Help:Interdimensional Rumor Mill Guide

From Blaseball Wiki

If you have followed a link here for instructions on how to deploy our Interdimensional Rumor Mill (IRM) system to a player page, or for instructions on how to add new Rumors to a player page that already has the system installed, or even what the IRM functionally is, you've come to the right place! This article will describe how to set things up, as well as best practices for adding new Rumors, and style recommendations.

Interdimensional Rumor Mill, Explained

When this wiki was first created, there was no expectation that it would grow as rapidly as it did, with nearly 750 pages being created in the first three weeks of it being online. This came with growing pains, like how to manage multiple interpretations of a character. The Game Band, the developers behind Blaseball, have asserted that many things about Blaseball can be true at once.[1] With all that in mind, we created the Interdimensional Rumor Mill (IRM), a bridge between the real-life needs of our contributors and the unknowable, rapidly expanding fiction of Blaseball.

The IRM is a system of wiki extensions that allows for contributors to offer their unique interpretations of Blaseball players alongside any preexisting or future interpretations with a minimal (though admittedly non-zero) amount of conflict. Any player page that has the IRM installed on it will show the reader a randomly selected interpretation each time the page is reloaded. The first page to have this installed was Famous Owens, with over a dozen different alternate realities and mirror dimensions that you can see as you refresh their page.

The IRM is also an in-universe concept, tied to The Grand Unslam. With the shattering of Los Angeles into infinite possibilities at the end of Season 3, we leveraged this unique opportunity and built the technology necessary to support the fully randomized player pages while keeping the concept of multiple interpretations firmly within the established universe. Any idea you have for a player can be recorded on the wiki as a potential shard of the multiverse, a rumor heard among the rapidly shifting realities of Blaseball. You can read our full in-universe fiction on the Interdimensional Rumor Mill main page.

As time has passed, we've seen some incredible products made using the IRM! Our favorites include IF-1667 and Baldwin_Breadwinner/IF-140.28. However, it also became clear that there is a lot of potential for things to become challenging for a reader to parse, and in some cases conflicts arose over what could or couldn't be added to a player's IRM. To help manage both reader and contributor expectations, we thus reworked the original IRM into its current "standardized" format. Now, readers and contributors can get a sense of what's in the IRM at a glance, while also enhancing the in-universe presentation of this complicated wiki technology.

Basic Usage

There are three core elements to the IRM that must be present to make it functional. Note that all aspects of a template, from its name to its individual arguments, are case-sensitive.

  1. The main player page must have the template {{IRM|Subject=Player Name|format=Desired Format}}, placed somewhere below the Community Reports banner.
    • At present, there are seven formats available for an IRM: a catch-all "filebox," a record that crosses "dimensions," a series of variations on a unified "concept," a specialized "vignette," testimonies on "replicas," a collection that provides a specialized "lens," and a context-shifting "summary." These are explained further below.
  2. A Rumor Registry subpage must be created with the template {{Rumor registry|Subject=Player Name}}.
  3. Finally, new Rumors must be created to populate the Registry and main page.
    • New Rumors can be created from the Registry page.

Assuming everything is set up properly, you will now have a completed IRM installation! Note, however, that it can take up to twenty-four hours for a page's cache to clear and present any newly added rumors. If you're impatient, you can prematurely purge the cache by appending ?action=purge to the end of any page's URL and clicking "Yes" when prompted.

IRM Formats

In an attempt to ease communications around IRMs and provide readers with a sense of what the IRM contains, the following formats were developed for the IRM. To use these formats, simply set the IRM's "format" argument to the variable associated with each format, identified by code formatting in the first sentence (again, case-sensitive). For example, Baldwin Breadwinner's IRM is a "filebox" IRM, so their IRM template call is {{IRM|Subject=Baldwin Breadwinner|format=filebox}}.

Filebox

The filebox format is a catch-all structure for the IRM. If none of the other formats adequately encompass the purpose of an IRM on the page, this is the format to use. The filebox format has the fewest limitations on its contents: a one-sentence entry can coexist alongside thirty sections of experimental fiction written in wiki format, allowing maximum freedom for contributors.

The sole requirement for a filebox IRM is that each entry in the filebox provides a standalone experience of the player’s page, in order to prevent wholly confusing reader experiences. As such, entries must be completely independent from each other, in the sense that all necessary information to understand the entry is presented in the entry. By default, a player is assumed to be a human of indeterminate gender, race, cultural background, and appearance. We respect “show don’t tell” approaches, but trying to imply “this player is a freelance mascot who’s never seen out of suit and maintains an intricate relationship network with a wife, a husband, a spouse, and three significant others spread across the country” in two sentences is too much divergence from this baseline.

A filebox-formatted IRM is generally the sole section under the Community Reports banner, in order to prevent reader burnout from particularly long entries. If, however, the IRM is explicitly proposed to be limited in length, then lenience may be allowed; please contact a moderator when proposing such a limit for the purposes of delivering static content later.

The filebox format can be identified by its title and introduction. The section will always be titled “Box of <Subject> Files,” and the introduction will always be “Dust billows as the file box lands on the table. While many archives in the Interdimensional Rumor Mill are unified in some way, this… definitely isn’t one of them. The accompanying [Rumor Registry] explains all of the contents… wherever it is… but for now you grab the folder labelled [IF-#] and start reading…

Example

Wiki McBlaseball's IRM contains a narrative history of their storied blaseball career, a lengthy experimental piece of fiction, and a brief joke entry about McBlaseball's sports bra. In order to accommodate these extremely different entries, the IRM is formatted as a filebox IRM.

Alternate Dimensions

The dimensions format is a way to present multiple linked versions of a player. This format is suited for a player who has an Alternate or a split timeline for some other reason. Each entry should be unique and recognisable as different interpretations, cover some period of the player’s in-Blaseball history, and have limited information about experiences before or after their time of engaging with Blaseball as we know it. The beginning and/or ending of the in-Blaseball portion should also linearly link to the next entry in the sequence. This is to ensure that interdimensional shenanigans can be portrayed while still maintaining a narrative and timeline that the reader can follow. A dimensions IRM should be the only section under Community Reports.

The dimensions format can be identified by its title and introduction. The section will always be titled “<Subject> Across Dimensions”, and the introduction will always be “In the Interdimensional Rumor Mill’s library, there’s an always-evolving book titled <Subject>’s [Rumor Registry]. A bookmark sticks out from between the pages, labelled [IF-#] and marking the following entry…

Example

Over the course of Miki WcBlaseball's fifteen-season career (Seasons I-XV), WcBlaseball has been Alternated three different times: once in Season V, once in Season VII, and once in Season VIII. WcBlaseball's IRM is decided to be a dimensions IRM, so it contains four entries, each describing a different version of WcBlaseball and covering one of the following time periods: Seasons I-V, Seasons VI-VII, Season VIII, and Seasons IX-XV. Each entry is linked together in chronological order, so the first entry links to the second, the second links back to the first and forward to the third, and so on.

Unified Concept

The "unified concept" IRM (or concept IRM, for short) is suitable for pages where a range of interpretations expand upon - and build from - a core consensus character idea. A concept IRM should be but one section in a Community Report, followed by static content detailing the core character. Entries in a concept IRM should be of similar length, and structured in a way that is complementary to the static content. This way, the page as a whole provides a complete picture of the character. This format lets IRM contributors play with a range of "AU"s without disrupting the broader community understanding of who that character is, while ensuring an archetype is maintained that complements later contributions to the static content. Entries in a concept IRM should not contain narrative histories, but can allow for limited commentary on individual events in order to provide a more complete picture.

The static content in the Community Report section is not a requirement for concept IRM installation, but strongly recommended as it provides the "jumping-off point" for entries. The core concept would be proposed on the Talk Page, and be discussed/updated as required in a way that, ideally, is complementary to the range of interpretations added to the IRM.

The concept format can be identified by its title and introduction. The section will always be titled "The Many Faces of <Subject>," and the introduction will always be “According to the Interdimensional Rumor Mill, some things never change, even across dimensions. Someone, somewhere, decided to catalog all the different versions of <Subject> in a [Rumor Registry], but today the version from [IF-#] is playing. Here’s what the rumors say…

Example

Biki WcMlaseball is generally considered by the community to be an avid dancer who loves their partner, Jason Hamburgerhelper. To allow for variations on that theme, WcMlaseball's IRM is established as a unified concept IRM. The core aspects of WcMlaseball's identity are recorded on their Talk page, and their IRM includes entries that describe WcMlaseball as a merperson doing underwater dancing, a wind spirit that dances with leaves, and an unusually forgettable human that breakdances.

Brief Vignettes

The vignette format is our most customizable IRM format, and should be used to fill in particular aspects of an article's lore. For instance, the Clawliday Inn article uses a vignette IRM to describe entries in its guestbook.

A vignette IRM should be included in conjunction with other lore writing, such as appearance descriptions or history, and will cover one aspect that the rest of the article does not address. Consequently, the rules of what should be included in a vignette entry are unique to each IRM installation-- they must consistently cover the same subject, whatever that subject may be. Additionally, the IRM can be customized with a title and introduction to make clear what content a reader should expect in each entry. You can learn more about vignette customization later in this article, under Customizing Vignettes. By default, however, they will use the title, "A Short Story on <Subject>," and introductions will begin with: "Space twists. Dimensions shiver. Something new springs forth. This time, the Interdimensional Rumor Mill reveals a Rumor from [IF-#] out of its [Rumor Registry]..."

Example

Miki BcWlaseball's page consists largely of a static narrative history, but the narrative history specifically mentions (without detailing) a criminal record. BcWlaseball's IRM is then set up as a vignette IRM to present random items from their criminal past, including a ticket for jaywalking, a notice for "being too cool," and a brief news article about their theft of the Statue of Liberty where they replaced it with an exact replica made from cake.

Replica Testimonials

Starting in Season 18, teams could receive a replica of a Preserved player. Replicas, as players that can only be with a team for a single season and often only for a brief part of one, use a specialized IRM format. The lore of the original Preserved player will be transcluded (isolated from the original page and copied over) onto the Replica’s page, with the Replica IRM immediately below it. Each Replica IRM entry should contain material describing a single Season of the Replica’s career. These sections should be kept relatively brief (no more than 3 paragraphs), as they represent a short period of the player’s career rather than a standalone entry. Each entry should also be labelled with which Season the entry discusses. Replica IRM entries may be independent from each other, or may be linked to prior entries in the Replica’s career. However, all Replica IRM entries should follow from the Preserved player’s lore, or a version of that player’s lore if they have multiple standalone IRM entries.

Replica IRMs can be identified from the title, “Replica Satisfaction Survey,” and the introduction: "New, from the Boss! A limited lease Replica of your favorite Preserved player, with real blaseball-playing action! Guaranteed to give your team that extra something while they last! Don't believe the hype? Don't just take the Monitor's word for it - trust your fellow fans from the Interdimensional Rumor Mill! Why, the fans from [IF-#] were so pleased, they submitted the following testimony to the [Rumor Registry]..."

Example

Blaseki McWiball V is a replica of beloved Preserved player. The majority of McWiball V's page is the original Blaseki McWiball's lore as a sensitive catgirl poet, transcluded from McWiball's page. At the end of McWiball V's page is a Replica IRM with three entries, briefly describing McWiball V's three Seasons back in the ILB and her pro-Boss poetry performed with McWiball's signature catgirl accent.

Unique Lenses

The lens format shares many features with the Replica format, but uses a more generalized theme. It is intended to provide equitable display for multiple works across a particular constraint. In the Replica format, the constraint is a particular Season; i.e., there is one Rumor per Season. However, with the lens, the constraint may be team, position, Season, item, active modification, or another parameter across which the interpretation of the player changes substantially. It is expected that the authors of each Rumor are working collaboratively to write their own lore from scratch for the player, with whatever narrative history they deem appropriate. The key point is that each instance of the constraint only gets one entry, to encourage collaboration within a community and commensurate visibility for each distinct view. Like the filebox format, the length, content, and tone of each rumor may vary widely (depending on the constraint). Thus, unless the length of the IRM is explicitly limited, the lens IRM should generally be the sole section under the Community Reports banner.

The lens format can be identified by its title and introduction. The section will always be titled “A Lens on <Subject>,” and the introduction will be “Layers upon layers of print cover <Subject>'s sole page in the Interdimensional Rumor Mill. A box of lenses accompanies the blackened sheet: filters that reveal an article from the lens's home dimension, written in interdimensional ink. Archivists have painstakingly transcribed each layered article in a [Rumor Registry], but the original is kept on display in keeping with the many authors' intent. Hold the lens from [IF-#] up, and see what is revealed…

Example

Miwlase BcKiball is a shapeshifter with the unique caveat that their appearance, their personality, and even their history change depending on where they are on the idol board. Their IRM contains five entries, one each for when they're off the idol board, at the bottom, in the middle, at the top, and specifically number one on the idol board.

Varying Summaries

The summary format is for situations where users want to pair similar-length but independent character summaries with additional static community lore content. For example: the subject may be a magical girl frog, a pitching robot, a regular blaseball human, or an imperceptible blob, but they always share the historical details of how they were traded to the Tacos in Season 4 and how they have regularly played pranks on their teammates throughout their time in the ILB. Because this IRM is intended to contextualize the rest of the page, it must be the first section under the Community Reports banner, with any static content (assuming it exists) following after.

Summary section titles can be customized to alter the section title, described further under Customizing Summaries. By default, however, the title is “Testimony on Subject’s Identity.” The summary format can always be identified by its introduction: "Stories swirl about <Subject> in the Interdimensional Rumor Mill. Wiki archivists have dutifully recorded some of them in a [Rumor Registry], summarized for easy research. These are the notes for one story from [IF-#]…"

Example

McBlaseball Wiki's IRM contains three entries describing their pitching style: conventional pitching, stunt pitching, and frog-assisted pitching. The frog-assisted pitching entry briefly mentions that Wiki used a record-breaking number of frogs when pitching against Jason Hamburgerhelper in Season X. The rest of their page then describes their narrative history as a pitcher, including the Season X pitching duel against Hamburgerhelper, without mentioning anything about Wiki's style of pitching.

Advanced Usage

If you would like more customization than the "basic installation" allows, we've set up variables in the templates to do so. This section assumes you are reasonably familiar with how templates function; for more information, see the MediaWiki guide on templates.

Customizing an IRM

Perhaps the most dramatic variant of an IRM is the "IRMFull" variant, which presents the entirety of a player's Rumor Registry in a randomized order. To use the IRMFull format, instead of putting {{IRM|Subject=Player Name|format=Desired format}} on the page, simply put {{IRMFull|Subject=Player Name}}. At present, the IRMFull variant does not clearly identify the contents of the IRM, but we still expect contributors to discuss in advance what the IRM will contain, using the above formats for guidance. IRMFull has access to custom titles, introductions, and terms, similar to a vignette IRM.

Additionally, if your desired Rumors would be better called something other than "Rumors," you can change the specific word used with the term argument. Note that if you change the default term, however, you must also change the name of the Rumor Registry accordingly. The term argument must be set both for the IRM and the Rumor Registry template calls. For example, Stephens Lightner's IRM uses the term "Stephen" instead of "Rumor;" as such, their Rumor Registry is actually at Stephens Lightner/Stephen Registry, and their IRM & Rumor Registry template calls both include the argument term=Stephen.

Customizing Vignettes

The title and introduction of vignette IRMs can be customized by including the title and intro parameters, respectively, in your IRM call. You may use one, both, or neither, though we recommend using both to clarify what your vignette IRM is about for readers. An example of using both is as follows:

{{IRM | Subject=John Doe | format=vignette | title=Diary Entries|intro=John Doe kept a private diary which is considered an important artifact of Blaseball player testimonials.}}

There are a few things to keep in mind when writing a new introduction:

  • Introductions will automatically be italicized.
  • Commas in the introduction will break the formatting. There are two ways to work around this:
    • Wrap your introduction in <nowiki> and </nowiki> tags. This will also ignore any other formatting, so use this method with caution.
    • Replace commas with &#44;. This is a special HTML code that is replaced with a comma by your web browser.
  • Line breaks in the introduction will also break the formatting. To work around this, use <br /> (no quotes) wherever you want a line break. Note that a <br /> tag will not produce a line break if the introduction is wrapped in <nowiki> tags.
  • After whatever you write for the introduction, the sentence "This time, the Interdimensional Rumor Mill reveals a <Term> from [IF-#] out of its [<Term> Registry]... will be appended.

Customizing Summaries

Summary IRMs can make use of the feature argument to alter the section title, in the format of "Testimony on <Subject>'s <Feature>." This can be used to further specify what exactly is being summarized in the IRM. For example, Riley Firewall's IRM call is {{IRM|Subject=Riley Firewall|feature=Background}}, so the section is titled "Testimony on Riley Firewall's Background."

Customizing a Rumor Registry

As noted above, a Rumor Registry can have a varying term argument. This argument should align with whatever is used on the main page's IRM template call. Beyond that, however, Rumor Registries can have their own custom introductions, much like vignettes. By default there is no introduction, but you can use the intro argument to set your own much like a vignette IRM. Much like vignette IRM introductions, commas and line breaks will break the formatting (see above for how to circumvent these challenges). Unlike vignette IRM introductions, however, there is no default italicization or final sentence.

Timeline Pages

In some cases, you might want to create a series of IRM entries in the same universe. This can be achieved by using the same IF-number for all of the entries you would like to connect and then creating a page for that timeline. These IRM entries will continue to be randomized in the original player pages, but also listed in a shared page for browsing convenience. For examples of this, browse Category:IF_Timelines. One of the original examples of this is the "Birdiverse," IF-13.1.12-D.

Installing a Timeline

To create a timeline page, go to Help:New_Page and type the name of the IF-number (including the "IF-" prefix). You will then add the following to the body of the page with the IF-number: {{IF_Timeline|id=IF.XXX.XXX.XXX}} It's important to note that the id argument must include the "IF-" prefix. For example, the Birdiverse template call is {{IF_Timeline|id=IF-13.1.12-D}}. You can further customize the timeline template with the term and intro arguments to change the term for your Rumors and the page's introduction, respectively.

Introductions work much like vignette IRMs and Rumor Registries: commas and line breaks will break the formatting. Commas can be added by wrapping the intro in <nowiki> and </nowiki> tags or using &#44; in place of any commas, while line breaks can be added by using <br />. Again, note that a <br /> tag will not produce a line break if the introduction is wrapped in <nowiki> tags. By default, the introduction to a timeline page is "<IF-#> is a timeline that may exist in the Blaseball multiverse. With the creation of the Interdimensional Rumor Mill, fans and historians started archiving rumors and histories using the term '<IF-#>' to describe what they believe to be a particular universe. It is currently unknown whether these suspicions are correct. The following documents may describe a cohesive continuity or a random sampling classified together by Blaseball bureaucrats."

Similarly, term customization operates similar to any IRM. The key exception, however, is that the template assumes that the term is plural. Thus, by default, instead of being "Rumor," the term argument is "Rumors." This argument can be used to establish a unique framing for your timeline without affecting the main page by referring to its constituent Rumors instead as e.g. "Diaries," "Memories," or "Poems" without affecting each player page's IRM.

Technical Considerations

Because the IRM is more complex than your typical wiki page, there are some technical considerations contributors should know about.

  • When using the templates, don't use the "Template:" prefix within the curly brackets, which can sometimes break the template and cause it to not load properly.
  • Make sure that the player names are spelled exactly correct, with proper case.
  • Be extremely cautious about using <choose> tags within a Rumor, as they increase the processing required to produce a page.
  • Unless you have been granted special dispensation by a wiki admin, do not put entire IRMs within <choose> tags. Currently, Ttayw Nosam is the only page that has been granted this dispensation.

Contribution Policies

As with all lore content on this wiki, IRM installations are subject to the wiki's Contribution Policies. We encourage all contributors to read through the entirety of the policies, but the policies relevant to the IRM are detailed below.

  • IRM installations should be proposed on the main page's Talk page, and should include what format the IRM will use and any additional variables being set.
  • New IRM pages should be proposed on the main page's Talk page, and should summarize the contents of the proposed article. You may optionally link to full articles hosted off-wiki, but the summary should transparently describe all major features of the article. An interested reader should not have to go off-site and read an entire article to know what you are proposing, and can contest a page update if they feel the summary doesn't wholly represent the final article.
  • Updates to an IRM page should be proposed on the main page's Talk page, either as a continuation of the original proposal thread or as a new thread. This is because it is unreasonable to expect contributors to add every Rumor for a player to their watchlist, especially in situations where many Rumors are added in a short amount of time (e.g. Emblem Warhorse).
  • All of the above proposals must be on a player's Talk page unchanged for at least twenty-four hours before implementing them. If there is active discussion about a proposal, it should not be implemented until the discussion is resolved.
  • Generally speaking, we grant a minor priority to the fans of a player's current team on the Official Blaseball Discord when deciding whether or not an IRM should be installed on a page. This priority is only used in such situations where compromise is impossible; it should not be taken as an indication that fans of other teams cannot propose an IRM, and does not apply to the expansion of an already-installed IRM.

Additionally, if you want to install the IRM on a non-player page, please reach out to a wiki moderator for approval. We support these unusual uses of the IRM (see Clawliday Inn, Randall Marijuana Memorial Cat Café, and Ron Monstera Memorial Cat Cafe and Sanctuary), but we want to know exactly what the IRM is intended to cover as a subject and what Rumors you already have planned for the IRM (general ideas, not full articles). Generally speaking, a non-player IRM will use the vignette format, described above.

Style Requirements and Considerations

Writing for the IRM is very much the same as writing any other entry on this wiki, and we recommend referencing the Style Guide for more details. There are some specific requirements and considerations for writing for the IRM, outlined below.

Requirements

The style of IRM entries should be the same as other entries, with some extra consideration given for the unique nature of the IRM. The core tenet of the IRM is that all interpretations of a character are to be given equal weight on this wiki, though contributors can use the randomization technology of the IRM to present things besides character interpretations.

When writing new entries, please adhere to typical Style Guide rules. Specifically for the IRM and new entries, the first thing on each entry needs to be a Subheading 1 title (denoted by three equals signs in the Source Editor, e.g. ===Requirements=== for this subheading). This could be anything you might normally use, like "History" or "Personality" or "Favorite Blaseball Pitching Techniques." The reason this needs to be Subheading 1 is that on the main page, the IRM section title is a main heading, and having two main headings immediately next to each other implies they are fully different sections. Any consecutive headings you use must be Subheading 1 or lower (i.e. more equals signs) to maintain a proper hierarchy.

Considerations

Since the IRM can allow for a theoretically infinite number of entries, we want offer some advice for creating new entries.

  • Please consult the Style Guide for big picture writing advice and guidelines.
  • Entries can be as long or as short as you like, as long as the final page in sum provides a casual reader a comprehensible understanding of the player without navigating to other pages or diving into the Rumor Registry.
  • Rumors can use different pronouns than typically used or assumed by the rest of the community. Because Blaseball.com does not officially establish a player's pronouns, a version of a player using any given set of pronouns is somewhere within the Interdimensional Rumor Mill. That said, please use good judgement when using alternate pronouns, as many contributors are invested in specific pronoun choices. As always, our statement on Inclusiveness remains in effect. If you create a Rumor that uses pronouns not used previously, please feel free to add them to the Player infobox hosted on the main page.
  • Fan art is encouraged! Due to the separation of the Rumors from the main page, any fan art that you create for a Rumor will just show up inline when that Rumor is randomly selected. There isn't a method at this time to make the image at the top of the page match the loaded Rumor.
  • Use of Infoboxes is not recommended at this time. Adding a secondary infobox to a Rumor will, once the IRM brings that Rumor into the main page, make page formatting on mobile and desktop hard to look at.
  • Multiple authors can use the same IF number between multiple entries to create a shared universe, if they wish. As always, use the wiki collaboratively, and don't add things to other IF numbers without having a conversation about it first. If you create a shared universe with two or more listings, add all the relevant pages to a Category, where the Category name is exactly the full IF number. You should then have at least one link per Rumor linking to another Rumor from the same universal designation. This is independent of the (optional) timeline page described above.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an IF number?
IF stands for Interdimensional Frequency, and an IF number can be considered a sort of radio station tuning to a specific dimension where your Rumor lives. The concept for Interdimensional Frequency was inspired by The Unmasoning, where The Commissioner restored the Wyatt Masons to some of their original names. Most IF numbers are stylized after the localization performed during the Unmasoning, though exceptions can be made (usually for generating unique timelines).

How do I select an IF number?
Generally, however you want! If you're stumped for a specific number, the Create Page dialogue on the Registry will populate a random number for you. You can change the number as you wish (such as situations where you may be creating a shared universe), though using meme numbers is disallowed (e.g. "69" or variations, "420" or variations, "80085" or variations), and perfect numbers like "1," "10000," or "250" are discouraged. If wiki admins or moderators spot the use of a meme number, we will reassign the number to a randomized digit.

How many Rumors can be created per player?
Theoretically speaking, we can add as many as we want. However, we would generally like to keep the count at 20 Rumors or less per Player. The IRM system uses an indexing extension on the wiki, which comes with the warning that it can cause negative website performance if used excessively. The fewer Rumors per page, the better the IRM will perform, and the faster the website will be for everyone.

Can the IRM be used for non-Player pages?
At this time, there is a small handful of non-player pages that use a customized version of the IRM, such as Randall Marijuana's Cat. This is a custom built system for the unique lore set for Randall Marijuana. Technically, we can deploy similar things to other pages. If this is something your team needs, please contact an admin for assistance.

We will not be deploying the IRM on any pages directly related to game mechanics. This wiki serves dual purpose, as a repository of fan contributed lore, and information about the game of Blaseball. Suggesting alternate realities for game mechanics is not within the scope of this wiki.

Can I set up two (or more) randomization pools in the IRM per page?
At this time, the IRM can only support one randomization pool per page. That being said, you can easily homebrew a smaller randomized pool through the extension RandomSelection. It's very easy to use, and you can read more about it on the official documentation page. Using this extension, you set up a small table of options directly on the page, and edit the options there. It will reload a new option upon refresh, similar to the IRM. If you select this option, please be sure to appropriately contextualize the section where the randomization is occurring, as well as offer a way for readers to view every single random entry without having to open the page’s source editor.

I have a question not covered here.
Please reach out to the wiki team directly on the wiki, in the Official Blaseball Discord's #wiki-talk channel,or on Twitter at @BlaseballWiki.