Becoming a Member
From The Voxel Box Wiki
Please note: To even become a member you must first join as a GUEST. Read through the FAQ if you haven't already, then click here to join The Voxel box.
There's really no one way to become a member on The Voxel Box, but here are some helpful tips, some of which are more obvious than others.
Getting by in the Guest Zones tests a builder's ability to do several things we expect all members to be capable of doing in addition to creating quality work:
- Can this individual learn to use VoxelWiki's, articles, and maps for questions they don't yet have answers for?
- Can this individual work amongst the toughest distractions the server has to offer? (the Guest Zones are by far the most chaotic place on The Voxel Box.)
- Can this individual get along with other builders without causing more distractions themselves?
- Can this individual work well without the aid of "lazy" building plugins?
- Does this individual have a healthy attitude toward review and critique?
Here are Do's and Don'ts that can help some people get acclimated to community culture on The Voxel Box:
Do:
- Follow the Rules: Be a good neighbor, be polite and avoid conflict with other guests and members.
- Tour the Voxel Box: Learn the standard. Your build should look like it belongs on The Voxel Box. You can only know this if you tour a little bit before building, see what we're about and if that's what you want to be about, too!
- Build, BUILD, BUILD: Build with purpose, intent, detail and theatrical imagination. Show us something we can't possibly live without -- make us feel like we've been somewhere. Label your build with your username!
- Create something unique: Unique builds get unique consideration.
- Consider all dimensions of your build: Concept, purpose, colors, structure, shape, size, lighting, symmetry -- all these things contribute to the vibe of your build. Make all those decisions as intentionally as possible, and consider doing some small-scale tests to see what really works before going whole hog.
- Plan: Slow yourself down a moment and think hard about your build: The best work is rarely done just by winging it alone. Take your time, do some tests to make sure your structural ideas and color palette are workable ideas. Do some image searches for references for the type of build you want to create. Study real-world architecture and try to fit some into your build. Tools like the Golden Ratio or a good floor plan or a reference image search can be really valuable in generating aesthetically pleasing structures based on real-life architecture and encourage you to get out of the habit of building overly simple structures. Challenge yourself!
- Revise, revise, then revise again: Sometimes small adjustments can make a big difference in how others experience your build. A thoughtfully revised build is measured in hours, not minutes. Ask yourself the following types of questions: Is the furniture placement right? Would another material work better there? How does it look at night?
- Take criticism: Everyone has an opinion, and you don't have to take all the advice you get, but it's important to remember that the feedback you get from others is there to help you think about ways to make your work better. The server is a diverse community, and you may recieve contradicting feedback on your work. This does not stop once you become a member. Trust us, we're harder on each other than we are on the guests. Even the admins have their work demolished when it's not up to snuff.
- Let us know your other skills: The member list is comprised not only of builders, but artists, writers, programmers, musicians and more! The Voxel Box is at heart a community-driven project, and there's more to what we're doing than just laying blocks on the field.
Don't:
- Don't be a copycat: If a castle wins a whitelist entry, the worst thing you can do is build a similar design. Instead, surprise us with something we haven't seen yet!
- Don't bite off more than you can chew: The Guest Zones are not the place to take on a huge project, as they are cleared often. Have a plan for your build and pick a project you can complete in a day or two.
- Don't be offended or discouraged by Criticism/Reviews: Staff will be honest when critiquing a build ready for a whitelist review. There is no such thing as a perfect build, so always be open to suggestions or comments regarding your build. If someone pointed out the roof as a weakness, then ask for examples of good roofs, and tour the server for roof ideas.
How and when to ask for white-list consideration
- Check out some of the existing builds on the main server map. Make sure your build is up to a comparable standard. If you're not sure, ask some helpful Members for their thoughts.
- Make sure your build is complete and self-explanatory.
- Make sure you are at your build. If someone teleports to you or accepts your /wlreview ticket and you're miles away from where your build is and you don't know where it is, don't expect to hold their attention for long and don't expect to get it back anytime soon.
- What do I do when I'm ready for a whitelist review? Send in a whitelist ticket. A Helper or Admin should be with you shortly after you request a review.
