Multiversal Omnipedia:FAQ

Latest revision as of 07:25, 18 November 2008

What is the Multiversal Omnipedia?

The Multiversal Omnipedia (MOA) is intended to be a complete catalog of all the people, places, items, events, and other things in all dramatic fiction. The emphasis, however, is on fantastic fiction (with events beyond normal human experience) instead of more realistic series. Unlike other sites such as Wikipedia, MOA does not approach its subjects as fictional. We use what they call an "in-universe" style, treating them as if they were real events. In addition, no subject is too minor to have an entry- as long as it has a name, it can have its own entry on this site.

What fictional universes are included? Are any excluded?

Anything from a fictional universe may be included here, as long as it's something only found in fiction. (We don't need entries on real things, except where they relate to fictional universes.) It can be characters, places, and so forth. Check out some of the categories for examples of entries, and look at the universe category for examples of the universes we cover.

The fictional universes covered in MOA may include:

• Any serious fiction from the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror, action/adventure and mystery.
• Any fiction from one of the above genres that has a humorous edge, as long as the fiction also has some dramatic content and/or serious moments.

Fictional universes covered in MOA should also fit the below standards:

• The fiction must be be original or a homage to something original. The original material must appear in some public form outside of this site before it can be noted here.
• Ideally, the fiction should have some depth- multiple stories or some universe background. It shouldn't be a one-shot unless it's a very well-done one-shot. (In other words, it's probably not worthwhile to write entries from, say, a single story in the latest issue of Weird Tales, unless that story is very deep or connected to a larger continuity.)
• The fiction should have some fantastic elements- at the least, it should feature larger-than-life heroes, villains and situations. If it's completely lacking in fantastic elements, it's probably not appropriate.
• As noted above, the fiction should have dramatic content. If it isn't at least partly dramatic, it's probably not appropriate.
• As noted above, the fiction should contain serious moments. If it's totally silly, it's probably not appropriate.
• The fiction should have fairly consistent internal "rules," which only rarely change. If the "rules" change on a whim to fit gags or jokes, or there are no real rules at all, it's probably not appropriate.

Mythologies, folklore, legends, religions and modern tales of the paranormal are automatically acceptable, provided they are from an entire society or held by a large number of people. Those that factor strongly into fictional universes (such as the Greek gods) are particularly favored.

Fictional universes covered in MOA should not have the following:

• Fan-made elements not approved by the fiction's original creators. This means fan fiction, fan art and personal role-playing game sessions are excluded from thie site.
• Fiction with a focus on "mature" content (like erotica or hentai). We also forbid universes from works specifically designed to promote hate-mongering or intolerance of any kind.

If any entry comes from a disapproved universe type, it'll probably be deleted, so don't waste your time making one.

Some special cases and notes:

• If a fictional universe is serious but the characters are all silly, and it's otherwise an acceptable universe, it's usually fine (i.e. The Tick). Likewise, a silly universe with serious characters is also fine if it meets the usual standards (i.e. Cool World).
• Unofficial or fan-made material which gets support from the original creators (i.e. some of the Kargatane's Ravenloft material) is usually fine.
• Due to their prominent place in popular culture, classic literary works that are non-fantastic may be considered, particularly if anyone has linked them to a universe with fantastic elements (such as the Wold Newton Universe).

If someone can make a compelling argument to one of the administrators that their favorite universe is a deserving exception to the above, it may be added anyway. Any other questions about the above should also be directed to the administrators.

What standards should entries be held to?

Entries should adhere to a PG-13 rating. Mature topics (sex, graphic violence, rape) can be referred to, but not described in great detail. (Don't pretend it doesn't exist, just don't linger on it. Describe in one word or as few words as possible. Kids might- in fact, likely will- see this site, after all.)

Is fan material included?

No. Although that wasn't the case in the past (see Appendix 1 of the original site for what was once part), it has been excluded since (mainly because there's so much of it!). Unofficial works that have been endorsed by the official companies (such as some of the official D&D fan sites' material) may also be considered canon, and certain interesting fan speculations and theories may be noted in the entries they refer to. (See also Can I include speculation? Or non-canon or pseudo-canon material? below.)

What if I find a mistake?

For corrections, you can fix them yourself! After creating a user name and logging in, just click the edit tab and you can edit the text of any entry page.

What if I find a good picture for an entry without one?

Just use the Upload file link in the Toolbox on the left side. It's a good idea to add some information about the picture when you do so, such as where it came from. Don't add a link to an external image- all images used at the site must be archived here.

What if a universe I like isn't covered here?

You can add it yourself as a category page, or put in a request. As a warning, if you add a universe of a type we exclude, it may be deleted- unless you can convince the administrators otherwise. (Please ask!)

I want to write an entry. How do I do that?

After logging in, just click a link to the entry you want to write or click the edit tab, and you can tamper with anything you want! See the Help page for specifics on editing.

Can I copy works from other people's Web sites and post them as entries here?

See Multiversal Omnipedia:Copyrights. (That page also includes the policy on copying from Wikipedia.)

I'd like to use something from the site; what do I do?

See Multiversal Omnipedia:Copyrights.

Should I worry about being spoiled?

MOA is spoiler-friendly, so if you don't want to risk learning something about a fictional character or thing, it's best to avoid the entry altogether. That doesn't necessarily mean every entry is spoiler-heavy- in fact, some are deliberately very inspecific- but it certainly means they can be.

Anyone can edit, so can I wipe pages that I don't like?

No. Even if there's something hideously wrong with the page in question, you should contact an administrator before doing so. If you do delete something without permission, odds are an administrator will restore it. So, in short, ask first.

Can I include speculation? Or non-canon or pseudo-canon material?

Yes, but only speculation, non-canon or pseudo-canon material about pre-existing entries (characters, historical events, etc.). If you add this, try to keep it brief, and make sure you designate it as such by putting it a "Comments" section (==Comments==). You should also include a justification for it- some sources that support your speculation, or the reasons that you came up with your speculations. However, posting anything entirely made up by you, with no basis in fact whatsoever, amounts to fan material, and will be removed.