old island that Elendil and his sons used to love going fishing on. (LORE goes here)

The entrance is located at {{Tooltip Coords|Region|55.5S|66.6W}} in [[Placeholder-land]]. (one-line location info)

To get there, go to Placeholder Camp in the north of Placeholder-land. (longer "getting there" walkthrough)
==Quests==
[Level] [[Quest:Quest Name|Quest Name]]

*[40] [[Quest:Placeholder Quest 1|Placeholder Quest 1]]
**[42] [[Quest:Follow Up Quest 1|Follow Up Quest 2]]
*[41] [[Quest:Another Boring Quest|Another Boring Quest]]

==Instance Overview==
Fortunately, Placeholder-instance is quite short for the purposes of placeholding.

From the instance entrance, you will encounter several paths which can be followed.

The right path will take you straight to [[Placeholder-boss]].

Once you've defeated him, proceed ahead until you reach the exit of the instance.

==Mobs==
''Click ''[+]'' to expand a list of mobs found within the instance.''
<categorytree mode=all depth="0">Placeholder Instance Mobs</categorytree>

==Bosses==
{| class=sortable cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1"
!Level
!Name
!Difficulty
!Species
![[Dread]]
![[Morale]]
|-align="center"
|50
|Placeholder-boss
|Nemesis
|Dwarf
|10
|500,000
|}

==Loot==
[[Image:Placeholder-loot.jpg]]

==Map==
[[Image:AwesomeMap.jpg]]

Adding Contents

Once the foundations of the World instance article listed above have been set, it's time to add the contents. This section will cover everything from how to take good screenshots and cut out them out to writing up a good Instance Overview and much more.

Image Contributions

Image contributions are an essential part of any article, since words can only give you an idea of what something looks like while images will show you. It is therefore important to take the best possible screenshots and make the most professional-looking loot and effect cut-outs possible. Images can fall into three categories, ranging from Ideal to Average to Temporary. Although these will be explained in more depth below, any images that fall in the Temporary category should be replaced as soon as possible.

Instance Picture

The Instance Picture is the image that is shown in the table on the top right hand side of the article. It should be a screenshot that clearly displays theme and setting of the instance. The following are examples of instance pictures and the categories that they fall in.

An Ideal Instance Picture has the following characteristics:

Clearly shows the general setting of the instance.
The image quality is good.
Size is 300px or larger.
Does not contain any players.
Does not contain any name tags or portions of name tags, including mob names, titles and kinship affiliations.
Does not contain any elements of the user interface.

An Average Instance Picture is found to be lacking one of the characteristics that would make it Ideal. Such an image should be replaced, but is usually not a high priority.

A Temporary Instance Picture is found to be lacking two or more of the characteristics that would make it Ideal. Such an image should be replaced as soon as possible, and it is usually better not to upload one in the first place.

**Average** Instance Picture (image size < 300px).

**Temporary** Instance Picture (players, name tags, user interface).

Mobs

Images of mobs found in World instances follow the same guidelines as all other Creatures found outside of the instance.

Effects

Images of effects are important because they give players a reference to how the effect icons in World instances look and what the effects do. These images are cut-outs of screenshots taken of the effect tooltip seen in-game. The first occurrence should be linked in the Instance Overview, like this: [[:File:Effect.jpg|Effect Name]].

Effect images fall into two categories, Ideal and Temporary.

An Ideal effect image has the following characteristics:

Excellent cut-out, not showing any bright edges and not cutting off any text.
Good quality, allowing the text to be easily read.

A Temporary effect image is lacking either one or both of the characteristics listed above. It should be replaced as soon as possible.

In the following example, we will be editing this screenshot using Microsoft Paint to cut out the new effect. Though MS Paint is not the best software to use for this purpose, it is assumed that anyone using different software knows how to crop or cut out an image.

Take a screenshot of the effect tooltip seen in-game by hovering the mouse over the effect icon. See the example found here.
Open the screenshot in MS Paint.
Using the Select tool, click and drag from the top left to the bottom right corner of the effect tooltip seen on the screenshot. Making an Ideal selection can take some practice.
Once the area is selected, press Ctrl + X in order to cut it out.
Click on File -> New, and answer "No" when prompted if you would like to save the changes.
Press Ctrl + V in order to paste the effect tooltip into the new image.
Drag the edges of the white background to the edges of the effect tooltip if necessary.
Click on File -> Save As..., which will open up the "Save As" window.
Navigate to where you would like to save the image.
Enter an appropriate file name, such as the name of the effect.
From the "Save as type" drop-down list, select JPG, then click Save.
On Lotro-Wiki, go here and browse to the image file.
Entering some brief, helpful information about the effect on the Summary is a good idea.
Click "Upload file", and you're all done. Remember that if you want to simply link to the image without displaying it, place a colon before Image, as seen here: [[:Image:EffectName.JPG|Effect Name]]

The following are examples of Ideal and Temporary effect images.

**Temporary** effect image (cut-out not within boundaries).

Loot

Loot images are cutouts of screenshots taken of the item tooltip in-game. They are created and judged in the same manner as images of effects.

Note: Loot screenshots will be replaced with tooltips once those are ready for use.

Maps

Maps are very useful, especially for indoor instances, because they give players an excellent reference on where to go, beyond the instance overview. The best maps have everything explored to the fullest extent possible, and have been edited to show the locations of doorways, bosses, and other important locations. This information should be clear and concise; don't write an essay on the map.

Written Contributions

This section covers all written contributions on World instance articles. The most important thing to remember here is not to worry too much about spelling and grammar, since that can always be fixed up later, but to focus on giving as much useful and detailed information as possible instead.

Introduction Text

The introduction text is simply what is read to players (in Gandalf's voice) as they enter a World instance. Nothing special needs to be done here. Copy that information straight to the article, in quotes and bold-italic.

Location

The first thing anyone would want to know is how to get there. This headline not only gives players that information, but also includes some background (lore) on the World instance.

Location Lore

Although it always depends on the location, just about any World instance found in LOTRO has a little lore to it. To avoid whole pages worth of text (which might be the case with a few of the instances), this should take up no more than one paragraph, and any additional information can be linked at the end of it.

Location Coordinates & Guide

The first information listed here should be one sentence summarizing the location of the instance entrance with coordinates. For example: "The entrance is located at Minas Deloth (6.6N, 21.8W) in Nan Gurth located within north-east Angmar."

The next paragraph should contain all the details on how to get there from the nearest friendly camp or town.

Quests

This section is simply a listing of all quests that lead into the instance, including the levels in front of the quest names. For example:

[49] Quest
- [50] Follow-up Quest
[50] Quest

Overview

The Overview is one of the most important parts of the article. It should give players a solid idea of what to expect in the instance, going on about all the key details. For some examples, check out Ost Elendil and Barad Gúlaran.

Mob Articles

All different mobs found in the instance need their own article. When creating the article:

Add the mob to the categories: Creatures, Instance Name Mobs
Use the {{Creature}} template.
Add a summary, and if the mob has any notable abilities, list them.

Mob Layout Example

Note: This section is outdated - please refer to Boilerplate:Creature when creating a new mob page.

[[Category:Creatures]][[Category:Bosses]][[Category:Elite_Master]]
{{Infobox Mob
| name           = {{PAGENAME}}
| image          = Placeholder-Instances.jpg
| location       = Instance Name
| level          = Level
| species        = Species, as shown on Analysis Details
| dread          = 0-10 Dread
| morale         = Morale
| type           = Type, as shown on Analysis Details
| difficulty     = Very Easy, Easy, Medium, Hard, Very Hard
}}
{{PAGENAME}} is a mob found in Placeholder Instance.

'''Abilities:'''
* Placeholder 1 (Resistance: Placeholder) - Does 666 [[AoE]] damage within 5 meters.
* Placeholder 2 - 1,000 damage on current target.

Boss Table

The Boss Table is a list of all the bosses found in the instance with some additional information. Here is an example table, with only one boss added so far:

{| class=sortable cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1"
!Level
!Name
!Difficulty
!Species
![[Dread]]
![[Morale]]
|-align="center"
|50
|Placeholder-boss
|Nemesis
|Dwarf
|10
|500,000
|}

Boss Articles

Boss articles should be set up with the proper headlines and information to provide consistency across all of them, and to give players everything they need to prepare for the encounter. The following headlines should be used:

(in order from top to bottom)

Quotes (what the boss says, sometimes used for tactics)
Overview
- Preparation * (items required to complete the encounter)
- Battle (includes brief pointers or extensive strategies, depending on the boss)
- Abilities * (a list of the boss abilities and their effects)
Loot (all rare+ quality loot, if none write "No significant loot.")
Links * (links to sites concerning different boss strategies, videos, etc.)

* Headline not required if it would otherwise be blank.

Boss Article Layout Example

[[Category:Creatures]][[Category:Bosses]][[Category:Elite_Master]]
{{Infobox Mob
| name           = {{PAGENAME}}
| image          = Placeholder-Instances.jpg
| location       = Region Name
| level          = Level
| species        = Species, as shown on Analysis Details
| dread          = 0-10 Dread
| morale         = Morale
| type           = Type, as shown on Analysis Details
| difficulty     = Very Easy, Easy, Medium, Hard, Very Hard
}}
{{toc-right}}

One-line summary of the article here.

== Quotes ==
'''''"Boss quote 1."'''''

'''''"Boss quote 2."'''''

== Overview ==
=== Preparation ===
* Item 1 name
* Item 2 name
* etc.

=== Battle ===
Place either pointers on the fight or extensive strategies here.

=== Abilities ===
*Ability 1 (Resistance: Placeholder) - Deals 5,000 placeholder damage
*Ability 2 - Summons a Placeholder-mob

== Loot ==
[[Image:Loot1.jpg]][[Image:Loot2.jpg]]

== Links ==
Useful links here.

Useful Links

This last section is for links to other websites, forum posts, etc. providing additional information on the World instance.

Help:World Instances

Contents