Blooncyclopedia:Update history guidelines: Difference between revisions

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Changes use bullet point lists. Each change should use a template such as {{temp|buff}}, {{temp|nerf}}, {{temp|change}}, or {{temp|neutral}} to indicate how it affects the player.

*Changes should not end in periods.

*Changes relating to timing, such as cooldowns and durations, should always ~~be expressed in~~ seconds, with decimal values if necessary, and ~~suffix numbers~~ with "s" (e.g., "Duration increased — 5s → 7s").

*Changes relating to timing, such as cooldowns and durations, should always use seconds, with decimal values if necessary, and suffixed with "s" (e.g., "Duration increased — 5s → 7s").

*Changes to a "bonus" modifier, such as a damage bonus, should prefix the numbers with a "+" sign (e.g., "Damage to Ceramics increased — +3 → +5").

*If a change is adding or removing a "bonus" modifier, it should simply list the bonus instead of comparing two numbers (e.g., "Now deals +5 damage to Ceramics" or "No longer deals +5 damage to Ceramics").

*If a change to a property of an upgrade is a direct buff/nerf, but a change to a previous tier also affects that same property by extension, then the direct change to the upgrade should be listed first, then the ''overall'' impact when factoring in previous tiers should be listed in an indented line below it. For example: "{{nerf}} Attack cooldown modifier reduced — ×0.7 → ×0.8" and "{{buff}} Overall attack cooldown reduced — 0.6s → 0.5s (due to changes to previous tiers)".

*If the subject has multiple mechanics, use the <code>|name=</code> parameter of the change to label which mechanic(s) a change applies to. This is not necessary if a change applies to all mechanics or to the subject as a whole (e.g., "All attacks now deal +1 damage to Ceramics" instead of "'''All attacks''': Now deal +1 damage to Ceramics").

**The name of a mechanic should be ~~written~~ in lowercase unless it is official (e.g., use "'''Main attack'''" instead of "'''Main Attack'''").

**In general, if an attack needs a name label and the attack is the primary way the tower attacks, simply refer to it as the "Main attack" (or "Main attacks" if the tower technically has multiple copies of the same attack, like [[Quad Darts (BTD6)|Quad Darts]]). This does not apply if the tower has multiple different main attacks (like [[Admiral Brickell (BTD6)|Admiral Brickell]]) or the main attack has multiple projectiles (like [[Flash Bomb (BTD6)|Flash Bomb]]).

**The name of a mechanic should be in lowercase unless it is official (e.g., use "'''Main attack'''" instead of "'''Main Attack'''" normally, use "'''Main Gun'''" and "'''Machine Gun'''" for [[Captain Churchill (BTD6)|Captain Churchill]]).

**Changes to activated abilities should just be "'''Ability'''" unless the subject has multiple abilities, or the ability has a confirmed name different from the subject's name. If so, it should not end in "ability" (e.g., use "'''MOAB Takedown'''" instead of "'''MOAB Takedown ability'''").

*If a change to a property of an upgrade is a direct buff/nerf, but a change to a previous tier also affects that same property by extension, then the direct change to the upgrade should appear first, followed by the ''overall'' impact when factoring in previous tiers on an indented line below it. For example: "{{nerf}} Attack cooldown modifier reduced — -30% → -20%" and "{{buff}} Stacks with buffs to the base attack cooldown; overall attack cooldown reduced — 0.6s → 0.5s".

====Changes to modifiers====

In this context, a modifier means something that isn't an absolute value (like the base damage of an attack), but anything that additively or multiplicatively modifies something else. This includes things like attacks that have different damage and/or pierce consumption against specific Bloon types, buffs applied by towers to other towers, changes that crosspaths make to towers, and debuffs that apply to Bloons.

*For clarity's sake, if a modifier is to or against a specific kind of entity, generally "X modifier to Y entity" or "X modifier for Y entity" works best (e.g., "Range buff to Druids" or "Pierce penalty for bosses"). For crosspaths, use "X upgrade does Y to Z", that way tier 1 crosspaths that carry up to tier 2 will clarify which upgrade causes it (e.g., "Permafrost now applies to the ability")

*If a change is adding or removing a modifier, it should simply state what the modifier is instead of comparing it (e.g., "Now deals +5 damage to Ceramics" or "No longer deals +5 damage to Ceramics").

*If a change is to a strictly additive modifier, prefix the numbers with a "+" if the amount is positive or "-" if negative (e.g., "Damage to Ceramics increased — +3 → +5")

*If a change is to a multiplicative modifier, the best way to represent it depends on the context, but in general:

**If either value is less than or equal to 1 (and greater than or equal to -1), representing the values in terms of added or removed percentages is usually better, especially if the multiplier stacks additively (e.g., "Ability cooldown buff to Primary towers increased — -10% → -20%" instead of "Ability cooldown buff to Primary towers increased — 0.9× → 0.8×")

**If both values are greater 1 (or less than -1), representing the values in terms of multiplication is usually better (e.g., "Knockback to MOAB-class increased — -3× → -4×")

===Use of icons===

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#**Technical changes (waiting until our coverage policy for technical information is formally established)-->

#**Miscellaneous changes

#'''Pre-release''': If the update has some history before its release, such as teasers, a roadmap, or differences in early videos, this is the section to document it. This can also contain an "Early access videos" sub-section listing (in alphabetical order) links to videos of content creators' coverage of the update before release. (If the early access videos are the only pre-release content, make the "Early access videos" section the main section instead and omit the "Pre-release" header altogether.)

#'''Pre-release''': If the update has some history before its release, such as teasers, a roadmap, content that was planned for the update according to patch notes for prior updates but did not release, or differences in early videos, this is the section to document it. This can also contain an "Early access videos" sub-section listing (in alphabetical order) links to videos of content creators' coverage of the update before release. (If the early access videos are the only pre-release content, make the "Early access videos" section the main section instead and omit the "Pre-release" header altogether.)

#'''Gallery''': Artwork pertaining to the update. This can also contain a "Video" or "Videos" sub-section to embed official videos on the update.

#'''Descriptions''': Blockquotes of official descriptions of the update, both from in-game and from peripheral sources such as store pages and official websites.

#'''Notes''': A list of miscellaneous facts about the update, such as errors in the official coverage of the update, joke changes, and developer comments that do not fit anywhere else.

#'''Notes''': A list of miscellaneous facts about the update, such as errors in the official coverage of the update, joke changes, and developer comments that do not fit anywhere else. This can also contain a sub-section summarizing the future plans that Ninja Kiwi developers often include in official update notes, making note of any deviations from what was planned (like content that was delayed to a later update or changed form significantly).

#'''References''': Self-explanatory.

#'''External links''': Links to official coverage of the update on sites like Reddit and Steam.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 Changes use bullet point lists. Each change should use a template such as {{temp|buff}}, {{temp|nerf}}, {{temp|change}}, or {{temp|neutral}} to indicate how it affects the player.
 *Changes should not end in periods.
-*Changes relating to timing, such as cooldowns and durations, should always be expressed in seconds, with decimal values if necessary, and suffix numbers with "s" (e.g., "Duration increased — 5s → 7s").
+*Changes relating to timing, such as cooldowns and durations, should always use seconds, with decimal values if necessary, and suffixed with "s" (e.g., "Duration increased — 5s → 7s").
-*Changes to a "bonus" modifier, such as a damage bonus, should prefix the numbers with a "+" sign (e.g., "Damage to Ceramics increased — +3 → +5").
-*If a change is adding or removing a "bonus" modifier, it should simply list the bonus instead of comparing two numbers (e.g., "Now deals +5 damage to Ceramics" or "No longer deals +5 damage to Ceramics").
-*If a change to a property of an upgrade is a direct buff/nerf, but a change to a previous tier also affects that same property by extension, then the direct change to the upgrade should be listed first, then the ''overall'' impact when factoring in previous tiers should be listed in an indented line below it. For example: "{{nerf}} Attack cooldown modifier reduced — ×0.7 → ×0.8" and "{{buff}} Overall attack cooldown reduced — 0.6s → 0.5s (due to changes to previous tiers)".
 *If the subject has multiple mechanics, use the <code>|name=</code> parameter of the change to label which mechanic(s) a change applies to. This is not necessary if a change applies to all mechanics or to the subject as a whole (e.g., "All attacks now deal +1 damage to Ceramics" instead of "'''All attacks''': Now deal +1 damage to Ceramics").
-**The name of a mechanic should be written in lowercase unless it is official (e.g., use "'''Main attack'''" instead of "'''Main Attack'''").
+**In general, if an attack needs a name label and the attack is the primary way the tower attacks, simply refer to it as the "Main attack" (or "Main attacks" if the tower technically has multiple copies of the same attack, like [[Quad Darts (BTD6)|Quad Darts]]). This does not apply if the tower has multiple different main attacks (like [[Admiral Brickell (BTD6)|Admiral Brickell]]) or the main attack has multiple projectiles (like [[Flash Bomb (BTD6)|Flash Bomb]]).
+**The name of a mechanic should be in lowercase unless it is official (e.g., use "'''Main attack'''" instead of "'''Main Attack'''" normally, use "'''Main Gun'''" and "'''Machine Gun'''" for [[Captain Churchill (BTD6)|Captain Churchill]]).
 **Changes to activated abilities should just be "'''Ability'''" unless the subject has multiple abilities, or the ability has a confirmed name different from the subject's name. If so, it should not end in "ability" (e.g., use "'''MOAB Takedown'''" instead of "'''MOAB Takedown ability'''").
+*If a change to a property of an upgrade is a direct buff/nerf, but a change to a previous tier also affects that same property by extension, then the direct change to the upgrade should appear first, followed by the ''overall'' impact when factoring in previous tiers on an indented line below it. For example: "{{nerf}} Attack cooldown modifier reduced — -30% → -20%" and "{{buff}} Stacks with buffs to the base attack cooldown; overall attack cooldown reduced — 0.6s → 0.5s".
+====Changes to modifiers====
+In this context, a modifier means something that isn't an absolute value (like the base damage of an attack), but anything that additively or multiplicatively modifies something else. This includes things like attacks that have different damage and/or pierce consumption against specific Bloon types, buffs applied by towers to other towers, changes that crosspaths make to towers, and debuffs that apply to Bloons.
+*For clarity's sake, if a modifier is to or against a specific kind of entity, generally "X modifier to Y entity" or "X modifier for Y entity" works best (e.g., "Range buff to Druids" or "Pierce penalty for bosses"). For crosspaths, use "X upgrade does Y to Z", that way tier 1 crosspaths that carry up to tier 2 will clarify which upgrade causes it (e.g., "Permafrost now applies to the ability")
+*If a change is adding or removing a modifier, it should simply state what the modifier is instead of comparing it (e.g., "Now deals +5 damage to Ceramics" or "No longer deals +5 damage to Ceramics").
+*If a change is to a strictly additive modifier, prefix the numbers with a "+" if the amount is positive or "-" if negative (e.g., "Damage to Ceramics increased — +3 → +5")
+*If a change is to a multiplicative modifier, the best way to represent it depends on the context, but in general:
+**If either value is less than or equal to 1 (and greater than or equal to -1), representing the values in terms of added or removed percentages is usually better, especially if the multiplier stacks additively (e.g., "Ability cooldown buff to Primary towers increased — -10% → -20%" instead of "Ability cooldown buff to Primary towers increased — 0.9× → 0.8×")
+**If both values are greater 1 (or less than -1), representing the values in terms of multiplication is usually better (e.g., "Knockback to MOAB-class increased — -3× → -4×")
 ===Use of icons===
@@ Line 40: / Line 48: @@
 #**Technical changes (waiting until our coverage policy for technical information is formally established)-->
 #**Miscellaneous changes
-#'''Pre-release''': If the update has some history before its release, such as teasers, a roadmap, or differences in early videos, this is the section to document it. This can also contain an "Early access videos" sub-section listing (in alphabetical order) links to videos of content creators' coverage of the update before release. (If the early access videos are the only pre-release content, make the "Early access videos" section the main section instead and omit the "Pre-release" header altogether.)
+#'''Pre-release''': If the update has some history before its release, such as teasers, a roadmap, content that was planned for the update according to patch notes for prior updates but did not release, or differences in early videos, this is the section to document it. This can also contain an "Early access videos" sub-section listing (in alphabetical order) links to videos of content creators' coverage of the update before release. (If the early access videos are the only pre-release content, make the "Early access videos" section the main section instead and omit the "Pre-release" header altogether.)
 #'''Gallery''': Artwork pertaining to the update. This can also contain a "Video" or "Videos" sub-section to embed official videos on the update.
 #'''Descriptions''': Blockquotes of official descriptions of the update, both from in-game and from peripheral sources such as store pages and official websites.
-#'''Notes''': A list of miscellaneous facts about the update, such as errors in the official coverage of the update, joke changes, and developer comments that do not fit anywhere else.
+#'''Notes''': A list of miscellaneous facts about the update, such as errors in the official coverage of the update, joke changes, and developer comments that do not fit anywhere else. This can also contain a sub-section summarizing the future plans that Ninja Kiwi developers often include in official update notes, making note of any deviations from what was planned (like content that was delayed to a later update or changed form significantly).
 #'''References''': Self-explanatory.
 #'''External links''': Links to official coverage of the update on sites like Reddit and Steam.