Guide to a Wiki-Style Factbook, Embassies, and Consulates

[Desmendura]

Made some new improvements in mah factbook, mind if you guys check?

[Ryfylke]

Made some new improvements in mah factbook, mind if you guys check?

That looks fantastic! Just one complaint: Although I don't have the best eyes and it's kind of late here, I'm having to squint a bit to read it. Switching the font to something like Arial or just making it a bit bigger would help a ton I think.

Though it's not finished yet, I would certainly appreciate feedback from anybody on mine.

Thanks for the guide, Ponderosa; it was a huge help.

[Desmendura]

Made some new improvements in mah factbook, mind if you guys check?

That looks fantastic! Just one complaint: Although I don't have the best eyes and it's kind of late here, I'm having to squint a bit to read it. Switching the font to something like Arial or just making it a bit bigger would help a ton I think.

Though it's not finished yet, I would certainly appreciate feedback from anybody on mine.

Thanks for the guide, Ponderosa; it was a huge help.

About your complaint? Noted, I might make a version that is clearer. About your factbook? Not bad, flagged it up.

[Ryfylke]

That looks fantastic! Just one complaint: Although I don't have the best eyes and it's kind of late here, I'm having to squint a bit to read it. Switching the font to something like Arial or just making it a bit bigger would help a ton I think.

Though it's not finished yet, I would certainly appreciate feedback from anybody on mine.

Thanks for the guide, Ponderosa; it was a huge help.

About your complaint? Noted, I might make a version that is clearer. About your factbook? Not bad, flagged it up.

Thank you; likewise.

[Nova Anglicana]

This has probably already been asked, but how are people able to get their overview box to line up on the right side so that the rest of the factbook can take up the middle/left side? Additionally, I'm having trouble with boxing and aligning images. I [box] and [floatright] them, so they end up on the side I want them to, but they shift downwards into parts of the factbook where they're not supposed to go. Can anyone offer a correction? Thank you.

[Ryfylke]

This has probably already been asked, but how are people able to get their overview box to line up on the right side so that the rest of the factbook can take up the middle/left side?

The problem is that both your "language" sections are too long. BBCode keeps writing on the same line unless it runs out of space or you hit enter where you want to break the line. I would unbold "English, Latin," etc. altogether (only headings should be bold, in my opinion), then hit enter as soon as the length of the line exceeds however big your pictures are.

Additionally, I'm having trouble with boxing and aligning images. I [box] and [floatright] them, so they end up on the side I want them to, but they shift downwards into parts of the factbook where they're not supposed to go. Can anyone offer a correction? Thank you.

I can't identify the problem just by looking at your factbook on this issue. Can you show us a picture of exactly what the issue is?

[Nova Anglicana]

I think the reason you couldn't see it is that I hadn't fully published it yet. It is now up. Obviously still WIP.

http://www.nationstates.net/nation=nova ... /id=147086

The problem is that my boxes and my images, despite where I have listed them in the editing section, are not lined up with the proper section (e.g. the Bishop is not under Religion). Thanks for the help.

[Todlichebujoku]

I think the reason you couldn't see it is that I hadn't fully published it yet. It is now up. Obviously still WIP.

http://www.nationstates.net/nation=nova ... /id=147086

The problem is that my boxes and my images, despite where I have listed them in the editing section, are not lined up with the proper section (e.g. the Bishop is not under Religion). Thanks for the help.

Try putting the pics and boxes immediately after (or even before) the title.

[Flyover]

This looks amazing; and I've started to work on mine. However, I do have ONE problem... How do ya'll make your maps? More specifically, how would you make a map of the Earth that included my country (which is an island that does not truly exist)?

[Ryfylke]

I think the reason you couldn't see it is that I hadn't fully published it yet. It is now up. Obviously still WIP.

http://www.nationstates.net/nation=nova ... /id=147086

The problem is that my boxes and my images, despite where I have listed them in the editing section, are not lined up with the proper section (e.g. the Bishop is not under Religion). Thanks for the help.

Now the issue is that your sidebar and your pictures are too big to go side-by-side, so the pictures are getting put where they fit (i.e. below the sidebar). Try reducing the width of your text on either the pictures or the sidebar and I bet they will line up like you want to.

[Ryfylke]

This looks amazing; and I've started to work on mine. However, I do have ONE problem... How do ya'll make your maps? More specifically, how would you make a map of the Earth that included my country (which is an island that does not truly exist)?

When making a map, you want two things: general location and geographic detail. You can get both of those by making a huge robinson or mercator projection with the entire globe and your country included, or you can make things a whole lot easier for yourself by just making two maps for each of the respective purposes of a map.

The first is a small map meant to orient your country. For this one, google "orthographic projection earth" and pick out the view you want. The most Wikipedia-esque ones have white for oceans, gray for other countries, and green for yours, so you'll need to make the existing green parts gray. You'll want a view that is mostly centered on your country, though it'll be hard to be too picky about it. I had to settle for pretty close.

Once you've got your projection, you can use a program like MS Paint to draw in your country. The projection will be zoomed out enough that detail isn't really critical. If you're a stickler for detail, however, you might want to model your country's geography after an existing but less well-know island, change the size and orientation of the island, then paste it in.

The other map will focus solely on your country, not bothering with the rest of the world, since you know where the country is from the first map. This is the map where it really helps if you've modeled your geography after an existing island, as you can skip the most strenuous parts of the cartography and focus on the fun part: making it look nice. Even if you don't, though, this is the map where you'll want to have some fun. Detail is critical, and you'll be using Paint's zoom function quite a bit. In terms of aesthetics, I've found that simple, non-jarring colors work best in a map, so I used an inoffensive gray-blue scheme.

The most critical mistake people make in the map process is forgetting that the best maps are ones you could glance over in a history textbook and not think twice about. Simplicity and professionalism are key in my opinion.

[Todlichebujoku]

This looks amazing; and I've started to work on mine. However, I do have ONE problem... How do ya'll make your maps? More specifically, how would you make a map of the Earth that included my country (which is an island that does not truly exist)?

When making a map, you want two things: general location and geographic detail. You can get both of those by making a huge robinson or mercator projection with the entire globe and your country included, or you can make things a whole lot easier for yourself by just making two maps for each of the respective purposes of a map.

The first is a small map meant to orient your country. For this one, google "orthographic projection earth" and pick out the view you want. The most Wikipedia-esque ones have white for oceans, gray for other countries, and green for yours, so you'll need to make the existing green parts gray. You'll want a view that is mostly centered on your country, though it'll be hard to be too picky about it. I had to settle for pretty close.

Once you've got your projection, you can use a program like MS Paint to draw in your country. The projection will be zoomed out enough that detail isn't really critical. If you're a stickler for detail, however, you might want to model your country's geography after an existing but less well-know island, change the size and orientation of the island, then paste it in.

The other map will focus solely on your country, not bothering with the rest of the world, since you know where the country is from the first map. This is the map where it really helps if you've modeled your geography after an existing island, as you can skip the most strenuous parts of the cartography and focus on the fun part: making it look nice. Even if you don't, though, this is the map where you'll want to have some fun. Detail is critical, and you'll be using Paint's zoom function quite a bit. In terms of aesthetics, I've found that simple, non-jarring colors work best in a map, so I used an inoffensive gray-blue scheme.

The most critical mistake people make in the map process is forgetting that the best maps are ones you could glance over in a history textbook and not think twice about. Simplicity and professionalism are key in my opinion.

I've heard programs like Paint.NET and GIMP work, along with MS Paint.

[Flyover]

This looks amazing; and I've started to work on mine. However, I do have ONE problem... How do ya'll make your maps? More specifically, how would you make a map of the Earth that included my country (which is an island that does not truly exist)?

When making a map, you want two things: general location and geographic detail. You can get both of those by making a huge robinson or mercator projection with the entire globe and your country included, or you can make things a whole lot easier for yourself by just making two maps for each of the respective purposes of a map.

The first is a small map meant to orient your country. For this one, google "orthographic projection earth" and pick out the view you want. The most Wikipedia-esque ones have white for oceans, gray for other countries, and green for yours, so you'll need to make the existing green parts gray. You'll want a view that is mostly centered on your country, though it'll be hard to be too picky about it. I had to settle for pretty close.

Once you've got your projection, you can use a program like MS Paint to draw in your country. The projection will be zoomed out enough that detail isn't really critical. If you're a stickler for detail, however, you might want to model your country's geography after an existing but less well-know island, change the size and orientation of the island, then paste it in.

The other map will focus solely on your country, not bothering with the rest of the world, since you know where the country is from the first map. This is the map where it really helps if you've modeled your geography after an existing island, as you can skip the most strenuous parts of the cartography and focus on the fun part: making it look nice. Even if you don't, though, this is the map where you'll want to have some fun. Detail is critical, and you'll be using Paint's zoom function quite a bit. In terms of aesthetics, I've found that simple, non-jarring colors work best in a map, so I used an inoffensive gray-blue scheme.

The most critical mistake people make in the map process is forgetting that the best maps are ones you could glance over in a history textbook and not think twice about. Simplicity and professionalism are key in my opinion.

Thanks for the help! Can you see if I did this right? Here's a quick draft: (The other islands are in the same region, thought it'd be weird to not include them since they canonically exist in Flyover's history)

[Ryfylke]

When making a map, you want two things: general location and geographic detail. You can get both of those by making a huge robinson or mercator projection with the entire globe and your country included, or you can make things a whole lot easier for yourself by just making two maps for each of the respective purposes of a map.

The first is a small map meant to orient your country. For this one, google "orthographic projection earth" and pick out the view you want. The most Wikipedia-esque ones have white for oceans, gray for other countries, and green for yours, so you'll need to make the existing green parts gray. You'll want a view that is mostly centered on your country, though it'll be hard to be too picky about it. I had to settle for pretty close.

Once you've got your projection, you can use a program like MS Paint to draw in your country. The projection will be zoomed out enough that detail isn't really critical. If you're a stickler for detail, however, you might want to model your country's geography after an existing but less well-know island, change the size and orientation of the island, then paste it in.

The other map will focus solely on your country, not bothering with the rest of the world, since you know where the country is from the first map. This is the map where it really helps if you've modeled your geography after an existing island, as you can skip the most strenuous parts of the cartography and focus on the fun part: making it look nice. Even if you don't, though, this is the map where you'll want to have some fun. Detail is critical, and you'll be using Paint's zoom function quite a bit. In terms of aesthetics, I've found that simple, non-jarring colors work best in a map, so I used an inoffensive gray-blue scheme.

The most critical mistake people make in the map process is forgetting that the best maps are ones you could glance over in a history textbook and not think twice about. Simplicity and professionalism are key in my opinion.

Thanks for the help! Can you see if I did this right? Here's a quick draft: (The other islands are in the same region, thought it'd be weird to not include them since they canonically exist in Flyover's history)

Yup, that's what you're going for! If you've got the time, something to consider might be to make the coastline of your nation a bit more jagged and eroded to better match the rest of the islands in the region. It looks good as it is, but that would be a nice detail.

[Nova Anglicana]

Now the issue is that your sidebar and your pictures are too big to go side-by-side, so the pictures are getting put where they fit (i.e. below the sidebar). Try reducing the width of your text on either the pictures or the sidebar and I bet they will line up like you want to.

Thanks for the help. I reduced the size of the text in my sidebar. Then, I was having an issue where the Largest Cities heading was physically separated from the table. It looked like the pictures were forcing the table downwards, so I eliminated the Thaddeus Wellington picture in favor of a link to it in his name, and that worked. It's looking cleaner now.

[Todlichebujoku]

Now the issue is that your sidebar and your pictures are too big to go side-by-side, so the pictures are getting put where they fit (i.e. below the sidebar). Try reducing the width of your text on either the pictures or the sidebar and I bet they will line up like you want to.

Thanks for the help. I reduced the size of the text in my sidebar. Then, I was having an issue where the Largest Cities heading was physically separated from the table. It looked like the pictures were forcing the table downwards, so I eliminated the Thaddeus Wellington picture in favor of a link to it in his name, and that worked. It's looking cleaner now.

Did you see my response?

[Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva]

Thanks for the help. I reduced the size of the text in my sidebar. Then, I was having an issue where the Largest Cities heading was physically separated from the table. It looked like the pictures were forcing the table downwards, so I eliminated the Thaddeus Wellington picture in favor of a link to it in his name, and that worked. It's looking cleaner now.

Did you see my response?

I moved the pictures, but it didn't necessarily seem to make any difference.

[Todlichebujoku]

Did you see my response?

I moved the pictures, but it didn't necessarily seem to make any difference.

Hmm, that's interesting.

[Desmendura]

As of now, photobucket is down temporarily (I think). So any photo I have from photobucket will just simply show up as "Image" here instead of the actual image itself. Like my embassy program. Better go for dropbox instead.

[Virana]

As of now, photobucket is down temporarily (I think). So any photo I have from photobucket will just simply show up as "Image" here instead of the actual image itself. Like my embassy program. Better go for dropbox instead.

It's important to note that Dropbox only allows premium accounts to enable the Public folder, which is essential for it to act as an image host. It's a new thing, I think, unfortunately.

[Desmendura]

As of now, photobucket is down temporarily (I think). So any photo I have from photobucket will just simply show up as "Image" here instead of the actual image itself. Like my embassy program. Better go for dropbox instead.

It's important to note that Dropbox only allows premium accounts to enable the Public folder, which is essential for it to act as an image host. It's a new thing, I think, unfortunately.

Never mind about that. PB is back on.

[Federation of Trelatche]

I'm passing legislation in my nation and here's the bill. Can someone see if there are any major flaws with it?

[Desmendura]

I'm passing legislation in my nation and here's the bill. Can someone see if there are any major flaws with it?

It's not bad. I don't see any flaws.

[Astholm]

Here's some new code I designed for an infobox on ethnic groups in your nation, based on Wikipedia's design:

Code: Select all

[floatright][box][center][b]ETHNIC GROUP INFOBOX[/b][/center]
    [hr]

    [hr]

    [center][b]Total population[/b]
[/center]
    [hr]
    [center][b]Regions with significant populations[/b]
    [hr][/center]

    [center][b]Languages[/b][/center]
    [hr]

    [center][b]Religion[/b][/center]
    [hr]


    [center][b]Related ethnic groups[/b][/center]
    [hr]

    [/box][/floatright]


[Anollasia]

Here's some new code I designed for an infobox on ethnic groups in your nation, based on Wikipedia's design:

Code: Select all

[floatright][box][center][b]ETHNIC GROUP INFOBOX[/b]
    [hr]

    [hr]

    [center][b]Total population[/b]
[/center]
    [hr]
    [center][b]Regions with significant populations[/b]
    [hr][/center]

    [center][b]Languages[/b][/center]
    [hr]

    [center][b]Religion[/b][/center]
    [hr]


    [center][b]Related ethnic groups[/b][/center]
    [hr]

    [/box][/floatright]


Interesting, thanks.