Non Fantasy Settings

[Eclipse]

[note]I'm a very review driven poster...if I'm working on a setting and not getting reviews, I get discouraged, hence why I'm asking this first.[/note]I was just wondering if there is a 'market' here for non fantasy settings. I haven't noticed many, if at all, sci fi or horror settings, and since my intended posting genre is superhuman settings, with some horror and some sci-fi and, of course, some fantasy, I was wondering if people would be interested if I were to post those here, or if the best way to get reviews would be to intially focus on fantasy?

[Stargate525]

There are some non-fantasy ones here, and they do get reviews.

[Raelifin]

Yeah, I think it's usually about quality rather than genre. There's also a nasty tendency for quantity to be detrimental, but that's a different story.

[Eclipse]

Quantity is detrimental? What do you mean?

And I'm glad to hear that I don't have to worry about genre.

[Ravenspath]

Reviews often come in spurts, so don't be discouraged if you don't get some for a bit. And if you want to be reviewed it is helpful to review others works too.

As you update your setting thread it bumps it, and thus more people read it and they may or may not write a review that time, but they may the next time as something new sparks an interest.

[Raelifin]

And if you want to be reviewed it is helpful to review others works too.

True.

Discussion along this topic: http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?35509.0

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Because the D&D boards really spawned this site (or rather it is an outgrowth of Xeviat's D&D thread), a lot of the members are real fantasy enthusiasts.

But among them, many (like myself) also enjoy sci fi, and many others are fans of superhero, horror, and the like. Such settings are less common here, but not unheard of, but if you post one, I'd say it may be more likely to get reviews, since it will seem new and different.

[Eclipse]

Then I'll have to form the incoherent notes I have into a coherent setting and start posting it. :)

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Eclipse]Quantity is detrimental? What do you mean?[/blockquote]
There is a nasty tendency for larger/older threads to get less traffic than new threads, even if they are regularly updated.  I think it is due to a few things.
Partially due to the sheer size (what the hell do I reply to?  where do I start?)
And partially due to our instinctive, crow-like instint to pick up what is shiny, new, and unknown...
(which is sad, as some of the deepest, most detailed seting may get overlooked becasue of this.
Many posters have realized this and started posting new idea threads when their threads 'bog', and have found some success.

[blockquote=Phoenix]but if you post one, I'd say it may be more likely to get reviews, since it will seem new and different.[/blockquote]

[blockquote=Eclipse]I'm a very review driven poster...if I'm working on a setting and not getting reviews, I get discouraged, hence why I'm asking this first.[/blockquote]
Word.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Partially due to the sheer size (what the hell do I reply to?  where do I start?)
And partially due to our instinctive, crow-like instint to pick up what is shiny, new, and unknown...

One cure I've seen for this ailment is a two-step approach - First, if you have specific new items you want to get reviews and critiques on, posting "I have specific new items I want to get reviews and critiques on," and then listing said specific items helps a lot.  Secondly, and this is something I've seen some "old and large" settings around here doing (thus defying the "large, old settings don't get as many reviews") is to break up the setting into separate posts.  For instance, let's take Luminous Crayon's "Jade Stage" setting.

First, LC created his Jade Stage thread back in the good ol' days of the site.  Then, he made a completely different thread on the mechanics of Jade Stage, such as rules of magic, classes, etc.  Now, he's working on an entirely different thread for religion in the Jade Stage.  Then, after all that is said and done, he has his Beginners' Guide to the Jade Stage.  Other people around the site have been doing it as well, to their success.

Anyway, to answer your original questions, I think you will get reviews on a sci-fi or horror setting.  In fact, just two or three weeks ago, there were some questions in the Tavern about good sci-fi settings on the site.

[sparkletwist]

Partially due to the sheer size (what the hell do I reply to?  where do I start?)

I agree completely.

To tell the truth, this is one of the main reasons I've been unable to really get through your "stream of consciousness disaster" thus far... :)

[Lmns Crn]

First, LC created his Jade Stage thread back in the good ol' days of the site.  Then, he made a completely different thread on the mechanics of Jade Stage, such as rules of magic, classes, etc.  Now, he's working on an entirely different thread for religion in the Jade Stage.  Then, after all that is said and done, he has his Beginners' Guide to the Jade Stage.  Other people around the site have been doing it as well, to their success.

There may be yet another one in the works in the next few weeks, depending on how much material I can scrape together on a separate topic. :yumm: I think that when the Wikifarm goes live, it'll help me and some other multi-thread-setting-posters get the same idea done a little more elegantly.

I think there is a definite tendency for some settings-- particularly the older and more highly-detailed ones-- to get regarded as somehow part of the scenery. People here on the site are aware of them, but aren't familiar with them. Formidable settings tend to lurk in the corners of the site a bit, and people shy away from them. (I know the Jade Stage is like that for many people. I avoided Orden's Mysteries for a long time, and am still procrastinating about a thorough reading of Red Valor, which is a shame. There are certainly others on my long, long list that fall into this category.)

I wouldn't say it's "quality" that's detrimental to reviews, just proliferation of words. It's a lot easier to read 1000 words on a setting than 1000 pages on a setting, particularly when that information is presented as an encyclopedia, rather than as a narrative (as most worlds are.) So maybe part of the problem is the way that we writers present things, and maybe part of the problem is the nature of the digital medium. (I know I can sink my teeth much more easily into a setting when it's in a physical book in my hands, than when it's on my laptop screen.) As writers, we have our work cut out for us. It's an uphill battle sometimes.

That said, I'd be delighted to see some more diversity in our community's little project-base, and I'm always happy to see new members jump right in and start posting things. So, welcome aboard.

Sorry about all the rambling. :)

[LordVreeg]

Don't be sorry, LC, I think Eclipse's honest question sparked a good 'state of threads' discussion.  And as usual, you had something worthwhile to add. :D

[blockquote=me, Vreeg the Nice]Many posters have realized this and started posting new idea threads when their threads 'bog', and have found some success.[/blockquote]
[blockquote=Ish]One cure I've seen for this ailment is a two-step approach - First, if you have specific new items you want to get reviews and critiques on, posting "I have specific new items I want to get reviews and critiques on," and then listing said specific items helps a lot. Secondly, and this is something I've seen some "old and large" settings around here doing (thus defying the "large, old settings don't get as many reviews") is to break up the setting into separate posts.[/blockquote]

I have a tendency to want to keep things in one place, from an organizational standpoint, but I'm realizing the threads are a place to talk about somehting, not a place to worry about how self-contained it is.

So Eclipse, you asked a good question, engaged some people, and got a good conversation.

And I think that other types of genres are very welcome.  Fantasy 'straight-up' every day gets boring, there needs to be some mixers.

*Phew.*  Coming down from 2 long nights of gaming, GMed bith my main groups this weekend.  I need a glass of wine...

[Lmns Crn]

I have a tendency to want to keep things in one place, from an organizational standpoint, but I'm realizing the threads are a place to talk about somehting, not a place to worry about how self-contained it is.

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that a wiki-like format is ideal (whether an actual wiki or a website whose navigation/links resemble one.) Maybe with some related forum threads to support it-- a discussion thread and (possibly) a "history of wiki updates" thread-- but with the actual information kept out of threads entirely.

I like the weblike organization of a wiki, because I think it has numerous over the hierarchical trees I base my websites upon. I also think the way wiki pages are linked together makes them easy and engaging for users to browse, in ways that many more traditional websites (which fail to effectively use the HTML medium to its full potential) and print books often lack.

Edit: Thread hijacked! Perhaps we should start a new thread for information organization conversation/commiseration.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Uh, I think there was a thread on organization.

I kind of feel the same, LC. I've been seriously considering a Kishar encylopedia, kind of like a mini-Wikipedia just for the world, rather than a bunch of website pages for glossary, cast, organizations, etc. Then, have pages where you could browse by topic, or, if possible, just search the Wiki. I don't know how easy it is to set that up, since I've never used a wiki; I'll look into it when the wikifarm comes online.