Applying for a Builder

[Jirato]

If you wish to build for CLOK, please read the below guidelines, then write up a a little mock-up area and email it to me (type GURU in-game for my email address), no fewer than five rooms, any theme you want, number each room and note which room number the exits/portals would lead to. Feel free to pick some object nouns in the room description and list long descriptions for when someone LOOKs at them too. The rooms won't actually be used in-game, unless you become a builder and decide to build it (and we have a place to put it). It's mostly just to get a good feel of your writing style.

Builder Agreement:
-By becoming a builder, you agree that any of your work may be altered at any time by the GMs and that any of your work will be maintained by the game even upon your departure. There is no claim to exclusive rights to any of your work, so you are free to use it in other projects or however else you'd like.

Non-Disclosure:
-Do not discuss any aspect of your builder duties with players.
This includes, but is not limited to, current or upcoming projects, events, or special tasks.

Builder Info:
- Builders aren't GMs, and aren't a lead-up to becoming a GM. Being a builder is a builder only.
- Check the Builders section of the BBS regularly. Inactive builders who do not respond to attendance checks will be demoted and placed in the "Retired Builder's Lounge", though they may always request re-activation.
- There are no perks for your other characters due to your having a builder and doing building work. It's on a volunteer basis.
- You should not for any reason have your builder interact with any other characters other than other builders and GMs.
- Don't abuse the GM commands you have access to. We log -everything-. We hope this is obvious - don't give player characters riln or items, don't try to secretly place
portals to areas without the GMs knowing about it, don't place critters that have huge riln or fancy loot drops so your player characters can hunt them, etc.
- Don't link your areas to released (or "live") areas in the game. A GM or Dev will do that for you. We have restrictions in place to prevent linking unreleased areas to released areas of the game, but it's possible there are loopholes or workarounds we don't know about - if you find one, please report it.
- You can use the BC command to talk on the BuilderChat channel. GMs have access to this as well. Use it to communicate with fellow builders as well a GMs. Good way to ask for assistance or for someone to QC your area, etc.
- You'll start out only building rooms and items. Building critters is significantly more complex and for the most part the GMs prefer to do that part themselves, though you're welcome to suggest descriptions and ideas for the critters you want populating your areas.
- As a builder, please refrain from zapping to GMs or their lairs unless explicitly invited. We may be working on something or have left something out that may not be intended for non-GM eyes.
Some general room-building guidelines:

Don't Do:
a. "As you stand," "As you walk." What if they're sitting?
b. "You also notice, or "You also see... These phrases are for the listing of items in a room that aren't part of the description (dropped lockboxes, wagons, handcarts, anything a player character drops, etc.
c. "Directly ahead of you" -- Don't assume which way they're facing.
d. Don't assume players have been in any other room when they're looking at a particular room. You might be painting a 100-room trail, but remember they'll sometimes walk it one way, sometimes the other. And sometimes they'll log in at the middle of it.
e. No modern or real-world references (like the French doors)
f. Don't tell people how they think or feel in reaction to your descriptions. For instance, don't say, "You feel horror welling up within you ..." or something.

Do Sparingly:
a. Use the word "you." Who else would it be?
b. Use the word "here." Where else would it be?
c. Use exact dimensions, unless it's crucial to your intention.
d. "Expositionary lumps," or rooms that merely list items that exist there.
e. Mention animals -- they move around! Good for a change or for atmosphere, but don't use too frequently.
f. Use "seems to." Be decisive in your description.

Style Issues
a. Use all the senses. Be cautious of overuse, but with only visual cues an area feels dead.
b. Plan portals carefully. Too many doors are difficult to negotiate, and we use "climb" stairs, rather than "go" stairs.
Remember that hunting areas require more repetitive movement than other areas.
c. Not every item in the area requires a long description, but players do appreciate the effort you put into them. Makes area seem a labor of love. Feel free to pick some nouns mentioned in room text that should be props people cal look at and those you feel should get a long description.
d. Avoid repetition. Try never to use a particular word twice in a single sentence, and avoid idiosyncratic vocabulary choices more than once in a particular area.
e. Avoid overly flowery language. It's nice to stretch the players' vocabulary now and again, and we certainly don't want to deny the writers the pleasure of a well-chosen word. We just don't want players to have to find a dictionary to figure out what they are looking at.