Shared setting project

Kzach · Mar 4, 2010

Not sure if this is the right forum for this but I'll have a bash anyway.

I've heard tell of this sort of thing around the traps but never really looked into it. I'm talking of course about shared world/setting projects. Basically people have a wiki and share ideas and a few project leads hammer out content or whatever and it gets added to the whole.

I have an idea for a shared setting project and would like to get it off the ground but don't really know where or how to start. I was hoping for some input on the best way to go about starting something like this and how to manage it, or whatever other advice I could get.

aco175 · Mar 4, 2010

There is another thread talking about this. A few people have offered support and help, but no leadership to get started (including myself). I remember at Roleplayingtips has some help on this topic and some other sites that have ways to design and host ideas. They may have a search, I'm feeling rather lazy right now to check.

Turtlejay · Mar 6, 2010

Are you talking about a shared setting where a bunch of gaming groups use one wiki, or where a gaming group might have more than one DM and they all contribute? Our group did the second and it worked really, really well in my opinion. Until the group fell apart due to real world issues.

Tucson Roleplaying Group | Google Groups

It never totally got off the ground, the plan was to have maps (one DM was working on a hex map of the Nentir Vale) and a wiki-type set of articles that the DM's could add to at will. There are some character bios and Actual Plays.

The former seems kind of difficult to get going, as you'd kinda have to have a few groups working together. . .

Jay

Kzach · Mar 6, 2010

The intent is that I have an idea for a city set in the Forgotten Realms. The idea would be to start people off with some basic assumptions and a framework of ideas. From that point, anyone could contribute.

At a guess, I'm thinking there would have to be some sort of administration group so that additions could be 'approved' and checked for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and appropriateness to the project. The best ideas get added and refined and worked on by the group as a whole.

perseus. · Mar 7, 2010

I love this idea.

I'm willing to offer my support in anyway possible. There are plenty of free wiki programs available, what's holding you back from just starting it up?

Kzach · Mar 8, 2010

perseus. said:
I love this idea.

I'm willing to offer my support in anyway possible. There are plenty of free wiki programs available, what's holding you back from just starting it up?

I only have the skeleton of an idea at the moment. I'd want to provide both a solid framework for the setting itself (it's actually a city within a setting), as well as the rules for posting, organising, joining the admin team, etc, before I start.

perseus. · Mar 8, 2010

Well if I can be so bold, I'd suggest just creating a page. You can change the settings so that only members can edit the wiki until you are ready to promote it and get more people involved. I think the best way to build your current framework to an acceptable amount of content is by applying it to the wiki format. That way as you (or others) create new content, they do it with the wiki formatting in mind. By controlling the members who can contribute (maybe even just yourself to start) you can assure you the setting is being created how you'd like.

I'd suggest heading over to wikispaces.com, creating a wiki page (Don't worry if you don't have a great name yet, you can change it later on), and start adding content. I've got some free time and I'd be happy to help out.

As for rules for posting, administration, etc, I think you can get that all nailed down as you start adding content, and before you open it up to the public for help. Seeing what tools are available to you using the wiki might help make some of these decisions for you as well.

Good luck, let me know if there's anyway I can help!

aco175 · Mar 12, 2010

This sounds like a great idea, I'm just curious if making the setting part of something that is Hasbro's legal domain right. I would guess if nobody is trying to profit from it and I have seen other sites like candlekeep.whatever.

Another thought if you are looking to have several or 50 people adding things would be to have the landscape be larger than a city so if someone wanted to detail a village and a empty mine dungeon there would be plenty to pick from. Although I guess that the "world" would grow from the city as more was added.