KING'S SPEECH ♕ KING'S RULING UPDATES
Greetings, adventurers!
The population of this kingdom has grown in an impressive manner, and it's time we stabilish a set of rules for us all to live peacefully.
The first weeks will a time of trials and learning, and we'll be gradually instituting and tweaking things here and there for the best interest of this realm. There are things we don't see in planning stages and can only realize once the machine is up and running, so please bear with this questmaster. We're adapting just as much as you.
Starting today, the following rules will be enforced:
1) Challenges can be entered up to 5 (five) times for points, but only once a week, each.
This means you can enter a challenge once a week. Period. A maker who wants to enter all five times will have to do it over the course of five weeks.
The maker can, however, enter more than one challenge per week. In a way that if there are four open challenges, the maker can enter all four challenges, but only once each, posting a total of four batches in that week.
I'm aware that some of you are upset about makers who quickly make a huge number of icons and working their way up the rankings for it, concluding said icons were made half-heartedly and only for points.
Alas, this Questmaster unfortunately can't look inside your hearts to know your intentions while working on your batches. Albeit fabulous, this moustache still does not have legilimency powers (but working on it!), and it can't know if you were doing it only for points or if you believe that is really your best work. Amazing icons can be made very quickly or in fortunate Photoshopping accidents.
You also wish to institute quality standards for new batches. Well, "quality" is a subjective term as well, too subjective to enforce a penalty over those who don't follow it. What you don't consider very good can be the epitome of awesome for someone else. Which is why we need something more objective to follow. This criteria will be the amount of allowed batches per challenges per week: one.
New weeks start a fresh after every Ichronicle posted at iq_thefair which takes place on Saturdays. So once that post goes up, the previous week has closed and the new one begins. In regards to the week of 7th to the 13th, the new week has begun as of THIS POST.
This Questmaster hopes that having to look at their batches for a longer time will encourage makers to work more carefully on each icon, and even revisit old batches and improve their own work. If they're able to make five fantastic batches in one week, great for them! But they'll have to wait five weeks to post, nonetheless. It also give slower makers a fair change to catch up. Let's make it more about improving and making good icons and less about ranking.
2) Variations are not counted for points.
By "variations" are meant icons coming from the same base/cap, with only slight alterations in coloring and including or not text. Makers can, of course, enter different icons from the same cap, but they must start from scratch at each remake.
You can of course post your variations as well, they're still your work, but you can't ask for points due them. I only ask of you to post them below the icons designated for the challenge, and clearly label them as variations. If this Quest Master notices you're trying to pass a variation as a legit icon, you won't be given points for it and points might even be deducted, according to the "penalty" section below.
[Click for examples]VARIATIONS IN WHICH YOU'D EARN POINTS FOR BOTH ICONS
VARIATIONS IN WHICH YOU'D EARN POINTS FOR ONE ICON
3) Remaking old icons and counting them as new isn't allowed.
As stated above, using the same cap twice or more is allowed, but makers must start from scratch each time. Simply editing old icons is frowned upon.
4) Icons posted to the Icon Quest must be made for the Icon Quest
You can't enter icons you made for other challenges as IQ icons. I may not follow every community in existance, but other people are watching and will bring it to this Quest Master's attention sooner or later.
5) Maker's can't post other's work as their own.
It is stealing and will cost you 10% of your total points PER STOLEN ICON, right off the bat. Slightly altered work also fits into this category.
6) Textless Bard icons are allowed only in 100% Bard batches.
Working with text is probably one of the most difficult skills for most icon makers, so Bards will get a little leeway here. 100% Bard batches can have 25% textless icons, but ONLY IF said textless icons reflect strong emotions, on a storytelling perspective.
This is to avoid throwing one or two emotional icons in a batch and calling them Bard for the sake of earning a couple of Charm points. If you're making a mix-match batch, all your Bard icons must have text.
7) There will be penalties for rule breaking.
Rules are made because rules are broken, and acting against them will result in penalties, in the following manner:
1st offence: a warning. You're being closely watched.
2nd offence: participant loses 10% of their total points (equally divided between classes)
2nd offence: participant loses 30% of their total points (equally divided between classes)
3rd offence: participant loses 50% of their total points (equally divided between classes)
4th offence: participant is DISQUALIFIED from the Quest.
This won't be automatic, however: this Questmaster will talk individually to each offender, and only if not convinced the points will be docked. This Questmaster is a very understanding person, but they won't shy away from harshness if need be. One person's fun cannot get in the way of another's, and this master is doing their best to ensure everyone plays happily, but also fairly.
You're encouraged to look through other maker's post and comment on their good work, but also to bring to attention any cases of rule-breaking. Letter to the King allows anonymous posting, so don't worry about being singled out for it. Of course, not every case will be treated the way you want it to be. The final word is and will always be mine. But this Quest Master will do his best to ensure all of you are treated as fairly and as less judgementally as possible, adequating penalty to injury and on the best intentions of the realm as a whole.
This Questmaster would also like to ask of you a little patience with point updating, profile editing, and handling matters such as these. It is a huge kingdom and much has to be done (the wilde boar infestation is grating!), and your matters won't always be ready as quickly as you want.
The King's Rules have been updated to reflect the above, and you're always advised to read them before acting. Suggestions and concerns are always welcome in the form of a Letter to the King. Needing any more clarification, I'm also always here to help you.
Since these rules weren't clearly stated before, they won't be enforced upon past work. But they'll begin to be acted upon effective immediately. They are by no means set in stone, and may be adapted or changed if other situations arise or if they don't solve the current problem. You'll be notified of any changes through announcements like this one. Let's see how this works out.
Play nice and have fun in your Quest!
♕ thequestmaster ♕
The population of this kingdom has grown in an impressive manner, and it's time we stabilish a set of rules for us all to live peacefully.
The first weeks will a time of trials and learning, and we'll be gradually instituting and tweaking things here and there for the best interest of this realm. There are things we don't see in planning stages and can only realize once the machine is up and running, so please bear with this questmaster. We're adapting just as much as you.
Starting today, the following rules will be enforced:
1) Challenges can be entered up to 5 (five) times for points, but only once a week, each.
This means you can enter a challenge once a week. Period. A maker who wants to enter all five times will have to do it over the course of five weeks.
The maker can, however, enter more than one challenge per week. In a way that if there are four open challenges, the maker can enter all four challenges, but only once each, posting a total of four batches in that week.
I'm aware that some of you are upset about makers who quickly make a huge number of icons and working their way up the rankings for it, concluding said icons were made half-heartedly and only for points.
Alas, this Questmaster unfortunately can't look inside your hearts to know your intentions while working on your batches. Albeit fabulous, this moustache still does not have legilimency powers (but working on it!), and it can't know if you were doing it only for points or if you believe that is really your best work. Amazing icons can be made very quickly or in fortunate Photoshopping accidents.
You also wish to institute quality standards for new batches. Well, "quality" is a subjective term as well, too subjective to enforce a penalty over those who don't follow it. What you don't consider very good can be the epitome of awesome for someone else. Which is why we need something more objective to follow. This criteria will be the amount of allowed batches per challenges per week: one.
New weeks start a fresh after every Ichronicle posted at iq_thefair which takes place on Saturdays. So once that post goes up, the previous week has closed and the new one begins. In regards to the week of 7th to the 13th, the new week has begun as of THIS POST.
This Questmaster hopes that having to look at their batches for a longer time will encourage makers to work more carefully on each icon, and even revisit old batches and improve their own work. If they're able to make five fantastic batches in one week, great for them! But they'll have to wait five weeks to post, nonetheless. It also give slower makers a fair change to catch up. Let's make it more about improving and making good icons and less about ranking.
2) Variations are not counted for points.
By "variations" are meant icons coming from the same base/cap, with only slight alterations in coloring and including or not text. Makers can, of course, enter different icons from the same cap, but they must start from scratch at each remake.
You can of course post your variations as well, they're still your work, but you can't ask for points due them. I only ask of you to post them below the icons designated for the challenge, and clearly label them as variations. If this Quest Master notices you're trying to pass a variation as a legit icon, you won't be given points for it and points might even be deducted, according to the "penalty" section below.
[Click for examples]VARIATIONS IN WHICH YOU'D EARN POINTS FOR BOTH ICONS
VARIATIONS IN WHICH YOU'D EARN POINTS FOR ONE ICON
3) Remaking old icons and counting them as new isn't allowed.
As stated above, using the same cap twice or more is allowed, but makers must start from scratch each time. Simply editing old icons is frowned upon.
4) Icons posted to the Icon Quest must be made for the Icon Quest
You can't enter icons you made for other challenges as IQ icons. I may not follow every community in existance, but other people are watching and will bring it to this Quest Master's attention sooner or later.
5) Maker's can't post other's work as their own.
It is stealing and will cost you 10% of your total points PER STOLEN ICON, right off the bat. Slightly altered work also fits into this category.
6) Textless Bard icons are allowed only in 100% Bard batches.
Working with text is probably one of the most difficult skills for most icon makers, so Bards will get a little leeway here. 100% Bard batches can have 25% textless icons, but ONLY IF said textless icons reflect strong emotions, on a storytelling perspective.
This is to avoid throwing one or two emotional icons in a batch and calling them Bard for the sake of earning a couple of Charm points. If you're making a mix-match batch, all your Bard icons must have text.
7) There will be penalties for rule breaking.
Rules are made because rules are broken, and acting against them will result in penalties, in the following manner:
1st offence: a warning. You're being closely watched.
2nd offence: participant loses 10% of their total points (equally divided between classes)
2nd offence: participant loses 30% of their total points (equally divided between classes)
3rd offence: participant loses 50% of their total points (equally divided between classes)
4th offence: participant is DISQUALIFIED from the Quest.
This won't be automatic, however: this Questmaster will talk individually to each offender, and only if not convinced the points will be docked. This Questmaster is a very understanding person, but they won't shy away from harshness if need be. One person's fun cannot get in the way of another's, and this master is doing their best to ensure everyone plays happily, but also fairly.
You're encouraged to look through other maker's post and comment on their good work, but also to bring to attention any cases of rule-breaking. Letter to the King allows anonymous posting, so don't worry about being singled out for it. Of course, not every case will be treated the way you want it to be. The final word is and will always be mine. But this Quest Master will do his best to ensure all of you are treated as fairly and as less judgementally as possible, adequating penalty to injury and on the best intentions of the realm as a whole.
This Questmaster would also like to ask of you a little patience with point updating, profile editing, and handling matters such as these. It is a huge kingdom and much has to be done (the wilde boar infestation is grating!), and your matters won't always be ready as quickly as you want.
The King's Rules have been updated to reflect the above, and you're always advised to read them before acting. Suggestions and concerns are always welcome in the form of a Letter to the King. Needing any more clarification, I'm also always here to help you.
Since these rules weren't clearly stated before, they won't be enforced upon past work. But they'll begin to be acted upon effective immediately. They are by no means set in stone, and may be adapted or changed if other situations arise or if they don't solve the current problem. You'll be notified of any changes through announcements like this one. Let's see how this works out.
Play nice and have fun in your Quest!
♕ thequestmaster ♕