How To Be The Best Builder
So I've been modding BBC for almost five whole years, right? You see a lot of things in that time. I'd like to think I've learned a lot just by proximity. And there's this one thing that, I dunno how long it's been sitting there in my mind, kinda seems like it shouldn't take five years to hit everyone else. So, I shall share it. Brace yourselves.
When you're building, think for your own selves.
Winding yourselves in 'rules' and 'guidelines' is a horrid way to go through the creative process! Before long, you start worrying about those little details, rather than if your MOC is actually interesting. You treat the 'guidelines' as the only things that matter, forgetting that examining how real-world people, creatures, and things will do you far more good than someone telling you 'these colours should never be used together' ever will. You get so caught up in these meaningless little things, you start measuring yourself by how well you follow those 'rules' and you get more and more fixated on them and you think you're better and better for it and you wonder why those 'tasteless kids' here at BZP never post in your topics don't they know that you're one of if not the best builder around and and and...
Well, is it any wonder, when you're so caught up in the inane and in yourself?
I can't stress this enough. The BZP populace is way smarter than it's given credit for. People who go on about how they never get posts in their MOC or art topics? They rarely, if ever, stop to consider 'is this actually that interesting?'. Let's just ignore the attitudes towards the general populace that seem to accompany these guestions for now: those are for another day. It doesn't matter how 'technically perfect' your guy-with-weapon is. It's a guy with a weapon. It's been done thousands of times before. Is he really that different, that interesting? Chances are high that 'no, no he is not.' I rarely ever see 'make it interesting' or 'make it fresh' in these lists of 'tips'. It's a bit unnerving to me.
Never mind the entitlement complex inherent in 'oh, nobody ever posts in my topics, even though my works are so good'. The posting population of BZP doesn't owe you anything for posting a picture of some pieces or some pixels. They're really not that interested in how good you say and think you are. They really, really aren't. They want something they can actually say something about. That 'horrid' piece done in Paint that's getting way more posts than you? Might have something to do with its artist taking a chance and trying to draw a Toa in a rough-and-tumble action scene. They probably aren't thinking about 'how great' they are when they make things like that: they're just drawing a picture of one of the heroes being awesome and doing their thing.
And, oh, the horrid fascination around buzzwords we seem to have. Every time I see 'needs more custom ahahaha look at this joke and how funny and not-tired it is', I get this inescapable urge to shoot something. Okay, it's actually rather escapable, by reminding myself not to let its mindlessness get to me. This whole 'custom' 'debate'? You all look horribly silly. Knock it off. Same goes for other words people like to bandy around to try and look like they 'know things, man.' Fusion is one of them. Knock it off. Lego is Lego is Lego. Start thinking that way and you'll find things get a lot easier than when you tried to make it bigger than it should be. All those other words and phrases that escape me at the moment? Knock it off.
Yes, you absolutely should read and accept the comments and critiques you get. I'm not telliing you to ignore those. I figured I should mention that, because people have a habit of taking something I say and claiming I said the exact opposite (still not sure why people think I'm 'anti-breast', but hey). I just want you to cut yourselves out of the unimportant things, is all.
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