Designing a mini-sandbox in a wiki?

[Morrus]

This occurred to me last night. I imagine it would end up being an unholy mess, but I wondered what it would be like to publicly design a sandbox in a wiki.

Start with a village. Anyone can add locations and NPCs, etc. Links go off to various mini-quests; plot hooks can be hyperlinked and expanded at whim.

It'd probably be chaos, but it might be entertaining.

 

[jefgorbach]

would be interesting and no less chaotic than any typical shared universe, i would think. the real question would be more technical: hosting, software, etc.

 

[Infernal Teddy]

It does sound like an interesting and fun idea

 

[Morrus]

would be interesting and no less chaotic than any typical shared universe, i would think. the real question would be more technical: hosting, software, etc.

Oh, I think we can manage a wiki - that's the easy bit! The main issues, as I see it, are more to do with the inherently chaotic natured of such a thing.

 

[Loonook]

Oh, I think we can manage a wiki - that's the easy bit! The main issues, as I see it, are more to do with the inherently chaotic natured of such a thing.

Villages are defined by size, space, and amount of available individuals. You just setup a 'map' and list of required individuals to be statted out. Seems pretty easy... A City is when it gets harder, a Metropolis even moreso .

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[nedjer]

Oh, I think we can manage a wiki - that's the easy bit! The main issues, as I see it, are more to do with the inherently chaotic natured of such a thing.

Are you looking for players to graze and move on or to make a living world?

 

[Morrus]

Are you looking for players to graze and move on or to make a living world?

I'd attempt to answer your question if I had the faintest idea what it meant!

I'm not looking for anything; just discussing a concept.

 

[GSHamster]

Why not try it and see what happens?

Seems like it is an experiment with very little cost in time. Why bother discussing the idea when you could just as easily execute the idea?

 

[jefgorbach]

Are you looking for players to graze and move on or to make a living world?

Sounds more like a DM Community than Players per-se, backgrounding a semi-generic setting without actual in-game play (although potential spinoff usage is there), beginning with an initial village framework which people begin randomly describing, expanding the known world at-will as details emerge from the collective-conscious.

ie: A dusty road emerges from the surrounding light woods, revealing the first of several cottages lining the way towards a circle of larger two story structures; separated by similar roads leading away from the community. The center of the circle is a small park decorated with a fountain. A nearby sign post declares you're entering ____.

Somebody name the place.
Somebody describe the fountain.
What are the larger buildings?
An inn no doubt - name? owner? describe appearance/etc.
City HQ? Mayor (other title?) name? whats s/he like? Married?
A butcher?
A baker?
A Candlestick maker?
Somebody describe the woods? Explore it - are there animals? druids?

 

[nedjer]

I'd attempt to answer your question if I had the faintest idea what it meant!

I'm not looking for anything; just discussing a concept.

Sorry - that was about as clear as mud - long day.

I used to use wikis to build shared content, but found what I felt were a few limitations:

• they don't encourage the rapid, on-going exchange of ideas/ negotiations between contributors in the way a wall can
• they tend to sit outside the mainstream traffic of a forum
• complete freedom to edit can discourage 'ownership' and 'investment' by enthusiastic contributors

As an alternative a co-ordinator/ moderator now looks after a sub-conference with tiers of further sub-conferences/ threads underneath. A sticky at the top of each sub-conference or thread contains the current agreed master version and blueprints for each area. At the top of the main sub-conference a projects road-map keeps track of things.

So far, this social glue or such like, seems to have a push effect much like Facebook notifications, where participants are going into the complete forum and immediately being flagged and pulled-in by recent developments in their project.

However, ENWorld's visitors are not a bunch of students required to demonstrate teamwork, they may like complete freedom to edit/ format and could prefer simply making content rather than collaborative 'storybuilding'.