Alternative History:Guide to Newcomers

Welcome to the Althistory Wiki, this brief guide will introduce you to the environment of the wiki and learn the ropes, including making timelines, the TSPTF, and explaining several terms frequently used, so on and so forth. I hope you enjoy your stay here, at the Alternate History Wiki!

Useful Guides
This guide itself probably will not make you completely familiar with the in-and-outs of this wikia. I strongly suggest and reccomend that you read these other guides. However, you should read my guide prior, as it gives an overview of the wiki, while these guides are a bit more specific.
 * How to Make Articles - An official, useful guide on how to do basic HTML Coding on the Wikia.
 * Vexillology - Also an official guide. If you're interested with flag making, I suggest you check this out.
 * 5 Basic Principles of Flag Design - Good ground rules for making flags.
 * Guide to Being a Good Map Gamer - By Saturn120, a well-written guide for becoming a solid, strong map gamer.
 * Guide to Good Althistory Writing - An official guide on creating timelines in general.

Changing the Default Editor
While it's not necesary, it is reccomended you change the default wiki editor to the classic. Click here for a visual guide done by Imp.

Terminology
Here, the guide will explain the terms used by most of the Alternate History community. It may take you a short while to memorize the entire list, but it will surely help you if you decide to make a timeline or moving around the wiki in general.
 * ASB - Alien Space Bats - Any event or decision that is usually deemed implausible in a timeline, map game, or any other project. ASB Projects are at times, looked down upon, with numerous exceptions.
 * Geographical/Environmental - Our first type of ASB is Geographical or Environmental ASB, where geological changes can occur. Geographically ASB timelines contain a geographic event that changes features of Earth, the Solar System, et cetara, and is deemed implausible. In general, natural geographical events are almost always considered ASB. This is usually considered the best ASB label a project could obtain.
 * Biased - The second example is Biased ASB. This is pretty explimanitory, and includes any project where specific nations or induviduals are biased, in favour of them.
 * Random - Random ASB is used for projects where completely random events or decisions happen.
 * Technology - Technoligically ASB timelines have technology, where the cause for it is completely implausible.
 * Aliens - Since aliens are ficticious until confirmation, they are considered ASB.
 * Wars - This label is for projects where the issue is wars in the project that are considered implausible.
 * ISOT - Named after the book, Island in the Sea Of Time. This is the practice of taking a person, a group of people, a nation, island, or other landmasses and moving it back in time, or into the future.
 * Magic - Do I really need to explain why this is ASB?
 * Disease - ASB Labels tagged on projects where diseases get implausibly out of control, not including zombies.
 * Zombies - Although zombies are theoretically possible, they are mostly ficticious
 * OTL - Our Timeline - Known as history, this term means everything that happened in our history, the one that you are living in.
 * PoD - Point of Divergence/Departure -  This is an event or decision that diverges, or breaks apart from OTL, leading to form an Alternate Timeline. This forms the basis of Alternate History.
 * Counterfactuality - These are PoDs where some aspect of a, or our society become alien to OTL.
 * ATL - Alternate Timeline - A timeline after a PoD happens, diverging from OTL.
 * AUC - Ab Urbe Condita - Latin for "the Founding of the City [of Rome]" Rome was founded in 1 AUC, obviously. This time system can be used as an alternative for the usual Before Christ and Anno Dommini.
 * Timeline - Self explimanitory.
 * Template - These are visual boxes made of HTML code which can contain links, pictures, text, et cetara.
 * TSPTF - The Time Stream Protection Task Force are the management team of the wiki. They are broken up into three ranks, the Brass, Lieutenants. and Constables. You can report any major wrong-doings around the wiki and chat here.
 * Talk Page - These pages is most often used for talking off-chat. Links to these pages can usually be located right to the edit button.
 * Community Timeline - A timeline where the entire wiki community is welcome to join and contribute to said timeline.

Rules
Although these are completely unofficial, I advise you stick to these standard rules to avoid getting in trouble. Don't feel like not following these rules will get you banned, but it would surely keep you out of trouble in this wiki.
 * 1) Never be disrespectful to anybody on chat, or anywhere on the wiki, even if they are annoying.
 * 2) Never vandalize or touch a page (not talk pages) without permission. (Fixing spelling and grammar mistakes are the exception.)
 * 3) Future timelines are not allowed, if it were, this wiki probably would be filled with timelines starting in the present day, and barely being alternate history.
 * 4) Never spam or use all capitals anywhere on the wiki.

Timelines
I heavily suggest you read these timelines and get a good idea of them. These timelines run the gamut, from apocalypses to eternal empires, from world wars to watchful peace.

Solo Timelines
Solo Timelines are produced by a single individual. These timelines are usually more coherent but less far-reaching than community timelines.
 * Superpowers
 * The Kalmar Union
 * French Trafalgar, British Waterloo
 * Step in A Different Direction
 * Central Victory
 * A World of Difference

Group/"Semi-Open" Timelines
Semi-Open Timelines are made by more than one individual, yet they are not completely "open", meaning that people interested in contributing must either fill out an application of some sort, be invited, must speak to the creator of the timeline about your idea, or may not even be allowed to contribute in the first place. These timelines are usually a "happy medium" between the community and solo timeline styles.
 * Napoleon's World
 * The Old Boar Suffered

Community Timelines
Community Timelines are usually almost-to-completely open for every althistorian to edit. They do, generally, have rules for contributions, so they are usually not a free-for-all. Also, be ready for other users to comment on your work, as they are just as interested in building the timeline and making it the highest quality possible as you are. They are usually more far-reaching but less coherant than community timelines.
 * 1983: Doomsday