ToME Wiki
Main thread
BlackSmurf: Why in every game should always appear the same set of non-random artifacts? My proposal is: let's pick a random subset of artifacts from a_info.txt at the birth time of every new character, and only allow the artifacts belonging to this subset to be generated. This would make artifact generation less predictable, and hopefully would stop the scumming for Ringil or Durandil or whatever the scummers are scumming for.
MayLith: AFAIK artifacts are going to be different in 3.0. Interesting idea, though!
Against
SimonSorc: I hate that idea with all my heart! But if you want to multiply the rarity of a random subset of artifacts by 100 at character birth, fine. But I'm against their simple non-existence in the game. It kills hope.
BlackSmurf: Increasing the rarity of artifacts is not a bad thing, in order to make it more valuable. But I'm afraid it would increase scumming, rather than discouraging it.
MayLith: While I'm all for making life harder for scummers, I really don't like this idea. What Simon said: it kills hope. You'd never know if you were just having really bad luck, or the item didn't exist at all. As an alternative, maybe divide the artifacts into two groups. I don't really care if I don't find Travak... maybe some of the "lesser" artifacts could be cycled around.
BlackSmurf: It looks as if you've really got my point. But I'm afraid I don't quite understand yours (from both MayLith and SimonSorc). AFAIK, the goal of the game is defeating Morgoth, not collecting artifacts. Of course, if some concrete artifact is required to achieve this goal (I don't really know for sure, since I've never gone so far), it should be left alone.
BlackSmurf: The weak point of the proposal is: meanwhile it probably would refrain the scumming for 'fixed' artifacts, it wouldn't prevent scumming after powerful randarts.
BurbLulls: I agree. Randarts aside, those with little scope for artifact weapons (*cough*Axemasters*cough*) could be very unlucky and have most of their possibilities for good weapons taken.
BlackSmurf: Poor old axemasters! AFAIK you are right about them: artifact axes should be left out of the treat!
Side thread: Murdering for artifacts
BurbLulls: I've always thought that with the artifacts that were great weapons or armour of whatever hero, you would have to get it from them. Even if that means murdering them... imagine, having to kill Fingolflin (fin?) to get Ringil.
Side thread: Randomizing uniques
BlackSmurf: If you think the proposal of randomizing historical artifacts is nasty, what about the idea of randomizing also uniques (somewhat difficult, since unique monsters are not listed in a separate file)? You would never know for sure who can be in the Void, lurking after you! Ha, ha, ha! (evil laugh) 
Chatter
Chatting about: policy
MayLith: I resent the fact that after I posted, someone turned this page into a poll and placed my writing into a vote. I stated a fact, not an opinion. I will not tolerate the twisting of my words or of anyone else's. I am annoyed by this.
BlackSmurf: 'Someone' was me. Since I posted the message, to begin, I felt free to play the mantainer's role. I'm just exploring the capabilities of the wikiwiki format, as opossite to the php forum. I'm not actually intending to do a poll, just to keep some order. I'm sorry if I've offended you. I've paid care of not touch any of your worlds -may be I've missed some policy rule?-. Anyway, I've done as you wish. Sorry again.
MayLith: Sorry I was cranky. I don't think there is a policy rule about it, but having my posts categorized under something that looks like a poll bothers me. If the heading was there to start with and I could pick where I put comments, I wouldn't mind that at all. But in this particular situation, the heading you put me really had nothing to do with my thoughts on the subject, which represents me as having a view I may not have....do you see what I mean?
If it was just my writing in a spoiler somewhere, that's common domain and open to editing/reworking. But I'm rather more protective about something that I write as a forum-like entry. (Though if I make a misspelling, typo or formatting oops somewhere, I wouldn't mind someone fixing that.)
Anyway, please don't feel like you shouldn't play with wiki structure. We're all learning.
NeilStevens: Reorganizing into a poll was fine. The answer to having one's words edited badly is to correct the edit, not to get cranky about it. MayLith: I don't like having to single you out, but please, please, please work on giving up your possessiveness. The expression of those feelings is destructive to the wiki.
MayLith: And you don't get cranky, Neil? Please. I admit I was crankier than I should have been and I apologized. Please don't let the whole documentation thing spill over into this, as it really, really doesn't apply. He can organize this page anyway he wants, so long as my words' import isn't tweaked by being categorized out of context. If I had posted a "yes" sort of post then I could have cared less if he'd placed it under a yes heading and circled it with lights, but that wasn't the case... and that's what my beef was about. (And I realize what I'm saying here is a slightly different from what I posted above, but I've had time to think about it.)
Wanting to maintain the integrity of my import has nothing to do with possessiveness re: formatting, per se. I didn't want to get rid of the formatting so much as get rid of the problem...but I was tired and cross, so at the time, the formatting "became" [sic] the problem. I did not, as you say, correct the edit at the time because if I had, I would simply have removed all that formatting... and I knew that wasn't right or fair to do. So I left it alone, made my cranky feelings known and let whomever it was fix it to their liking. Which he did, quite gracefully, in a way that made me happy and preserved the structure he wanted.
All that said, point taken, and let's let this thread get back to what it was supposed to be doing. (Much ado about a two-sentence post, oy. :-/ ) And now I'll answer that poll.
NeilStevens: OK, I won't let it spill over. We all get cranky from being tired at times. It's hard to see in this medium when that is the case, though! That's why I assumed the motive I did.
MayLith: I'll try to be more clear about that, then.
BlackSmurf: I placed your contribution under the "Yes" label because the interesting idea phrase made me believe that you were actually supporting my humble suggestion. I feel strongly shocked by your later ultimatum (I mean, the original reply, do you know, not the current, edited one) because I still didn't rather understand your position. Had I broke some anti-poll law? or did you simply hate polls (I don't like them so much)?. Thank you for clearing all that mess.
On the other hand, I must admit that the raw "Yes" and "Nope!" categories were rather inacurate, to say the least. By no means a shy interesting idea could match a through I hate it with all my heart. From now on ahead: if you or anybody else thinks that I'm missportraying his comments, feel you free to relabel it at your own terms. As a good Tolkienan, I tend to think in terms of black and white, and primary colours, and it takes me quite a time to smooth the things.
TheFalcon: How does being a "Tolkienian" make one think like that? (I know it's OT but...)
BurbLulls: Well, a few people aside like Saruman, Tolkien's books are actually quite firm about 'these people are 100% GOOD, these are 100% EVIL'. A nice change of pace from all the double-crossing in other books like it. Or at least, that's what I think.
TheFalcon: Don't be so sure. Have you read the Turin story? Also, what about Maeglin? Have you noticed that the more "doubtful" characters have a rather important effect on everyone else. Well, you're welcome to your opinion, but personally I'm not sure it's entirely accurate.
BurbLulls: Heh, yeah. I've only started Sil, bear with me. LotR seems to be pretty definite on it though.
BlackSmurf: It's a nice point to discuss. And, yes, it's out of theme. I think somewhere else in the wiki there is a section devoted to Tolkien. If there's some way to translate the issue there, I'll try to give you some answer.