Jump to content

Off-Topic Culture Rules and Guidelines


-Windrider-

Recommended Posts

Off-Topic Culture Rules

 

Oh hey, so we have a new forum! Off-Topic Culture (OTC) will be the home to all non-LEGO creative endeavors, serving to isolate them from the crazy highway that is COT. This will, I hope, get these works more attention and encourage people to post more off-topic artwork and literature on BZPower.

Anyway, with a new forum come new rules, so please do read before you go filling the forum up!

 

-- This topic's tag will always reflect the date of the latest update. Information on what was updated will always be found in the "Recent Updates" section at the bottom of this post. --

 

What Belongs Here:
 
This will be the home of off-topic (non-LEGO) creative works. These include:

  • Literature (epics, short stories, poems, comedies)
  • Visual art (paintings, drawings, photographs, digital and pixel art, comics, movies, etc.)
  • Music (see the "Music" section for clarification)
  • Member-created video games
  • Avatar/banner/other shops
  • TBRPGs
  • Other things I missed!

I will discuss the different rules for each category of topics below.
 
What Does Not Belong Here:

  • Text games (Describe the Sig, Song Association, etc.)
  • All other off-topic discussion

-- 
 
General Rules Applicable to All Topics: 
 
All feedback should try to be constructive. This is just a suggestion and not necessarily a rule; constructive feedback helps the artist and author more than a generic comment does. I will be moderating on a post-by-post basis when it comes to reviews. Things I will look out for are excessively short posts (e.g. "Wow!") or the same short message posted in several topics.
 
Plagiarism is not tolerated. Post your own work only! 
 
All content must follow BZP's Rules and Guidelines. This prohibits sexual content, excessive violence, and instances of inappropriate language (if unsure, contact me).
 
No double posting except in the cases mentioned in the sections below. In no circumstances are reviewers allowed to double post; only the creators of the topic are, and then only under certain conditions.
 
Please note that posts do not add to your active post count in this forum.

--
 
Rules for Literature Topics:
 
General Rules:
Library topics (collections) are allowed, provided that they contain exclusively off-topic works. Collections containing LEGO-related literature belong in Short Stories. Members with an existing collection in SS may transfer the off-topic works to a new collection here in OTC. Again, however, be fair - create one only if you have a significant number of stories. Library topics should be either tagged or titled appropriately so that they can be recognized as collections.

You are encouraged to log your work in the Library!
 
Rules for Epics:
Please follow the rules outlined here.
 
Rules for Short Stories/Poems:
Please follow the rules outlined here.
 
Rules for Comedies:
Please follow the rules outlined here.
 
--
 
Rules for Visual Art Topics:
 
Please follow the rules outlined here.
 
Rules for Comics:
Please follow the rules outlined here.
 
--
 
Rules for Music Topics:
 
Please follow the rules outlined here.

Use your best judgment regarding pieces with lyrics. Swearing is pretty much a "no"! Other explicit content is definitely a "no."
 
Regarding "off-topic music": Fan music for Bionicle or another LEGO theme is, in theory, indistinguishable from music that belongs in this forum. So, before posting, ask yourself if you were inspired or influenced by a LEGO theme in the creation process. If the answer is "yes," then the work goes in Fan Created Media. If your source of inspiration was something not LEGO-related, then it goes here. I will admit that there is no way to enforce this, so please be fair and honest.
 
--
 
Rules for Video Game Topics:
 
(Games, in this case, are downloadable or web-based and not text-based games, which belong in COT.)
 
Please follow the rules outlined here.
 
-- 

Rules for Avatar/Banner/Other Shops: 
 
Shops do not require approval.
 
Shops need not hire workers.
 
Shop owners are allowed to double post.
 
-- 

Rules for TBRPGs: Please direct your attention to the following topics:

-- 

If you have any questions about these rules, please ask it in this topic or PM this forum's leader. Anyway, please do enjoy the Off-Topic Culture forum. It is because of you guys that it got added! So go, fill it up with your art and literature! 
 
Sincerely, 

Makaru
OTC Forum Leader
 
--
 
Recent Updates:

04/22/2016: Rules largely condensed.
07/24/2014: Updated allowed embedded image file size (750 kB).
07/21/2014: Project-planning/WIP topics given the okay.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do we need to contact anyone in specific if we have an RPG open in the main COT forum? Or are those going to be slowly migrated over here?

 

They, as well as previous art and story topics, will be moved over here, hopefully in the near future.

 

newso1.png

"As a writer you ask yourself to dream while awake." ~ Aimee Bender

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do hope this increases overall RPing activity. I know some RPGs that could use it.

Edited by Basilisk

I believe you find life such a problem because you think there are the good people and the bad people. You are wrong, of course. There are, always and only, the bad people, but some of them are on opposite sides.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Are these rules too complicated? I don't mean to imply that there has been a ton of violations lately (there hasn't been), but I feel like I could present some things more clearly. With such a diverse forum, it's natural that the rules be a bit lengthy, but it's been bugging me nonetheless.

 

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Edited by -Windrider-
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Hey, I'm curious about something. I'm planning a comic thing where it relies solely on battles with combatants chosen through requests. In other words, the comic series will be mostly built around battle requests. Is this okay? If I'm not clear enough, let me give you an example.

 

Person: Hey, I'd like to request a battle. I want Dude 1 to fight Dude 3 in the location Dudeland.

Me: Yeah, no problem.

*a day or two later*

Me. Okay, I made the comic of the battle you requested!

Person: Awesome! I liked it!

 

Will this be okay with you? I wasn't sure if that was okay because it sounded a bit like a game (it's actually based on a video game I own), but in comic format.

mindeth the cobwebs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The "CYOA" format has been used with success in the Comics forum, so I have no problem with your adapting it here. Just be sure to specify whether you want requests posted in the topic or PMed to you: by the current rules, either way is fine.

 

(Just to be clear, though, you will direct the series, right? In other words, you aren't planning a sort of "shop"?)

Edited by -Windrider-
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great, thanks. Just wanted your approval.

 

No, this won't be a shop. People will simply tell me the specs of a dream fight using Dragon Ball Z characters, and I make a comic out of it. All people tell me is who's fighting and where, then I take control of everything else (the plot, ending, everything). Occasionally, I'll make my own fight for fun. I have most of the control.

mindeth the cobwebs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Are YouTube videos allowed to be posted here? I remember that at one point that even mentioning YouTube was forbidden. So I'm just checking.

Add me on 3DS: 0516-7750-0068

Add me on Wii U: Boidoh

 

"I am Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon." - Lloyd, Episode 4: Never Trust a Snake

"I am Lloyd Garmadon, son of Lord Garmadon." - Lloyd, Episode 44: Corridor of Elders

Like, Comment, And Subscribe for Nintendo Content - NinBoidoh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...
  • 1 month later...

I've largely condensed the rules, because honestly I don't know what I was doing when I wrote these in 2012. Nothing's really changed (except for shops; go wild with those), but instead of writing everything out, I linked to the corresponding rules topics in the Creative Outlet subforums.

 

Hopefully it's less daunting and easier on the eyes now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...