Help:Types of Content
Unrevised Style Guide SectionThis section of the Style Guide has not been revised from early drafts. As a result, this information is disorganized (as you can see) and possibly not representative of current wiki policies. While you may find useful guidance here, it should not be taken as gospel nor used to settle disputes without wiki mod confirmation.
Fiction Written as Non-Fiction
Because this wiki is presented in the third person biographical style, contributors may feel restrained by the format. However, there are many incredible ways to work within this style. This section is meant to show some of the more varied and interesting ways fiction has been written on this wiki, and does not serve as an exhaustive source of inspiration.
[link to MCWW vs Blaseball, Mills vs Parker] The two trials that have taken place in Blaseball are great examples of ways that the universe can expand with non-traditional document writing. These two events are based heavily in documents modeled after real-world court documents, which together tell a compelling story. In the case of Millennials v. MacMillan III, it included a robust and all-consuming community theater event as well.
[███████, birdiverse (IF-13.1.12-D)] The Yellowstone Magic have brilliantly capitalized on themes of environmentalism and natural magic within their fiction building, exemplified in the ███████ and the Birdiverse. The ███████ is closer in style to writing you might find in SCP, with in-universe documents, reports, and events being described after they take place. This sort of writing can give readers the feeling of stumbling upon something deep, arcane, and intensely foreboding.
[1] The authors for Fitzgerald Wanderlust took a different approach to the Interdimensional Rumor Mill, using the template as a way to describe the non-linear time travels of a historian, and all the potential adventures she may have gotten up to. The method of writing here is more academic in nature, but once again, communicates a great sense of time, scale, and place.
[Dark Seattle Corporates] The Dark Seattle Corporates are, quite simply, a mirror universe where evil corporate overlords have taken over Seattle and wage a shadowy war on the Immaterial Plane. This entry is simple in its style, but it does a lot with the premise to create a terrifying villain for the Garages.
[HELIOLATRY, Sun (real)] The Sunbeams have a robust set of worldbuilding that often is quite absurd in presentation, often stretching the bounds of third-person biographical to offer strange jokes. Through their desire to express a bizarre realm of scorching sun and religious sects, the Sunbeams have written a compelling and hilarious set of worldbuilding articles that deftly fit the wiki style, while carving out their unique identity.
Interdimensional Rumor Mill
[In discussions]
Incineration Narratives
One of the core types of stories told in Blaseball is incineration narratives, and it happens to be one of the places where our stance on the official narrative of Blaseball and the desire to represent all valid interpretations can collide. As such, we have set strict guidelines and some additional suggestions for how to write the incineration of a character. This applies to writing incineration narratives on the wiki, and while we suggest it as a model for Blaseball creative writing off-site, different approaches may be taken at that time.
In general, it's been made clear that the Commissioner believes in incineration as defined: destruction of a thing by burning. What follows is a set of guidelines for how to meet the terms of incineration.
- The story needs to involve fire, flame, burning, or other such hot-ness, and it needs to be inflicted on the player by a Rogue Umpire. As far as Blaseball is concerned, incineration literally means death of the player. As long as your stories include your player experiencing burning heat, as inflicted by a Rogue Umpire, we will consider it 'incineration.'
- When a player is incinerated, they can no longer interact with Blaseball. This is how we meet the "destruction" aspect of the definition. If your player isn't literally destroyed, then their old self must be *meaningfully* destroyed. Their career is over, and they have no direct influence over their teams. Instead, players can either fully die, and be gone, or they can exist in the world as a memorial, a legacy, a worshipped god, or some other creative solution. Please see Caligula Lotus and Landry Violence for prime examples of this.
- Incineration is instantaneous, and this is a true fact about the game. This needs to be reflected in your narratives. After your player is incinerated, they need to enter their final chapter. Anything before the incineration is fair game.
- You do not need to tell an incineration narrative! As far as the wiki is concerned, it is satisfactory to just change a few lines on a player's page to indicate they are dead.
- The most important thing is that the story comes to an end. In many ways, Blaseball simulates loss and pain, and while not every story needs to be totally about those themes, it does need to move on. New players are born out of the Field of Eggs, and we should give them attention and love too.
Other aspects of incineration can be difficult to work with, mainly that characters written to represent any number of people groups can and will die without warning. To that end, we recommend careful consideration of who a character is when initially creating them. Members of the community have expressed concern about young children and animal characters previously. While we do not prohibit the creation of these characters, we strongly urge careful consideration of what your team community may need to go through should a young person, an animal, or a minority representative be killed. The community writing aspect of Blaseball is a core element of the game for us, and if you find yourself uncomfortable with the direction a character is taking, only you can voice your concerns to your community. If you are uncomfortable with the act of incineration entirely, we’d like to ask you to consider if reading or contributing to the community written content is for you.
Finally, in the case of an incineration narrative that meets the standards of placing a Content Warning (described in the Content Warning section), be sure to include that in the appropriate place on the page.
Part I: Wiki Content
Part II: Wiki Contributions
Part III: Style
