I think the website could use a Peripheral Code of its own.
That is, a collection of problems and potential rulings that come up in the Forum. Especially recurring ones. Or at least links to the forum threads.
I don't know. Wouldn't this peripheral code deliver more arguments to rules-creep-players and undermine GM authority.
If someone adds such a code please don't forget to add a disclaimer that protects a storyguide from munchkinism.
Half the fun of Ars Magica is that so many things are explicitly laid out, that there's a strong objective basis.
Sure, you can (and I have... people using detailed creation and trying to pass off 20/15 books, getting flying labs and massive magic items through vis sale. People using a position as Mystagogue to grant their chars all the virtues they'd ever want with ease. People trying to use original research to alter Form guidelines, or to gain 'Ancient' virtues of tremendous power, people trying to use lenient posted rules to ask God to intervene... effortlessly build an army of spirits... 'take over' Europe...) laid out house rules to prevent abuse or alter the relationship of things, but for those of us who want a 'truer' Ars Magica experience (and I put that in quotations because I know people's definitions of it can change), we'd like things spelled out with clarity and authority.
Heck, RoP: Magic demands it, lest you get magic creatures with powers utterly divorced from their concepts.
Just because someone wants the rules spelled out for them doesn't mean they're advocating intellectual weakness and a license to abuse the system freely.
Hum... It's true that a post-it with links to topics adressing various subjects could be usefull, if only when seeking these past discussions for reference of clarification on a current problem
That would, in fact, be adequate. Would help keep down repetition, certainly.
I've been making a list of bookmarks for my own use to threads which I consider particularly handy as reference points. I'd be happy to take other people's suggestions and try to make a mega-list.
[url]https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/detecting-the-gift-in-potential-apprentices/1924/1]: Detecting the Gift in potential apprentices.
[url]https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/original-research-rules-in-5th-edition/499/1]: Original Research Rules in 5th Edition?
[url]https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/need-rules-clarification-true-lineages-original-research/450/1]: Need rules clarification: True Lineages Original Research
[url]https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/covenants-standard-texts/593/1]: Covenants - Standard Texts
[url]https://forum.atlas-games.com/t/hermetic-economy/606/1]: Hermetic economy
Yes, making such a collection of links would be a good idea.