User talk:Dcorrin

I hate the Templates

Ok, I now officially hate the templates. I tried to make several minor changes to avoid duplication. Like ships being in the "Ship" category and in the "Ships" category, but the templates refused the change. Also I must be an idiot or something because the over use of wiki specific lingo needed with the templates is hard for me to read and sometimes downright confusing. I think part of the reason maybe that I code in html, and I contribute to the GURPS wiki, Wikipedia and this wiki, Bluwiki, and I use tiddlywiki. All of which use completely different code 'languages' so it's hard for me to keep them all straight. So what I'm going to do is just enter as many entries as I can, and then I'll let you add the templates as you come across the new entries.

Does that sound like an fair division of labor? Seanr451 10:20, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

Sounds good. I like templates, though as you said there are some issues. Pages with templates aren't automatically updated for things like categories unless you re-save them... This is why it is good to have all the templates defined beforehand, but of course this is the Chicken<->Egg thing... Dcorrin 16:58, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

Why?

I have both time and the knowledge to contribute excessively to this wiki and am willing to do so, but...

How is it helpful to have this information on a Wiki when it's all available already on dozens of websites around the net? - Seanr451

I have the knowledge, but not as much time. I have seen a lot of the web sites out there, and while a lot of them are quite detailed, I don't want to duplicate the level of detail in say the Traveller Atlas. The graphical bibliography has perhaps a bit too little detail.

I like the way that wiki's are inter-linked, and I actually got motivated due to two things:

1. Jimmy Simpson's Library data page, where he laments the fact that there is no wiki and
2. I always envisoned giving my characters a computer, and telling them to research the next adventure, rather than simply handing them the pertenent libary data.

If you're given permission to use the Library Data why not include the planet's UPP in the say "planet infobox template"? Like you I'd love to say to my players; "Hey you want to do research? There's the library data computer right there." So it would seem that adding UPPs to a planet's library data entry would be a must. - Seanr451

A suggestion

Although I'm sure you've probably already thought of this. My suggestion is that when you get permission to post library data material that you make extensive use of categories. Like category Library Data A, and B and C, etc. Also subject categories. Like category planet, subsector, person, ship, vehicle, megacorporation, etc. Then post links to the categories on the main library data page. This allows the researcher to browse extensively by interest as well as searching by name. - Seanr451

Thank you for the suggestion, I was planning on using many categories, however I had not thought of an A-Z set. Any suggestions are welcome.

Let me know when you do get permission to post the library data info and I'll start a massive upload of entries. We'll see if we can't make this a huge Traveller resource yet. - Seanr451

Thanks, Until I hear back I am uploading what I consider fair use: tables of contents, covers, general lists of information, etc. Dcorrin 02:32, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

Ok, so my next thought is to divide each Libray Data entry into "Canon" and "Non-Canon". This allows us to write and entry, title it canon and then quote the source. Then anyone who wants to add to the entry can write in whatever they want in the non-canon section. Without this division we really can't quote a source when it may no longer apply after a few edits. Seanr451 08:46, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

I already have canon/non-canon to cover some of the published materials. What we need is a way to present library data vs. comments on library data (e.g. source material, out-of-game observations), and more importantly referee-only or "restricted" (in game terms) library information.

I have recieved permission from Marc this morning to go ahead and publish library data. We don't want to cover whole articles (e.g. reprint alien modules), but we can now start working on the library. Dcorrin 16:15, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

I have started a template LE (for Library Entry) which 1 is the Letter, 2 is the general category, and 3 is the reference - which if I get conditional working will use non-canon if omitted, canon if it is, and eventaully link to the entry for that book.

Library Data

I've added everything from Supplement 11 Library Data (N-Z). Tommorrow I'll start adding the library data entries from the adventures. After that I'll suppose look at the race books and see if they have Library Data sections.

And, I figured out what I did wrong with your category template and have started using it now. The problem is that a few entries needed less or more categories and so I couldn't use your template for that. Seanr451 13:04, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

Where should I stop?

At the Classic Traveller material? Should I add MegaTraveller stuff too? What about TNE? No, forget I even mentioned TNE. I hate that game and don't own any of the books anyway. What about GURPS Traveller material? I own every GT book made and I could start adding material from there if you want this database to include that info too. Or I could just add the GT info that is prior to 1120 and doesn't contradict the CT stuff. Seanr451 13:04, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

Don't Stop. Well for copyright purposes we don't want huge sections on anything, people should be able to find enough, but not a replacement for any supplement (other than library data), particularly Alien Races. I have almost everything, but not some of the most recent GURPS stuff.

We need to mark the version of the game, so that an article on the Virus is known to be from the alternate (TNE) future, and not applicable to GURPS timeline. (Some more details on this on the timeline pages too). Some things (for example the Ancient<->Droyne secret - GURPS covers this) have alternate GM explanations too.

Dcorrin 14:37, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

GM's Secrets

BTW, why not use the 'discussion' page of each Library Data Entry for the GM's Secrets? Or why not simply have a GM's Secrets page? Then you'd provide a link on each relevant data page to the GM's secret page? Seanr451 04:57, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

So what would you prefer? A GM's secrets section on the page (not my preference)? Or a GM's secrets page where all of the various secrets would go? Seanr451 13:04, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

I don't think that discussion pages should have any data. Perhaps we could link a inconspicious item, say a . to the GM's pages, not have one page for all secrets, perhaps break them down by category... Dcorrin 14:41, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

I think the best way to do it would just be to have a page titled "GM's Secrets". I don't think there are that many secrets so it shouldn't get too big. But if it does then we can break it up into several pages by subject. Seanr451 17:18, 23 February 2006 (UTC)