Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

All right, I admit it, I'm a dork.

After watching the action in the Acronym Dictionary thread, and having Geo mention an Encyclopedia Malfadorica, I decided to create it. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm doing all the work http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

I've set up a Wiki to serve as our Encyclopedia Malfadorica. If you've never used a Wiki before, think of it as an Online encyclopedia that *anyone* can edit. And with lots of cross-links. To link to another article, all you need do is put the other article's name in brackets.

If there's a question mark in front of what would be a link, the article hasn't been created yet... so go ahead and do so. And if you add a link that hasn't been created yet, you can create that, or someone else may do so...

I think you get the picture. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I hope you like your Encyclopedia Malfadorica.

Oh, yes, the link. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Encyclopedia Malfadorica

Eric/LL

[Edit]

If you'd like to see a large Wiki in action, try the WikiPedia at: http://www.wikipedia.org.

[ October 26, 2002, 04:19: Message edited by: LazarusLong42 ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Cool! One thing, I don't see how to create a user id.

Geoschmo

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

There's a "Sign In" link down near the lower right of each page.

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

This appears to be case sensitive. That could cause some trouble when you end up with many variations on the same word:
"PBW", "Play by web", "Play By Web",
"SE4", "SE IV", "Space Empires 4", "Space Empires IV",etc ...

PS: You need to get a branch out into the Mods, Strategies, and Interface navigation areas.

I see a nice setup, where you start with a description of the main window, and for any button on the SE4 screen, you can go to another page which describes that new window... almost like playing SE4!

[ October 26, 2002, 05:36: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Alrighty, then.

I've added a bunch of topics under "modifications" already.

Just to keep things simple, I reccommend only linking to the singular form of words if you are referring to a definition.
Use the plural if you are referring to a list.

Eg: "modification" (def.), vs "gold mods" (list of mods)

[ October 26, 2002, 06:39: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Dear God, what have I started?

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

SO, what kind of stuff can we add? Just items from the game or things from the broader SEverse of the forums, other websites and forums..?

I also can't see how to acquire a userID. I've tried the "sign in" box in the bootom right but it assumes you already have a userid and password. Where can I get those?

[ October 26, 2002, 16:21: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

"facility" needs quite a few definitions written for its references

http://invirtuo.cc/phpwiki/index.php/facility

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes, it is a mega-project! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Yes, it's a mega project, but the cool thing is with this wiki anybody can assist, and you don't have to do a lot. You can simply add a single definition and be a part of this momumental project. It's a truly community thing. Thank you Laz for setting this up. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

After clicking in a couple of links all I can see is (color coded!) HTML code.

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Wow,

Ohdee cool. I can only imagine what this will look like in 6 months...

Combat Squirrel

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I know, just wait 'til I get my hands on it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Seriously, LL or S_J or *someone* - how do I get a username & password?

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

I'm going to be spending all my free time here... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Umm... D, you don't need a username to edit. Just click and type. SJ and I've added about 20 entries now. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Yes, you can edit without a user name and it will show your IP address as the person doing the editing. If we can ever figure out how to get user ids we can log in and it will list your name by your edits, like it did for Lazarus on his.

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

woohoo!

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Eureka! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

To log in simply type your username in the box in the lower right and hit enter. However, because thisis a WikiWikiWeb, only "WikiWords" can be used as a user ID. To be a valid wiki user name it has to be a single word run together with multiple caps. For example, LazarusLong, or GeoSchmo. No password is required.

GeoSchmo, er geoschmo http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

how do you sign in to this thing?

Edit: Shoo... so easy yet so hard.

[ October 27, 2002, 02:36: Message edited by: TerranC ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Very fun!
Just a note, I couldn't find most of the information without diving into the "recent changes" section. How do you get to all the info from the "front page"?

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

You'll have to click a lot, especially the titles.

Me thinks this way is better, to let it find out thread by thread.

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

I've left the front page open to editing. If someone wants to start up a list of "Places to Start" or a simple categorization like that found at Wikipedia, be my guest http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

As more information gets added some sort of structure on the front page will be nice. However you can also use the search box at the top. Just type in the word you are looking for. For example currently typing "Space" gets three entries:
</font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Space Empires IV</font>
• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Space Valkirie</font>
• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Space Vikings
  </font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

[ October 27, 2002, 02:53: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Also, the information that gets entered needs to be verified, and the pages edited when mistakes are discovered. I've seen lots of fascinating claims about SE IV 'features' that are not documented in the manual or any 'history' update file or any other official output from MM. For example, I recently saw someone post in another thread that Psychic races have higher default defense vs. boarding (crew quarters have higher boarding defense for Psychic races, in other words) than other races. Source? Who has tested and proven this? I've also seen claims that troops and fighters inherit the experience level of their transport or carrier. Again, proof? Who has tested this? And just now I read a post by Oleg that 'skips armor' weapons ignore the Emissive Armor ability. Who has tested this?

[ October 27, 2002, 20:15: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Baron, the great thing about a wiki is that anyone can edit it. If you feel a claim is false/unproven, you can post a notice about that to the page, and you or someone else can provide proof or disproof. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

LL

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That was me.
And it had already been determined that the player who was asking was using P&N v3.1. Psychic races in that mod are given modded crew quarters that have additional defense ability added on.

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

We should go through the newbie guid, Devious strategy guide and the modding 101 (although i bet SJ just did taht), also what about http://home.earthlink.net/~petemmer/

its a strat help place. I think the cantina should be at least mentioned in passing.

also a newbie section and a strategy general info sections would be nice, or do they just go under the SE4 umbrella?

EDIT: OMG HOW SICK IS THIS! I JUST STARTED PLAYING AROUND, WHaT IS THE DIFF B/T a minor change a major change?

[ October 28, 2002, 03:58: Message edited by: Skulky ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Ok, methinks some people are getting to crazy with links. I don't think there needs to be a description for every mod, PBW game, and component in SE4.

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Methinks its an encyclopedia so there! :-D

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I do. And more besides. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Please clarify your statement.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">And who posted this? FQM is not an attempt at replicating FTL travel. The map that does that would be the FTL Map, which was made by SJ.

[ October 28, 2002, 08:44: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You can probably work out who by looking at the Version history for the article. But it really doesn't matter who wrote it. If it's wrong, change it. That's the beauty of Wiki. It's anarchy in it's purest form. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Geoschmo

[ October 28, 2002, 13:41: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, how much space is available on the server hosting the EM? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

PS: HEY! Who went and deleted the whole "Gameplay Mods" entry?!?

[ October 28, 2002, 16:41: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Currently it's on Lazarus' web server. Not sure how much space he has, but I am sure it won't be a problem. Eventually we will probably move it to the PBW server.

The Gameplay Mods article was not deleted SJ. There were just no pages linking to it. The "modifications" page was trying to, but it was actually looking for "Gameplay mods", plural. I have corrected this now.

We don't need articles for the plural and other forms of every word. You can make you linke like this </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">[gameplay mods|gameplay mod]</pre><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">, and it will show up as "gameplay mods" on your page, and link to the "gameplay mod" article.

Geoschmo

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Ah. That's good to know.

I was thinking of using singular forms to link to definitions, and plural forms to link to a list.

so [gameplay mod] would be "a set of replacement datafiles...", and [gameplay mods] would be "P&N, Devnull, UM, Proportions, etc..."

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

That's not a bad idea SJ, but I was just following what Lazarus had said to be consistant. There is no reason you can't have the description of the gameplay mod and then in the same article afterwards list some examples of gameplay mods. I think that is more consistant with a regular encyclopedia, which is what we were going for. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Geoschmo

[ October 28, 2002, 17:22: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

SJ: I see where you're going with that, but I think that "List of gamplay mods" would be a better title. That serves two purposes: (1) it becomes an organizational point and (2) it distinguishes the entry more thoroughly from "gameplay mod".

How's that sound to everyone?

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

How about [mod list] instead? Shorter, and easier to remember / type exactly.

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I like it. One article with a list of all known mods, organized into the four type Groups.

Geoschmo

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

This thing is damn addictive - I started writing an hour ago and still I've got things to cover! Every time I read or write a new entry it opens up 3 more things to write about! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Ed, you are doing a great job. Everybody is. I think this is going to be an amazing resource.

One thing though Ed. Please don't take this as a critisism. But you have added a couple pages that were already there. Boarding Parties, there was already a Boarding Party. Malfador, when there was already a page for Malfador Machinations. You can do a search for exsisting pages. Sometimes the page is there and we just need to modify our link to pick it up. You can put [Malfador|Malfador Machinations] For example, or [Boarding Parties|Boarding Party] to link an alternate spelling to an exsisting page.

Geoschmo

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

heh. So many plugs, so many errors http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif .

I believe that Abbreviations were to be left out? or can we go crazy?

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Terran, I don't know. I thought we were trying to avoid separate articles just for abbreveations, or plurals or alternate spellings. But with all the people working on it maybe absolute consistancy is impossible. I certainly don't want to come off as the Encyclopdedia police or anything. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Geoschmo

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

The FQM/FTL error was mine, signed as chocolatefro, so sorry, i thought i knew what i was talking about, but i didn't. But i'm sure you've fixed it so its all good right?

EDIT: I didn't want to take the liberty of doing this so, Laz, can we have a strategies page on the first page too? This seems to be a hot topic around here, however is it too divergent from teh focus of the encyclopedia? I think its fine but your call.

[ October 29, 2002, 05:39: Message edited by: Skulky ]

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Skulky/CF: What I've done is created an "Interesting Links" page. It'll be the start of our first index. If you like, go ahead and place a Strategy section on there, and links to major strategy articles. I'll place a link to that page on the front page.

Geo: Ooh, but I'll be the police! Sort of at least http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

It's generally preferable not to have two separate entries for the same thing. i.e. mod and modification. What happens is that those two pages get different content, and some people link to one but not to another.

HOWEVER--what you can do (I've just looked into this) is include one page in another. They don't have a redirect script, but this works just as well. Edit the current entry for "mod" to see the necessary code.

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

I have created a simple Alphabetical Index of pages in the Encyclopedia. Nothing fancy. It doesn't get updated automatically, so if you add a page you can either edit the index, or wait a few days. I plan on updating it occasionally until we figure out if it's possible to do it automatically.

Geoschmo

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Like the alphabetized listing, but one question...

Where is the letter V ? Has it been removed from the official alphabet again? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Doh! Sorry Al, I mean Val. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Glad you saw the true humor behind that one http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif I would to have hated to have to chnage my signature again!

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Who did the post on Imperial Ego ?

That is brilliant !!

Combat Squirrel

Re: Encyclopedia Malfadorica (Wiki)
 

Gaaa... I see one big problem in that post already... You say armour, I say armor... You say centre, I say center... Looks like we'll need a LOT of crosslinks that say "Cultural centre: See 'Cultural center'" or something like that... I sure HOPE Wiki is not case sensitive... don't want to see anything like "Fighter: see 'fighter'"!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif