FAQ

0. Can I play yet?

No, Gaming is not yet open. Feel free to begin exploring ideas on the forums or a blog though.

1. What is the Historical Abstractions Wiki?

Historical Abstractions at wikia was started by HohmannART. The intent of this wiki is to hold collaborative games of speculative fiction writing, and to organize a useful commentary on the process in the form of a hyper linked encyclopedia.

2. What kind of pages are hosted on this wiki?

Pages on Historical Abstractions fall under two main categories: Games and the Community Encyclopedia.

3. What is a Game?

Games are the principle content on Historical Abstractions. A game is a writing prompt setting out conditions under which development of a fictional world should be carried out. That is, each game is a Canon building game. Game pages include stories, in-game references for content, and meta-game discussions. Games can be submitted by anyone but must be submitted to the Game List.

4. What is the Game List?

The Game List is a centralized list of all Active and Closed games on Historical Abstractions. All games remain open until Community Consensus determines otherwise.

5. What is the Community Encyclopedia?

Pages of the Community Encyclopedia should teach a person how to write speculative fiction, they should include but not be limited to: Essays, References, Bibliographies, How to's and other helpful material on writing techniques and research. Ideas on everything from building characters from archetypes and ideologies, to identifying historical pressures and constructing languages. What can be drawn from history, literature, science and gaming to build a more comprehensive tool box of fiction writing? This is an open project.

6. How do I play a game?

By contributing pages and edits to the canon of the game world. If nothing has been said on a subject, add it. The only restrictions to game worlds are established by prompts. The prompt is the only rule of a games canon. All additions to canon must relate to the prompt in some way. In the sense that player additions must take place within the same world as the canon. Community consensus can change any user addition, but never the rules established in the prompt.

7. What is a Prompt?

Prompts are game rules. Every game has its own set of rules defined by a prompt. Prompts are limited to 500 words but may include Hyperlinks to the Community Encyclopedia. Prompts can be as general or as specific as you choose but must remain within the limit, or very close to it.

8. What is a Game World?

A game world is the fictional canon established in a prompt and constructed by participating in a Game. Each game world is comprised of pages and is defined by the hyper-linking and the intertextuality of those pages. Game worlds are determined by their prompts, which define what kind of legal additions and changes can be made to the game world. A game world can be any setting or inspiration, the purpose of the game is the development the of the world of the prompt to its fullest potential.

9. What is the Blog Index?

The Blog Index is a centralized list of players with links to their user blog pages. Blogs can be used for drafting, commentary, opinion or other topics that are relevant to fiction gaming or fall within the general domain of the site's Discourse. Blogs may not be used for any kind of player harassment.

10. Is Historical Abstractions a role playing wiki?

No. But it is similar. Historical Abstractions is not a game where you invent a character to play in a established role playing world. Historical Abstractions is more like a game where everyone plays the Game Master and invents their own role playing world. The encyclopedia exists to record the collected insights of people who build constructed worlds, and to make it faster and easier for people who would like to begin their own. That said, what you do with these worlds is up to you, but exploring role play in your blog space could be a good place to start.

11. Where is the Community Creation Policy?

http://www.wikia.com/Community_Creation_Policy

12. Where can I get more information?

Try exploring the Site Guides or the Community Encyclopedia.

In Development. 1.9.15