The answer to this question will likely be the start of a useful article in the guide: namespace.
1. Quality starship articles should be easy to read. All wiki articles should start with an H1 header for the title, followed by a basic overview directly beneath that title header. ("The Eikan-class cruiser is a series of starships built by Yamatai in YE 31"). The articles should be broken down into easily readable chunks, using the headings and paragraphs about three to six sentences long. Avoid having too little content (such as using the starship template but only putting a sentence under each header). When possible, use everyday language rather than complex terms. Spell check, then proofread your submissions. Know and watch out for bad habits. Get another English-saavy member to look over your submission. Make sure not to use "you" in any wiki article other than instructional guides (Being a Starship Captain, Creating a New Character, etc). Descriptions should be relevant should not be repetitious: an essay on using anti-FTL fields belongs in the Anti-FTL field article, not in a starship's page. Similarly, there shouldn't be FTL drive copypasta (or any large copypasta for the matter) in multiple ship systems descriptions.
2. Quality starship articles should be integrated into the universe. Link all proper nouns (eg Star Army of Yamatai) to their articles when they are mentioned for the first time. Write a relevant history section showing how events prompted the ship's creation, and why a new design was chosen over similar previous types. Make a ship with specific users in mind (Yamataian military ships often have a communal bath, for instance, because of their culture but you'd never find on a Nepleslian ship) and with a specific mission in mind ("this ship is made to explore star systems, then place small spaceports for future colony construction teams"). If the ship is serviced by larger ships and stations, say which ones it fits in.
2A: Over time, as a ship is used in the roleplay, it is desirable to put short snippets of that RP into the article - maybe add a GM's roleplay description of the engine room to the interior section, or a quoted paragraph relevant to the article. For specific ships, give them personality (parts of the Eucharis have the odors of burnt plastic, swamp, or seawater for instance). Maybe throw in a few known defects ("coolant lines flowing by the shower pipes cause the water temperature to vary wildly depending on how hard the ship is working" or "airlock door sometimes needs to be closed several times to get a good seal" etc).
3. Quality starship articles should be easy to visualize. Since we roleplay in a shared imaginary setting, it's important that we're generally on the same page in regards to what a starship's features are (especially when our characters are living on them or running around the outer hull blasting gun turrets with our power armor's bazooka). To facilitate this, we ask that each ship submission have artwork, preferably a 3D-rendered, textured model shown from three or more viewing angles that together help players build a visual picture of the ship. Ships should also have a detailed textual description in the Appearance section of their template. Interiors, particularly on starships under 300 meters, should be thoroughly described in text (adding pictures are excellent but optional) or linked to relevant standard interior pages. On weapons systems, tell us what color the "special effects" are; for example, in the SARP, positron cannons fire blue and aether is a pink-tinged white.
4. Quality starship articles should give GMs the essentials.
When combat breaks out, a GM needs to have the essentials on hand. Ships need to have their speeds, Structural Points, Shield Points, and Damage Ratings listed where they are supposed to be. These numbers should correspond to the guidelines on the Damage Rating article and should be fair and reasonable.
