Editing Help:Welcome to the Wiki

<div class="header" style="width:auto;margin:0 0 0.5em 0;border:1px solid #6e5229;font-size:1.35em;font-weight:bolder;text-align:left;text-transform:none;">Welcome to The Elder Scrolls Construction Set Wiki!</div>

This guide is run by the Oblivion modding community, and it is designed to provide you, the Oblivion modder, with the greatest possible resource on the Internet. Our aim is to present all of the information you will ever need to create the most incredible mods ever made.

The TES CS Wiki is a constantly evolving community. People work very hard to make sure that you can always find the information that you need, and that it is clear and helpful to you.

In this introduction, we hope to explain how the Wiki works, how and where you can find information, where you can go to find more information or to get clarification, etc etc. Any comments or suggestions for this introduction are heartily encouraged! Please mention any thoughts you have on the [[Help Talk: Welcome to the Wiki|Discussion page]].

Sincerely,
The Elder Scrolls Construction Set Wiki Editorial Staff

== Finding Information on the Wiki ==

The first thing to realize about the Wiki is that it is a Wiki. If you are unfamiliar with the Wiki concept, the quintessential example of a Wiki is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wikipedia] - an encyclopedia written by thousands of online contributors. The CS Wiki is similar, with articles, tutorials, and tips written by several of the best modders the community has seen, past and present.

Because of the nature of the Wiki, it is important to understand the way things are laid out in order to find information. The organization of the Wiki can make incredible amounts of information very easy to find, but only if you know where it is.

=== Searching ===

[[Help: Searching|Searching]] is the most obvious way to find information on the CS Wiki. The Search box is found on the left side of the screen, and it will return any and all pages which contain the words you type in it. The Search tool is useful, but is has some important limitations, so please visit our page dedicated to making the most of your Searching.

=== Portals ===

The [[Portal:Contents/Portals|Portals]] are designed by hand to provide everything you need for a particular subject of modding. Each Portal has its own Featured Content, its own tutorials, reference material, and numerous links to other topics of interest.

=== Table of Contents & The Categories ===

The [[Portal:Contents|Table of Contents]] provides an index of the Category system of the Wiki. Categories are automated pages used since the beginning of the Wiki, and they are by far the most thorough organization of articles offered here. Any page can be a member of several categories, and navigating through the categories, while certainly less guided than other methods, is often the best way to find information.

At the bottom of any page you will find a list of the categories it resides in. To learn more about that category, click on it, and you will find information on members of that category as well as a list of all of the other articles in the same category.

== Making the Most of the Wiki ==

The TES CS Wiki can best be used by registered users. If you haven't already, it is strongly recommended that you [[Special:Userlogin|create an account]] today! Registered users can customize their Wiki display, can ask questions, and can help make the Wiki the best Oblivion modding resource on the Internet.

=== Custom Style Sheets ===

Registered users of the Wiki have access to a special page called '''User:Name/esstyle.css''', which can be used to modify the appearance of the Wiki. Tired of the banner image stretching all the way across the page? There's a way to change that. Dislike the static width of the Wiki, wasting valuable screen area on black borders, or stretching your window and forcing a horizontal scroll bar? That can be changed as well. Check out the [[Wiki User Style]] page for more information on changing the appearance of the Wiki, as well as some pre-made fixes designed by some of our best coders.

=== Asking Questions ===

Every page on the Wiki has its own Discussion or Talk page. This is where questions may be asked and feedback given. Questions on the Wiki ought to pertain to confusion regarding the page in question, or about where to find information. Questions should not be about your specific mod - such questions go on the [http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/index.php?showforum=24 Forums].

Questions should get their own [[Help: Wiki Editing Syntax Guide#Headings|Secondary Header]] at the top of the page, and the header should be something meaningful - please don't just write "Help!" in the header. At the end of your question, please sign the question as described in [[Help: Wiki Editing Syntax Guide#Signing a Page|here]].

Feedback is also encouraged. If anything on the page is unclear or confusing, mentioning that is significant boon to the Wiki as a whole. Please follow the same guidelines for feedback as for questions.

Please do not ask questions, give feed back, or add signatures in the actual articles. Always use the associated Talk page.

=== Simple Ways to Help on the Wiki ===

Every user can help improve the Wiki. Even simple things like fixing typos in articles lead to a vastly improved Wiki. There are a great many things that you can do to improve the Wiki that take no more than a few clicks to do. Never worry about messing up the Wiki; mistakes are easy to fix, and often lead to overall improvement of an article. Editing is simple, and you are strongly encouraged to make any and all edits that you feel are appropriate.

If you are interested in helping to make the Wiki the best place that it can be, please take a moment to read our [[Help: Simple Things You Can Do To Improve the Wiki|List of Simple Things You Can Do To Improve the Wiki]].

=== (Seemingly) Misinformation ===
As you mod you'll realize that Oblivion can be very fickle about some things. For instance, a script using the line '''if (IsActionRef player)''' will work perfectly when activating an object, but won't work when you equip an item. Keep this in mind as you read the wiki and use tutorials - the writers have not thought of or tried every situation, and in some cases may be giving a best theory for something that can't be tested (i.e., several Script Timing issues). If you are unsure how to apply a tutorial (or any piece of info) into your mod ask a question on the page's Discussion page or ask on the [http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/index.php?showforum=24 Bethesda Forums].

== Joining the Wiki Community ==

If you would like to help out at the Wiki in more substantial ways, by editing and/or writing, please, by all means! We always welcome new members. Here are some tips for getting started:

* Write something on your [[Special:MyPage|User Page]]! Your user page is there for you to tell us all about yourself as an Oblivion modder and Wiki contributor. The [[:Category: User Categories|User Categories]] are also a great way to make yourself a member of the team.
* Check out what's happening at the [[Community Portal]]! The Community Portal is the place where all Wiki-wide decisions and discussions are made. It's a place for contributors to get together and share their thoughts. Your thoughts are always welcome!
* See what's new at [[Special:Recentchanges|Recent Changes]]! This page automatically lists every edit made on the Wiki, making it a great way to keep up with what's going on, and it means you'll always know when there are questions to be answered, pages to fix, or articles that people would love to see written!
* Read the Wiki Editing [[Help: Wiki Editing Style Guide|Style Guide]] and [[Help: Wiki Editing Syntax Guide|Syntax Guide]]! These twin-guides serve to explain what we're all about and to direct you in your Wiki contributions.

== Get Modding ==

Now that you have been properly welcomed to the TES CS Wiki, it's time to start modding! If you're new to modding Oblivion, we recommend the [[:Category: Getting Started|Getting Started category]]. It's full of links and tutorials to get you started with Oblivion modding.

Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoy the Wiki! If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask them here, or on the Talk page of whatever article you're confused about. Good luck!