[Region 1][Map 07] - Thrubmorton Fens

[Redrobes]

I have been thinking a bit more whilst at work... what do you think about having a scratch page per major topic - like a tile region - where anyone can throw in loose data, facts and snippets onto the page which has no structure or narrative and then the editors can cut and paste or form text based on all of that data. When some of that scratch data makes it into proper formatted text then the editor can delete it from the scratch area. Like a fact purgatory. In that way the main page does not get edited quite so much and by so many different people giving it a more consistent feel. I don't think that there would be as much overlap of work or toe treading.

I was also going to comment in the same way that Arcana has about the discussion tab and that might be the best way to deal with required factual, continuity or basic changes derived or fed back from the main page.

There was another minor point in that somebody was making a page of pages. WikiMedia will do that for you with the special pages on the left menu. Theres lots in there about orphaned pages, uncategorized stuff etc so again, less need to duplicate work when unnecessary. A better way to do that index is through the use of categories too - they are particularly useful since you can have multiple indexes based on different criteria. One obvious category would be Ansium or whatever we decide upon. Then I would expect each tile area to have its own category too. Pages can have multiple categories so the Lesser Wyvern might be in Ansium, Thrub, and Monsters all at the same time.

[industrygothica]

I have been thinking a bit more whilst at work... what do you think about having a scratch page per major topic - like a tile region - where anyone can throw in loose data, facts and snippets onto the page which has no structure or narrative and then the editors can cut and paste or form text based on all of that data. When some of that scratch data makes it into proper formatted text then the editor can delete it from the scratch area. Like a fact purgatory. In that way the main page does not get edited quite so much and by so many different people giving it a more consistent feel. I don't think that there would be as much overlap of work or toe treading.

I was also going to comment in the same way that Arcana has about the discussion tab and that might be the best way to deal with required factual, continuity or basic changes derived or fed back from the main page.

There was another minor point in that somebody was making a page of pages. WikiMedia will do that for you with the special pages on the left menu. Theres lots in there about orphaned pages, uncategorized stuff etc so again, less need to duplicate work when unnecessary. A better way to do that index is through the use of categories too - they are particularly useful since you can have multiple indexes based on different criteria. One obvious category would be Ansium or whatever we decide upon. Then I would expect each tile area to have its own category too. Pages can have multiple categories so the Lesser Wyvern might be in Ansium, Thrub, and Monsters all at the same time.

I think a scratch area is an excellent idea. Were you thinking of something else other than the discussion page for that?

[Redrobes]

Yeah, what I was thinking was if I just shovel information onto a wiki page without any kind of formatting or making much attempt at writing it up or linking it or whatever and then you or anyone can write what you want with it. So I could say that in the Fens that Thrub is the capital and it is a stone castle with a palisade around it and that it has about 200 guards. The guards might have a particular duty rotation and then go on to say the hierarchy and where they might live. Then I could go on and say about the garrison might be a big two story building with a turf roof. And then add some roofs might be thatch or felt and pitch etc. Y'know like really unrelated stuff and just have lots of that but it needs to be ordered and formatted up into sections and pages. I just started chucking that sort of style at the main page but I can see now that it wasn't going to look any good until there is enough to group it all up into something that can be read much easier. You need it on a page that can be edited so that I can add to it and editors can remove what they want to take from it. It would be a sort of step away from the current final cut which would hopefully be more readable than my chaotic ramblings.

Its like the reverse of reading a fantasy book where you read text and make up the visuals in your head. I have all the visuals from thinking about the place and mapping it but I cant get the text out fast enough or in any sensible shape to make anyone else read it back and get the similar visuals again.

Most of the roads, places and towns have a distinct purpose and a lot of these kinds of threads are already in the map but it wont make sense yet. I have lots to say about Crazy Krull, and the ruins of Mere, the Arcanspikes and so on. I just need to mentally go spllleeeuuugh over a page and get it out. It will probably generate a whole lot more by that point but at least the framework will be in place. Of course I am doing all of this thinking with scant regard to whats happening in the whole world and my neighbors so I can see the need to get the story straight there too. But I don't think that what I have in mind will make much difference.

Ravs Centaurs fits in really well and hopefully there will be some trading up north beyond Roebuck Castle - furs or something like that and I need some place off my square where grain grows well otherwise all the Thrublanders starve.

[industrygothica]

I think that is a most excellent idea. Can't wait to see what it all looks like when it's finished.

[SeerBlue]

Hey Redrobes, since I have a passel of budding artists on my hands for a month (otherwise known as technologically advanced carpet orcs, with their own Vaio laptop), we have decided to make a map of a town in Thrub. I read through the named locations and they chose Snapgallows,,,,so we genned up a small town, and they are now plopping buildings down on the outlines in Sketchup, with a variety of roofs even, it may take a bit, as the ages go from 3 to 13, but even the youngest has a good idea of how to draw shapes and extrude. As the roofs are done via ruby script they all do that quite well.
I will start posting images once they get to the texturing and photoshopping. SeerBlue

[Redrobes]

Hey Redrobes, since I have a passel of budding artists on my hands for a month (otherwise known as technologically advanced carpet orcs, with their own Vaio laptop), we have decided to make a map of a town in Thrub. I read through the named locations and they chose Snapgallows...

Fantastic ! I have no back story at all for this place. All I had in mind was once there was a hanging (perhaps on the hill) which didn't quite work out so well...

So blank canvas - go wild !

And a full town in sketchup....dribble...dribble...

[Torq]

The scratch pad is a great idea which will stimulate creativity on the part of others and provide a space for people to jot things down as they think of them. Seerblue I cant wait to see how Snapgallows turns out.

Torq

[languard]

Threadomancy! Is there a higher-res version of this region? 1024x1024 blurs horribly when I try to zoom in to a 170x170 pixel (100x100 mile) chunk. If not no worries, I'll take my best guess. I'm looking at doing something with the Deathchaser Fen / Mere Fen area, focusing on the Ruins of Mere Fort first.

[Redrobes]

Sure, here are two images. There used to be a road going from Morton to Mullion but the waters around Deathchaser fen and Mere Fen have been slowly rising. Already with a substantial amount of lizard folk in the area harassing the Mere Fort, eventually the road became impassable and so they abandoned the Mere Fort and moved the road to the much longer route going via New Mere Fort. Its highly likely that the Ruins of Mere Fort are now inhabited by lizard folk or possibly even something more powerful and secretive because no one goes into that zone any more. Its an infestation. Only those chasing death go there

As you can see there has been one level of detail extra on the Deathchaser area which goes up to the Ruins but the Ruins are just a marker at this point and Mere Fen is still sat at base level of detail. Although Hawker point has not been mapped its very similar to Hardy point which has. So if you include anything like that then post. Morton is a large town with a stronghold and cavalry which keep part of the old road clear but not all the way to the old fort. The road from Mullion to New Mere Fort is also patrolled but not entirely safe.

Best of luck with it.

[su_liam]

Fantastic ! I have no back story at all for this place. All I had in mind was once there was a hanging (perhaps on the hill) which didn't quite work out so well...

So blank canvas - go wild !

And a full town in sketchup....dribble...dribble...

Hee hee. Child labor is a beautiful thing. My kids are getting to an age where I can bring them down to my sweatshop dungeons and put them to work on some maps.

I have to say I especially like the Carpet Orc's way with generating language. I used to use my cousin's malapropisms to name planets. The FHCOs are even better because they are doing it with awareness and intent, which gives the words a real neat feel. Even if they lose interest in gaming as they get older, they will retain that creative feel for language. That and they've helped you add some real color to a fictional world. Those kids rock.