Guest Entry: Earthdawn Compendium
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Mordom
, Posted in
The following article comes from Flagg and is part of my open call for Guest Bloggers
I think we can all agree that Earthdawn is a great game!
Unfortunately it doesn't have a big online presence. Fifteen years ago, when I first started playing Earthdawn and the internet was a much more desolate and primitive place, there were several flourishing sites, and dozens of fan-made Disciplines to be found. Today, a Google search for 3rd Edition resources will yield this site, the official RedBrick site, and a few that haven't been updated since the early 2000s. Custom Disciplines, Talents, Spells, etc. are almost nowhere to be found. Perhaps part of the problem is that there isn't an active site where people can easily promote their stuff. If such a place existed, perhaps it would motivate people to share what they have?
Enter the Earthdawn Compendium. A few weeks ago I set about the task of custom-building a submissions database from the ground up. After a lot of hard work, it's now at the point where I feel ready to release it to the public. The site allows users to browse an easy-to-navigate database of Disciplines, Talents, Knacks, Spells, Thread Items, and Creature/Dragon/Horror/Spirit Powers, submit their own, rate what other people have posted, and discuss it all on the forums.
As the site is brand new, there isn't a lot of content yet, but that's where you come in! So stop by, check things out, create and account, and start participating! I love feedback on the site, so please tell me what you think.
register, log in, activate.. you really don't want people to use the compendium site easily do you?
In order for the site to track who submits/rates/posts what, and keep spammers out, user accounts are required, and frankly, quite standard. Frankly, I don't think I've set the bar for entry very high at all, but thanks for the snide comment.
If you didn't it'd end up like edpt so well worth it. It's a bit awkward to start out but I haven't had a problem since and I'm pleased you did it.
David - what do you find awkward about it? Any suggestions on how to make it better?
Thanks.
Nothing that wouldn't defeat the point. You need a bit of awkwardness to avoid the spammers. If it weren't a bit awkward a bot can get in. Don't change it, it's fine.
The idea is sound, but I am hesitant to contribute till Red Brick relicenses their content under a free license (like Eclipse Phase). As things stand, you never know when they will be forced to by the lawyers to demand site take down :(
Piotr:
The RedBrick guys are well aware of the site. I don't think it's in danger.
In any case, why would the future threat of the site going down prevent you from submitting content?