Greetings. I am User:Krayfish, and some of you may know me as the founder of Galactic Crucibles. User:The Darkwolf asked me to take a look at this wiki to offer feedback and suggestions. I haven't read through all of the RPGs, but I have browsed through enough to get an idea of what goes on in here.
Here, I'll make a list of the notable issues I've seen along with my suggestions to rectify them.
Issues
It is very difficult to figure out where everything is, especially for a new user. The Wiki navigation buttons lead to deleted pages, and the categories are difficult to locate. At first, I thought this wiki was brand new, until I noticed that all of the RPGs were on blogs. Blogs are not really the best choice for having main content as they tend to get lost fairly easily.
I actually did not know at first that you had to sign an agreement to be able to use the wiki, until I happened upon that page by complete accident. Anything that is important for all new users to read should be linked to on the front page.
Settings
Drawing from existing settings is fairly easy as there is already a well-established source material. However, most of the original settings I've seen in the RPGs are very underdeveloped with little explanation as to what anything is. While some may prefer the style of making it up as you go, it may be easier to create a proper setting to avoid potential plot holes or deus ex machina.
Guides
Particularly, I'm referring to this page as it is the only guide I could find. I realize that the guides may have been trying to be humorous, but for me, it comes across as snide and cynical rather than witty or clever. I would redesign it so that it is far more welcoming in tone as well as refrain from directly insulting the reader. Not to mention, spellchecking the article would make it look much cleaner and more professional.
Suggestions
Settings
I've seen disputes over what the setting of an RPG should be, most notably on this page: Wiki Wide RPG. If I may make a suggestion, try to be a bit more open-minded. Just because a setting uses elements from a certain genre does not necessarily mean that it has to abide by every convention of that genre. A lot of the limitations in certain RPGs I've seen come across as arbitrary without adequate justification. It may be more interesting and original to create blended settings that use elements from multiple genres.
Pages
From browsing the forums, I've learned of a dispute as to whether or not RPGs should be on pages. I have a solution that may better solidify this wiki's foundation:
- Describe the RPG settings on the pages rather than the blogs. Explain the rules and provide adequate background material to establish the setting.
- Have all RPG actions take place in the forum. Individual threads can be linked from the RPG page.
If you are worried about numerous stub pages or abandoned RPGs, then I would impose a quality assurance system. Formulate the ideas in the forums/blogs first, then get admin approval to post it. If an RPG goes unedited for x amount of time, it could be archived/deleted. It may also help if users were required to announce their inactivity.
Lastly, if you want to get more users, then I would apply for Wikia Spotlight - one of the requirements, however, is 200 pages.
Conclusion
So far, I can definitely say that there is a lot that needs to be improved. This wiki seems to be overall lacking in a strong foundation which is crucial for its longevity. Despite this, I see a lot of potential in this wiki.
If there's one thing that should be done, it is to take advantage of the pages - the option to create them is there for a reason. Try to use all of the wiki's features to your advantage.