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Disambiguation is a tool for resolving conflicts with similar page names. With four Mafia Games as well as their Downloadable Content there are bound to be instances where the names of characters, places, or items are reused. Disambiguation helps readers and editors find the page they're looking for without causing confusion.

Definition

If a given term can refer to multiple articles (i.e. if it is "ambiguous"), the articles should be moved to non-ambiguous (or "disambiguated") titles. A disambiguation page (a page which links to all possible articles) should then be placed at the ambiguous title.

Types of Disambiguation

There are three basic types of disambiguation pages.

  • Sub-topic disambiguation: many small articles of just a paragraph or so each can exist together on a single page, separated by headings.
    • However, as each section grows, there may come a time when one or more must have its own page.
  • Equal disambiguation: all articles are moved to distinct names, and the main page becomes a disambiguation page.
  • Primary topic disambiguation: if one meaning is clearly predominant, it remains at the general title and the top of the article will give links to the other meanings.

Specific Article Guidelines

  • In some cases, information can utilize one page and be broken down with headers for each game; Watercraft is a good example of this. It lists various types of watercraft found within the series on one page broken down by game.
  • In other instances, it may be desirable to create a disambiguation page that expresses the general principles of the topic, while serving as a directory to more specific articles on those topics. Protagonist is an example of this. It contains a general definition of a protagonist, gives a brief description of each protagonist in the Mafia series, and links to the specific character pages for each game.
  • However, in most cases a disambiguation page with links to individual pages is appropriate. Vehicles is a good example of this.

Mafia: Definitive Edition

In the case of Mafia: Definitive Edition, which is a complete remake of the original Mafia game, the Mafia Wiki has chosen to only disambiguate the pages for the original game. All the pages for the original Mafia game have been archived and disambiguated to (Mafia). With few exceptions, all pages created for Mafia: Definitive Edition will use a non-disambiguated page name, such as Tommy Angelo, the Salieri Crime Family, or Lost Heaven.

Setting up a Disambiguation

Before setting up a disambiguation, make sure there are at least two pages that require the same name. Never set up a disambiguation to cover future possibilities. Once a need for disambiguation is established, the following steps should be taken.

For this tutorial, we'll use the example of the Samson Drifter, a vehicle originally in Mafia III.
  • When the Samson Drifter was added as a bonus vehicle in both Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Mafia: Definitive Edition, there were now three vehicles of the same name that needed to be on the wiki.
  • The first step was to rename the Mafia III version from "Samson Drifter" to "Samson Drifter (Mafia III)". From the page drop down menu click "Rename" and change the name in the field provided. Remember to leave a redirect, we'll use that later as the disambiguation page.
    • Once the page has been renamed, it is imperative that you change every page linking to the original "Samson Drifter" page to the new link. Use the "What links here" tool to generate a list of pages, then go through each one and change the links. You should always use piped links for this.
  • When the original page has been renamed and all the links changed, you can now create the two new pages with the names "Samson Drifter (Mafia II)" and "Samson Drifter (Mafia: DE)", and fill in all the necessary information on them.
  • Once all the pages are done, go back to the original "Samson Drifter" page and set up the disambiguation page. Remove the redirect link, then add the {{disambig}} template at the top, a basic infobox, and create links to the other pages. In this case, do not pipe the links. When finished it should look like this:
{{Disambig}}
{{Infobox basic
|image = Mafia Games.png
}}
'''{{PAGENAME}}''' may refer to one of the following:
*[[Samson Drifter (Mafia II)]] - the vehicle in Mafia II.
*[[Samson Drifter (Mafia III)]] - the vehicle in Mafia III.
*[[Samson Drifter (Mafia: DE)]] - the vehicle in Mafia: DE.

Differentiating Page Names

Selecting the proper format to set page names apart can be a confusing task, so if you're new to this wiki or simply not sure how best to set two pages apart you may want to leave it up to the more experienced editors or an admin. Below are some general guidelines; however, there may be situations not covered here, so if you're unsure contact an admin for further advice.

Categorization

Adding the {{disambig}} template automatically adds a disambiguation page to Category:Disambiguation Pages. Other than this, no other categories should exist on the page.

Fixing links

The final step in disambiguation is correcting all the old links associated with the process. Articles linking to disambiguation pages present an unnecessary step in the reader's experience, so whenever possible take the time to correct them.

  • Click on "what links here" to bring up a listing of every page that has a link to the one you're on. In some instances there can be dozens or even hundreds of pages linking to it; all of them need to be corrected.
  • Disambiguated links can look sloppy on the page and present an unnecessary distraction to the reader. To prevent this you will need to create what's referred to as a Piped link. The pipe character is the vertical bar ( | ) typically located on the key directly below the backspace key. To create a piped link use the following format: [[Vehicles in Mafia II|Vehicles]]. This method will change the link's appearance on the page from Vehicles in Mafia II to simply Vehicles.
    • Do not use piped links on the disambiguation page itself.
    • This method may not work in some galleries, references, or various templates.

Disambiguation Pages

Below is a list of disambiguation pages on the Mafia Wiki. Feel free to use them as an example for setting up other disambiguation pages.

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