What would you like to see posted?

[Raesene Andu]

Now that we have a forum to dicuss the Atlas, it makes sense that there is going to actually be something to dicuss. So what do you want to see posted here? Is this going to be an open project now like the BRCS, or do you want to sit back and wait for the Atlas to be released (when ever that will be).

[Osprey]

I would prefer to see something in-between: definitely completed pieces that can stand on their own (like prestige classes and realm descriptions), also those things that you or anyone else on the Atlas team desire feedback or input (like the vital stats for NPC regents - I hope that thread has been helpful to the project).

I think the BRCS, however, is currently foundering because it lacks anyone really being in charge of the project, and I'd hate to see the Atlas fall prey to the same problem. So a big NO on totally opening the whole project to the forums. I'd very much prefer to see key individuals given overall responsibility for various sections, and letting them open up or preview parts as they are comfortable doing so - and hopefully giving a nod to really sound ideas and feedback from the forums. The BR.net gang of active posters is definitely a valuable resource for designers, but I think the whole "mob design scheme" is too disorganized, inefficient, and more problematic than helpful at times. While it would be nice to make certain at all points that the maximum number of BR fans are being satisfied with the new material, it seems like the BRCS experience has proven this too slow and unwieldy to be entirely practical.

So let's learn from our experiences there, and do a a better job of it with the Atlas. Hell, if there are several ambitious designers out there, let's revamp the BRCS design format too. I know in the past people have taken responsibility for sections and then flaked, but I wouldn't assume this will always be the case. Let's put a single committed person in charge of each BRCS chapter, compiling something of a sense of what those chapters should look like based on the forums thus far, figuring out what things need to be decided upon, and then writing the darned things up for real. Once a complete chapter is written, it's much easier for the community to give direct feedback for editing or re-writing as necessary, rather than expanding the nebulous pools of what-if's and maybes. Brainstorming is good, but progress has been painstakingly slow.

Well, there's me own tu'pence for the pot. Do with it as ye will.

Osprey

PS - This would have been an "other" vote 'cause it doesn't really match any of the choices.

[Angelbialaska]

Hit me hard! Give it all to me! Even if it's incomplete or whatnot.

[RaspK_FOG]

I want to second Osprey's idea: present complete material for commentary as well as incomplete material you would like to discuss...

I had earlier on presented the idea of transfering the concept of the Shadow Dancer as the Traverser of Shadows, a halfling-only prestige class that would reflect the halflings' connection to the Shadow World. How about reopening the discussion in its last state here?

[Raesene Andu]

Originally posted by RaspK_FOG@Jan 10 2005, 08:50 PM
I had earlier on presented the idea of transfering the concept of the Shadow Dancer as the Traverser of Shadows, a halfling-only prestige class that would reflect the halflings' connection to the Shadow World. How about reopening the discussion in its last state here?

Sounds like a good idea to me. Anything you wish to include in the Atlas is welcome to be posted here for discussion.

[tcharazazel]

I'm in agreement with Osprey and Rasp. Post the Completed and anything ya'll want to discuss.

[irdeggman]

I think the BRCS, however, is currently foundering because it lacks anyone really being in charge of the project, and I'd hate to see the Atlas fall prey to the same problem.

I think I resemble that remark <_<

The real reason it is floundering is because there are so few people actually writing anything or helping to write anything to make it progress.

Osprey has done quite a lot but other than that it has been mostly me and my polls. A whole lot of diffusing discussion and people, in general, just trying to get their own 2-cents in. Well not quite that bad, but it does tend to fall into a "this our my house-rules and I think we should use and sanction them" type of presentation.

So a big NO on totally opening the whole project to the forums. I&#39;d very much prefer to see key individuals given overall responsibility for various sections, and letting them open up or preview parts as they are comfortable doing so - and hopefully giving a nod to really sound ideas and feedback from the forums. The BR.net gang of active posters is definitely a valuable resource for designers, but I think the whole "mob design scheme" is too disorganized, inefficient, and more problematic than helpful at times. While it would be nice to make certain at all points that the maximum number of BR fans are being satisfied with the new material, it seems like the BRCS experience has proven this too slow and unwieldy to be entirely practical.

Which is pretty much why we (despite public outcry) tried to make the first presentation of the BRCS a total document instead of bits and pieces. Mostly because since it is the rules the chapters and such are actually tied together and intertwined.

So let&#39;s learn from our experiences there, and do a a better job of it with the Atlas. Hell, if there are several ambitious designers out there, let&#39;s revamp the BRCS design format too.

Didn&#39;t you just state that the BRCs was proceeding too slowly? This is actually a contradicting statement.

I know in the past people have taken responsibility for sections and then flaked, but I wouldn&#39;t assume this will always be the case.

History has proven this to be an incorrect statement. The experience with the BRCS and also the Atlas project statistically prove that people don&#39;t understand the meaning of comittment. The number of poeple who signed up to work on the Atlas was somewhere around 3-4 times the number that were on the BRCS list and it deteriorated down to a very few.

Let&#39;s put a single committed person in charge of each BRCS chapter, compiling something of a sense of what those chapters should look like based on the forums thus far, figuring out what things need to be decided upon, and then writing the darned things up for real. Once a complete chapter is written, it&#39;s much easier for the community to give direct feedback for editing or re-writing as necessary, rather than expanding the nebulous pools of what-if&#39;s and maybes. Brainstorming is good, but progress has been painstakingly slow.

This was what I was trying to promote, trying to lay back and be more of an editor/proofreader keeping the project consistent and from straying too far from the original goal. The hardest part with this is that people tend to get distracted and start to work on multiple things at the same time instead of finishing one at a time.

I&#39;ve had some severe holiday computer crashes which have set me back in trying to put together the "final" chap 1. And I still can&#39;t access the site from work But I have doubts that people won&#39;t insist on revisiting everything that has been "decided" to date.


Now the Atlas is more conducive to knocking out in sections since it is really not a rules-heavy project. IMO one of the things holding up the project is the fact that we still haven&#39;t nailed down the noble class. I really believe that is a core class concept for major NPCs in the Atlas.

Another problem is the Awnsheghlien issue. That got sidetracked and we never decided how to capture them.

Having vented I would like to see several people commit to working on chapters of the BRCS. But I am not really interested people who just want their name associated with the project and aren&#39;t willing to do any real work in getting it complete. I am the one who insisted that we be called editors instead of authors in an attempt to remove the propriatary nature of writing and focus more on a community project (at least for final discussion/input).

[Raesene Andu]

Well, seeing that most people would like to see completed or incompleted material posted I will see if I can&#39;t do just that.

Now, many of the realm for Anuire have been completed, but other still need some work, so I&#39;ll go through the Atlas material and post them one at a time over the next few days or weeks.

The Organisations I went through and did all the basic stats for, but most don&#39;t have descriptions. I can either post the entire chapter, or each organisation at a time.