Documentation Team/History Class?

[Lucifer]

TWC is a game with a lot of history. The game isn't even close to what it was 3 years ago and will probably be very different in 3 years to come.

It'd be cool to have an official TWC history for future players to look back on. We started one here: http://wiki.wizardschronicles.com/index.php/Main_Page

But it'd be cool to document more than just teachers coming & going. I suggest there be a Documentation Team who do a set amount of work every month to document what happened in TWC. They not only write everything down but they'll make a few short movies every now and then or take screenshots of newly added things, events (Like TWC idol or Prom).

Instead of updating the history on the TWC wiki, the Documentation Team would work within the game creating official History records.

For example - This month (June 2012) they would write down a few paragraphs summarizing what happened. (New updates, special events, any notable drama) add a bit of multimedia and save it within TWC. They'd continue this every month.

At the same time, we need some older players including myself to collaborate on making a somewhat general history from the start of TWC - 2012. That'll be some work but I think it'll be worth it in the end.

Eventually, say a year from now we'd have enough documented history to create an awesome TWC museum and start a legitimate History Class. That way players can learn about TWC's past and have a better feel for really just how much the game has progressed over the years and what TWC is all about.

It's clear this would be a lot of work so they'd have to get some kind of benefit, a reward or thank you of some sort. I'd be willing to help out with this. I just think it'd work best if it the documentation was done within the game with some basic tools (History logs where players could collab together) and an "official" team was created for it.

[Murrawhip]

I think that's what the daily prophet should be doing, albeit with a more blog-like approach (so you're not losing any info.)

However, every attempt we've made at getting a decent prophet going has failed.
I'm not so convinced that a new go at it would be any different.

If we did do it, how would we go about it? Wordpress embedded in an in-game window?

[Lavenblade]

Personally, I really like Lucifer's idea.

I mean, being able to look back at memories is really amazing. To visually look back at TWC years ago would be quite interesting. I mean, seeing the development progress, the events, old faces, memorable times.

The Videos could be kind of crazy, however I think a new year video would be good enough. I mean, videos every month seems like quite a task. However screenies submitted by players that actually have a reason or story behind the photos sound awesome, plus a yearly video or two.

If you think about it, not everything lives on forever. We all know this. So, I feel we should be documenting that way when TWC does come to an end(Hopefully never happens =/), we'll have years and years of memories to look back at.

Memories last a long time, but this way the memories will live on forever.

In regards to the current prophet.-
I feel like the whole prophet thing is just a "World Notice" or "Message of the Day" in a sense. I think if we did do a documentation thing like that, I feel using it in a way that the Daily Prophet is used wouldn't work out. I personally think the Daily Prophet should stay that same since it's basically a way to alert us of events and stuff.

Using the Daily Prophet for writing articles was the funnest part about it for me. Not sure what's happened to that, but even so I don't feel it would mix into the history of TWC stuff. I mean, the stories written are based on imagination, not history.

Lucifer, I'm curious as to how this ideally could be made possible.
If it can be done, you have my support 100%.

Long live TWC history!

[Lucifer]

Yeah, I think Wordpress in a game window would work. It wouldn't be the same as the DP because it'd be more purely history.

ie: This happened, this was the reaction of people, etc.

As long as it's integrated into the game in a tab and made official I think it would succeed. I'd be willing to help & or run it for the next few months. The posts wouldn't even go public as they're written. It's more of a project to work on in the next year and then put out the first segment in say January 2013 for the History of 2012.

It's a little time every month but will end up being a great way for people to explore the history of TWC as it grows over the years, assuming TWC does last as Lav mentioned. Even if TWC does die sometime in the near future, at least we'll have a documented history to put out so everyone can look back at the old times. That's also why I think we need to collaborate with the current older players and get some kind of a history together for pre 2012. Because in another year more of them will be gone. If we wait too long we'll all forget

[Murrawhip]

I honestly don't think that just historical type stuff would be interesting enough to be read by the everyday new player.

I'm rolling out the new website today, that'll have a link to the wiki. Rotem plans to move her guides there too. I am considering restarting the DP with a blog, viewable in-game or on-site, wherein we won't try to make it all "RP".
I'd use it for blog entries about what I'm working on, what's coming up, etc., and we'd have other writers for other things. This would then be summarized and linked to from twitter+facebook.

I understand that it's enjoyable for a few of us to reminisce about past TWC, but I don't think it has a wide enough appeal to dedicate an entire medium to it, in-game. With a well-maintained wiki + blog, I think it would accomplish your goals. If you could make a blog post as a part of this DP blog I'm considering, that would be fine for me.

What do you think?

P.S. I'm not thinking I'll close TWC any time soon.

[Ash]

I like the idea very much, can't wait to see what happens with it!

[Severus]

I honestly don't think that just historical type stuff would be interesting enough to be read by the everyday new player.

Ever since I was a new player just under a year ago, I've always been fascinated about the history of TWC for some unknown reason aha! It's interesting and exciting for some wild reason I cannot even begin to explain.

I like the idea of adding pure history in to the game somewhere.

[Murrawhip]

You're not an every day player.