Style Guide - Mods

Howdy, Trove creator! You have finished up your model, yeah? Well here are a few things below that you should look over before you set your thread to '''needs review'''. There is also a Q&A at the bottom of this guide for more general questions about submission. Keep in mind if you see others that may have missed some of these tips, send them this guide! Help us help you. :D

Step 1: Check what is needed most.

This one is pretty simple. If you created something that we have a lot of, chances are that we won’t pass it through. Make sure to keep a keen eye on what we request. It’s ok if you made something that we don’t need now. You can put it on the backburner and wait until the next time we need it!

Here are some things we pretty much outright reject. In rare cases we do let some of this through, but it has to be extremely unique and polished. The list includes but isn’t limited to the following:

• Fire swords
• Ice swords
• Key blades
• Ashbringers
• Spiral designs
• Gas masks
• Light Sabers
• Candy Cane Shafts
• Dragon head staves
• Eyeball staves
• Rib cage / Skull staves
• Devil pitchforks
• Farming tools
• Staves that are guns
• Katanas
• Recolors of past models.
• Religious imagery.
• Hats that aren’t hats (If it could be a cornerstone item, It shouldn’t be a hat.)
• _____ on a stick (Unless it's a jalapeno. We have one already though.)
• Direct recreations from other Intellectual Properties (Sword Art Online)
• Helmets, costumes, mounts (Send those to the [http://forums.trovegame.com/forumdisplay.php?23-Mod-Discussion mod forums] .)

Tips

• Creation templates can be found [https://www.reddit.com/r/TroveCreations/comments/2p4p11/gear_creation_templates/ here] .
• [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ddv9RRx7aD3haSrYnnJXW2GWgzlWAQTBKfqyWTftlA8/pubhtml Here] is a link to our creation priorities (Pick something high priority.)
• Check [http://www.trovesaurus.com/db/loot.php?search=destral Trovesaurus] to make sure your item idea was not made already.
• [[Biomes|Biome]] relation is recommended, but not needed. As long as the creation relates to Trove in some way it’s good.
• Creations that allude to popular culture (Anime, Video Games, TV Shows, etc.) should be changed in a way to fit into the Trove universe.
• Have a solid concept behind what you’re making. Your creation should instantly be recognizable. If we say “What am I looking at?” you probably need to make your model less abstract.
• Use [http://chrmoritz.github.io/Troxel/ Troxel] to show us your models.
• To keep up to date with current creation news, check out [http://www.trovesaurus.com/pages.php?t=Trove%20Creations%20Digest Trove Creations Digest]
• If you don’t have in-game and in-editor shots/Troxel, your thread should not be in the '''needs review''' status.
• A past item’s design should not be used as an excuse for breaking current art style rules.

Step 2: Style your creation correctly.

Now that you have a foundation for your creation you need to make sure that the model itself is as polished as it can be to fit within Trove’s art style. Over designing can be a common occurrence in this area, but no worries! We are here to help you. The main thing to remember is “less is more.”

Shape

Trove art style calls for strong square/cubic shapes in contrast to organic shapes. When creating something resembling an animal or skull, you should absolutely look at references from the game and make them match as close as possible. Shape noise and repetition should be avoided as well.

Balance comes into play in two ways. Your creation’s size should compliment the player model, not overtake it. In addition, if it is too big you can run into clipping issues. The second area would be a more literal sense of balance. If the top half is huge, there should be some balancing element on the other side. Placement of attachment points can make or break balance.

Corner connection is bad, mmkay? They can easily lead to very fragile looking items. Diagonals also contradict Trove's art style.

As a general rule you should shy away from any floating voxels that mimic particle effects as a start, especially now with radiant auras. A lot of it comes on a case by case basis. It has to make sense in the overarching design. Too many floating elements can be distracting and weaken the design.

Color

The best way to start coloring a weapon is to use the biome colors listed [[Biomes|here]]. If you would rather to take the road less traveled, try and use complimentary, compound, and traid colors. You can use this nifty tool for that area [https://color.adobe.com/ here]. Color choices should normally never be more than 4 or 5. Keep in mind when using vibrant colors you should balance them out with muted colors. Blacks should never be darker than 10,10,10.

Shading and gradients should be made with smooth transitions or large areas of separated color. In the past, noise was an acceptable way to shade an item. This way actually causes performance issues within the game so it is not something you should do. Because of this, '''you should never use a past item’s design as an excuse for breaking current art style rules'''. Art direction can always change. For some help on shading [http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/color-blend/#:::hex here] is another nifty tool.

Material maps

Material maps should never be the main focus on a design. They are there to compliment your model. Think of them as icing on the cake. While some people love their icing, we prefer light portions.

In short, if your weapon is covered in glass, glowing blocks, and iridescence you may need tone it down.

[[Material Map Guide|Here]] is a link to the material maps guide.

Common Questions & Concerns

I submitted my item, how long does it take for a mod to review it?

• Creations are reviewed oldest to newest. Stedms and Tribe normally do reviews every thursday night live on twitch. Around 100-150 creations are reviewed within that time. The other mods review as they see fit throughout the week. Don’t expect your item to be looked at over the weekend. (Sorry, we like to party.) Because many creations are submitted daily, it may take a week or more for a mod to see it. You should take this time to view other’s creations and help each other out before we see them.

A newer submission was mod approved/accepted before mine.

• The newer item could have been a higher priority for the games current direction. We also are starting to raise the quality bar so we are looking for the most polished creations. A mod may have approved you, but the others may not agree. We will try to leave a comment if we don’t feel strong about your mod approved item so you aren’t in the dark.

Should I make a new thread if it is too old?

• Try not to recreate threads. Making a new thread essentially pushes your creation to the back of the line. Even if your idea has changed drastically or if it has been sitting there for a couple of weeks. We use thread submission dates to keep things in order. If you follow flair rules we will get to it!

I sent my files in, but did not receive a reply or credits.

• As long as you have followed file submission rules the folks at Trion will get to it eventually. You will not see a reply or credits until it is close to be in the game. Please be patient.

Why can't anyone see my thread?

• You probably used a link shortener or odd image hosting site. Your best bet is to always use imgur. It integrates with the mods’ tools and allows us to review your creations quickly. :D

Someone copied me!

• Sometimes there are claims of plagiarism. You may notify us, but you have to keep in mind our review order still stands here. Without solid evidence it can be very difficult to act on. If there are two very similar creations we will always review the oldest one first. Inspiration comes in many forms and it’s not out of the ordinary to have the same idea as someone else.

Common Item Pitfalls

• Clipping
• Unbalanced attachment points
• No shields on bow or melee styles.
• Handguards should always face down.
• Hand grips on all styles, especially guns.
• Hats and masks that do not stay within their size guidelines.
• In-game shots on the wrong class. (ex. Bows on gunslingers.)
• Deco items with improper orientation or shorter than 12 voxels high
• Hair submissions that do not include pictures with masks and hats equipped
• Melee/bow styles that do not accommodate the boomer rangers abnormally large hands. (Don’t make fun of him.)