FIRENSIA/Line breaks other than the BR tag

QUESTION from ECHEAUX

Is there an existing template - other than {{log2}} that can be used to add line breaks more efficiently than <br>?

ANSWER from Style Guide

For log files that are ONLY the complete log itself, the log2 template is to be used, and with particular settings, according to the official style guide here: Help:Style#Logs

NOTES from Soliere

I have provided some examples below, including the syntax/tags for various types of line breaks and log formats, an example here of what these examples look like, when/where these examples tend to be used, and also examples of pages where you can find these in use on the gswiki.

An important thing to keep in mind is that sometimes an author had a particular purpose in mind when using a non-standard log format. Often on a discussion page they will mention why they did something differently, and often for very good reason (a GM requested it, etc). So even though you may want to vary from log2 template, it may not be a good thing to do so unless a GM has told you to do something different, etc.

One thing that may be worth thought concerning the black-on-white nonstandard template like log3, is that black-on-white may contribute to eyestrain (though I do not have any source to back that up, it's just something I remember reading somewhere).

There is one other log template I have seen, but I could not find it yet. Those I found are listed below, in order of common use, as best I could determine.

EXAMPLES

log2

log2 template
Generally used for:
-- complete logs (For log files that are ONLY the complete log itself, the log2 template is to be used, and with particular settings, according to the official style guide here: Help:Style#Logs)
-- "log snippets" such as Coup de Grace and Lock Mastery and Lesser demon/saved posts and Policy
-- small bits of a log interspersed within a larger article (adds clarity by causing log text to stand out from the actual article text, by way of a different background color and traditional monospaced log font) (my guess is that it also makes for less eye strain and easier reading for folks with eye or concentration problems, which is why I used only log2 in my work so far, such as for buildings whose rooms are not shops and thus can not use the {{NPC Shops}} template, like Urgaen's Pawnshop and the other Pawnshops)
-- when showing the Usage and Syntax of a Verb, such as Loresinging
-- "signs" posted inside event shops, such as Briarmoon Cove/shop list
-- spell messaging, such as Curse_(715)#Messaging
-- cases like this, though I am unsure of what you call a case like this, where information is being pulled from some other page and listed inside of a log2 template but not editable (maybe a transclusion? i hear that word sometimes, but truly am not sure what it is): Premium home furniture
-- i believe the log2 template was possibly formerly used in shop listings (the results of "ORDER" listed as they appear in a log, followed by a table of "extra info" about items sold, when appropriate), however, this use has been replaced by the template {{NPC Shops}} in its field called |inventory=
example: besides the above specific examples, also see the log snippets here: The Nazhor Chronicles/Chapter One/2019-03-03 Arrival of Socius (log) and Those Aren't Tears/2018-08-27 Penre Peddles (log)
opening tag: <pre{{log2}}>

log2 tweaked

log2 template with some tweaks
Generally used for:
-- occasionally used, but most people have seemed to use plain "log2" and plain "log3"
-- note that I have never seen a pink background on gswiki, but have used pink here to show the many possibilities of customizing the log2 template because you asked about different ways etc. one really only needs the log2 template to achieve a variety of effects. log2 template can even be made to appear identical to the log3 template by a simple change in the settings for log2.
examples of cases, showing how this tag can be customized in different ways, are here (Template:Log2) and below
opening tag: <pre{{log2|font-size=100%|background=pink|border=on|font=Times New Roman|margin-right=50%}}>

log2 template with some tweaks, case A
note that this example shows log2 looking exactly like log3
examples of log2 template with some tweaks, case A: The Broken Lands and ki-lin: Part 2 (log) and Orrisian speaks about the Chronomage obelisk in Danjirland (log)
opening tag, log2 template with some tweaks, case A:<pre{{log2|font-size=100%|background=white|border=none|font=arial|margin-right=10%}}>

log2 template with some tweaks, case B
example of log2 template with some tweaks, case B: Fehala's Imaera commune (log)
opening tag, log2 template with some tweaks, case B: <pre{{log2|background=none|border=none}}>

log2 template with some tweaks, case C
examples of log2 template with some tweaks, case C: Interfaith Luncheon (log) and Brieson discusses the history of the Ilvari (log) and Unarmed combat advice (log) and How to Win Bardfest (log) and Paidreg's return (log)
opening tag, log2 template with some tweaks, case C: .<pre{{log2|font=arial|border=none}}>

log3

log3 template
Generally used for:
-- complete event logs, sometimes
example: G'bruk and trolls (log) and Ties That Bind medal ceremony (log) and The Citadel's last stand (log) and Forest gnome clothing (log)
opening tag: <pre{{log3}}>

log-inline

log-inline template
Generally used for:
-- formatting text in monospaced font inside a table cell (in Verb, Spell, Special Shop, and Other Articles)
examples, Spell articles, in Messaging tables: Spell 116, Spell 125, Spell 520, Spell 917, Spell 1604
examples, Verb articles, in Messaging tables: Verb IMPRINT, Verb TRANSFER
examples, Special Shop articles, in Items For Sale tables: BVShop (in the Unlock Waiver tables, in column 2), EGShop1 (in tables in column 2), EGShop2 (in tables in column 2, spell information), FDShop (in tables in column 2),  PSFShop (in tables in column 2, spell information)
examples, Other Articles, Messaging or other use: Forging, Night at the Academy (near bottom of Prizes table, column 3)
opening tag: <pre{{log-inline}}>

double-spaced text

When a log is double-spaced, it appears to not need the <br> tags. Just thought it worth a mention.

examples: Host Forum (log) and Court dances of New Ta'Faendryl (log) and Mentor style class (log)

paragraphs with a space at the beginning

By adding one space before the beginning of a paragraph, you get this type of formatting. I'm not sure why. But have seen this used when log bits interspersed within an article do not have line breaks in them. I know you asked about line breaks in particular, but just thought this was worth noting. example: snippets at the bottom of the summary section near the top here: The Nazhor Chronicles/Chapter One/2019-03-03 Arrival of Socius (log)

log

log template (this log template has been retired and is not usable any longer), example: Template:Log, opening tag: <div{{log}}>, and in this template, you still needed to use either double-spaced lines or <br> tags for single-spaced lines, to show line breaks