Forum:Beyond
I've been going through the Subsector category cleaning things up. I ran into this once before, but this time I found enough data to comprehend the extent of the problem.
In 1981 Paranoia Press released a supplement on Beyond sector. It has since been de-canonized. In 1991, DGP released a dot-map that is quite different. (Understandably so, the PP version is... oddly regular in a few places.)
So, we have a former-canon version with a fair amount of data, and a canon version with no data except a bunch of non-canon fan work. The web-fan work uses completely different subsector names, which means we have two different entries for the same location, with the Beyond Sector giving the PP names, and the other versions being effectively deadended (see Meizirn Subsector vs Mapepire Subsector and Alternate Beyond).
Thoughts? --Rindis 20:17, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
- I am hoping that this wiki eventually becomes an authority for both canon articles, and as a place where people can add their own non-canon content. If there is nothing else written for a location, then a piece of user non-canon creation hopefully can be picked up by various GMs and perhaps even eventually become canon.
- This concept poses several problems, the first that you reference above, is that some previous information is over-ridden by subsequent cannon (one can imagine a GM adding non-cannon information for an already cannon location as well, though the reason for this would escape me). So we list the cannon information as primary, and add the non-cannon part as either a non-canon section to the original article, or as a meta page. Fairly simple until one tries to make a list of, say, subsectors. Where there is no cannon, then we might include the non-cannon beside the cannon, but where the cannon is contrary that is a good question. I would suggest listing it and marking it as non-canon, or again as a meta page from the original. So to continue the above one could have a page of subsectors, and a meta page of conflicting and/or non-canon subsectors, or just mark them on the complete list.
- A more difficult question arises around bad non-cannon. (even the cannon can be bad in places). Let's say some industrious author goes about defining the Genfert Sector. Fine, list it as non-cannon and let it be. What if said author decides to put in Aslan colonies, three or four ring worlds, tech 18 civilizations? Do we simply mark it as non-canon and move on, or express concerns and list it as somewhat less than non-cannon? Perhaps there are less outrageous but still troubling data? Where would a line be drawn?
- Dcorrin 21:09, 20 November 2007 (UTC)