Thoughts from the Base Contest

[Dacy]

On the judge tours of some of the highest scoring bases in the contest, we asked each builder some questions. We asked, because it’s sometimes really illuminating to hear what they had problems with, what they are proud of, and what they learned themselves, in the process. Most of it were things I’ve known or encountered before, but, I thought it might be helpful to the community to collect some of these things into one place. So here’s a summary of what’s important to the builders of the best bases and some things I learned from contestants during this contest:

 

Many builders regret building in one big room. Lag becomes too great to overcome when building gets into the higher piece numbers for most of them, and can also affect visitors.

 

Color design is crucial. The best bases didn’t just consider technical aspects, weren’t just well put together. High quality bases coordinated and worked very hard on colors, and coordinated and used the in base lighting.

 

Plants need careful color coordination to work well.

 

Technical skill is critical, but also the time invested;  all of the best bases have builders who have spent, in some cases, years, working on everything from how something is built to the smallest details.

 

Paying attention to not how something is, but how you want it to be is key; then being willing to work to get something to look how you want it to look.

 

Lighting is an underrated skill that can make or break a base. There is no comparison between a well lit base using in base lighting that can be tinted, and an above base base that can’t tint the lighting much at all or uses outdoor lighting.

 

Story is key to understanding an RP base, and appreciating it to its fullest.

 

Sometimes simple skills are the most important. Learning how to get rid of flicker and learning how to change the attachment on items has been a game changer for many.

 

Tearing apart things to build it better is something the top builders do all the time.

 

What do these high quality bases have in common?

 

Attention to detail. Not just in what items you place, but how they are placed, what material they are made from and whether that adds to the overall desired effect. Items are placed, not because they are “cool”, but because they work for what was intended. Things like flicker are remediated. Gaps are eliminated. Edges are neatly sealed.  Views on entering are planned. Chairs are chosen and placed so that characters can actually sit in them (for the RP bases). Services are blended into the theme in a way that enhances the theme.

 

Great bases have a layout that flows and pays attention to what is important in that base. Sometimes that is story related, sometimes that is related to services, but it’s always related to how the base is used.

 

Editors of high quality bases do not rely on the category of an item to determine how it should be placed, but rather, the qualities of that item. They recognize that the editor is not organized logically or cohesively, and they look for things that will work. They explore the editor.

 

The best bases keep things very cohesive in theme. Everything makes sense as to why it’s there.

 

And simply put, the best base editors are always learning and experimenting.

 

Thanks for the awesome work on all of the bases! I hope that the best of us inspire all of us; I know I am inspired to go out and build some more!

 

-Dacy

Edited April 24, 2023 by Dacy