Space Empires Wiki Project

[inigma]

The Space Empires Wiki is up!
http://wiki.spaceempires.net

Hear ye, hear ye fellow imperators, emperors, kings, primary whatevers, generals, presidents, first thises, great whatnots, and so on, and so forth:

With Deluxe comming out in the next few weeks as a new and available commercial release of Space Empires IV to the unsuspecting public, and with the influx of newbies it is bound to generate to our corner of the galaxy; there is no better time for this proposal:


THE SPACE EMPIRES WIKI
A wikipedia.org-like wiki. A publically-updateable on-the-fly comprehensive community-editable library of strategy guides, FAQs, and encyclopedias of Space Empires, its mods, its players, and its evolution; editable by all, owned by none, and updated at will.

A place where mod manuals can be posted and updated at will, a place where strategies are organized and taught, a place to update the names of the latest and greatest. A place to point newbies to when answering a specific question.

This project wouldn't be reinventing the wheel per-say, as there is a lot of good stuff out there, and already another wiki; but rather than reinventing the wheel, I thought it would be approproate to propose upgrading it to a quantum engine III, adding a quantum generator, and putting it all on one ship.

Fans of SEII and SEIII may find this proposed Space Empires Wiki to be a place for home and comfort, should they feel like contributing, and later this wiki would provide the foundation to a transition of an up-to-the minute documentation of SEV.

There are over 10+ years of comments, questions, posts, books, anthologies, guides, preferences, strategies, etc, etc, etc, that if not recollected in our Great Library, may be lost forever to the purges of time and old memory, and bad programming.

This wiki and its primary pages would be planned by a volunteer committee, using the formats and ideas created and laboriously presented by many great contributors in our current (but antiquated and incomplete) Newbie Guide, Dubious Strategy Guide, and other guides currently listed as stickies in this and other SE forums. Secondary pages, such as the encyclopedia and individual stratgeies would be added later, or transitioned from other documentation.

To make a seamless transition from using the forums to the wiki as a primary source for answering questions, veteran players on the forums would be encouraged to answer new questions that are posted here by creating or updating a SEW (SE Wiki) page with the answer, and redirecting the poster to a link to that page to get them in the habit of looking up their questions there first.

If you would like to help, or be interested in contributing to the planning, implementation, exposition, and distribution of this proposed Space Empires Wiki Documentation Project, please post below with what you'd like to do or can contribute to this project, but you can jump in right away by going to http://wiki.spaceempires.net

Thanks to everyone who makes the Space Empires experience a better place for people of all skill levels. This community is awesome!

[Ed Kolis]

We currently have a wiki, actually...
http://www.invirtuo.cc/phpwiki/
Not a very pretty or functional one, but a wiki nonetheless http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Alneyan]

Hmm, perhaps the Encyclopedia Malfadorica (http://www.invirtuo.cc/phpwiki/) is what you are looking for?

All hands, brace for impact! We are about to collide with a... cicada? Helm, what the...

[inigma]

I have experience with working in wikis. I also know how to set them up... of course, so can anyone who can follow instructions, as I've never fully set one up before that lasted longer than a few months.

I'm also new to Space Empires, though I dabbled with SEII and SEIII many years ago when I was just a small inigma in High School. I never thought SEIV would come out in my lifetime, so when I heard about it again last month, I jumped on board.

As a recent newb, I can bring a fresh perspective of what is needed. I had to hunt for documentation in many areas, and I've collected quite a library of information. I'd like to contribute as I learn new things in Space Empires, and this is something I felt has been needed since I asked my first question, "Is there a guide at all for this game"?

[inigma]

I can't view the malfadorica well - no xml capability. And if I do view it, there are errors on the page.

But not only that, I want MORE than an encyclopedia. I want a living, breathing, strategy guide document editable by all, as well as more importantly I'd love to see our current Newbie FAQ ported to a wiki format.

The stuff collected on the malfadorica would be awesome stuff to move over to a cleaned-up SEW, incorporated all into once source; but it wouldn't necessarily be reinventing that wheel as the primary pages for the SEW would be guides, strategies, manuals, and Newbie FAQs; with the encyclopedia slowly being grafted in for reference.

The whole proposal is simply the concept of your all-in-one place to go for all your questions about everything Space Empires (including mods, strategies, helpful tips, etc, etc.)

[inigma]

Atrocities, would you be interested in hosting such a monster on spaceempires.net?

It would start out very small and slow, perhaps maybe just a port of the FAQ, and then updated by the community, and then later a port of the Dub Strategy Guide (organized and trimmed down of course), and then let the rest of the SEW take off as users contribute more and more to it.

[Fyron]

Hmm... always wanted to play around with wikis... This does overlap with the Encyclopedia Malfadorica, but that thing is in dire need of repair...

I have set up a wikipedia. Whether or not this goes anywhere, who knows. But it is there...

http://wiki.spaceempires.net/

[inigma]

awesome thanks Fyron. Ill go check it out.

[Ed Kolis]

Sweet! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif
Now when I get bored in class I can go and write about space empires http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[inigma]

I've drafted the first pages. It looks like this shweetness has taken off! Thanks Fyron for installing it!

[Fyron]

It should probably be organised by game from the get-go, to save hours of work in the future.

[inigma]

Fyron, could you sticky this thread too, and perhaps even make this a link in the SE.net index page?

This would also make a good article for the SE Portal news.

[Fyron]

I am not a moderator here.

You could submit it as news to SEnet using the submit news (http://www.spaceempires.net/home/submit.html) page.

[Combat Wombat]

inigma said:
Fyron, could you sticky this thread too, and perhaps even make this a link in the SE.net index page?

This would also make a good article for the SE Portal news.



no more stickies! to many already. Why do we need a Wiki, sound like just another site I am gonna have to goto to me.

[inigma]

submitted. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[inigma]

Combat Wombat said:

inigma said:
Fyron, could you sticky this thread too, and perhaps even make this a link in the SE.net index page?

This would also make a good article for the SE Portal news.



no more stickies! to many already. Why do we need a Wiki, sound like just another site I am gonna have to goto to me.



That's just it: the idea is to make those stickies disappear by moving the information in all of them to the Space Empires Wiki (http://wiki.spaceempires.net). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Fyron]

If this is eventually going to cover SE5 in addition to SE4, and even SF, this needs to be taken into account in the foundation of the categories and such. Should it be organized by game, then section (mods, strategies)? Or section then game?

[inigma]

check it out now. This is something I was thinking of the categories on the index page:

Game Documentation:
Space Empires II
Space Empires III
Space Empires IV
Space Empires V

--------------------------

Fan Documentation:
Player Empires
Space Empires Links



Documentation files would be organized by SE version, and since fan pages are usually cross-version they are also included on the index as seperate categories. Each of these categories would go to other pages which would further branch out. I've developed a couple of pages to kind of lay a basic foundation. Feel free to change or edit them. What do you think?

[Fyron]

Perfect! But ye missed Starfury. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif It is a SE game, so it should be on there, methinks.

[inigma]

oy vey yer right, but do you think it belongs on the Space Empires Wiki? I've added it if people want to start contributing to that part of it. Then again, you can add it too http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif man I love wiki!

[Fyron]

Well I don't know anything about the whole category setup... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Do you IRC? It's a good way to hash out some details...

http://seirc.spaceempires.net/

[Fyron]

Maybe we should stick to "SEWiki" instead of "SEW?" It is about as short.

[Captain Kwok]

Perhaps I will volunteer to make a logo or banner for the site? I haven't had a chance to do that for a while.

[inigma]

Fyron, we could do SEWiki. I only used SEW to shorten up the prefix for the SEW-related articles. SEIV prefix is for SEIV-related articles accordingly. I use SEWiki or SEW or Space Empires Wiki when referring to it, I really didn't think it made a difference.

Since you've done the hard chore of setting it up, you should have perrogative in giving it a name, so I think SEWiki should stay its official name if that's what you want. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Does anyone else agree?

Currently the articles are created using prefix names so when you do a search for SEIV and guide you come up directly to the Space Empires IV Strategy Guide page.

Here is an example of the prefixes currently in use:

SEW:Documentation Project
(page for discussing the project)

SEIV:Strategy Guide
(page for the comprehensive strategy guide)

Empires:Mentality
(page for my empire, The Mentality)

Link:Play By Web
(page discussing what PBW is and any subpages that could be created, like how-tos and so on, and contains the url)

etc...

[Fyron]

Hmm... interesting. SEW for the URLs and SEWiki for the article texts, perhaps?

Kwok, that would be excellent.

[inigma]

oops. you caught me editing my post. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif go ahead and reread my edit above and let me know what you decide. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[inigma]

the neat thing about it is that we can change it all on the fly. just make the call. i just created base articles from which to work from.

man, did i tell you how much i love wiki? this is gonna rock.

[inigma]

yeah kwok, go for it.

[inigma]

argh, i cant access irc from work. ill have to wait 60 minutes until im home. can you guys wait that long?

[Fyron]

inigma said:
oops. you caught me editing my post. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif go ahead and reread my edit above and let me know what you decide. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Its not that big of a deal. Just note that "SEWiki" is in the title bar. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif Shorter URLs are generally better.

This is the sort of thing that can easily be hashed out on IRC.

[inigma]

roger that. you can also hash it out in the official project talk page here:

http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/SEW:Documentation_Project

[inigma]

ill get on irc in about an hour. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Markavian]

I made this logo since there wasn't one on the wiki, but Fyron told me someone had already volunteered.

Maybe you can use it as a discussion point.
http://mkv25.net/showcase/se_wiki_logo.png

[Fyron]

I made you a sysop inigma. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[inigma]

awesome. im just leaving work now. i have a long round trip to take. I will be online in irc at 8pm Mountain Time.

nice logo mark. i recommend something different though - maybe move wiki after "space" and "empires" ... i was thinking people might read it as "space wiki empires" which could confuse some, lol. but nice graphic though.

[Captain Kwok]

Yeah, just go ahead and use Markavians logo. I wasn't going to get to it anytime soon. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Fyron]

Its a temp! The default was horrid.

[Captain Kwok]

Here's a prototype:
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/387681-sewiki.gif

[Captain Kwok]

A second option:
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/387684-sewiki.gif

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I like the blue.

[inigma]

of all the luck...

Sorry Fyron. When I got home last night, the DSL was down hard. I was internet-less for the entire night, and woke up this morning to find it working again after I called them countless times.

Im working overtime today (need cash to move to new home) so I wont be able to get on irc for a while, but I think the discussion pages are a great place to talk about what's needed and what's not.

[inigma]

Oh, and I posted something about article naming conventions. I didn't like the prefix idea (it was only temporary anyway) and it was cool to see that everyone was on the same vibe.

Go ahead and read my post about what I recommend that we add to what you guys already decided, in the Article Naming Conventions Discussion: http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/Talk:Article_Naming_Conventions

[Fyron]

There seems to be some mixed feelings about the new logo (via IRC).

[inigma]

any chance on making this a sticky?

[inigma]

Hey logo master, please read http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/Talk:Documentation_Project for talk on the logo.

I suggest making just the logo and scrap the book (no pun intended).

[Fyron]

Too many sticky threads already, IMO.

[inigma]

well, the point was to create the wiki to help get rid of some of the stickies http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Captain Kwok]

I was hoping that Fyron would extend the left margin as I did make the image larger than the previous 156x156 slot reserved for it. It's ok, but not great.

I'll see what else I can come up with.

And I guess nobody will ever know the secret contents of the text contained in the image. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Fyron]

I want to know!

The side bar is big enough already, I think.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I want to know.

[Captain Kwok]

Secret contents of text contained within the image:

Space Empires is a game created by Malfador Machinations. There have been 4 incarnations with another on the way. There are lots of fans of this great series even if it has cost them jobs, wives, girlfriends, or a bout of vitamin D deficiency. In this 4x game you attack and destroy aliens at will, but also colonize planets and explore, make treaties and design ships - the favourite things to do by Space Emperors everywhere. Thanks to MM!

[inigma]

hehe. that should be on the wiki, perhaps under "Space Empires Wiki Logo"

but I don't know, I was wondering if I might suggest just having the logo and skip the book. The logo is cool, but I think the book looks a little cluttered for a design. but that's just my 2 cents. otherwise, very nice job. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Captain Kwok]

Yeah, I already said I'd come up with something else.

[dogscoff]

Any chance of somehow porting the malfadorica over to the new wiki? I don't much fancy re-entering the dozens (hundreds?) of articles I wrote for that site.

[inigma]

Porting, of course! I wasn't going to say anything until you guys offered.

I'll post an announcement on the SEWiki main page.

[TurinTurambar]

Fyron,
I've noticed that you've done quite a bit of work over at wikipedia.org on the SpaceEmpires entries. Have you put a link in those pages to the new SEWiki?

T

[Fyron]

I was planning to wait until it gets fleshed out a bit more.

[inigma]

someone really should make this a sticky.

[El_Phil]

We still have too many stickys as it is. Just like we've had for the last few pages of this thread.

This is a official hint. TM

[Captain Kwok]

Here is a beginning for a logo:
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/388759-se-wiki-4.png

[Atrocities]

Nice

[TurinTurambar]

If you could "tilt out" the orbiting text a bit to make it more legible that would be a killer logo.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

'wikipedia' is kinda hard to see.

[inigma]

I should mention that by a decision of the consensus that it's not "Space Empires Wikipedia" but that the official name is "Space Empires Wiki" or "SEWiki".

I've created a logo too. What do you think?
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/388779-sewiki.png

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Kinda plain.

[Fyron]

Kwok:
It's a bit hard to read the text on that one.

[inigma]

alright, try this one
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/388789-sewiki2.png

[inigma]

or a bit of a change up...

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/388792-sewiki2b.png

[Captain Kwok]

I do have a non-tilted version as well.

[inigma]

I've created an SEWiki Logo Contest page here for candidates to post their logos for voting on 10/29/05:

http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/SEWiki_Logo_Contest

[dogscoff]

Is there a thread like this one on the Starfury forums?

Which races crossover between SE and SF?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

That one is not plain.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

TurinTurambar said:
Fyron,
I've noticed that you've done quite a bit of work over at wikipedia.org on the SpaceEmpires entries. Have you put a link in those pages to the new SEWiki?

T



Err, no offence, but I do believe that most of that article still comes from the hand of yours truly, who created the ruddy thing in the first place.....

*****

I like the second nebulae logo just a little better than the first (with centered text).

[TurinTurambar]

Didn't mean to slight anyone. Merely glanced at the edit log once and saw a lot of the fyron name, that's all.

T

[Captain Kwok]

Here's one:
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/388950-se-wiki-8.png

[Captain Kwok]

And another:
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/388951-se-wiki-11.png

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Easier to see, but still to much slant. I suggest billboard style text.

[inigma]

oh and kwok, if you haven't already, go ahead and post your logos here for a community vote:

http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/SEWiki_Logo_Contest

[Captain Kwok]

Inigma,

I was under the impression that Fyron had wanted me to do a logo, but if you want it to be a contest then that's fine. But do I get 33% credit for your warp point cut and paste from the SE.net logo? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

Narf,

The text itself is actually not slanted at all. I've just made it wider and used an arc to create that appearance. I don't have any trouble reading the text, with a minor exception for the red planet text which has a bit of texture applied.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

The blue one is easy to see. I missed it, though; I was talking about the red one.

[inigma]

Captain Kwok said:
Inigma,

I was under the impression that Fyron had wanted me to do a logo, but if you want it to be a contest then that's fine. But do I get 33% credit for your warp point cut and paste from the SE.net logo? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif




Oh but of course. In fact, I'll give you credit for the nebula logo. I just want a cooler-looking logo than what we had. Figured a contest would do us good - but I really do like your blue one.

My only concern is that it's Space Empire Wiki, not Wikipedia, but I think I'm losing the momentum on that one. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif I'm just happy we finally have a wiki. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I've been busy trying to get that FAQ up, and I hope to have it done in time for Deluxe. I could use help (hint to other readers).

But in any event, I've left my mark on the SE landscape, and I'm glad we got a wiki. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Let's do it wiki-like, and have the contest anyways. I'd love to see the results of people's decisions for even your many versions of the logo. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Captain Kwok]

I can make it just say wiki, I thought it might weaken the ring motif, but I have a few ideas. It will have to wait until I get home from work though.

I'm not sure on this wiki vs wikipedia thing, what's supposed to be the difference?

Edit:

Nevermind, I did some independent research and found out the answer for myself. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Captain Kwok]

Here is just a wiki version:
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/389374-se-wiki-13.png

[Fyron]

Copying the Newbie FAQ over is causing some issues... The SE4 (http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/Category:Space_Empires_IV) and FAQs (http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/Category:FAQs) categories are being spammed with every page... what if there was a Newbie FAQ for SEIV category that was a subcategory of these two, and all pages of the FAQ were just in it? The SE4 category would still list the FAQ, but only once instead of several dozen times...

Also, the sections that have no player associated with them should be attributed to Slick. The rest of the FAQ menitons who posted the info, so these pages should too.

[inigma]

I completely agree Fyron.

I'd say its time for subcategories for those two.