Tips and Tricks.

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Empress

STAFF EMERITUS
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Tips & Tricks

a quick aid for species and planetary creation
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Welcome to the Tips and tricks guide for species, and planetary creation. The Aim of this guide is to help members not only submit a piece of content that will have a higher chance of approval, but may also aid in creating content that is rich, in depth and more " alive" feeling and exciting. The do's and do not's of creating content will also be covered to best help players avoid common mistakes when submitting their creations. Below are two options, one for Species creation, the other for planetary creation. Remember that in both cases that unlike technology biology and geology are more " alive" and require a different 'touch' than other- more disconnected - write ups. Happy creating!

~ Empress

* note this guide is by no means mandatory. While it offers many suggestions and touches on current rules it is by its very nature designed as an "aid"






Species Tips
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Creation of a sentient, or non sentient species can be more tricky than one may realize at first. Too little effort can result in a very bland, very disconnected creation that may not generate much attention. Too much information can become overstimulating if it's not applied in a way that is easy to follow, or lacks focus. More over these things are Alive, They are individuals driving my instinct, culture, and emotions- some may have risen to a complex society or have evolved into a noble beast with complicated cultural structures. One wants to do justice to this fact to breath that life into their creations, which in turn will allow for other members considering using your species to find things to connect with, and help form a better understanding of what or " who " they are looking at.


Getting started_________

The first bit of advice is to look at other approved species, and see what the creators touched on. Many are well thought out, and time taken to assure a solid, and believable species. In some cases years have been taken fleshing out a species. While nobody expects you to take years- Its a good idea to sit back and really think about it. Any creation, be it a Species, planet, technology, indi faction or even a character slapped together with little effort or forethought will not generally be received well- and in the case pf user created content may not be accepted unless some care has been taken.


The second bit of advice comes in the form of deciding what to make. Is your species an avian, aquatic, reptilian species? Remember that the star wars universe is massive and a long history- Many species have come and gone in lore. It's a good idea to spend some time looking at what is already " out there" and available:

Wookiepedia sentient species by biology:

Making a species that is, more or less already covered is not the best idea, and may not be approved if it's considered " redundant species" this rule more applies to sentient species than animals, but important none the less. You want to create something new, something that fills a niche' that is lacking in the established universe. Slapping a coat of paint on a average human will still be an average human, and the universe already has far too many of those- what sets your metallic silver skinned -electric green haired human apart from all the other humanoids? is it biological? is it cultural? Something that sets them apart as unique and can offer a different experience to others.


Finding inspiration from art, or a beloved " other" franchise is not uncommon. It can kick start the creative process. The danger comes however from " carbon copy" profiles. While yes " this species from this movie/game" would be neat to see in a star wars setting one needs to take care to not copy that species. if its the " visual" of the species - use it then go in a totally different direction, if it's the cultural or social traits, use a different look, and spin the things you like into something creative and new! Submissions " too close" to their source wont be accepted, so to save you the trouble don't fall into the trap to start with.

*It can also be of help for those who borrow the visuals of another species to get in touch with one of the many artists on the site to modify an image or create a new one to add some variations that alter the looks slightly to avoid being " too" identical. even a subtle change can go a long way.

When creating a sentient species it's important to remember to breath a bit of life into them. A sentient being has complex emotions, sense of identity and a culture or social structure.
without these the result is something bland and more " directionless' which can cause complications when fleshing them out, or for other players to use. A good way to start may be looking at different cultures here on Earth. Humans come in all shapes, sizes, and cultural traits that offer a splendid stepping stone to creation. An example would be looking at different cultures through history and building upon it. This rings true even in canon species. Some examples are:
Sith- the core species was depicted very much like the early Egyptians, the introduction of the more modern dark side aspect continued this in the ways of being very much like a pharaoh, a living god. The Massassi sub species taking on a very similar Mayan and Aztec sort of flare

Jedi though not a species, but a culture none the less developed in a way that nearly mirrored Early Chinese Taoist/Zen Buddhism - more so the Shaolin branch with a heavy mix of Japanese zen philosophies of Bushido.

Mandalorians began very roman like but as they boomed in popularity and used more often became very Norse in how they were structured, social beliefs and practices

Corellians are often depicted with traits, cultural quirks and personalities that match closely with a more Celtic root

Are these painfully obvious? not always- and usually built upon heavily and modified into something unique, however the footprints of their origins are usually grounded in something familiar to us, and easy to identify with. This is something that can be of great value when giving a life and an identity to your species even if it is just a simple starting point.


Non sentient species are also more than just background things. As above, take a look and animals of our world, and notice that even animals have social quirks, and many of them have culture that they pass on to the new generations. This can be seen in Orca pods who have totally different behaviors from other pods, or monkeys like the japanese snow monkey who as learned to pick pockets and purses and steal money to use vending machines, or wolves with a very complex social structure. One does not need to feel too limited when creating a species, this is a space fantasy so let your imagination go wild, but its useful to at the very least have a base template you are familiar with to build upon.



Abilities, Power and everything in between.
If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?
- William Shakespeare

Everyone wants their species to draw attention, and be enjoyed- however a major danger comes when trying to do this by creating a species that is " too much" The terms " munchkin, OP, God Mod, Twinked " may come into play when creating anything. Species are no different. A super sized super being with super strength, dexterity, stamina, mental wit, high force sensitivity/immunity may seem fun at first- but in reality comes off more as a sign of power fantasy by younger, and or more immature persons in nature as opposed to " cool" While a Species may have, and should have things that set them apart and make them stand out, they also are still living beings, and prone to their flaws and weaknesses.

This is not limited to simply physical flaws/weaknesses ( though every species has those too ) but may also come in the form of social or cultural barriers. An example comes from to accepted species, The Crystavians, and the Snamreg.

The Crystavians have a complex social system and cultural quirks that manifested in ways more kin to OCD like behaviors that can be rather disruptive while interacting and thriving with the greater galaxy - this is on top of their physical limitations and weaknesses.

The Snamreg on the other hand come from a more primitive culture akin to the early 20th century- this makes it very difficult for them to relate to the greater galaxy, and come off as naive. and possibly even a stigma that they are " slow" by other more advanced cultures. This may not in reality be the case, and most species went though this phase as well-its easier to forget this fact creating a stigma they must contend with while continuing to grow.

Its a matter of balance. if your unsure what crosses the line take a look at the banned species lists for some ideas, or ask around be it friends or even staff, they could help you decide if something has gone too far before you have to go through the pain of writing it up only to have to edit it out later.


Use of the Template:

While the standard template " is" required - dont be afraid to expand upon your work in a " enriched " format. The main reason of the simple format is to make the reviewing process easier, and serve as a good introduction into the species. However Not everything can easily fit into the template without inflating it. It may be more interesting for you to create a secondary - more detailed- write up to go ore in depth, and dress up the species more. This can easily be placed inside a spoiler tag to keep the write up clean and less confusing to others at first glance.



Do Be mindful of what is, or is not available in pre created species to avoid introducing a redundant species

Don't slap something together without taking the time and effort to show some direction and reason for said species

Don't copy other works or other species- inspired by is one thing, but a carbon copy will be disapproved

Don't try and stretch your species to be more than it needs to be, Canon Species get banned from use for being too overpowered, a user created one can be too.



Planetary Tips
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Creating a world is a wonderful opportunity to let ones imagination go wild. A single world can contain a myriad features and environments teeming with life or desolation, an ideal spot for beings to find escape and bask in a welcoming location, or one that is harsh and violent. Virtually any sort of environment you can imagine can be found! The trick is how to make your world feel real? how to make it stand out? What does it offer that other worlds don't ?


Reason.


It may sound silly and a fact of common sense, but a good reason to why such a place should be in the first place is important. Planets thrown out for the sake of it dont stand much chance of survival, Worlds created purely to act as a easy gain foot hold on the map, and or to gain sudden access to a rare element become the planetary version of power-playing/munchkinism. Why do you need the planet? is there a planet in known canon that will fit your needs already?"

Wookiepedia planets lists:

If you have a valid reason to have your own then your off to the next step with some confidence that you have some goal in mind which will be useful in creating something special. This also cuts down on the risk of creating a redundant world as well, but like with species, be mindful to also avoid replicating a preexisting world too- even worlds can be carbon copies if not careful.




Location, location, location.


Choosing a location can be a tricky thing. The galaxy is a big, and very crowded place. Ruling bodies shift and can cover vast areas, some sectors are heavily heavily populated as is, making a " previously unknown world" highly unbelievable- though not entirely impossible. Living in a crowded portion of space may present the challenges of " living in the heart of of Down Town" how a world interacts and reacts with its neighbors in a much tighter packed and busy location, VS the more wide open and less bustling outer regions.



A little Science never hurts:

When it comes to creating your world, its size, its formation, how it functions, ETC it's a good idea to take the time to do a little homework, Look up planets and moons in our system, get an idea of how big worlds are, look into known alien worlds with unique properties, and stars different from our own. A planet sitting in a system with a UV emitting star, or a red dwarf ( the most common star type) will be much much different than our own home Sol system and can give you a better idea on creating something unique, with a pinch of science behind it. This is a space fantasy however, so you get to have fun and experiment with creating flora and fauna that can survive and adapt to these unique situations!

And remember, Species and the worlds they live on have a special bond, the worlds shape the species, the species shape their world- they develop together and should reflect that within each other.





 
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