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Should all Starships and Mecha Submissions Need Pics?

Wes

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Staff Member
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There are way too many half-ass submissions and even more submissions that aren't illustrated. Sometimes I feel like people are pushing things through the approval process too often and too fast. Having illustrations would make the site more detailed and more interesting.
 
I agree whole-heartedly. Not everyone needs to make a 3-D rendering, but most of these don't even have a sketch attached to them!

I'm still trying to visualize what the Equine looks like, for example.

I believe we need a minimum of an external view and MAYBE an internal layout diagram.
 
I'm setting up a Paypal account for myself (the only thing I lack is the credit card requirement) and looking for other means to support myself and pay off my school loans. I think I've sort of proven my worth when it came to technical drawings and illustrations too, so, I think I could make myself available to illustrate some of the items on this site.

I would also be willing to recieve payment after the submission would be offered to prove I can deliver without wasting the money of my client further, though future commissions would require the former to be paid off before I start on them.

I have conditions such as me being able to use the artwork I create for the purpose of my personal portfolio, though the actual artwork would, of course, belong to the client ( thus not getting into copyright conflicts and such - my art would be Star Army illustrations *shrugs* )
 
This seems more reactionary than reasonable.

All of my submissions, save the LASR, would not have passed. Many of Thomas' submissions would not have passed. Hell, none of Derran's submissions would have passed.

I realize I'm talking retroactively here, but all this rule seems to be for is to stop the corporation stuff we've had problems with already. We'd be deleting Fian's submissions, for instance; a lot of the Nepleslian stuff would go.

If we can find enough artists who are willing to do it for free, that's cool. But commission work, just to get a piece of the universe in? Maybe on a case-by-case basis, but I still think it just limits things way too much. It seems like a rule you can just slap down to make sure something's not approved, as you're the only one who can call for it, Wes.

Why not just straight about it? "This submission is half-assed, it's not approved." Art should be an incentive to do better, after all -- it was with the LASR.
 
I'm no artist, and I sure as hell don't approve something that'll remove creations from my player base on the sole grounds that they don't have pretty pictures next to the text.

I consider that ridiculous.

Remember, we're WRITERS here first and foremost. Not artists.
 
May I suggest Strongly Encouraging Illustrations? Cause I draw with MS paint and since I'm a visual person, pics do help x.x The submission process however, is a bit finicky, and having to go back and redo any detailed designs I might submit might just piss me off. So therefore I make sketches.
 
Before I dash to work:

Wes, correct me if I'm assuming too much, but you're thinking more long-term with this, right? Illustrations visualize the site, which helps sell it, which helps get more players, etc. etc.

I agree with that statement wholeheartedly. But illustrations should be selective and professional, in my head; requiring it for everything isn't really needed.
 
I don't think it should be required, but I think it should be highly reccomended and encouraged. A great idea shouldn't be turned down because the person doesn't have access to a scanner or can't sketch decently. And all the images we do have should be of a decent quality.
 
Quality isn't important. Whether you draw like a 10 year old or Angelo himself, the fact that you went out of your way to draw for an hour or two is what matters. Even if they don't have a scanner, a simple doodle in MSPaint takes a bit of time and effort. Simply saying something is 'recommended' won't do anything for those lazier folks, so long as they can still take a shot at getting their stuff passed.

Demanding images for the already published ones may be a bit too much, though. There are already hundreds of items with SARP approval...
 
Leutre is right. Furthermore, is a drawing is evocative enough to give someone a good mental picture, that's all that matters.

In the event that better art would be wanted, the original artwork can serve as an excellent reference too.
 
You're going to restrict people from submitting good things just because they have no art. I'm sorry, but I'm a journalist, not a graphic designer. Tom said it best: we're writers first. If something is submitted that is deemed worthy of art, let one of the artists or Wes poke for some or let those artists do it.

The answer to ridding ourselves of half-assed stuff isn't to require art. It's to make people go through tech submission at least on the level of the Goban (Odori-class). Want to really make things impressive? Make it on the level of the Nozomi-class or better.

Make them work harder to write it out, and art will asked for, probably, and it can be sorted from there. We've used stuff without art quite a bit, and it hasn't hampered us.
 
This would only make sense if the artists of this website would offer to draw the submissions, because not everyone is an artist, and I'm quite sure a lot of people won't even try to draw what they're submitting because their artwork sucks, and no one likes submitting things they think suck.
 
It's not a matter of 'being an artist' or not, but rather taking the time. Take this one for example (which I shamelessly ripped off of StarChan).

https://stararmy.com/starchan/starships/ ... 298805.jpg

This looks like it was done in MSPaint. This looks like it was done by someone who wasn't a 'real artist,' but rather just an average guy or girl who had the hand-eye coordination to work a mouse. Yet it provides a lot of information and really helps you picture what the owner was imagined in his/her head. I bet it didn't take much more than half an hour to do.
 
And it takes more artistic power than I and probably others have. And it takes up time I could be using making the thing better.

Derran's also right. I suck. I don't want art that sucks associated with my project.
 
Leutre Veressis said:
It's not a matter of 'being an artist' or not, but rather taking the time. Take this one for example (which I shamelessly ripped off of StarChan).

https://stararmy.com/starchan/starships/ ... 298805.jpg

This looks like it was done in MSPaint. This looks like it was done by someone who wasn't a 'real artist,' but rather just an average guy or girl who had the hand-eye coordination to work a mouse. Yet it provides a lot of information and really helps you picture what the owner was imagined in his/her head. I bet it didn't take much more than half an hour to do.

An hour planning and scribbling it on paper, thirty minutes in MS Paint.
Now that is because it is roughly the shape of an insectoid, humanioid power armors are extreamly hard to draw over MS paint, which is why I did not illustrate them.

I vote no.
 
I'm going to be blunt;

I put effort into what I write up, and I take my time with each thing... but I know I have crap for artistic skill, so I would be unable to produce art for everything I can come up with.

Example: The "Manipulator Arm Module" I came up with for power armor usage, would end up looking like a circle and some squiggles.

On the other hand, if you guys don't mind stuff that looks like a child whipped them up... well... I guess it would be fine. But for now, I vote no.
 
'Art' doesn't have to mean skilled. For example, did a time trial on MS paint.

Six minutes from concept to coloring

Twenty minutes, shaping anatomy, adding detail

The images alone can explain easily 1-3 paragraphs worth, especially those harder bits like the shape of the headpiece or the arranging of armor plates. If no one is picky about quality, I'm sure I and anyone else that can (I'm certain I'm not the only one in SA that can produce art of this lower quality quickly) would be willing to take a few minutes to do a concept art doodle for anyone that asks. The fact you have to ask for help drawing ensures you don't get half-assed attempts, as you'd have to run it by at least one other person. Also, the fact you have to ask helps ensure you don't get one person spamming the board with several designs at once, as we've seen becoming more common lately.

But I can understand it may be trouble for our more experienced members. But on the other hand, Wes has the right idea about trying to cut down new player spam. Let's see... maybe creating a list for people we know are competent designers (veteran members) who are allowed to be exempt from the rule? Or better yet, make a minimum board rank to post concept ideas! Either way, it'll put a hamper on those newer players that insist on spamming multiple threads when they know next to nothing about the SARP. But I'm kind of getting off topic here.
 
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