Research Forums Guidelines and Information

[tfm]

Welcome to the Tome of Treasures General Research Forums! The purpose of the research forums is fourfold: to serve as an ongoing database for preservation, to provide an avenue for research and discussion, to provide an environment conducive to learning, and most importantly, to provide a platform for your research and ideas. Whereas the Tome of Treasures archives focus strictly on the fantasy role-playing experience as it relates to Dungeons & Dragons and its wake, the research forums enjoy a bit more latitude. Publishers who produced a fantasy-related game are very welcome here. Role-playing games of any genre are also welcome as are publishers who produced fantasy or ancient-world wargames. The interest here is the history and preservation of those people and materials that contributed to the genesis of the fantasy role-playing experience and its aftermath. For some authors and artists fantasy was the only subject. For others fantasy was just one element in a diverse body of work. Both are welcome here.

If you have an item that you wish to submit, here are the guidelines:

The forums are organized primarily by gaming publisher/distributor. Exceptions to this would be the published work of specific authors, like Donald Featherstone or J. Eric Holmes. If an item has no stated publisher, please use the name of the author.

Occasionally, some items can cause confusion. The red-cover Character Archaic, for example, with the "Distributed exclusively by TSR Hobbies, Inc." inside the rear cover, does not have Wee Warriors listed anywhere in the credits, even though it was produced by Pete and Judy Kerestan. Such crossover examples should be posted in both places.

The title of your research thread should carry the date of initial publication by the publisher of your item. That date represents the first time that product from that company entered the world, a birthday if you will. It makes no difference if the sample itself is a later printing. The specific print information will follow in the description.

Always include a front and rear cover scan of your item along with images/descriptions of the variations. Be sure to respect the copyrights of the holders. You cannot reproduce any significant amount of copyrighted material. Scans of maps, counter-sheets, tables, or entire works will be in violation of copyright laws. You may reproduce parts of maps, parts of counter-sheets, and parts of tables, covers, title pages, and product lists as long as it's for academic or scholarly purposes.

The Additional image(s) section is for product lists and for material used for points of comparison. Product lists are especially valuable for research because they indicate other products by the publisher and serve as print-run markers when said information is left unstated. Again, please don't go overboard with images. It's important to respect the intellectual property rights of the owners.

The Additional credits(s) section is for other cited contributors to the product.

Periodicals such as magazines, fanzines, and journals should include a manual listing of the Table of Contents, such as in The Dragon example link here: http://www.tomeoftreasures.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=369. Images of the Table of Contents are not keyword searchable.

The entry itself should look something like the following:

Thread title: Title (date)

Cover image (ideal width = 700px / Max width = 800px)


Title:
Item Code:
Type:
Game System:
Copyright:
Design:
Cover:
Additional Artwork:
Cartography:
Place of Publication:
Printer:
Format:
ISBN:
Cover Price:
Dimensions:

Additional image(s): (ideal width = 700px / Max width = 800px)

Additional credit(s):

======================

The purpose of the entry is to record the data provided by the publisher in the work itself. Any further observations not a part of the publisher's stated record should follow under the line.

Here is a sample entry:


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Thread title: Geriatric Wars (1979)



Title: Geriatric War
Item Code: n/a
Type: Combat simulation game
Game System: n/a
Copyright: 1979 by Tacky-Tac Games
Design: Richard Tucholka and Jeff Matthews
Cover: William Francis Lobbs
Additional Artwork: Pam Smith
Cartography: n/a
Place of Publication: Pontiac, Michigan, United States
Printer: Sunfire Productions
Format: 16 page softcover (stapled)
ISBN: n/a
Cover Price: n/a
Dimensions: length 21.7cm, width 14cm, thickness .1cm

Additional images:



Additional credits:

Technical advice: Mary Kennedy Bauer
Correction of Richard's spelling and grammar: Ree Pruehs
Lawsuits: c/o Gravis Mushnik, esq.
Typesetting: Sunfire Productions
Play-testing: Ben James II, Bob Sadler, Lloyd Stilwell, Kevin "Doc" Dockery


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If you have printings or editions not listed or have information concerning the creation or history of an item, please post them. If you have a better example of an item, please post it. It's very important to get these items recorded so the people who made them are not forgotten. Condition, while a significant factor in value, is less important here. If you have an item from a publisher not represented, please post it under Proposals for Research.

The Tome of Treasures is a progressive, user-based, moderated platform interested in the preservation and research of those people and companies who participated in or contributed to the phenomenons of war gaming and role-playing. Any commentary not connected to that purpose is not encouraged, and please no ebay links in the Research Forums. They expire.

Finally, we are human beings here at the Tome. If you should see an error or have questions about the content of a post, please let us know.