The [issue tracker](https://github.com/OpenTTD/OpenTTD/issues) is the preferred channel for [bug reports](#bug-reports), but please respect the following restrictions:
These are created by third-parties. Please try [irc](https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Development/IRC%20channel) or the [forums](https://www.tt-forums.net/) to discuss these.
4.**Isolate the problem** — ideally create reproducible steps with an attached savegame and screenshots. Try to use few or no NewGRFs, AIs etc if possible.
Before opening a feature request, please take a moment to find out whether your idea fits with the [scope and goals](./CONTRIBUTING.md#project-goals) of the project.
Keeping issues around with "a good idea" or "not really a bug but we should maybe fix it" turns out to have the reversed effect: nobody looks at it anymore.
Although we really appreciate feedback and ideas, we will close feature requests that we don't expect to fulfill in the next year.
Many of those ideas etc do have a place on the [forums](https://www.tt-forums.net); and if enough people like it, someone will stand up and make it.
**Please do ask first** before embarking on any significant pull request (e.g. implementing features, refactoring code, porting to a different language), otherwise you risk spending a lot of time working on something that the project's developers might not want to merge into the project.
Every pull request should have a clear scope, with no unrelated commits.
[Code style](https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Development/Coding%20style) must be complied with for pull requests to be accepted; this also includes [commit message format](https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Development/Coding%20style#commit-message).
4. Commit your changes in logical chunks. Please adhere to these [git commit message guidelines](https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Development/Coding%20style#commit-message) or your code is unlikely to be merged into the main project.
Use Git's [interactive rebase](https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/using-git/about-git-rebase) feature to tidy up your commits before making them public.
Tip: [commit message format](https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Development/Coding%20style#commit-message) is a common reason for pull requests to fail validation.
A good entry point is [Development](https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Development/) on the OpenTTD wiki; this provides links to wiki documentation and other sources.
To please everyone, the official branch tries to stay close to the original gameplay; after all, that is what everyone brought here.
The preferred method to alter and extent the gameplay is via add-ons like NewGRF and GameScripts.
For a long time, the official branch was also open to features which could be enabled/disabled, but the corner-cases that came with some configurations have rendered some parts of the code very complicated.
Today, new features have to work with all the already existing features, which is not only challenging in corner cases, but also requires spending considerable more work than just "making it work in the game mode that I play".
The preferred method to introduce new gameplay features is to extend the content APIs, supporting ever more add-on content / mods.
This moves conflict-solving away from the codebase to content authors / players.
It is more accepted for add-ons not working together than the base game not working with certain setting combinations.
In general the game should allow anything that doesn't violate basic rules, but it should warn players if they take potentially dangerous or "stupid" actions.
For example, players are not prevented from starting vehicles without orders, but will receive a warning about vehicles having too few orders.
This lack of limitation has led to players challenging themselves to create networks where all vehicles have no orders, increasing gameplay possibilities.
Fork! There is a rich history of experimental patches for OpenTTD.
Many of these will never be accepted for core, but are creative and interesting ways to modify OpenTTD.
Sometimes patches are combined into long-running patchpacks, modified OpenTTD versions which can be downloaded by anyone, or modified OpenTTD clients for dedicated multiplayer servers.
One of the reasons to keep core relatively stable is to make life easier for patch authors and patchpack maintainers where possible.
Patchpack discussions and related topics may be found in community sites such as [TT-Forums development section](https://www.tt-forums.net/viewforum.php?f=33).
We would like to make you aware that contributing to OpenTTD via git will permanently store the name and email address you provide as well as the actual changes and the time and date you made it inside git's version history.
This is inevitable, because it is a main feature of git.
If you are concerned about your privacy, we strongly recommend to use "Anonymous <anonymous@openttd.org>" as the git commit author. We might refuse anonymous contributions if malicious intent is suspected.
Please note that the contributor identity, once given, is used for copyright verification and to provide proof should a malicious commit be made.
As such, the [EU GDPR](https://www.eugdpr.org/key-changes.html) "right to be forgotten" does not apply, as this is an overriding legitimate interest.
Please also note that your commit is public and as such will potentially be processed by many third-parties.
Git's distributed nature makes it impossible to track where exactly your commit, and thus your personal data, will be stored and be processed.
If you would not like to accept this risk, please do either commit anonymously or refrain from contributing to the OpenTTD project.
This contributing guide is adapted from [Bootstrap](https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/blob/main/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md) under the [Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) terms for Bootstrap documentation.
The GDPR notice is adapted from [rsyslog](https://github.com/rsyslog/rsyslog/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) under the [GNU General Public License](https://github.com/rsyslog/rsyslog/blob/master/COPYING).
