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How Contributing Works

Anyone with an account can write for WarPast. Every submission is reviewed by a human before it publishes, your name is credited on the entry, and approved work earns store credit toward pieces in the shop.

The short version

Create an account, open Contribute (or click Suggest an edit at the bottom of any entry), write, and submit. A reviewer reads it — usually the same way an editor reads anything — and either publishes it, publishes it with small fixes, sends it back with notes, or declines it with a reason. Nothing you submit changes the live site until a reviewer approves it, so you cannot break anything. Write boldly.

What you can contribute

A new weapon entry. The core of the wiki: one article about one weapon — a model, a pattern, a named type. The form asks for a short description (50+ words), the full article (200+ words), at least an era, a weapon type, and a country tag, and your sources. Alternate names, specifications, and notes to the reviewer are optional but welcome.

An edit to an existing entry. Open the entry and click Suggest an edit — the form loads the current text for you to improve. Fixing a date, adding a paragraph, correcting a caliber: all of it goes through the same review. State your source, or leave a note explaining the basis for the change.

A taxonomy article. The overview essays on era, weapon-type, country, conflict, and forces pages (the article above the weapon list on a page like Vikings) are wiki content too. On the Contribute page, switch from A weapon to A taxonomy subject and pick the page that needs an article — subjects that already have one are offered as edits instead.

A missing tag. If the era, type, country, or force your entry needs doesn't exist yet, say so in the Suggest new tags box on the form. Reviewers can create taxonomy on acceptance and link it to your entry.

Writing the article

Articles are written in Markdown — plain text, with ## Heading for sections, **bold**, and blank lines between paragraphs. A structure that works well: origins, design and construction, combat use, legacy.

To link another page, type [[ and a picker appears: it offers every published entry and every era, type, country, conflict, and force page — choose one and the link is inserted for you. If you name a page that doesn't exist yet, the link shows red until someone writes it, then heals on its own. Links never break when an entry is renamed.

Cite your sources. Books, museum collections, and articles all qualify — the source field is required, and entries display a Sources section. Submissions are automatically compared against Wikipedia; verbatim copying is flagged to the reviewer, so write in your own words.

Photos are currently attached by the editors after publication — if you have images you own the rights to, contact us and we'll add them to your entry.

What happens after you submit

Your submission enters the review queue with one of four outcomes: approved (published as written), approved with edits (published after small reviewer fixes), revision requested (sent back to you with a note explaining what's needed), or declined (always with a reason). Every published contribution records a revision in the entry's history, and your name appears in the credits on the entry page.

Credit and recognition

Approved contributions earn store credit — new entries earn the most, significant edits next, minor fixes a smaller amount. Credit posts to your account on a 24-hour hold and is spendable in the shop after that.

Contributors climb tiers by track record. Ten approved submissions (with at least a 90% approval rate) makes you a Contributor; twenty-five makes Expert; fifty makes Master. Higher tiers get priority in the review queue, Experts and above have genuinely minor edits — typo and formatting fixes — published instantly without waiting for review, and Masters are honored in the Hall of Fame.

Ground rules

Write in your own words, from sources you actually consulted. Neutral, factual tone — the entry is a reference, not a review or an ad. Where values vary (a rapier's length, a production run), say so honestly rather than inventing precision. Disagreements about content are settled by sources, and the reviewer's decision comes with a written reason you can respond to with a revised submission.

Ready? Start contributing — or pick an entry that deserves better and suggest an edit.