DATA METHOD
How Atlas map data moves from a source to a public page
A database is trustworthy only when it separates what a source said, how a system organized it, and what a reader sees. This method does not claim that any specific game location is correct; it documents the Atlas quality rules.
Data method · describes processing from the Atlas internal record to public output
Three data layers
The source layer preserves a traceable raw record. The normalization layer aligns IDs, categories, languages, and field formats. The presentation layer publishes only information that has a player use and passes quality checks. Keeping the layers separate lets Atlas fix a display without rewriting the source.
- 01
Source record
Preserves the source location, acquisition time, and original value.
- 02
Normalized record
Uses a stable ID to connect names, categories, maps, and language editions.
- 03
Public presentation
Outputs the fields required by maps, lists, and content pages with an update date.
Unknown is not zero and not false
When a name, condition, or category is missing, its state is unknown. It cannot silently become 0, false, or a guessed description. An unknown value becomes explicit only when the source can support it.
The same rule applies to translation. Without a reliable equivalent, Atlas keeps an identifiable source label or marks translation as pending instead of inventing a natural-sounding name.
Stable identity across languages
One data entity keeps the same stable identity in all three languages while its display name and explanation are managed separately. URLs may use readable slugs, but internal relationships do not depend on translation text that can change.
When a name is corrected, related guides, maps, and data pages still point to the same entity. If a public URL must change, the previous address should retain a redirect relationship.
Quality gates before publication
A record should answer its use, source status, and update time before it becomes an indexable page. A raw ID, empty record, or filter combination with no player value should not generate a public SEO page.
- Traceable: the source or editorial basis can be found.
- Identifiable: stable ID, category, and language relationships agree.
- Usable: the page provides context instead of a lone value.
- Correctable: an update does not break existing content relationships.