Comments on: The Six Million Dollar GMing Wiki: An Overhaul http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul Game mastering advice, ideas & resources • Dedicated to helping GMs Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: XenoArcheologist http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12957 XenoArcheologist Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:27:44 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12957 Online character generation for loads of systems: www.pathguy.com I use the Eberron one all the time. Online character generation for loads of systems:
http://www.pathguy.com

I use the Eberron one all the time.

]]> By: Jonathan Drain’s D20 Source » GMing Wiki! http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12796 Jonathan Drain’s D20 Source » GMing Wiki! Mon, 03 Sep 2007 11:37:37 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12796 [...] Over at Martin Ralya’s blog Treasure Tables, news is that he’s planning to overhaul GMing Wiki. Remarkably, I’ve managed to completely miss it before, so if you haven’t seen it already, check out Ralya’s GMing Wiki. [...] [...] Over at Martin Ralya’s blog Treasure Tables, news is that he’s planning to overhaul GMing Wiki. Remarkably, I’ve managed to completely miss it before, so if you haven’t seen it already, check out Ralya’s GMing Wiki. [...]

]]> By: Ketherian http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12767 Ketherian Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:53:19 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12767 You might want to try using categories. See: <a href="http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Category " rel="nofollow">http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Category</a> for details. You might want to try using categories.
See: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Category for details.

]]> By: Martin http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12762 Martin Fri, 31 Aug 2007 02:34:03 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12762 New registrations are still shut off (temporarily), but I've completed the first draft of the table of contents on the main page. After considering your comments, I'm also leaning towards sticking with MediaWiki. I suspect we can come up with a good tutorial for folks like me who find it clunky, and smooth over some of the rough spots. Let me know what you think. :) New registrations are still shut off (temporarily), but I’ve completed the first draft of the table of contents on the main page.

After considering your comments, I’m also leaning towards sticking with MediaWiki. I suspect we can come up with a good tutorial for folks like me who find it clunky, and smooth over some of the rough spots.

Let me know what you think. :)

]]> By: Martin http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12759 Martin Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:19:48 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12759 Thanks for all the responses so far! I'll tackle your feedback issue by issue, rather than by author. <b>Organization:</b> As someone who has run a handful of traditional websites over the years, the lack of a clear index, menu or roadmap of some sort is one of the things about wikis that drives me up the wall. Manual categorization is a pain, and likely means maintenance work for someone -- I doubt everyone will remember to add their category info (I know I wouldn't). Part of why I'm interested in narrowing the focus to specific topics is that under that model, the manual categorization stuff would be easy to do. And the main page could include an up-to-date list of every topic on the wiki, in alphabetical order. I'll have to do some digging around and find out if there are MediaWiki options -- or options in other packages -- for doing some of that stuff automatically. <b>Search:</b> I'm not sure I'd be able to ditch the inbuilt wiki engine, as it leads to useful things like links to create pages, but adding a Google search would definitely be an option. For the time being, though, the search box on the blog will do the whole site, and since it's powered by Google it's quite efficient. <b>Concerns:</b> A captcha would help to solve the spam issue, and I agree that that's pretty much mandatory next time around. The other concerns that have been raised so far have been similar to what's come up here: organization has been the biggie, followed by the clunkiness of creating stuff (another thing that bugs me, too). <b>Accounts:</b> If there's a simple technical solution to creating a single account that works for the forums and the wiki, I'm all ears. From what little I know about this topic, it's over my head from a technical standpoint. <b>Ideas:</b> Thank you for your suggestions about specific topics (and wikifarms -- neat!). I'm still leaning towards a narrowing of topics -- something I haven't seen any objections too, at least so far -- so suggestions like these are very useful. Thanks for all the responses so far! I’ll tackle your feedback issue by issue, rather than by author.

Organization: As someone who has run a handful of traditional websites over the years, the lack of a clear index, menu or roadmap of some sort is one of the things about wikis that drives me up the wall.

Manual categorization is a pain, and likely means maintenance work for someone — I doubt everyone will remember to add their category info (I know I wouldn’t).

Part of why I’m interested in narrowing the focus to specific topics is that under that model, the manual categorization stuff would be easy to do. And the main page could include an up-to-date list of every topic on the wiki, in alphabetical order.

I’ll have to do some digging around and find out if there are MediaWiki options — or options in other packages — for doing some of that stuff automatically.

Search: I’m not sure I’d be able to ditch the inbuilt wiki engine, as it leads to useful things like links to create pages, but adding a Google search would definitely be an option.

For the time being, though, the search box on the blog will do the whole site, and since it’s powered by Google it’s quite efficient.

Concerns: A captcha would help to solve the spam issue, and I agree that that’s pretty much mandatory next time around. The other concerns that have been raised so far have been similar to what’s come up here: organization has been the biggie, followed by the clunkiness of creating stuff (another thing that bugs me, too).

Accounts: If there’s a simple technical solution to creating a single account that works for the forums and the wiki, I’m all ears. From what little I know about this topic, it’s over my head from a technical standpoint.

Ideas: Thank you for your suggestions about specific topics (and wikifarms — neat!). I’m still leaning towards a narrowing of topics — something I haven’t seen any objections too, at least so far — so suggestions like these are very useful.

]]> By: Ishmayl http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12723 Ishmayl Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:27:49 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12723 Martin, We've actually had some spam problems with MediaWiki over at the CBG recently, and as was mentioned above, Recaptcha should be able to take care of that... however, that's not the purpose of this post! :) Something the CBG is about to do (and by "about," I mean "within the next couple months") is to set up a wikifarm using MediaWiki. Individual members will actually be able to request their own wiki that they can style however they choose, and put their own content up and be the administrator of their own wiki, while all the databases and hard files are still in my control. I'm not sure you guys would have much use for a wikifarm, but it may be something worth looking into. -Ish Martin,
We’ve actually had some spam problems with MediaWiki over at the CBG recently, and as was mentioned above, Recaptcha should be able to take care of that… however, that’s not the purpose of this post! :)

Something the CBG is about to do (and by “about,” I mean “within the next couple months”) is to set up a wikifarm using MediaWiki. Individual members will actually be able to request their own wiki that they can style however they choose, and put their own content up and be the administrator of their own wiki, while all the databases and hard files are still in my control. I’m not sure you guys would have much use for a wikifarm, but it may be something worth looking into.
-Ish

]]> By: Jeff Carlsen http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12716 Jeff Carlsen Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:46:52 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12716 I recently attended a panel at PAX discussing the future of the tabletop industry, and an idea was brought up that every player should be able to GM. That running a game should be easy enough that the leap from player to GM isn't intimidating. This has stuck with me, and if I were to focus a project like this, I would seriously consider designing it around this concept. I recently attended a panel at PAX discussing the future of the tabletop industry, and an idea was brought up that every player should be able to GM. That running a game should be easy enough that the leap from player to GM isn’t intimidating.

This has stuck with me, and if I were to focus a project like this, I would seriously consider designing it around this concept.

]]> By: Cliff Nickerson http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12715 Cliff Nickerson Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:16:32 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12715 I want to use the same "account" as the blog. Have one login give access to the whole shebang. I also think having a Table of Contents on the first page would help. I want to use the same “account” as the blog. Have one login give access to the whole shebang.
I also think having a Table of Contents on the first page would help.

]]> By: Marcus http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12714 Marcus Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:35:20 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12714 I'd like to see a category of just variant rules, there are so many clever ways of handling clunky mechanics and they're a great way to streamline an experienced based on what your group is most interested in. I’d like to see a category of just variant rules, there are so many clever ways of handling clunky mechanics and they’re a great way to streamline an experienced based on what your group is most interested in.

]]> By: BluJai http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12713 BluJai Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:10:03 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12713 Mediawiki should work just fine, many others would also. It would be easy enough to set up a basic index and category system... Just set up the overall categories on the main page (or a subpage) in an unordered list and then have subitems for each sub-category... Those would link to disambiguation pages that house the various links... For example: +OOC Issues - -Social Contracts - -Finding Players +Metagame Issues - -Introducing New Players - -Dealing With Problem Players - -Ending Campaigns +IC Issues - -Steal this Hook! - -Creating Atmosphere - -Telling a story - -Serializing You can see the concept... Each of the sub-points would have a disambiguation page that gets edited frequently. Any time you (page author) add a page to the Wiki, it is your (page author) responsibility to place its link on one of the disambiguation pages. If none exists, create the applicable page and put your link on that disambiguation page. It would work and not require any new software. Unless of course you just want new Wiki software... in which case, I've had good luck with TikiWiki. -BluJai Mediawiki should work just fine, many others would also.
It would be easy enough to set up a basic index and category system… Just set up the overall categories on the main page (or a subpage) in an unordered list and then have subitems for each sub-category… Those would link to disambiguation pages that house the various links… For example:

+OOC Issues
- -Social Contracts
- -Finding Players
+Metagame Issues
- -Introducing New Players
- -Dealing With Problem Players
- -Ending Campaigns
+IC Issues
- -Steal this Hook!
- -Creating Atmosphere
- -Telling a story
- -Serializing

You can see the concept… Each of the sub-points would have a disambiguation page that gets edited frequently. Any time you (page author) add a page to the Wiki, it is your (page author) responsibility to place its link on one of the disambiguation pages. If none exists, create the applicable page and put your link on that disambiguation page.

It would work and not require any new software.
Unless of course you just want new Wiki software… in which case, I’ve had good luck with TikiWiki.

-BluJai

]]> By: Dave http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12712 Dave Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:24:16 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12712 What concerns have been raised about Mediawiki? Just the number of spambots you're seeing? Recaptcha would fix that, and can be configured to only require captchas on account creation and on edits where there are a certain number of external links. I agree the content could be easier to get to, but I don't see the need for a shift in software, at least as you've explained it. What concerns have been raised about Mediawiki? Just the number of spambots you’re seeing? Recaptcha would fix that, and can be configured to only require captchas on account creation and on edits where there are a certain number of external links. I agree the content could be easier to get to, but I don’t see the need for a shift in software, at least as you’ve explained it.

]]> By: brcarl http://www.treasuretables.org/2007/08/the-six-million-dollar-gming-wiki-an-overhaul/comment-page-1#comment-12711 brcarl Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:49:21 +0000 http://www.treasuretables.org/?p=842#comment-12711 I third the vote for prominent and will-organized categories and/or indexes. There is a TON of smart, useful information that is gathered on this site, but right now a lot of it is hard to get to. A combination of a comprehensive, cross-referenced index (powered by a common set of category tags) plus a full-text search engine would... well, it would probably cause me to make squealing noises like a little girl. I third the vote for prominent and will-organized categories and/or indexes.

There is a TON of smart, useful information that is gathered on this site, but right now a lot of it is hard to get to. A combination of a comprehensive, cross-referenced index (powered by a common set of category tags) plus a full-text search engine would… well, it would probably cause me to make squealing noises like a little girl.

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