[CWBP2] Overview and Outline of Current Activity regarding the New Co-op Project

[Falconius]

Hello. Due to the interest a lot of us had in the previous Cooperative World Building Project, and the fact that it has stalled indefinitely, we have decided to start a new one; aptly called Cooperative World Building Project 2 (CWBP 2). This project is currently just getting off the ground, nothing has been decided yet. So if you would like jump in the on the ground floor please do so. If'd you'd like to wait around for more definite information to be released feel free to do that also.

Current threads dealing with CWBP 2: Given that the front page of this subforum (other than the stickies) is now filled with CWBP 2 threads I suggest you start with the top threads.

The world is open for mapping! Get your plot here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/co...yours-now.html

For in depth information on the world maps check this thread: http://www.cartographersguild.com/co...on-thread.html

For a general repository of world maps this is the thread here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/co...epository.html
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For more general information regarding our world:

We have a thread detailing our general "technological" time period. (It roughly equates to late medieval / early renaissance.)

A discussion of the role of magic in our world. (generally seen as mid magic, with some elements of low magic thrown in)

And a thread here describing and discussing our solar system.

For our current Wiki go here http://www.cartographersguild.com/co...ght-board.html
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We are close to having a final form of the operating license regarding this project. Please feel free to come in and look over what we have and see if you might have suggestions.
A link to our discussion about the licensing of the project.

We request that you try to endeavour to keep things submitted to the CWBP 2 separate from your other private projects, as they could also be subject to this license if they share material included in the CWPB 2 project.

Think carefully if you submit something to the project, as it will then be hard to take back, at the very least in the ethical sense.

Here is a link to our copyright members: CWBP2 Wiki

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IF you'd like to join this project, it's really easy, just jump in on the conversations with the "CWBP 2" tags and start throwing your ideas around. As the project moves forward things will necessarily follow some sort of formula in terms of participation, but we aren't there yet.

...if you want something done, it’s better not to wait on others because it might never get done. Especially if you keep the idea to yourself. So if you think that something should be done, like opening a new thread, go for it! This is all our project and its success or failure depends on everyone contribution.

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(this post is in no way determinative, just here to organize whats going on and to provide an overview. It will be edited as the project develops and further suggestions. I am in no way an organized person and outlines aren't my thing, so I apologize if it just makes things more confusing :p.)

[Midgardsormr]

I don't have the time to read over everything that's been discussed so far, so these points may or may not have been covered already, but I thought I'd pop in and offer a couple of suggestions based on my participation in the previous CWBP.

Give a thought to licensing and how it will affect both the creators' rights to their own work and their ability to use graphic elements. The previous project was licensed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, which had a couple of unintended side effects. For one, the license of the very useful cgtextures.com website specifically forbids the use of their textures in CC-licensed work. Although I believe that is based on a misunderstanding of the CC license (which is erroneously described as "open source" on cgtextures), the fact that it is specifically mentioned there means that those textures are disallowed in maps for the original CWBP. The second problem I perceived was the combination of the Share Alike and Non Commercial clauses, which forbids a cartographer from, for instance, selling prints of their own work because the Share Alike clause causes the Non Commercial clause to apply to all derivative works. By way of full disclosure, I am not a lawyer, and there were some other participants who disputed my analysis of the CC license's language. Nobody presented an argument to induce me to change my mind about it, though.

A modified license based on Creative Commons but tailored for the project might be more appropriate. Also, including language permitting The Cartographers' Guild to use the source material for publicity and fund-raising purposes would also be a good idea. An individual cartographer could choose to include such a term in their own licensing or not, but if it's not present at the top-level (the base map, at the very least), then the option is, technically, closed to all subordinate materials. Several of us put such licenses on our own maps, but since NeonKnight never actually released the base map with such a statement, those statements are of questionable legality.

The other thought I had was to establish and secure a wiki early in the process. In my opinion, what killed the first CWBP was the spam vandalism on the wiki. At the very least, frequent incremental back-ups of the wiki database would have prevented us from losing so much work.

[gspRooster]

In regards to..
b)Rough guidelines regarding important thematic maps, (tectonic plate, Major rivers etc.)

I just put up a post regarding tectonics. Hesitant to link to it though, I may have put it in an inappropriate forum location and it may be better suited to tutorials or elsewhere. As of the day of its posting, it was here though...
http://www.cartographersguild.com/ma...-movement.html

Someone else may be more informed in regards to water sheds and river drainage than I, but if no other resources are available, I could make some attempt at explanation.

[Azélor]

I think you should have named it : ''CWBP 2 : master thread''

and I added tags to all the latest threads.

[Azélor]

You should update the first port

1 and 2 ? the section b is done
3, not sure but i think it's done
4 and 5: I'd say: done. Except for the setting guideline, we don't really have that.

Other things to do:

We should try to collect the general informations about the world here too. I did parts of it so I'll post them here once I find them.
(links to discussion threads are mostly temporary, once an issue is done like technology and possibly astrophysics: it's simpler to include the info here)
Include a link to the map repository.
Include the actual copyright or license.
A link to the copyright borad.
A link to the wiki: CWBP2 Wiki
Possibly make contact with the Campaign Builder Guild : The Campaign Builders' Guild and see if some people are interested to join. I'm not a member there, but I think Ghostman is (among others). It seems their previous project CeBeGia has fallen into oblivion : CeBeGia:Main Page - The CBG Wiki

A modified license based on Creative Commons but tailored for the project might be more appropriate. Also, including language permitting The Cartographers' Guild to use the source material for publicity and fund-raising purposes would also be a good idea. An individual cartographer could choose to include such a term in their own licensing or not, but if it's not present at the top-level (the base map, at the very least), then the option is, technically, closed to all subordinate materials. Several of us put such licenses on our own maps, but since NeonKnight never actually released the base map with such a statement, those statements are of questionable legality.

I think this is what we managed to do.



and aside from that, I was wondering if we should do the world descriptions here or elsewhere? Is it inappropriate?

[Falconius]

I feel that it is best to keep all original material here on this site. As you pointed out previously to me way at the beginning of this project, it's not just a mapping exercise but a world building one. I feel that these aspects (world descriptions, histories etc.) while may be tangental to mapping in the strictest sense are really a vital part of the overall creation of maps. Very few people come to the CG wanting to make maps without having something behind the map driving its creation. If it becomes a problem then we should deal with that then, but until then I say go for it.

I'll edit the top post tomorrow.

[Erik2003]

Hello: In researching this site, I saw the Cooperative World Building... Finished or not, is there a way to get a copy of the map? Can I get a download of it? I am looking for a "world" for my game and liked your collective work. I really do not care if it was finished, and I can try to "finish" it and in some ways it should not be finished. I am sure its better than people think.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any concerns...ecentner2003@ yahoo . com

Thanks.

[Falconius]

You'll have to look through the stickeys, which are all original CWBP, and any threads that are from before 2013 for the original CWBP. There was apparently a server crash of or something of the sort and a lot of information was lost, which lead to the death of that project. The second CWBP has no depth of material to use at the moment.

[Midgardsormr]

We all thought it was awesome! But the spam and vandalism attack on the wiki took the heart out of us for working on it. Feel free to browse the forums and take whatever you like. Just remember that it all carries a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license, so you can't sell any of it, or anything based on it (Non Commercial), you must credit the source if you distribute it (BY), and anything you distribute must carry the same or a compatible license (Share Alike).

The Witchlight Strand and Groam were fairly well-developed, if I recall correctly. I don't recall which map segment numbers those were, but a search on those names should find all sorts of good stuff.

I keep meaning to go in and develop Upper Groam and the Tawaren Basin a little bit more, but procrastination… I'll finish that sentence later.

[industrygothica]

So I take a break for a while and the whole place changes on me.. I'm certainly glad to see there's still interest in a CWBP of sorts. That project had my heart for a long time.

I believe I still have everything here from the Witchlight Strand, if someone needs it.


-IG