Expanding Felarya and the timeline

This is a serious topic I wish to discuss with the Felarya community and Karbo especially. Felarya is growing at an incredible rate. Every week new characters are created and placed into this world. However, current Felarya is comprised of a single land mass and is set in a vague time zone of what I assume is 1-5 years. That is just asking for an overpopulation crisis and having everyone's stories contradict each other.

Karbo, I think its time for Felarya to be expanded. You know from just one continent to two or three. To have like a hundred- something main characters in one small space over a short period of time and barley any of them dying is just ridiculous. Granted current Felarya IS big but sooner or later the place is going to be overcrowded. All I'm saying is you should expand the area so more characters, locations, and stories can be introduced without it all looking contrived and questionable.

Also I would highly recommend a detailed timeline be created. I am well aware that the "present" is 2068, but in what years did certain events and characters come by? You know a reference piece just like that size chart you did a while back but with dates and descriptions. I think it might be useful as a guide so people know when certain things happened so they know when to set their stories so nothing is contradicted.

There is already an indepth timeline here (link).

More is added to it as comes up and Karbo agrees with it.



As for the land area, I haven't seen too many issues of people running over/stepping onto the areas of the other. There have been some collab stories, but I haven't seen any major debates or such over it. My story currently takes places outside of the current map, because I need certain things in geographic relationships to make it work. Karbo is planning a new map eventually, but I don't think you'll necessarily be seeing it all that soon. Particularly when there are still areas of the current map which haven't been fleshed out (though in recent times more data has been added in that respect).

Firstly, where do you get idea that new characters are added weekly? We haven't had a new character added in the wiki in a few months. Just writing a bio and then a story doesn't mean that character as canon. Even counting non-canon characters, properly designed characters starring in stories or artwork isn't some flood.

But, as well, the area in Felarya mostly used is very large. There is more than enough room for a variety of characters to be used in a variety of stories. Having a hundred characters that are in a not at all small place and not dying is not ridiculous.

Also, as Aethernavale pointed out, there already is a timeline. Before you make posts like this tackling a large portion of the world it is highly advisable to do research.

As long as people do research there is no reason anyone will step on anyone's toes.

aethernavale wrote:

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Also, as Aethenervale pointed out, there already is a timeline. Before you make posts like this tackling a large portion of the world it is highly advisable to do research.

Jætte_Troll wrote:

Aethenervale

Jætte_Troll wrote:

NERV

Don't mock me for pointing out you terrible secrets.

I'm just worried about all the fan characters being made, a lot of them very good, but only a few becoming canon. Felarya's current space will support only so many characters for so long...

What Aethernavale and JT said, basically. I don't think we have a significant problem here.

I've never really seen stories contradicting one another to any major degree. But even if they did, since their canonicity is indeterminate even when they involve canon characters (except when events from those stories are included in the wiki), it would not be much of a problem in any case.

One way to avoid stories about canon characters contradicting one another is, of course, to keep up with reading the stories about them. I do that (out of sheer interest in the stories themselves, not out of any worry about canon). They tend to come out at pace which is easy and enjoyable to keep up with.

Another thing that might help would be an informal locator map for canon characters. That would enable everyone to know where characters' territories might overlap, and therefore where the events involving one character might conceivably impact on his/her neighbours.

A small map might also be added to the wiki bio of each character with a locator mark... Just a sudden idea.

I have to agree with Aethernavale, JT and French_snack on this... and for stories and canon characters, I tend not to use them. In fact, as far as it goes, I've never included any canon characters... except for a mention to Jora having met two of my characters along with another of Ravana3k's char, but that was in a contest he held long ago...

All and all, with time some things will be included to canon, this expanding the known world and adding more events to make the timeline a bit more detailed.

Thanks for the input French, maybe I was just overreacting.

justpissoffalready : Ack I'm really seeing the things very differently here ^^;
If anything, I worry the world is actually already too expanded, with the large majority of areas being never used. I really don't plan to add anything on the chart for a good while, not until I'm finished with the actual map ( completing every blank entries, flashing things out, and having a general coherence )

FS : this is an idea that have been brought several time and indeed sooner or later I'm going to add that. Maybe using the current infobox template, expanded or something ^^

I think you could easily expand the template box for the minimap, having both a text and an image for setting their current location. I think it could work well...

Karbo wrote:

justpissoffalready : Ack I'm really seeing the things very differently here ^^;
If anything, I worry the world is actually already too expanded, with the large majority of areas being never used. I really don't plan to add anything on the chart for a good while, not until I'm finished with the actual map ( completing every blank entries, flashing things out, and having a general coherence )

So what can be done to encourage more people to place stories in, or create ideas for those unused locations? I have noticed a few members, such as horseman25, who are trying to explore uncharted areas, but they are either lost in obscurity or presenting ideas that may be... not so great. So between people not using those areas and people who are but lacking great ideas, how can we ever finish this current map?

Also, I understand why some people might be concerned about writing a story in a previously unused area and having future changes to the wiki contradict everything they had been working on. That fear might just contribute to those areas going unused still.

Maybe we could make a 'least used locations' list. We all know that places like Tolmeshal, the Forest of Whispers and the Giant Tree, for example, are among the most used ones, while the tundras and even many of the lakes and oceans are quite unused.

If we could have a list of such places, we should be able to encourage others. In fact, if I had that kind of list, I could move my characters a bit more. After all, I need some places to explore too. xD

Perhaps we could have a story or drawing contest and have one of the conditions be that it must make use of a previously unused or least-used setting.

Of course, I won't be entering though. I'm not really a contest person.

Feadraug wrote:

Maybe we could make a 'least used locations' list.

I like that idea. Add in some specific descriptions for each location and it would make a great reference sheet.

I think it's safe to assume that just about any location you find on the map that doesn't have a character icon over it is a least-used location.

gt500x wrote:

I think it's safe to assume that just about any location you find on the map that doesn't have a character icon over it is a least-used location.

*Checks the map on the wiki* I'll make a quick list:

- Imoreith Tundra
- The Green Hell
- Jungle of Perils
- Crimson Woods
- Miragia Forest
- Lake of Illusions
- Great Rocky Fields
- Mist Ocean
- Akaptor Desert
- Great Marshes
- Mycoria Forest
- Pyrale Mountains
- Torpaline Coast

That's a first overview, but of course, there are many more places - I think the Dridder Forest hasn't been that much used either, but don't trust some guy who's nearly all the time at the Forest of Whispers. xD

I don't think a list will be enough. People need some form of incentive to get away from the more popular areas of Felarya.

Well, I think it's a start. Of course, it's not everything, but a start so we can check those areas and find what they can offer so people will get interested in them. That's for sure.

And looking at the map again, I realize how bad I've been using space in my stories. Definitely, I should explore more areas...

Feadraug wrote:

gt500x wrote:

I think it's safe to assume that just about any location you find on the map that doesn't have a character icon over it is a least-used location.

*Checks the map on the wiki* I'll make a quick list:

- Imoreith Tundra
- The Green Hell
- Jungle of Perils
- Crimson Woods
- Miragia Forest
- Lake of Illusions
- Great Rocky Fields
- Mist Ocean
- Akaptor Desert
- Great Marshes
- Mycoria Forest
- Pyrale Mountains
- Torpaline Coast

That's a first overview, but of course, there are many more places - I think the Dridder Forest hasn't been that much used either, but don't trust some guy who's nearly all the time at the Forest of Whispers. xD

There are stories involving Miragia though - I can think of at least three, not including my own (though my story breezes over it and it is more a background detail for two of my main characters). At least one short story (and referenced by several others) about the Great Marshes, I think I recall a few more. I would agree with most of the others - though I do intend to extensively use the Akaptor Desert in my story due to the special magic effects found there. The Desert will play a great role in Aidee's past and the story's future.

I'm covering the thayrn forest with my upcoming stories :/

Take in account that this is not a "not-used locations" list, although it's true some have never been used, but a "least-used locations" one, which is a bit more general. I wrote a 2-part story in Miragia Forest back then - in the days I was more productive -, for example, yet I haven't seen many stories set there.

The thing is to list some locations, find what makes them attractive for writing about them or making pictures representing such places and letting people know, so they get interested in them. We need to provide info on why they should move from usual locations (ie.: the Giant Tree, Forest of Whispers) to others that aren't that usual.

On a semi-related note, just as I was going to post that we needed to find a way to put the lesser used "races" to more use, Globfish posted an illustration of a sphinx. That's what we need more of and it's part of expanding Felarya.

Either we need a create a sphinx day or a contest.

There are plenty of underutilized species on the wiki
Angels, Succubi, any demon species, most of the dridder subspecies, Gerridis (yes I know it's on the dridder page but it's not related to dridders), Elementals, Slug girls, Sphinxes, Demi-Chieras, Nemesises , Slimoids, Ghosts, Chilotaurs, Genies, Vampires, Miaxi, Gyspas, Squamataurs, Mantoids, Lemerians, Ichthys, Scorpisaies, Actiniaes, Inus, Achigates, Razias, Fairies subspecies (most of what I've seen are simply generic faries), and I'm sure there is more.

To add on to the underutilized locations
Lamina, the Ivokan Savanna, the Pyrale mountains, the Fairy Kingdom, Frost Peak, the Grove of Carnivorous Plants, Oloonde lakeland, the Floating Field, and there is plenty more.

It really is a shame that all of this stuff has been developed and no one really uses it. Most of what I read feels like I'm reading the same thing over and over again with just the names changed, along with a couple of events. This can be attributed to several things:
1) Newer, less-talented authors simply trying to mimic what they see.
2) People not spending the time to read through the wiki to find anything different.
3) A general lack of incentive on dA to try anything different. I've read plenty of things on dA that are far from my standards, but when I go look through the comments all a see is pages and pages of shallow praise (simple phrases like great job, wonderful, ect. Now I'm not saying it's wrong to like something I do think however that it's wrong to not say what you liked about it.) It's this type of praise that ferments the philosophy "If it ain't broke don't fix it."
4) People not taking taking the time to make something new that fits within the setting. For example I have yet to see anyone write something about a naga (human size) living in a village. It says quite plainly

The Mighty Wiki wrote:

Small nagas sometimes form far-between villages, which are rather rare.

It's quite clear from that line that human size nagas form villages. So why has no one (to my knowledge) done this? Well in my opinion it would seem that their is a simple lack of effort coming from many writers to spend the time to make anything new that fits withing the world and to be honest I can't blame them. Why would you spend the time making something new, when you could just write the same thing as everyone else and still get praised for it?

To be honest simply creating a contest in my opinion won't do anything except for possibly shift the stories from focusing on locations A, B, and C, with species D, E, and F. To focusing on locations A', B', C', with species D', E', F'. Because all that will happen is that the people who mimic other authors will mimic their newer stuff instead of coming up with their own material.

The only way to change this would be to change the entire mentality of the dA group, and I don't think that that is a possible feat.

I wish I had more time for stories. Some people read me and using new locations and species, posting the stories on DA and all could be a first step... maybe a very little one, but it's a first one, nevertheless.

Subspecies have been underused as well, unfortunatelly, at least in my case, the characters I had created never could fit any of the subspecies for their species and I'm pretty sure some others have run into that problem as well... though I don't know why I'm feeling bad about that, since it's not my fault... oh, wait, it is my fault since I created those chars... Ahem... about other reasons for not using subspecies... oh well, I don't know their cases...

And after all these "let's expand species/locations" talk, I've been thinking of more characters... though I already have eight, which is a HUGE number IMO when I need time for stories. Because that's another problem I've found: developing characters through stories that can also be a vehicle for showing people other locations they can use. It's always better to use "your usual characters" to introduce new ones and to show places you didn't explore before rather than using anonymous protagonists that might be just one-shots.

... Sorry, I think I went a bit off-topic there. I guess I should go back to thinking of stories and ways to make lesser known locations and species... more known.