We are please to announce the first HG-run community wiki. To build a comprehensive encyclopedia of Scenario Design has been an unrealized dream for past games. Starting today, we are going to attempt it for AoE3. With your help, we intend build a complete reference for the art of Scenario Design. Here is the link:

http://wiki.heavengames.com/age/

Here are just a few of the features:

• YOU can add new articles, or edit current ones!
  
• A Question Center, where new designers can learn from experienced ones
  
• A Frequently Asked Questions section with a page for each common question.
  
• Complete guides to all the basics of scenario design
  
• A page on every condition and on every effect
  
• The “Design Dictionary”, containing common design-related words
  
• Much, much more.
  

What is a wiki? What’s so great about it?
A wiki is a lot like this forum. People can post on it, format their posts with colors and links, and they can start discussions with each other. A wiki, however, has one critical advantage: Anyone can edit a page on a wiki. Think of the Scenario Design Library for AoK. Only one or two people can edit it to keep its contents up to date! Talk about a lost cause. Then think of a thread giving helpful information to designers. The thread’s poster can edit it, and other people can contribute to it in an unorganized fashion. Now think of a wiki. Anyone in the world can edit it. They don’t even need to have an account, and they can keep information together in a clear and organized fashion, that is easily searched, and easily referenced to other pages.

Skeptical? Many people are. Don’t take my word for it though: there’s a great example of a wiki in action at www.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia is the world’s largest encyclopedia, and it is growing at a phenomenal rate every day.

What sort of information will be on the wiki?
The wiki will be dedicated to information about Age of Empires 3 Scenario Design. This ranges from a section for asking questions, to a section defining design-related words, to a section explaining each condition and effect in the Age of Empires 3 Editor. In short, the wiki will have everything you ever wanted to know about AoE3 design in one place. Have you ever been designing for another game, and couldn’t remember some minor fact? That will never happen to you again once the wiki project is up and running.

Won’t the wiki overlap with the forums?
We’re going to do everything possible to prevent this. Things related to the scenario design community can still be discussed on the forums, as can things relating to AoE3 design. Think of the forums as the place where you work out the “rough drafts” of what will later become articles.

How can I help?
Let’s face it: the wiki project isn’t going to succeed without a concentrated effort from the community. Don’t just assume that the next guy will help out, because he’s saying that about you! In the end, we feel that the reward will be worth it: a better scenario design experience for everyone.

Have you ever wanted to work for HG? This is your big chance!

Right now, HG is looking for committed individuals, who are willing to dedicate their time to making the community better for everyone. These “Administrators”, while not HG staff, will be in charge of one or more of the sections on the wiki (view sections here). So if you think you’ve got what it takes, apply now! Either post a reply in this thread or email spitfire.23@gmail.com and kumarshah@heavengames.com with your application. You should include with your application:

• your email
  
• IM contact info (if possible)
  
• Whether or not you’ve edited a wiki before

I have a suggestion for the wiki
By all means, post your suggestions in this thread. This is a brand new approach for everyone, so we're willing to adapt. We're especially interested in how easy you found it to learn how to edit - making this as easy as possible is our goal. Editing a wiki is at about the same level of difficulty as formatting a post you make on the forums, but the conventions may be difficult to adapt to. When the wiki really gets up and running, we'll be relying on people being able to learn the software easily.

Conclusion
Today, the first step into a larger world has been taken. A long journey lies ahead of us, and nobody can see where the road leads. Ultimately, the success or failure of this project depends on you - the scenario designer.

[This message has been edited by Spitfire (edited 11-04-2005 @ 10:11 AM).]