Talk:Main Page

From WikiRPS

Contents 1 Transparent math markup 2 Multiple systems? 2.1 Integration 2.2 Getting started 2.3 Categorization 2.4 Branding 3 Domain 3.1 Vote 3.2 Domain name 4 MediaWiki updated 5 Basilicus Interwiki Links 6 Unconscious/Dead?

[edit] Transparent math markup

I have modified the math markup so it is transparent and should now not stick out in tables and such. — Blue Dragon (talk) 13:45, 21 April 2007 (MDT)

Much better! Funny, I didn't even think to ask; I just assumed it couldn't be done. Never underestimate the Blue Dragon. --Cúthalion 18:35, 21 April 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Multiple systems?

Do you see this wiki as developing a single roleplaying system (WikiRSP Proper) or as a collection of roleplaying systems and variations? I see the benefit of having a wiki devoted to creating various systems/variations or to have an outlet for others to post their homebrews and get insight and development from the community. If you are interested in going this direction I would like to move BRPG to this site and then create links on the various rule sets to the applicable Basilicus article. Basilicus is not really for roleplaying rules and there have been discussions on how to move those articles to a more appropriate location and create links encouraging cross-wiki traffic and activity. --Laveaux 13:47, 21 April 2007 (MDT)

Hmm. Fascinating idea. I conceived this wiki originally as a single RPS, and then as a RPS with variations, but I would have no objection at all to offering a breeding ground for like-minded innovators. Presumably, each system would stand to gain.

However, I'm not sure how to arrange it logistically. One possibility would be to put each system in its own namespace; however, we're already planning to implement multiple namespaces for WikiRPS alone. Another would be to offer a completely different subdomain for each system, but that would seem to defeat the purpose. Thoughts?

This assumes that Blue Dragon, our host, does not object. --Cúthalion 19:11, 21 April 2007 (MDT)

No objections at all :). — Blue Dragon (talk) 12:46, 22 April 2007 (MDT)

I'll have to think about the logistics. Perhaps it can be done by simply using categories. --Laveaux 19:39, 21 April 2007 (MDT)

I am not very fluent in role playing games, but it seems to me that with a few modifications BRPG could be integrated into WikiRPS as a module. I am not suggesting rewriting all of the BRPG at all, I am just suggesting that the merger would not require a rewrite of either of these systems. Laveaux -- provide you input, and let me know whether or not I am completely wrong.

If they are not compatible in this sense, then it would be messy but we could have sub namespaces for what would currently be namespaces, and namespaces for the different system. I really recommend this as a last choice because all of the names of the articles on this wiki would be something ridiculous like "WikiRPS:Modules/Fantasy" or something similar, and they would be very redundant.

This is an awesome idea, though, and I hope that these two systems can help each other out greatly! — Blue Dragon (talk) 12:46, 22 April 2007 (MDT)

I'm always opposed to reinventing the wheel. I'll deliberate on this and learn WikiRPS, perhaps a merger is the simplest solution. I'll get back to you guys and look forward to working on this. --Laveaux 13:38, 22 April 2007 (MDT)

I've been learning the WikiRPS System and thinking about how an integration would work. The primary difference between the two is this: WikiRPS uses a point system wherein players can 'choose' to arbitrarily distribute points on a character to advance, whereas advancement in BRPG -only- happens through in-character means and therefore are not arbitrary. For example, if I want to get better at swordfighting in WikiRPS than I play good session and can choose to distribute my points into that skill. In BRPG if I want to get better at swordfighting I have to roleplay the act of swordfighting or learn it from another character during the course of game play. It's these fundamental differences that are stalling my efforts. If a variation of WikiRPS system could be made wherein advancement is not done through experience points but through skill successes than I think I could integrate them. What are your thoughts on this? --Laveaux 10:30, 27 April 2007 (MDT)

Laveaux, let me know if this would work. You would create a variant which would be called Basilicus Rules, or something more creative. Inside of this variant, you would state that points can not be earned and then distributed to anything arbitrarily, and that mastering something requires studying specifically it. Then you would give a list of conversion factors, something such as x points = 3 hours on this subject area, and on this subject area x points = 3 weeks. All of the material that is on BRGP could then be ported to WikiRPS and have point requirements, complexity, etc, added to them. The conversion factors could still exist on each of those articles. This would allow people to use a lot of the BRPG things even when they are playing the standard WikiRPS, and they could be used with Basic complexity, Advanced, Standard, etc. Looking over BRPG more, I think that this would be a great thing for both of the wikis, and I think that it would really allow users to gain the most from your content and a slightly more flexible playing system. Let me know what you think! If you agree with me, then I will be happy to help you port the content. — Blue Dragon (talk) 11:24, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

I really think that would work. The process of porting and converting seems tough but would ultimately serve what we are trying to do in Basilicus. One other component worth discussing is the actual implementation of rules for the setting. Part of what made BRPG was that each civilization/species/world could have completely different skill sets than the others and thus required the appropriate article. I understand that WikiRPS is focusing on the system itself. Can we also post setting-oriented rules here? What I'm envisioning is that roleplayers can come here to get the stats for a Kelosian (for example), but then to get information on a Kelosian or the Kelos System they hop over to Basilicus via links. --Laveaux 17:02, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

Not that you need my blessing, but you have it. Let me know if you need something from me to help with the porting, assuming you decide to go through with it. I'm not familiar enough with BPRG at this point to have many ideas, but it sounds like you two have a good grasp of the potential synergy.

Re:setting-oriented rules. It sounds like this relates to what I'm calling modules and gestalts. Category:Kelos (for instance) would be a subcategory of Category:Module containing rules for custom skills and whatever else is unique to the Kelos system. A Kelosian would be defined as a gestalt race, Kelosian, along the same lines as Elf (still very much a stub, btw).

However, it sounds to me that there is a significant philosophical difference between the two systems. WikiRPS reduces everything to levels and character points. BRPG eschews levels and character/experience points. Are you sure that it is possible/desirable to blend the two? I'm not objecting, just raising the question. –Cúthalion (talk) 21:57, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Integration

BRPG is tied to Basilicus quite closely, and while it isn't really the same thing they should be linked seamlessly. I think we could separate the roleplaying from the worldbuilding without losing continuity by moving it to another Wikia project, but moving it here would require updating interwiki links - and I don't see any sensible solution for the skin difference. --Brilliand 19:18, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

Hello Brilliand. The issue here is not interwiki links (even though WikiRPS does have all of the Wikia interwiki links). The reason that this idea was brought up (I would imagine, I am not Laveaux) is because WikiRPS is a developing RPG system, and BRPG has a lot of content which does not fit into any sound structure. They are both at the stage where they could be modified so as to take the advantages from both, and lose nothing. Which server it is hosted on is irrelevant -- although the speed on here will be superior to that on Wikia seeing that Wikia is nothing close to dedicated hosting. Interwiki links into Basilicus are easy as well - just use the prefix bas. Let me know if I am overlooking something. — Blue Dragon (talk) 20:01, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

Re:skins. The MonoBook skin remains available on WikiRPS, even though it's not the default. We could either make it the default, or (my preference) find some simple way to advertise to people coming from Basilicus that the skin can be selected under preferences. At the risk of volunteering Blue Dragon for more work, it would also (I think) be easy to install any new skins that might developed by Basilicans (Basilisks?) onto WikiRPS. –Cúthalion (talk) 21:57, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

If the philosophical difference mentioned above is dealt with by having multiple nearly separate project on WikiRPS, that covers all of my concerns. I would love to see multiple separate projects drawn together loosely so that a character created under one system can be used under another. I suggest categories for this purpose rather than namespaces so that a single page can be written about multiple systems. --Brilliand 09:01, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

I've set up a link-to-BRPG template on Basilicus, although I'm not sure how reliable it will be. It checks Basilicus for the article, and if it isn't there it links to WikiRPS. Once we have an interwiki link set up to here, I can change the template to use the interwiki link. --Brilliand 15:43, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

I am nearly done transferring the core mechanics over, however I have a bit more work to do. The next step will be transferring BRPG articles into a module(s). I'm traveling a lot this month so I may be a bit slow on this project. --Laveaux 12:27, 6 May 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Getting started

I agree. :) For the sake of getting something in place, I'm taking the liberty of creating the following stubs:

• Category:BRPG
• Category:Kelos
• Kelosian

Feel free to rename these or do what you will. –Cúthalion (talk) 09:51, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

A separate category should be sufficient and then I can add a component to easily convert to WikiRPS standard system as well. I'm going to work on a way to make BRPG a "variant" so that it can be easily translated in the way that Blue Dragon and I spoke of above. --Laveaux 12:32, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

Let me know if I can help talk through ideas. And welcome to the neighborhood. :) –Cúthalion (talk) 12:41, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Categorization

Category:Kelos System? That's a Basilicus worldbuilding article, not part of BRPG. I suppose we do need a BRPG article about the Kelos System, but BRPG isn't categorized by location.

Will we keep the BRPG prefix on the articles? That might help prevent conflicts, but then, the only conflicts we're going to get are with articles that are nearly identical. --Brilliand 15:02, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

The content-related articles we should see are for species, career paths (organizations), weapons and equipment, so they can probably be categorized as such (and perhaps a category for characters although that need not be BRPG-specific). We won't need to categorize by Basilicus world/system location at all I don't think. I also don't think we'll need the BRPG prefix on articles. It should be set up a bit more like the modules are on this site, though I haven't quite wrapped my head around that yet. --Laveaux 15:26, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

I set up Category:Kelos in response to the statement: "Part of what made BRPG was that each civilization/species/world could have completely different skill sets than the others and thus required the appropriate article." I took that to mean there would be skills and other rules unique to the Kelos System. You are, of course, welcome to use whatever categories you feel would be useful.

Perhaps the reason you have trouble wrapping your head around WikiRPS modules is because there's hardly anything there yet. Hopefully, this process will help us clarify some of that thinking. –Cúthalion (talk) 21:25, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

Okay, so here's what I'm thinking. The core mechanics of BRPG are intentionally neutral, much like WikiRPS. So, I'll add these rules as a variant to WikiRPS and thread it through the whole tutorial. This will be "unbranded", so to speak and have some clever name I haven't thought of yet. Then, under modules, there will be RPG rules for Basilicus articles in which the rules will be applied to species, education, career paths and property. Now, each article will have rules for every variant (ultimately). While BRPG itself dissolves a bit into WikiRPG, -Basilicus- comes out stronger with several rule sets to support the content. I'll go ahead and get started on this approach if y'all think of another way, I'm all ears. --Laveaux 22:33, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

Sounds like a win-win plan. However, I might advise that you not even try to write rules for every variant up front. Starting with just one or two variants and creating others if and when they're needed could save a lot of unnecessary work. Just a thought. –Cúthalion (talk) 22:40, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

Agreed. Although, I'll keep that on my mental ledger as a plan. For now, I just want to get the BRPG articles over here. --Laveaux 22:59, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Branding

I had another related thought. Do you want this rule set to be branded as Basilicus RPG, or would it make sense to call it something more descriptive that could apply to other campaign settings? Instead of Category:BRPG, then, it might be something like Category:Achievement-based, or however you decide to characterize it. It's totally up to you, of course. –Cúthalion (talk) 21:25, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

I think we should keep the name it was designed with. It's rather old, and now the name is historical. If the name changes, that will mean another record for Category:Project History. --Brilliand 23:34, 30 April 2007 (MDT)

I kind of like the name, "Gnarus Arcani MCMXLVII". It has character. –Cúthalion (talk) 07:56, 1 May 2007 (MDT)

That was an old play by post game that was converted into Basilicus and eventually moved to Novelas and can still be read today under the Basilicus project. Gnarus Arcani took place in 1947 (thus MXMXLVII) and focused on conspiracy theories and secret societies of the time. It was a hoot, but it lost momentum and eventually interest. I fully intend to publish the RPG at some point, but I'd rather focus on Basilicus until time frees up. --Laveaux 17:39, 1 May 2007 (MDT)

"Knowing Conspiracies in 1947" - or at least I think that's what it means. It doesn't fit for the roleplaying system. BRPG will be fine. I might also refer to it as the "Basilicus system" since that's easier to pronounce. --Brilliand 21:07, 1 May 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Domain

I would be willing to purchase wikirps.org for WikiRPS, seeing that I feel that it really does not fit as a subdomain of dandwiki.com. D&D Wiki's subdomains should be subsections of D&D Wiki, and WikiRPS definitely can adapt D&D Wiki material and link back to D&D Wiki (the homebrew material specifically, I don't think that you can adapt OGL that much very easily), but it is not a section of D&D Wiki. Let me know what you think, but I would have no problems purchasing it. WikiRPS also needs to get its hands on a good designer, someone such as Sledged, for the skin and logo. — Blue Dragon (talk) 11:09, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

I can at least work on a logo. I've been throwing some ideas around in my head. Maybe I can come up with something. --Laveaux 16:57, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

Re:domain. I'm agnostic on this. I'm willing to follow your lead, if you think it would be better to go that route. It would probably cause less trouble to move now than later.

Re:ogl. See this discussion.

Re:skin&logo. I dangled the opportunity in front of Sledged, but he didn't bite. I figured I'd just wait until someone appropriately motivated came along. Glad to know you're thinking about it, Laveaux. BD, did you have someone else in mind?

Come to think of it, I just thought of an acquaintance who does this sort of thing for a living. I wonder if he'd want some free publicity... –Cúthalion (talk) 22:36, 29 April 2007 (MDT)

Okay, should I purchase the domain? It is up to the community, not me. I feel rather neutral in this, but I feel that the community should vote. Express your opinions, don't just let something happen if you don't want it to (and I guess not happen in this case as well). — Blue Dragon (talk) 15:11, 3 May 2007 (MDT)

It sounds like our difficulty might be in finding someone who has a strong enough opinion to vote either way, but here goes. –Cúthalion (talk) 11:48, 5 May 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Vote

The alternatives are:

• Stick with the current domain (wikirps.dandwiki.com).
• Move to a new domain (e.g. www.wikirps.com.org).

If you're reading this, you're entitled to a vote. Just edit this section and put your signature (~~~) in the appropriate list.

Keep current domain wikirps.dandwiki.com	Move to new domain www.wikirps.com.org	Abstain
	--Laveaux 12:23, 6 May 2007 (MDT) –Cúthalion (talk) Green Dragon

My only point is that this isn't a D&D community so unless it is financially necessary, there isn't much point for it to have a subdomain of one. --Laveaux 12:25, 6 May 2007 (MDT)

Yeah, you're right. I also found out it's less than $10/year for a custom domain. I'm changing my vote. –Cúthalion (talk) 13:11, 6 May 2007 (MDT)

My only question is: Who is paying for the domain name? --Green Dragon 19:55, 6 May 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Domain name

I just noticed that Blue Dragon suggested wikirps.org, as opposed to wikirps.com. I agree that's a better choice, since this is not a commercial enterprise. Any discussion? –Cúthalion (talk) 13:11, 6 May 2007 (MDT)

If it is financially feasible then get both but use .org as the primary domain and then redirect hits to .org from .com.--Laveaux 18:13, 6 May 2007 (MDT)

I agree, get both and make .org the main... --Green Dragon 19:56, 6 May 2007 (MDT)

Let me know if everything is working as it should. Laveaux: Interwiki links will need to be modified eventually, although they should work as it stands right now. — Blue Dragon (talk) 21:33, 6 May 2007 (MDT)

[edit] MediaWiki updated

I have recently upgraded this site to MW 1.10.0. As with all updates, this may cause problems. Please let me know if any arise. — Blue Dragon (talk) 13:36, 9 May 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Basilicus Interwiki Links

Wikia obliged my request to add WikiRPS as an interwiki link, so you can now use "WikiRPS" in Basilicus and all other wikias. This may actually bleed over into MediaWiki and Wikipedia too. --66.171.222.202 10:56, 18 June 2007 (MDT)

Cool! Thanks. --–Cúthalion (talk) 20:46, 20 June 2007 (MDT)

[edit] Unconscious/Dead?

Could someone please reply so I don't think that this is completely dead? I'm still contributing anyhow, but I don't feel good about doing complete overhauls of existing and established articles without community deliberation of 2 or more people. Of course if I can't find anyone, I will do them anyway. Minozake 23:38, 7 July 2008 (MDT)

I'm assuming unconscious for now, so I have tried to contact Blue Dragon for contacting the old 'crew' of WikiRPS. I am also trying to get some people, local friends, to help me out with this. Minozake 13:19, 17 July 2008 (MDT)

Brilliand here from Basilicus - Basilicus has been silent for a while as well, and I haven't heard from Laveaux in a while (I suppose I could contact him). Moving BRPG here is something we would still like to see happen, but there are few enough people around that there is a question of who will do the work. --Brilliand 19:44, 16 October 2008 (MDT)