Elite Dangerous Field Manual:Guided Encyclopedia
The Guided Encyclopedia is the article and guide standard for the Elite Dangerous Field Manual. EDFM articles should usually answer both of these reader questions on one canonical page:
- Reference: What is this, how does it work, and why should a Commander care?
- Guidance: What should I actually do, in what order, and what mistakes should I avoid?
This standard borrows the structural idea of encyclopedia article plus requirements plus walkthrough, but it is not a visual clone of another wiki. Components should feel native to EDFM's dark, compact, field-manual style.
Philosophy
A good EDFM article is a guided encyclopedia entry. It begins with concise reference context, then gives practical preparation and a clear procedure when the subject is actionable. The walkthrough should live on the canonical article unless the guide is a larger journey through several subjects.
Do not assume veteran knowledge. Explain enough for a new Commander to proceed, then link terminology and deeper mechanics to their own EDFM articles rather than re-teaching every system in every guide.
Article vs guide pages
Default behavior: put the walkthrough on the canonical subject article.
Examples that should normally contain their own guidance:
- Laser Mining
- Exobiology
- Material Trading
- Fuel Scooping
- Interdiction
- Engineering
- individual Engineers
- Powerplay mechanics
- Colonisation mechanics
Separate guide pages are for larger objectives that span several independent subjects. Examples:
- New Commander Roadmap
- Guide:Unlocking All Engineers
- Guide:Preparing for Anti-Xeno Combat
- Guide:Building Your First Exploration Ship
- Guide:Starting a Colonisation Project
Do not automatically create /Guide, /Quick guide, or Guide: pages for a single subject.
Normal article anatomy
Use only the sections that fit the subject.
- Lead — what the subject is, what it is used for, why it matters, and essential context.
- At a glance — a flexible quick-reference panel with relevant fields only.
- Before you start — required, recommended, and optional preparation, with reasons.
- Walkthrough — sequential Commander actions.
- Common problems — troubleshooting linked to relevant mechanics where possible.
- Reference material — mechanics, tables, variants, locations, rewards, history, notes, see also, and references.
- What next? — progressive navigation deeper into EDFM or back to a relevant guide.
Reusable components
At a glance
Use {{Guide info}}. Keep it flexible; do not create a huge infobox with every possible field.
{{Guide info|title=At a glance|
; Activity : Laser mining
; Difficulty : Beginner-friendly once outfitted
; Recommended ship : Small or medium ship with mining hardpoints and cargo racks
; Related mechanics : [[Mining]], [[Prospector Limpet Controller]], [[Refinery]]
}}
Before you start
Use {{Requirements}}. Explain why each item matters.
{{Requirements|
; Required : Mining laser — extracts fragments from asteroids.
; Strongly recommended : Prospector Limpet Controller — identifies asteroid composition and increases yield.
; Optional : Detailed Surface Scanner — helps find hotspots before entering the ring.
}}
Walkthrough steps
Use {{Guide step}} for substantial steps.
{{Guide step|1|Find a suitable ring|
Open the System Map and look for planetary rings with metallic or icy resources. For platinum mining, prefer metallic rings with a platinum hotspot.
}}
Steps should be sequential, scannable, and explicit about what the Commander should do.
Callouts
Use callouts sparingly. Do not turn every paragraph into a colored box.
{{Field note|Main-sequence stars of spectral classes O, B, A, F, G, K and M can be fuel-scooped.}}
{{Tip|Plot shorter early routes until you understand fuel usage.}}
{{Important|The roadmap is guidance, not a mandatory progression path.}}
{{Warning|Do not fly a ship you cannot afford to rebuy.}}
Contextual media
Use {{Context media}} when an image belongs beside a specific instruction, not in a bottom gallery.
{{Context media|image=Example galaxy map route.png|caption=The Galaxy Map with a short route plotted.|alt=Galaxy Map route plotting screen|
Open the Galaxy Map, select a nearby inhabited system, and choose '''Plot Route'''. Return to the cockpit after the route appears in the navigation panel.
}}
Only use screenshots that support the instruction. Avoid decorative images inside procedure steps.
What next
Use {{What next}} for progressive navigation.
{{What next|
* New to mining? Continue with [[Laser Mining]].
* Need module details? Read [[Prospector Limpet Controller]].
* Ready for engineering? Start with [[Engineering]].
}}
Writing style
- Write for a Commander who may be performing the activity for the first time.
- Use direct verbs: open, select, plot, launch, dock, scan, sell, refuel.
- Keep paragraphs short inside walkthrough sections.
- Link first-use terminology to deeper articles.
- Avoid unexplained veteran shorthand.
- Keep verified facts distinct from editorial guidance.
- If information is uncertain or not yet reviewed, use the article status system and concise inline notes rather than hiding uncertainty.
Common problems sections
Guides should include troubleshooting when common failure modes exist.
Examples:
- My collector limpets immediately expire.
- The station will not let me dock.
- My Frame Shift Drive says route unavailable.
- My refinery is full.
- The mission target is not appearing.
Explain the likely cause, the immediate fix, and link the relevant deeper mechanic.
Navigation expectations
Guides should lead readers deeper into EDFM. Reference pages should also point back to practical guidance.
Example progression:
New Commander Roadmap → Mining → Laser Mining → Prospector Limpet Controller → Platinum → Finding Platinum Hotspots
A Commander who lands on a reference page from Google should be able to find the practical guide that uses that subject in context.
Implementation notes for editors
- Prefer the templates above rather than raw HTML.
- Use only relevant fields in
{{Guide info}}and{{Requirements}}. - Do not create deep template nesting for ordinary article content.
- Keep screenshots close to the step they explain.
- Preserve EDFM's visual identity: dark panels, compact labels, orange action accents, cyan reference accents.