Help Can't Post

[MezioPleo]

Hi Folks,

I can't seem to post in the Classified Offers forum, I can post in other places except there. I would like to start a new thread there, any mods know the solution to this?

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Rule 6

You must be an active member of the community, with at least 10 meaningful posts, to advertise here. No dropping in, posting, and not bothering to come back.

http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/11176-rules-for-classifieds-offers-read-these/

 

[MezioPleo]

How do they measure if a post is meaningful? Anyway to check the criteria? I'm a professional concept artist and illustrator, I did work for a client for RPG maker and was hoping to show my work there and offer my services.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

I have no idea; a mod or admin would have to answer that. That rule was added sometime mid last year if I remember rightly, because there was an increasing number of people who just popped in, made offers, showed artworks, dropped an email, and left.

The site's always been big on the idea of community, so that sort of 'hi, bye' feeling wasn't viewed very strongly.

Just interact with people and I don't think it will take long to build up 10 ambiguously meaningful posts.

 

[MezioPleo]

ok that makes sense, I guess I'll be surfing around, btw who's the artist that drew your banner? I wanna see their portfolio

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Oh, I drew that. (I don't really have a proper portfolio because I'm an unorganized person, but I guess my art tag on tumblr??)  Or click the Maki-mArt link there, since that's my classified offer page.

 

[Shaz]

I am the mod who would decide whether your posts are meaningful or not. None of the posts in this thread would be considered meaningful in that context. Basically, that provision is to ensure people don't just make 10 random posts anywhere in order to get their post count up.


You're on the right track, but you just need a few more.

 

[Celianna]

You are exactly the kind we want to keep out though. You wanted to drop by and post your e-mail and not participate in the community. This is not a place for every artist to drop by and find commissions - it's an RPG Maker community first and foremost. If you're not here for that, then there's no point in posting in the Classifieds.

 

[MezioPleo]

Do I need to be a user of the software? I'm more interested in the RPG art/world building rather than building a game in the RPG maker softwares. I work using unreal engine since I do 3D stuff.

My technical knowledge in RPG Maker is 0 pretty much so I can't help anyone with that, I can give feedback on artwork since my experience is in concept/illustration production in games & movies. 

I don't know if my credentials put me in neutral to good standings with the forums. If it doesn't qualify let me know and I won't be spending further time on the forums.

 

[mlogan]

MezioPleo, the idea is just that we want people here to be active members of the community in all ways, not just coming here trying to get money from members.

We've had some posters who have literally come only to advertise their services, to the point of even ignoring questions in their own classified thread about their own work. This is why the rule is in place. It's not to punish anyone, just to help ensure that this stays an active community. It's in your best interest anyway to be around and get to know the people here - the more people know you, likely the better response you'll get.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

I would download some of the trials or the RTPs and familiarize yourself with the sort of graphics that the program needs so you know what sort of things people are going to be requesting and how to format the files and such. I mean, a lot of people on this website aren't artists and they aren't going to have art programs or specific knowledge in art programs. So if you understand the basics, you'll be better off at giving what they actually NEED in a file, rather than just an artwork that they need to figure out how to usually shrink and format into a file.

Knowing the basic, default dimensions and formats is just really helpful. Even just a small bit.

Though, I guess if it's strictly concept art and not the actual resources that are going to go into the games (face sets, busts, battlers, battlebacks, etc) then that matters less. Though, we're talking in a community where people do not tend to have the $$s to toss on concept art first AND their final product that's going into their game - so that's a heads up I suppose.

A lot of the hit and run classified threads that did pop up before the rule went into place were just showing big shiny artworks and not showing how that artwork is going to integrate into an RPGmaker game. It wasn't showing things that people were going to actually going to be able to USE in a game. Very few people on here have the money to function like a AAA game company or even like the bigger indie devs; concept art on a whole is a largely foreign thought.

Also! like mlogan said, having a presence, face, and personality on the forums is going to help drive business. So, in the long run, interacting with the people here is good for that. It doesn't need to be making games - commenting on other's art, taking on requests in the request threads, watching the classified requests for things you could do, showing active reception in the game thread of a game that you DO get hired to help with, etc, etc The more people know your name - the higher chance they'll think "Maybe I want MezioPleo to do the art for this game!" when they're thinking up a new project.

 

[Andar]

Do I need to be a user of the software?

Yes and no - there are a lot of users who don't make games with the software but provide only partial services - like scripts or specific artwork for RM.
But that is the key - "specific to RM".


You need to know enough of the software to be able to make resources specific for use in RPG-Makers.


If you can do only concept art, then basically you're wrong here - a lot of the people here are making their games alone or in very small teams. Concept art to get everyone on the same visualy usually isn't needed here.


What is needed are either specific backgrounds or tiles or sprites that can be used inside the game with as little reformating as possible.


But that requires a minimum of familiarility with the game engines and how the resulting artwork is to be used in the games, and that minimum knowledge you should try to gain by experimenting with the trials and existing games.

 

[MezioPleo]

@Makio I totally understand the situation with the classified ads, I gotta admit though the meaningful post rule was ambiguous to me at first. As for myself, I wouldn't offer advice for game art with tech specs specific to the engine since I'm more geared towards character illustrations or promo illustrations. It's why I was interested in your banner art to see more of it. I would only offer services with what I'm most comfortable with as I know I can provide something of good quality.

I also acknowledge this is no place to be getting AAA type contracts, I already do work for Indie Studios contract based but it's nothing to do with character art in the RPG genre. It's why I figured this would be a good place for me, but obviously I can't provide work for free, I wouldn't advise any artist to work for free unless it's to "help a brotha out" lol

For me, doing work for people through the forums would help satisfy my thirst for RPG character illustrations, I know that I can just do my own personal RPG character projects but having to do illustrations of other people always opens me to new artistic challenges.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

When I say doing requests in the requests threads I mean simple things that take no time at all. Like someone wants an existing graphic's hair changed pink. For anyone with an digital art background that's easy as pie.

I've been approached by people to buy stuff directly after taking 5 seconds to throw some tears on something for someone else. Obviously, it's not a necessity to do that - it was just one suggestion in a list of suggestions as ways to interact with the community. (I, too, would never offer my full on artwork for free, but I also wouldn't dream to charge someone for the 2 pixels it takes to change a smile into a frown.)

 

[Shaz]

We have tonnes of ads in Classifieds for "concept artist and illustrator". THESE ads are the very reason the "10 meaningful posts" requirement was introduced - they came, made posts with heaps of huge images, very few of which would actually be useful in an RPG Maker game, and they disappeared. VERY few of them ever got any feedback from the community, because it's just not what the community wants or needs.


So now we need to know that you are interested in taking part in the community. Not just discussing video games and chatting about stuff unrelated to making games, but actually discussing game development with our engines, that you know what the resource requirements are, and that you're able to produce something that can just be dropped into the game without a lot of mucking around. We want to be able to see samples of your work IN our engines. Otherwise it's a waste of YOUR time posting here. And we need to know that you plan to stay around and not just "use" the site for advertising your stuff, as just about every other concept artist/illustrator who's posted here has done. The majority of people here are hobbiests, and those who are not usually don't have big enough budgets to commission stuff that's not even going to be in the game.


So I'm sorry to say that if you don't even have any of our engines and don't know what RPG Maker is all about, and aren't involved in game development forums, your ad would not be approved.

 

[MezioPleo]

Yeah I had trouble when replying to people, when I initially had a thread in the section the reply button was greyed out so the option to answer back just wasn't there. It's what brought to start this thread.

Though if you guys are accepting people who create in game art and talk game dev in engine, then I don't think I'm qualified. I'm a user of unreal engine and a concept/illustrator guy lol 2 things that don't seem to fit well.

I'll focus elsewhere.