The wiki lives...sorta.

[SethDrebitko]

Hey folks just wanted to give everyone a big heads up that the microlite20.net domain is back up and rolling. After trying to bend and break easier to use CMS's into the shape I wanted I finally decided to bite the bullet and work with mediawiki. I didn't really want to use this system because it is not the most user friendly but it truly is the best for collaborative web development.

My goals were admittedly to lofty and required far more skill than I had, and truth be told mediawiki has all the functionality needed. While Kobold Enterprise remains the home of official projects and the community MicroLite20.net will represent an open environment for folks to collaborate and develop resources for the game and spin offs.

What I'd like to do here while I build things up is to sort of build up an idea of how you guys might like to see a project like this organized. I'll follow up with more thoughts a bit later.

[SethDrebitko]

What I want to do is create 3 over arching sections:

• "Official": This Section will be broken into 2 sections. Legacy will be all of the original m20 documents, and Prime will be continued development.
• Third Party: Will contain all the fan created adventures, settings campaigns and such. This section will be broken down into some broad categories to group things under.
• Reference: This will be non rpg related material. Basically this section will represent the wikipedia of gaming. It will contain information on how fast boats travel and things like that. Primarily this will serve as an excellent reference when you are trying to figure out some real life info to apply in game. This I will need the most suggestions on as far as categories.

[SethDrebitko]

Temporarily going down for a few updates.

[SethDrebitko]

Just another heads up on the wiki progress the SMF authentication is being crappy and won’t bridge the forum and wiki. I have removed the code and I’ll work it back in after I upgrade the forum to version 2.0.
Right now my main priority is going to be getting the basic content up then I will fiddle with the extra bits. Once I can get the main content up you guys will be able to still interact with the site because guests are allowed to make changes right now.

On a side note if anyone here has specific mediawiki experience and would be interested in helping me with this a tad I would greatly appreciate the help.

[weeot]

i dont have specific mediawiki experience, but i want to help. anything i can do? I'm in the process of learning more so i can be of use in getting this thing off the ground.

[SethDrebitko]

Well for now help with determining how we want to organize it would be the best place to start. Any ideas on what sub categories we should divide things up by?

[weeot]

Its late, but heres some ideas...
The 2pg Core document could be the home page preceded by a robust introduction. It would be the basis for the organization of the site.
Section headers in the continuous core document could be hyper linked to pages with only that section's text in it, then links below for "House Rules." So if i was reading the continuous document i might click on "Classes" where i would be presented with the core classes as penned by Greywulf, but a host of links below to other "Classes" entries in other rules sets and just house ruled versions of Classes.
The first branch in the taxonomy distinguishes between Core (rather than official) rules, and everything else. If you can get rid of the notion of "official" except for the core document, imho it would be good for development and creativity. "oh, there's already a spell list so i don't need to make one..."

=sidebar=
Core Document
-Stats
-Races
-Classes
-Skills
-Magic
-Combat
-Other Hazards
-Level Advancement
-Monsters
-GM info
-Core Supplements (equipment and spell lists)
-Core Adventures (Fonkin et al.)
-FAQ, & Examples (like some of those old Greywulf posts on Ninja Monkeys)
-Tools (Generators and the like )
-Editions, (the original file, 1.x, Pureset essence, Golden)
Alternate Rules
-Alternate Rules sets
-Settings
-Adventures
-Alt. Tools

[SethDrebitko]

Got some initial thoughts but overall I like the idea. This is what I am thinking based on you ideas.

Main Page
I want to keep it from being to crazy overwhelming with info so I am thinking of including the following:
Robust intro
What’s your microlite? This will be an if this than that chart that asks the person questions about in game play preferences. Answering the questions will lead them to one of 3 boxes at the bottom that describes 3 different styles of m20 and links to a corresponding page of the rules.
The following will be the 3 categories briefly described.
m20 Core: This will be the original documents with a table of contents at the top that quick links to the individual sections like on Wikipedia. This will also be presented as a perfect skeleton to build up custom rule sets for projects.
m20 Basic: This will be the no frills bare minimum build out of the game made to stand totally separate of the d20 srd. It will still remain comfortably light weight.

m20 Expanded: This will lead the person to the version of m20 that will include larger spell options, and optional class kit rules.

[I AM GOING TO GO OVER THE CHOICE TO PUT THESE RULES FRONT AND CENTER IN THE SPREADING THE WORD THREAD]

I don’t want the sidebar to get to cluttered or else it will seem overwhelming for first time visitors. How I might organize it would be like this.

= Appears in the sidebar
== Appears in a pages table of contents that links to the categories of content.
=== Possible sub-divisions of content.  

=sidebar=
=About
=Forum Link
=Blog Link
=m20 SRD
==m20 Core
==m20 Basic
==m20 Expanded
=Supplements
==Publishers
==Authors
==Settings
==Alternate Games
==Races
==Classes
==Magic
==Equipment
==Combat
==House Rules
===Skills
===Leveling
===Combat
==GM Resources
===Adventures
===Campaigns
===Hazards
===Monsters
==FAQ, & Examples (like some of those old Greywulf posts on Ninja Monkeys)
=Tools (Generators and the like )

This way the visitor isn't front loaded with info and explores it as it becomes relevant. Thoughts on the changes I made?

[weeot]

Great improvements!
I like the idea of the flow chart, and a simple, clean presentation. I like that the real content is no more than a click away.

I might not understand your distinction between Core and Basic. Core has always meant the original 3pg PDF to me, and it looks like you're proposing renaming it "Basic."

[SethDrebitko]

You are correct Core will represent the original documents. Basically it is the very heart of what everything else has been founded on. It presents the original rules (completely usable) as well as a jumping off point for those interested in something nice an thin to mod.

Basic will be the standalone revision of the game. I know everyone will have their own ideas on how this standalone of the game should go but unfortunately if things are going to be unified one vision must become a standard. This is of course not to say that an environment of of creativity isn't going to be promoted.

Expanded is essentially basic with a more robust spell list and the optional class kit rules added. I didn't want to name it expert because the intention isn't to promote the thought that this is the rule set you have to play once you have enough skills, just that its an optional way to play the game if it works for you.

[weeot]

cool beans. i continue to self-smart-myself on mediawiki. I'm eager to help. Let's start dropping in content! Do you want me to start putting in stuff, even just placeholders or do you want to put in the first bits?

copy/paste?
http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Microlite20

[SethDrebitko]

Today when I get home I'll add the sidebar content main page, and copy and paste the in the original rules the throw an under construction up for "basic" that directs here for community discussion, and get all the categories ready.

By tomorrow it should be post ready. Once this is done what I think I will do is start one by one adding content from the m20 collection. Weeot if you'd like to help on that front let me know and we can coordinate our efforts. I also need to make a style guide and mini how to which I am sure we can both spit ball as we use it more.

One of the major things I want to do next is pay someone to upgrade this forum software to the next version of SMF because there is a plugin that links the user database of the forum to the wiki. What this will do is require that the user get bounced over here to create an account which will also activates a wiki account. I hope this will cause people to spit ball things a bit more before putting them up on the wiki.

[SethDrebitko]

Having trouble getting table of contents to show up on the wiki so I am going to skip them and move on. If you can think of something that might be the problem hit me up weeot.

EDIT: I spent tonight fiddling with things and doing school. I didn't get to do as much as I wanted. Tomorrow I am going to add the "core" m20 docs.

[weeot]

tell me more about the TOC. Where you want it and what you want it to contain. A TOC within a page is autogenerated when you get past 3 headings. Do you mean a sidebar or a TOC on the main page that links to content?

Check out what i put in the M20 Core page and linked to a new page called Microlite20. This is only an example of course, please undo it to fit the organization you had in mind. Each of the headings there can be turned into an internal link that refers only to Microlite20.net (called a wikilink).

[SethDrebitko]

I accidentally did something that made them disappear in my personal user settings. It was an embarrassingly simple mistake lol. Back on track though.