Final Fantasy Wiki:File use

This page documents an official Final Fantasy Wiki policy or guideline.

It approximates a widely accepted standard that all editors should normally follow. Changes made to this page should reflect consensus.

The File use policy governs how files should be uploaded and organized on the Final Fantasy Wiki. The guideline portion of this page advises how files should ideally be used in articles. While this page mostly concerns images, it applies to other kinds of files like video, audio, PDFs, fonts, etc.

Before uploading a file

Before uploading a file, consider the following criteria. This will allow you to predict with reasonable accuracy whether the file will be deleted after you upload it.

• Ensure the file is not a duplicate of an existing file of similar or superior quality (per criterion F1). This includes both exact and effective duplicates (i.e., files that ultimately serve the same purpose).
• Ensure the file will have a practical use in a mainspace article. Unused files are prone to deletion after 24 hours per criterion F5, or sooner if it is unlikely they will be used by that time.
  • If a file has practical use on an article but has not yet been added, it can be preserved in a hosting page until worth adding.
  • A file must have encyclopedic and unique value. If its sole placement is within a single gallery on one page, it should not be uploaded.
• Unless the file meets a crucial need, avoid uploading low quality files, or files that could likely be obtained in higher quality.
• Ensure the file does not fall under other deletion criteria for files.
• For audio files, ensure the file is in .OGG format, and is a music or voice sample. Music samples may be no longer than 30 seconds and of no greater quality than 80kbps.
  • This does not have to be the first 30 seconds of the song being sampled, feel free to make a sample of the part you feel best represents the song.

Uploading a file

The only officially supported upload form on the Final Fantasy Wiki is Special:Upload and Special:MultipleUpload, which displays MediaWiki:Uploadtext, and preloads the editor with {{infobox file}}. All pre-loaded parameters are required to be filled out upon upload (though there are additional parameters which may also be necessary depending on the file).

• Take care to give the file an accurate, descriptive, but concise name. File names should use the following format:
  • the subject itself (e.g. "Cloud Strife");
  • the release in which the subject of the image appears and any identifier for which version (e.g. "from FFVI SNES", "from FFXII TZA");
  • the type of representation of the subject (usually "render", "screen", or "concept art", though more specific types can be used if needed);
  • a number, if it is a file similar to another file in all ways of the above, but is still not a duplicate/serves a unique purpose.
  • If the image is a screenshot from a named quest or chapter, particularly a shot with multiple subjects and thus no fitting file name using the above system, use the name of the quest (e.g. File:Infiltration from FFVII Remake.jpg), with numbers if necessary.
• Give the file a comprehensive description in the description parameter.
• Provide the source of the file using {{ref}} in the source parameter.
• Make sure to properly categorize the file (select one from Category:Files).

Specifications for file names are needed to distinguish the file from other non-duplicate files of the same subject. Because subjects in the Final Fantasy series frequently recur in a variety of releases, it is better to use specific names to avoid having to rename files later.

Failure to properly upload an image may result in its immediate deletion.

Using a file

Main images

The "main image" is placed at the top-right area of the article (in most cases, it is inside the infobox). There are certain preferences as to what this image is:

• The image should be fully representative of the subject. For example, a picture of an Imperial Officer should not be used as the main image of the Gestahlian Empire, as it is not representative of the entire faction; instead, the faction's logo should be used.
• The image should be as canonically accurate to the subject as possible, in the following order:
  • Renders of the subject using its in-game model (official renders are preferred, though renders of ripped models are acceptable).
  • In-game screenshots of the subject (in-game framing and angles are preferred, though "free camera" shots are acceptable to get a better view of the subject).
  • Promotional renders of the subject using a higher poly model, higher resolution textures, and/or more advanced shaders than in the game.
  • 2D renders or concept art of the subject from a professional artist employed by the developer of the game in question.
• In general, the image should be the most recent canonical representation of the subject (i.e. the most recent game it appeared in).
  • However, tabbers may be used in some cases, such as when the subject has three or more different appearances. Every image used in a tabber should be of consistent quality, style, and cropping.

In-article thumbnails

All in-article thumbnails should be placed under relevant sections adjacent to relevant text, and given a caption substantiating such relevance. In general, thumbnails should remain at their default right-side alignment, though if an article has a large amount of images, the alignment may alternate between right and left.

If the thumbnail is to be right-aligned, do not add |right, as image thumbnails are automatically right-aligned. Article thumbnails should always have the |thumb formatting. Normally, the default size of the thumbnail need not be changed, though there are some exceptions, which should be determined on a case-by-case basis. (For more help with formatting images, see Help:Images.)

In general, all in-article thumbnails under "History", "Characteristics", or related sections should be as canonically fidelitous as possible, with preference given to official renders or in-game screenshots. If the subject has a substantial "Development" or "Behind the scenes" section, official 2D renders or concept art may be used here. If a subject has a substantial "Promotion" or "Reception" section, official promotional renders should be used.

Otherwise, non-recent infobox images, concept art, and promotional renders should be kept in a well-maintained image gallery (see below).

Galleries

See also: Help:Galleries

Galleries are collections of images in their own section, commonly (mis)used to "dump" miscellaneous images in articles that don't fit elsewhere. This—as with any "catch-all" sections in articles (Trivia, etc.)—is discouraged. Instead, galleries should be limited in use, well-maintained, and serve a specific purpose.

Galleries can be used below sections in order to illustrate content from the section itself. Examples of this may include:

• On a page listing weapons, a gallery of all weapons described in the section.
• In a section on a location page describing a region, a relevant gallery of images may be included at the end.
• In a "Behind the scenes" section, galleries are logical as a placement for high quality concept art, or work-in-progress images of a subject.

In other instances, galleries may be placed under a "Gallery" section at the bottom of the article. They should be used to contain groups of important images that don't physically fit elsewhere in the article (in contrast to not suitably fitting). This is typically used on pages about recurring subjects, wherein the section for each appearance of the game may not provide enough breathing room for the subject.

Entire subpages devoted to galleries should not be created. These are very low-traffic pages, and typically their existence encourages images to be placed that have no use elsewhere.

Audio files

Music samples may be included in "Musical themes" sections on pages, using the {{audio}} template. These samples are used to illustrate the musical theme of the subject of the article, and may be no longer than 30 seconds.

Voice line samples can also be included under sections for the voice actor of a relevant character.

Video

Videos have limited use on pages, such as to illustrate abilities and summon sequences, or glitches within a game. These are embedded from YouTube rather than uploaded as files directly, though it is preferable to embed a video to the wiki you have uploaded to YouTube yourself.

The Final Fantasy Wiki has created a YouTube account for use of uploading videos and embed them for use in pages. This account may be accessed at the FFWiki Youtube account.

Technical

• Images that are higher in quality usually take preference to images that are higher in resolution (size). In-article thumbnails and file page previews don't normally exceed the size of the natural image resolution (and if it does the image should be considered for deletion).
• MediaWiki sets a limit of 10 MB for file size, while Fandom sets a limit of 12.5 million pixels for image resolution. The Final Fantasy Wiki does not control this limitation.
• Avoid the use of the lossless JPG format. The server cannot tell the difference when uploading, cannot make it into thumbnails, and no browser supports it properly.
  • As such, it is recommended to avoid using the JPG format if possible, as PNG is the only lossless format properly supported.
• While the APNG format can be uploaded, embedding will remove the animation. The animation can be forced to appear on a page by hotlinking the image from Fandom's servers, but this is not recommended as it prevents adding the link to the image's file page.
  • As such, it is recommended to use the GIF format instead, unless doing so would cause an unacceptable loss of quality.

Notes

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