Wiki:Page Structure/Rounds
The guide depicts the standard format for all round pages currently on and to be added to this wiki. While some rounds may require additional information, or reduced coverage in the described areas, we recommend future page creators begin with the following as a base.
Opening Notes
There should really only be one opening sentence for round pages by default. This sentence should specify the ordinal location of the round within the hunt, the hunt it belongs to (with a link), and the requirements for unlocking it (number of puzzles, particular meta completions, etc.). In cases where the requirements for unlocking a particular round are complex, multiple sentences may be used.
Core Round Information
The core round information for rounds can be split into three primary sections. Each should have a 2nd level heading preceding them.
First, a basic Description of the theme and/or visual presentation of the round. This shouldn't be too extensive, unless the round has an especially abnormal presentation, and should focus only on what the solver can observe about the round. Additional space may be allocated to information about the round's presentation or location within the grand scheme of the hunt as a whole, or to the aforementioned abnormalities.
After this, the next section should be a List of the Puzzles present in the round, in the form of links to their respective wiki pages. Additionally space may be given to small descriptions of how those puzzles are presented on the round's page, if it is more than just a basic link (such as a piece of art). These should be ordered alphabetically unless there is a particular order provided that affects the round/meta's functionality.
Lastly, as this wiki only places metas in their own pages if they are sufficiently extensive, the final core section will be the Metapuzzle. This section will likely be the largest in most cases, as you should use it to both describe the meta's presentation and write a solve path from a solver's perspective. For more information on how to write a proper solve path, see Wiki:Page Structure (Puzzles), and remember that this section should not be a direct copy of the solution page.
Images
Most round-based information is not considered spoiler-information, aside from the meta itself. As such, it is highly recommended to include an image of the round layout or icon as a whole if art is provided. If no art is present, no images are needed. Reminder to credit the hunt's artist/art team when uploading images, as a lot of work goes into making hunts look nice, and we require attribution of credit for that work.
Categorization
When attributing categories to a round page, very few are actually necessary. The primary categories should cover the hunt the round is in, and any notable abnormalities in the round's structure.
Example
One example of a completed Round page can be found below.
The Grand Castle is one of the first two starter rounds of the 2020 MIT Mystery Hunt, alongside the Storybook Forest round.
Description
The Grand Castle is modelled after the classic fairy-tale castles, particularly those found in theme parks such as Disneyland or Disneyworld (both containing a region called Fantasyland with a centerpiece building resembling a similar castle). The naming and overworld design of the puzzles in this round also reflect this, many containing either medieval-ish elements or other classic theme park attractions such as an information booth (Penny Park Guide) and Ferris Wheel (The Ferris of Them All). Fittingly, in the center of the overworld menu is the meta, depicted by a large castle surrounded by a moat with a bridge connecting the island to the rest of the region. On the full map of Penny Park, this round is also central, with every other round connecting to it via a path, further informing the solver that it is the first round to be approached, despite the Storybook Forest round being unlocked at the exact same time.
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List of Puzzles
- The Ferris of Them All - Depicted (unsurprisingly) by a ferris wheel.
- Moat-er Boats - Depicted by a kiosk next to the castle's moat and a single boat floating on the water.
- Penny Park Guide - Depicted by an information booth modelled after a castle's turret.
- The Scottish Display - Depicted by an outdoors theatre.
- Snow Job - Depicted by a snow-covered building, likely a ski lodge of some kind.
- The Trebuchet - Depicted fittingly by a trebuchet.
Metapuzzle (The Castle)
The Grand Castle's meta is a mostly pure meta, and includes the following flavourtext:
Penny Park’s castle has an ostentatious, stately, capitalist facade. The flagstones initially look historic, but investigations have yet to pan out—who will handle it from here?
The meta is fairly straightforward; the answers received by the feeder puzzles, SIX-WHEELER, FIREBALL ROBERTS, MISTER POTTER, RACHEL CARSON, CRISPIN LIPSCOMB, and UNCERTAIN GRAY all feature a second word that is identical to the name of one of the Texas Panhandle's 26 counties, which are arranged in neat rows of squares. Because of this, all of the answers can have a letter of the alphabet assigned to them (assuming one writes out the alphabet along the counties, one per square in reading order). The remaining first words can then be associated via a shared first letter with one of the "Six Flags Over Texas", referring to the countries whose flags have flown over Texas (and whose flags are also incorporated in the facade on Austin's capitol building). Based on the order of the facade's flags, the letters gained from the second words can be ordered to achieve the final answer for the round: OILMEN.
