Author Topic: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.  (Read 2991 times)

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Offline sigtau

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  • unfortunate technical art assclown
A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
It's a crazy idea, but hey, Wikipedia's doing it, so why not us?

I see all of these references for FreeSpace fans, such as the Reference Bible, the FreeSpace 2 Mission Designer's Guide, Karajorma's FS Oracle, and finally the mothership: The FreeSpace Wiki.  If someone were to take the database and make it into a downloadable resource, wouldn't this serve as a viable alternative to having to pull up the FreeSpace Wiki every time we need information?

In reality, all we would need would be a program that allows us to download a Wiki database and view it locally.  If Wikipedia could do it, so could we.

Discuss.
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Offline captain-custard

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Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
this would be great if

a) this was downloadable

b) there was a help file with  the game

c) the help file was linked to the wiki, the doownloadable file , the original FS manual and the FRED manual

d) we had more cake
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Offline Rodo

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Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
It's a lot of work to have the wiki completely updated, how would you keep the downloadable version updated aswell? you download it all again? you make releases like the FSU and FSO teams?

I think it's a lot of work for something that might not be that usefull for everyone, maybe you guys need it but when I need some more intel I just tipe hard-light.net & then I select the wiki option and search there.
I find that way more efficient as the data is always available for me, I don't have own a CD with the data or fill up my hard drive with intel I might not be using at all.

No against it, just saying I think I will prefer the on-line version over the downloadable one.
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Offline karajorma

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Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
I think updating the help files to link to stuff would be a good idea though. I've already planned to do that for the Diaspora documentation.
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

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Offline Mobius

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Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
That's... amazing. I was about to create a thread about the matter, and looks like sigtau preceeded me. :eek:

The utility of a downloadable FS Wiki, IMO, depends on the contents people are interested on:

1) If you're looking for canon info, the downloadable version is superb: main campaigns, ships, weapons and other topics related to canon have an excellent coverage;

2) If you're looking for info that continuously needs to be updated, like FSO revisions, the downloadable Wiki may lead to confusions. This wouldn't be a big problem, I think, if the downloadable version is periodically updated;

Overall, the idea is good. If we can also find a nice way to distribute the Wiki (Turey's Installer), the outcome may be awesome. :)
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Offline sigtau

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  • unfortunate technical art assclown
Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
What I was thinking for the structure of the program would be something like this:

MediaWiki database is stored as a single database file on the computer, generated and made downloadable by a script on the server.

All we need then is a program that can parse and read the single database file.  The program could periodically check for updates, because the "generating" script would be run once every two weeks or at some interval like that.

The program could also be set up to not even download at all, but instead just act as a search function for the wiki and recall data from the actual wiki (by pulling it off the internet) and placing it on the user's screen.

It's actually more simple than you think.  If iPod and iPhone apps can download Wikipedia pages onto their device, what makes you think we couldn't do it with the FreeSpace Wiki (which, again, runs on the same software as Wikipedia)?
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Offline captain-custard

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Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
Quote
That's... amazing. I was about to create a thread about the matter, and looks like sigtau preceeded me.


its ok Mobius im sure you thought of it first  ;7


apologises but couldnt help myself  :D
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Offline Hammer of HLP 0wnage

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Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
No trolling please.  This is a legitimate topic.

 
Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
No hammer, Mr HammerMan?
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Offline General Battuta

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Re: A downloadable FreeSpace Wiki.
It's not hammer time.

 

Offline captain-custard

  • previously known as andicirk
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"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together."