Geneforge Wiki. Yes? No? Maybe so?

[Hydromedia]

I thought this would be useful. Who else?

[Wilkins]

A geneforge wiki has already been started. It didn't get very far though...

 

Sucia Archives

[Sudanna]

We'll get around to it eventually. Or not.

[Evnissyen]

Hydromedia: Do you mean just a wiki page or a full wiki database involving alterable information and opinions on Geneforge and its infinitely divisible elements as well as infinitely expandable associative externals ranging everywhere from direct to very tenuous relevance?

 

If it's the latter: I prefer the forums, personally.

 

[Sleeping Dragon]

You could fill a wiki about Geneforge without giving any opinions (other than those in in-game characters). It really is a unique world with its own history and everything, it wouldn't be hard. I know there are at least some people who post here who are lore freaks, aren't there?

[Sudanna]

No, no, not at all.

 

*Whispers to shadows* Notify the Loremaster. . . They suspect us.

[Soymilk]

First post. Anyway, I would find it really helpful. I've been lurking around on the forums for a bit, and I've found it difficult to find information on the first three Geneforge games, mostly because the information is all jumbled together. It seems like forums lend themselves well to certain topics, but a single coherent wiki would be a valuable reference. I would love to be able to find information organized by something other than date, or in one massive text file like the FAQ that the Geneforge forum is linked to. I doubt I know enough about the game to contribute in any large way, but if this takes off and there's some basic task, I would be willing to help however I can.

[Sleeping Dragon]

I'd make some articles right now were it not for the big, glaring "Please DO NOT create any articles until the administrators have finished setting the site up." Are those administrators on the job? Might they want to hand it over to someone else if they are too busy?

[Hydromedia]

Originally Posted By: Evnissyen

Hydromedia: Do you mean just a wiki page or a full wiki database involving alterable information and opinions on Geneforge and its infinitely divisible elements as well as infinitely expandable associative externals ranging everywhere from direct to very tenuous relevance?

If it's the latter: I prefer the forums, personally.

No, I mean just a database of objective information on anything having to do with the game. As that's already being done, this poll serves more as a "see who supports it" then a "lets make one". I'd like to see some organization on the wiki though, I haven't, obviously, heard any news about it.

[Shaper Anton]

someone better start working

[Evnissyen]

Hmm... so you want more than just background and history and relevant links like you'd get with the wiki page that remains hopelessly nascent, but also extensive info on common questions such as the mathematics used in the game, and what certain things and character traits and so forth 'mean', and so on?

 

If so: I know that some of the people here have already compiled lists and analyses, and for each game there's also a Matt Pasek Walkthrough that I try not to refer to unless I find something strange or suspicious that I would like an immediate answer for, please right this minute, for each game. Also, on that note, I've noticed that no two beta-testers seem to agree on much of the more mysterious issues, mostly the mathematics, therefore any information on that subject would probably be questionable unless the numbers came from Jeff himself. In that area: these forums are more valuable because then people can discuss and argue and cross-examine.

 

I don't know; I suppose it's an interesting idea, I'm just not certain of the great need for it.

 

Then again... a little more organization in this area might be nice.

 

[Celtic Minstrel]

Originally Posted By: Sleeping Dragon

I'd make some articles right now were it not for the big, glaring "Please DO NOT create any articles until the administrators have finished setting the site up." Are those administrators on the job? Might they want to hand it over to someone else if they are too busy?

I personally disagree with that message, and would recommend that anyone who wants to write an article simply goes ahead and writes it. The only possible problem with that recommendation is that the administrators may delete it. (They deleted the articles I created, which, admittedly, were not very good at all.)

[Shaper Anton]

heh, i just noticed that it is deleted

[Sleeping Dragon]

Aw, that doesn't seem right. They are doing a terrible job of promoting participation. Do these administrators have anything to say for themselves? (Assuming they are people who post here.)

[Drayk Armitage]

whine, whine.

 

The wiki was intended to be primarily a game world information wiki, detailing the history of different people and places as depicted in the game, information about magic and shaping and so on, but focusing on the Geneforge world itself rather than game mechanics.

 

The administrators got busy. The site is still locked because we would prefer to keep it organized from the beginning, rather than spend an absurd amount of time organizing it later, as happened with EE.

 

If you want to contribute, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from writing the contents of an article you want to write, in mediawiki markup, and posting it, for example, here. If a few people did that it might even spur us into action (or Diki anyway, as I am going to go incommunicado for the summer in a week). But I am a little sick of hearing complaints from people who have contributed less than we have.

[Sleeping Dragon]

My, my, how very rude. Forget I said anything.

[Dikiyoba]

If you want to help, register at the Archives itself and on the discussion board. Then either PM me or post here to let me know, because you have to be validated before you can do anything. I try to check (especially when there is a thread like this active), but I often don't. Ideas, comments, article drafts, etc. all go on the discussion board.

 

Slartucker: Any chance of getting the text dumps for all the Geneforge games done before you go?

 

Dikiyoba.

[Drayk Armitage]

I was going to do text dumps? I just use batch search, so for Geneforge (as with A4-5) dumps aren't necessary, as all the game text is stored in easily readable text files. TextWrangler is a freeware mac program that will easily do batch searches of multiple files and folders using stored settings.

 

Well, the opening text and ending text aren't in text files, but you can get them using a resource editor. I guess that would be useful to have. If I have time I'll try to compile those into a dump.

[Celtic Minstrel]

Actually, there is a lot of text data stored in the resource files. For example, the descriptions of each of the creations are stored in a 'STR#' resource.

 

So if you're doing a dump, it should be of all the STR# resources, at least.

 

Originally Posted By: Slarty

The administrators got busy. The site is still locked because we would prefer to keep it organized from the beginning, rather than spend an absurd amount of time organizing it later, as happened with EE.

Isn't that the opposite of how a wiki should work? So long as people start with the article list on your Talk page, and make sure to add [[Category:]] links at the bottom of each page, I don't see why we shouldn't just let anyone start writing (and posting to the wiki) an article whenever they feel like it.

[Drayk Armitage]

Good point about the other STR# resources. I never think about those descriptions because they have so many factual errors from a game mechanical standpoint, but they are clearly worth being included here.

 

You may have a point about the wiki, but I am standing by mine: post somewhere else. Really, the unpreparedness of the wiki IN NO WAY prevents you from creating content. So however unnecessary you may find my desire for clear policies, it isn't inhibiting anything at the moment. Post on the forums. When there is enough content there that organization becomes difficult, then complain. But enough with the armchair complaining.

[Celtic Minstrel]

Well? It would be nice if this would eventually come together properly... doesn't anyone want to write an article or anything?

[Evnissyen]

I don't think I'd be qualified... but I could fake one, if it's necessary.

 

[Celtic Minstrel]

Why wouldn't you be qualified? Have you not played the games? I think that's the only reason to be not qualified...

[Sleeping Dragon]

The site doesn't even work for me anymore...

[Evnissyen]

I've played the games (well, all but G2, post-demo), but just playing them doesn't make me expert on all the details.

 

[Micawber]

The traditional route to expertise starts with not playing the games at all, but mastering the mechanics and reading the scripts.

 

Edit: darned graemlins.

[Celtic Minstrel]

I'd recommend doing both, actually.

[Evnissyen]

Oh. I thought the true path to expertise lay within?

 

[Celtic Minstrel]

Uh... sure?

[Evnissyen]

Only by understanding one's self (as defined by others) might one understand (and judge) everyone else.

 

True enlightenment is complicated.

 

[Celtic Minstrel]

...What's that got to do with this?

[Sudanna]

Actually, it's quite possible to have complete misunderstanding of yourself and unsurpassed understanding of others.

[Shaper Anton]

Back to the topic please, now, can we make a list of who is willing to help writing the wiki? I am willing to add/edit topic but i have no idea how to start an entirely new wiki.

 

If someone create the basic stuff, I'll do my part.