Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
As the Never Ending Stories community passes the fifth anniversary of its' creation, changes are noticeable. Some of our greatest and oldest members have become less active, while new players and moderators rise to take their place. Rulesets, game types, and maps have been developed, refined, and fluctuated in popularity. While some few players and NESes have become legendary, many of the community's greatest games were played before many of the current generation, not excluding myself, even joined.
The great legacy of brilliant updates, detailed maps, epic conflicts, and stories without end deserves retelling. The combined work of our community, the efforts of its' members, and our shared traditions must be chronicled before they are forgotten. Be it a summary of our greatest moments to conclude our first half decade, or just the first few pages of a story that will outlast our generation, the next generation of players does not have to be born into ignorance.
So, what exactly am I proposing? That deserves some discussion. Obviously a multi-volume, or at least a multi-chapter, history. It would draw on pre-existing data collection attempts, like the NESing Wiki, but itself be a coherent work. It would, like any good historical chronicle, be well researched. Inclusion of citations, referencing "source material" such as updates, stories and orders, and illustrations of maps, flags, and other unique graphics would be essential. Even interviews of surviving NESers collected by PM could be of use.
Upon completion, the chronicle could be polished, formatted as a .pdf, and distributed to community members and interested parties on CFC, or anywhere online, as a download. The importance of having a permanent history on record, for ourselves and others, is self evident.
It would be hard to underestimate the size and scope of this project. Lines (no, not LINES) in the sand will have to be crossed, and certain members of the community will have to volunteer significant portions of their time as editors, writers, and researchers. Almost everyone could be called upon to contribute something. But the rewards will be great: A history of the community, by the community, that will certainly outlast us.
To paraphrase something said about five years ago: We're going to tell a little story, and hopefully it will never end...
Any volunteers?
The great legacy of brilliant updates, detailed maps, epic conflicts, and stories without end deserves retelling. The combined work of our community, the efforts of its' members, and our shared traditions must be chronicled before they are forgotten. Be it a summary of our greatest moments to conclude our first half decade, or just the first few pages of a story that will outlast our generation, the next generation of players does not have to be born into ignorance.
So, what exactly am I proposing? That deserves some discussion. Obviously a multi-volume, or at least a multi-chapter, history. It would draw on pre-existing data collection attempts, like the NESing Wiki, but itself be a coherent work. It would, like any good historical chronicle, be well researched. Inclusion of citations, referencing "source material" such as updates, stories and orders, and illustrations of maps, flags, and other unique graphics would be essential. Even interviews of surviving NESers collected by PM could be of use.
Upon completion, the chronicle could be polished, formatted as a .pdf, and distributed to community members and interested parties on CFC, or anywhere online, as a download. The importance of having a permanent history on record, for ourselves and others, is self evident.
It would be hard to underestimate the size and scope of this project. Lines (no, not LINES) in the sand will have to be crossed, and certain members of the community will have to volunteer significant portions of their time as editors, writers, and researchers. Almost everyone could be called upon to contribute something. But the rewards will be great: A history of the community, by the community, that will certainly outlast us.
To paraphrase something said about five years ago: We're going to tell a little story, and hopefully it will never end...
Any volunteers?