Editorial & Evidence Policy
This document explains how Echoes of Aincrad Guide selects facts, classifies evidence, and handles the gap between available information and gameplay testing.
Evidence Status Classification
Every page carries a visible badge showing its evidence status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Official source confirmed | Fact drawn from a published Bandai Namco official source (site, press release, Steam news, official video metadata) |
| Human review required before publication | Fact comes from an official source but has not yet been reviewed and approved by the operator. All current content falls into this category. |
| Tested | Fact verified by hands-on play. This site has not yet performed hands-on testing. |
| Community-reported | Fact reported by the community, not yet independently verified. Not used in this site's current content. |
| Outdated | Patched or changed by a game update. Not yet re-verified. |
Current status of all content:
Published pages are marked "Official source confirmed" — the operator has reviewed
all content against official Bandai Namco sources. Hands-on testing has not been
performed; no page is marked "Tested."
Source Rules
- Official sources only: Every factual claim on this site traces
to a source ID in the
source-log.csvregistry, linked from the Sources & Corrections page. - No competitor copying: Competitor pages are used only to identify content gaps and unmet search intent. Their text, structure, screenshots, and conclusions are never copied.
- No creator video copying: Third-party YouTube and streaming videos are listed as evidence leads only. Their narration, route choices, UI captures, and conclusions are not reproduced.
- No hands-on testing yet: The operator's hardware cannot run the Demo. No page claims hands-on testing. No page is marked "tested."
- No tier lists or best-build pages: These require versioned comparative testing. They are explicitly excluded until that evidence exists.
- No boss names or mechanics without corroboration: Boss encounter information requires two or more independent observations. No boss content is published without that standard.
What Is Excluded Until Proven
- Demo mission names, objectives, and walkthroughs
- Best weapon, best build, or any tier ranking
- Boss names, attack patterns, or weaknesses
- Secret areas, hidden routes, or missable content
- Interactive maps or coordinate data
- Precise drop rates, damage numbers, or hidden mechanics
- Redeemable codes or gift items
- Live server status
Version Tracking
Each page displays the game version (or "Demo build" when specific version numbers are not available from official sources) and the evidence review date. When a page is updated with new official information, both fields are updated.
Corrections
Errors and outdated information can be reported via the Sources & Corrections page. Corrections are reviewed against primary sources before any page is updated.
See Sources & Corrections to report an error or suggest an update.