Pirate Prince
This is just a list of random advice for people who are new to Codex/Factory and find it intimidating, or who are looking for shortcuts to make things easier. I will probably add more to the list in the future. You are also welcome to add to it.
1. Don’t bother.
There is nothing in the site rules which requires you to sub something to be able to use it. Codex and Factory subs are purely flavor; they are not necessary for you to be able to RP. Even if you think you have a cool idea for a piece of technology, chances are something that serves the same function is already on Wookieepedia (or somebody else has already subbed it).
Will making subs enrich your RP experience? Possibly. If you’re writing a character who runs a business of some kind, or you want gear tailor-made for your faction, sure. But if you think subbing your gear will make your opponents in PvP take you more seriously, I hate to burst your bubble, but most people don’t even bother to look at other people’s subs. If you make a sub, make it for yourself.
Writing a sub can be a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon or a slow posting day. There are even people who spend more time subbing items than they do roleplaying, because they find it fun. If you find the subbing process to be more of a hassle, do not feel pressured to utilize the system for the sake of legitimacy. At any rate, I’m sure the poor judges will appreciate having less of a work load.
2. It is okay to disagree with a judge.
If you’re non-confrontational by default, the idea of disagreeing with a judge may seem very intimidating. Just keep in mind that you won’t be penalized for arguing your case (in a polite and civil manner), even if the issue is relatively minor. It is your job as the creator of the sub to advocate on behalf of your creation. If you believe you have a case, go for it.
Being rude to a judge will get you nowhere. If you start to get frustrated with a judge, take a break to cool off, then come back later and contact the Factory/Codex admins. After reviewing the situation, they may decide in your favor. But if they have the same ruling as the previous judge, you’re going to have to accept it or archive the sub.
3. Focus less on the ratings and more on Strengths/Weaknesses.
Recently I've seen judges starting to crack down on people trying to "cheat" the ratings system by adding things to the list that are so rare or obscure, they are extremely unlikely to encounter someone in a fight using that type of weaponry, i.e. magnets, radiation, microwaves, paddle beams, "magic", etc. They’ll give a suit of armor no resistance to magnets so that they can have Extreme resistance to lightsabers, or something along those lines. While this isn’t technically cheating, who the hell is going to approach you on the battlefield with a giant magnet?
(Me. That’s right. I’m coming for you.)
Anyway, because players call the hits on Chaos, the ratings system doesn’t really mean anything (unless you make it have meaning, i.e. having your armor either protect or fail to protect your character in battle based on the ratings in the armor sub). It’s also far too ambiguous to be truly useful.
You’re better off going into detail on Strengths/Weaknesses. Judges love Weaknesses and are more likely to approve your sub if you give it many actionable weaknesses. “Actionable” weaknesses are weaknesses that another character could feasibly exploit. TL;DR don’t make your subs indestructible and invulnerable, and you should be fine.
5. Please format your subs correctly.
If you keep the formatting of the template intact, not only does it make it easier for judges to read, it also makes it easier for other people to read. I'm not talking about fancy divs here, although some people do use divs in their subs for aesthetic purposes. I'm talking about carrying over the templates provided for you with all their formatting intact.
Do not copy the sub template, copy the code. Then press the [ ] button in the top right corner of your post (it says “Toggle BB Code” if you mouse over it) and paste the code in. When you press the [ ] button again, all of the formatting for the template will translate over and can be edited without having to mess with the code.
You can do the same thing with the ratings to ensure they have the same colors. Yay, colors!
1. Don’t bother.
There is nothing in the site rules which requires you to sub something to be able to use it. Codex and Factory subs are purely flavor; they are not necessary for you to be able to RP. Even if you think you have a cool idea for a piece of technology, chances are something that serves the same function is already on Wookieepedia (or somebody else has already subbed it).
Will making subs enrich your RP experience? Possibly. If you’re writing a character who runs a business of some kind, or you want gear tailor-made for your faction, sure. But if you think subbing your gear will make your opponents in PvP take you more seriously, I hate to burst your bubble, but most people don’t even bother to look at other people’s subs. If you make a sub, make it for yourself.
Writing a sub can be a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon or a slow posting day. There are even people who spend more time subbing items than they do roleplaying, because they find it fun. If you find the subbing process to be more of a hassle, do not feel pressured to utilize the system for the sake of legitimacy. At any rate, I’m sure the poor judges will appreciate having less of a work load.
2. It is okay to disagree with a judge.
If you’re non-confrontational by default, the idea of disagreeing with a judge may seem very intimidating. Just keep in mind that you won’t be penalized for arguing your case (in a polite and civil manner), even if the issue is relatively minor. It is your job as the creator of the sub to advocate on behalf of your creation. If you believe you have a case, go for it.
Being rude to a judge will get you nowhere. If you start to get frustrated with a judge, take a break to cool off, then come back later and contact the Factory/Codex admins. After reviewing the situation, they may decide in your favor. But if they have the same ruling as the previous judge, you’re going to have to accept it or archive the sub.
3. Focus less on the ratings and more on Strengths/Weaknesses.
Recently I've seen judges starting to crack down on people trying to "cheat" the ratings system by adding things to the list that are so rare or obscure, they are extremely unlikely to encounter someone in a fight using that type of weaponry, i.e. magnets, radiation, microwaves, paddle beams, "magic", etc. They’ll give a suit of armor no resistance to magnets so that they can have Extreme resistance to lightsabers, or something along those lines. While this isn’t technically cheating, who the hell is going to approach you on the battlefield with a giant magnet?
(Me. That’s right. I’m coming for you.)
Anyway, because players call the hits on Chaos, the ratings system doesn’t really mean anything (unless you make it have meaning, i.e. having your armor either protect or fail to protect your character in battle based on the ratings in the armor sub). It’s also far too ambiguous to be truly useful.
You’re better off going into detail on Strengths/Weaknesses. Judges love Weaknesses and are more likely to approve your sub if you give it many actionable weaknesses. “Actionable” weaknesses are weaknesses that another character could feasibly exploit. TL;DR don’t make your subs indestructible and invulnerable, and you should be fine.
5. Please format your subs correctly.
If you keep the formatting of the template intact, not only does it make it easier for judges to read, it also makes it easier for other people to read. I'm not talking about fancy divs here, although some people do use divs in their subs for aesthetic purposes. I'm talking about carrying over the templates provided for you with all their formatting intact.
Do not copy the sub template, copy the code. Then press the [ ] button in the top right corner of your post (it says “Toggle BB Code” if you mouse over it) and paste the code in. When you press the [ ] button again, all of the formatting for the template will translate over and can be edited without having to mess with the code.
You can do the same thing with the ratings to ensure they have the same colors. Yay, colors!
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