Wiki menu option seems dead

When on the main page, the Database menu has a button marked "Wiki", and another marked "Wiki - Gothic 3". These options do not appear in the Database menu if I'm not on the front page, and when I click on them, I just get a blank page.

Are wikis supposed to be available, or is this just a holdover from something that was removed?

I was thinking that wiki functionality would be very useful, especially for mod setups and fan patches for older games, NWN recommended campaigns, getting games running under Wine, and that sort of thing.

It was an old option from yesteryear's that sadly has gone to pasture.

Pity. I think a wiki would be a great addition to the site.

It might be, but who is going to do all the work required to set it up and keep it relevant? We've had many people volunteer over the years to do stuff, but after an initial couple of weeks, once the original glow wears off, they seem to totally disappear!!

Originally Posted by Corwin
It might be, but who is going to do all the work required to set it up and keep it relevant? We've had many people volunteer over the years to do stuff, but after an initial couple of weeks, once the original glow wears off, they seem to totally disappear!!

Fair, enough. I was just wondering if it was already in place, based on the menu option.

In terms of maintenance, there's not really much to do with that sort of wiki, particularly if you use the basic type that doesn't use a database. If we put up a guide to the best NWN campaigns, for example, it could sit untouched for years and remain fairly useful.

The initial wiki was for Gothic 3 but it was noticed that other sites (like World of Gothic, or PB as I think it is called now) had better wikis than us. And the conclusion was reached that sites dedicated to specific games would always have more extensive, in depth wikis than ours.

Well, I could argue the case for our own wiki, but I'd rather hear first if Myrthos has any interest in such a thing,

If you tell him you're volunteering to do all the work he might; he's always open to any suggestions that will improve the site.

Originally Posted by Corwin
If you tell him you're volunteering to do all the work he might; he's always open to any suggestions that will improve the site.

If you want me to install a wiki on the server, and put up the NWN page I have in mind, no problem, though I don't see anyone handing me the keys to the server room. As I say, there's very little in the way of technical maintenance for a simple non-db wiki. And a guide to the recommended mods and campaigns for NWN, I think that will be fairly static, too.

I think that could be useful but I wouldn't call it a wiki…

It's more a guide of guides.

Originally Posted by Pladio
I think that could be useful but I wouldn't call it a wiki…

It's more a guide of guides.

How do you mean?

The Wiki has been offline for quite some time. When we did it, it was open to everyone even non registered members, so there was a lot of spam and it required a lot of maintenance.
Now I would limit it to only registered members, so that we can see who did what.
The Gothic data is still there in the database and it wouldn't take too much to set up the wiki again.
Might be a nice experiment.

I'll put it on the list for when we move to a new server.

Sounds good.

I would definitely restrict the access to the appropriate users. People could request access if they want to create or maintain article, and it shouldn't be too much bother. Having it writable to the world would be a maintenance nightmare, I would think.

Originally Posted by Ripper
How do you mean?

In my mind a wiki is where people write things about certain topics.

What you're proposing seems more like a database showing where to find guides and mods

Originally Posted by Pladio
In my mind a wiki is where people write things about certain topics.

What you're proposing seems more like a database showing where to find guides and mods

No, I meant writing my own guide. I'd figure out how to install any patches and tweaks, and the really useful mods. Then I'd write it up as a guide on the wiki. I'd also have a table listing the most recommended campaigns from the members here, along with some details and where to download them.

A while back I setup KOTOR 2, and a load of tweaks and mods, including the restoration project. It required a bit of fiddling about and reading around on old forum posts, and that's the sort of thing I'd also write up on the wiki. I think that would be a nice addition to the Watch.

Originally Posted by Ripper
No, I meant writing my own guide. I'd figure out how to install any patches and tweaks, and the really useful mods. Then I'd write it up as a guide on the wiki. I'd also have a table listing the most recommended campaigns from the members here, along with some details and where to download them.

A while back I setup KOTOR 2, and a load of tweaks and mods, including the restoration project. It required a bit of fiddling about and reading around on old forum posts, and that's the sort of thing I'd also write up on the wiki. I think that would be a nice addition to the Watch.

Ah ok ..
I misunderstood it seems.

Sounds good. Unfortunately I don't have time to help.

Originally Posted by Ripper
No, I meant writing my own guide. I'd figure out how to install any patches and tweaks, and the really useful mods. Then I'd write it up as a guide on the wiki. I'd also have a table listing the most recommended campaigns from the members here, along with some details and where to download them.

A while back I setup KOTOR 2, and a load of tweaks and mods, including the restoration project. It required a bit of fiddling about and reading around on old forum posts, and that's the sort of thing I'd also write up on the wiki. I think that would be a nice addition to the Watch.

Such things could be posted as articles on the main site, if you package it into some kind of story.

I think it would be great to have a wiki, imagine RPGWatch wiki for indie games for example.

Yes there will always be dedicated sites which have better stuff, but we would probably cover much more games, some of which wouldn't even have a wiki.