Hi YoFans!

First off, Happy New Year from all of us at Big Viking Games!

The new year provides an opportunity to ‘reset’ and improve things, and that’s exactly what we Vikings hope to do this year on YoWorld.

2022 was an exciting time for YoWorld with the launch of YoWorld.com and the new layering feature. Thank you so much for your support with this venture. We hope you are enjoying this new way to play!

In 2023, we hope to improve the YoWorld community experience. To start off the new year, one area we wanted to focus on was the Player Design experience. At Big Viking Games, our team is constantly inspired and in awe of the commitment, passion, and creativity that goes into designs. Player Designers really improve YoWorld as a whole: not only do they bring new and exciting ideas to the game, but they also leave a lasting mark on the community. A game is not a game without a community!

At the end of 2022, we collected feedback from many Player Designers on how we can improve the Player Design experience - thank you so much for this feedback! Because of this feedback, we were able to revamp and clarify the rules for designing and submission.
While we understand not everyone will be happy with every single update, we know these changes will vastly improve the experience for all Player Designers and YoFans in general.

Thank you for your passion and cooperation. We have so many exciting upcoming themes planned which we know you’ll have amazing design ideas for! We look forward to seeing your new creative designs in YoWorld in 2023!

With Love,
Viking Aurelia


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2023 YoWorld Player Design Experience Revamp

Please read the following carefully. If these rules and guidelines are not followed, it is unlikely your design vision will be realized the way you envisioned.

The following does NOT apply to Player Avatar NPC Contests.


UPDATED REWARDS FOR DESIGNERS:


● In the coming weeks (date to be determined), winning Player Designers will be granted an exclusive 'Player Designer' label-like costume item that's locked to their account. This will act as a verification to identify Player Designers in-game.

● All winning Designers from January 16, 2023 - onward will be awarded this exclusive item. Stay tuned for updates as to when this item will be released and granted to applicable players. (NOTE: if you are a winner after January 16, 2023, but before this exclusive item is released, you will be awarded the item retroactively).

● As of January 16, 2023, winning Designers will now be awarded the following:
- 75 YoCash for single items including variants (ex: handhelds, Yobers, accessories, hats) and 2 copies of each color variant of the design.
- 150 YoCash for full outfits, face cases, and hairs and 2 copies of each color variant of the design.
* The reasoning for the reward difference is due to the time it takes to create and ideate these items (not just for Player Designers, but also for our in-house Artists).
* Awards will be granted on the day of the items’ release.
* In the case a design is restyled later on, 2 copies of each new color variant of the design will be granted to the Player Designer. No additional YoCash will be granted.
* If any problems arise with your rewards being granted to you on time or properly, Please DO NOT email the YoWorld Design email OR the Player Support Team. Please contact a YoWorld Community Manager. The Design email will only be used to receive, confirm, and/or occasionally ask for clarification on design submissions.



DESIGN CONTEST PROCESS CHANGES:


● As of January 16, 2023, Player Design Contests will be announced on Discord AND the official YoWorld Forums.
However, Discord will be the only platform used for all matters related to questions, concerns, updates, and other exclusive notifications regarding Player Designs and Player Design Contests.

● While we can’t hold a player-voted Design Contest for every theme and release, we will be holding them much more frequently from here-on-out! Stay tuned!

● We will announce when the Design Contest voting period is active on Discord. Player Design Contest voting links will become available in-game via a YoWorld News post when we announce this.

● If there is no current Design Contest running, you may submit open call submissions. These open call submissions may be considered at any time as a bonus release.
PLEASE NOTE: Design Contest submissions that were not declared winners may also be considered for bonus releases at any time, so there is no need to re-submit any designs.

● A Discord channel called ‘#In-Review’ will be created. #In-Review will be a locked channel. The purpose of this channel will be to identify Design Contest ‘Finalists’ (includes [preliminary] ‘winning’ designs from players’ choice polls or Vikings’ choice of designs considered for release).
This channel can be viewed by players to flag any potential issues with ‘Finalist’ designs (i.e. copyright infringement and/or plagiarism of other players’ work). Designs found in violation of copyright or plagiarism will be ineligible for release.
As indicated in Submission Rules and Guidelines below, players caught plagiarizing or infringing on copyrighted material will be given a strike and your design (and all designs submitted prior) will NOT be considered. Any Designers found guilty of copyright infringement or plagiarism will immediately have their designs removed from consideration. 3 strikes, and you’re banned from participating in Player Design contests (including your alt accounts!).
- Flags of potential copyright infringement or plagiarism MUST be DM’d to Viking Aurelia (Viking Aurelia#2257) AND/OR the YoWorld Community Managers, or
emailed to [email protected]. You can trust any flag made will be kept confidential.
- Proof of copyright / plagiarism MUST be provided in your message.
- If any wrongful ‘gang sabotage’ is attempted (i.e. if you conspire against another player and their design without proof), conspiring players will receive a strike.

● Notifications related to your design status will only be available on Discord. Please create a Discord account and join the Official YoWorld Server if you would like these updates. If you have an account, you will be notified via Discord when:
1. Your design is considered a ‘Finalist’ and chosen for review in the #In-Review channel.
2. Your design has been officially chosen (either by player voting or by Vikings) for release.

● We will be updating the auto-response email soon to include these updated guidelines and rules, and to ensure your submissions are confirmed. Stay tuned for this updated auto-response email. (If for some reason you don’t receive an auto-response email, please reach out to Viking Aurelia on DISCORD to confirm your submission).



SUBMISSION RULES AND GUIDELINES:


1. The first submission of your design is the final name of the design. Please name your designs carefully. No exceptions can or will be made except for instances where:
- The design name is too long (see point 2. below for more info)
- The design name is inappropriate
- The design name is subject to a particular season or timeliness (for example: ‘Viking Aurelia Christmas Hair’).
*In instances like these, your design name will be changed by the Viking team. We will try to reach out to the Designer if a design name change is required, but we cannot promise we can reach out every time.

2. Player collaborations are allowed, however, you must keep your Player Name and Design Name as short as possible.
Example submission name: Viking (Player Name) Coolest Outfit Ever (Design Name).
*Please note: some parts of your submission name may need to be ‘trimmed’ depending on the item. This is because some colors and names of certain clothing items are longer than others. For example, if your design includes the color ‘purple’ or ‘earrings’ as an item, expect your design name to be trimmed.

3. COPYRIGHT / PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. If caught plagiarizing another player’s work or infringing on copyrighted material, your account (including alt accounts) will be given a strike and that design (and all designs submitted prior to the strike) will NOT be considered. 3 strikes, and you will be banned from participating in design contests indefinitely. NEW submissions after a strike will be considered (unless you’re banned from participating).
All submissions considered for release will go through an extensive background check including reverse image search. With modern technology, it is now very easy to find out if you infringe on copyrighted material – so, please don’t do it. This means no copy and pasting graphics you find on the internet onto your design. Part of the spirit of YoWorld Design Contests is to allow YoFans to get creative and get a chance to see their ORIGINAL work in-game. Let’s work together to make designing a fun experience for everyone.

4. No overly-explicit designs. If your design is chosen but is overly explicit, art/design alterations will be made to adhere to YoWorld’s Teen game rating.

5. If your OUTFIT design has too many items, some parts of the outfit may need to be omitted from the final released design. Please try to keep your TOTAL item count between 18-21 items MAX (this includes color variants).

6. By submitting your design, you acknowledge that you are releasing all rights to your creations and confirm that they are YOUR original designs.

7. All designs MUST be submitted to the YoWorld Design Email: [email protected]
Please provide the following information and details in your design submission:
- Your Player ID
- Your Player Name
- Your Discord ID (example: Viking Aurelia#2257): if you want to be notified of the status of your design
- (Depending on the nature of your submission) ‘OPEN CALL’ or ‘[THEME NAME] DESIGN CONTEST’ must be the title of your email submission.
- Front and back views of designs (if applicable).
- Requested color variants (if you want your design’s variants to have specific colors).
- A display of exactly how you’d like the item worn on an avatar (if applicable).
- All applicable digitally designed or hand-drawn images/files.



TECHNICAL GUIDELINES (FOR ARTISAN-LEVEL DESIGNS):


NOTE: Adhering to these technical guidelines allows your submission to remain true to your artistic vision. For the best results, please adhere to these guidelines the best you can.

1. The maximum file size of the submission must be 8MB or less (uncompressed).

2. The submission can use at most 10 shapes that have transparent gradients. All other shapes must have 100% opaque gradient or solid fills.

3. The submission must only have linear or radial gradients. Do not use freeform gradients.

4. All shapes in the submission must have closed edges. If you include unclosed shapes, it requires us to recreate the submitted design.

5. All brushstrokes or text need to be converted into vector shapes. In Adobe Illustrator this can be done by expanding the brushstroke or text.

6. Do not submit files that have machine/script generated vectors, or use image trace tools in Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape or any other vector art creation software.

7. Designs with backviews included will receive extra consideration and may be chosen in the event of a tie with a design that does not contain a back view.

8. Files must be delivered in .ai or .svg format, IN ADDITION TO/AND .png format with a transparent background.

9. Please save vector files in a legacy CC format (Adobe Illustrator) if able.




ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE: DESIGN RIGHTS

By submitting your design, you acknowledge that you are releasing all rights to your creations and confirm that they are YOUR original designs.

This requirement is a legal and formal way of stating that, by submitting your design to us, you are relinquishing any and all rights you have to that design.

In essence, it means:

Releasing All Rights:

By submitting your design, you are giving up ownership and control of that design. BVG will have the full right to use, modify, and distribute the design without seeking further permission from you.

Confirmation of Originality:

You are affirming that the design is entirely your own creation. This is to ensure that we are not unintentionally infringing on someone else's intellectual property.

Legal Acknowledgment:

This statement serves as a legal acknowledgment of the transfer of rights. It protects us from potential legal disputes by having a clear agreement that you, as the designer, are willingly surrendering your rights.

Use of Submitted Designs:

The company has the right to use the submitted designs for any purpose it sees fit, which could include marketing, production, or distribution without any further obligation to the designer.

It's crucial to note that our content designers prioritize player enjoyment when selecting designs, and adjustments may be made to ensure seamless integration with the game. While we can't guarantee every design's implementation, your contributions are invaluable!

We aspire to give credit where credit is due, and if your submitted designs have inspired us to create something similar, we endeavor to acknowledge your part in that process. The designs that are added to the game may not always reflect exactly what you've submitted, and if you are genuinely unhappy to be credited as the designer of those items, please let Viking Aurelia or the YoWorld Community Team know and they will submit a request to remove your name.

Simply to provide variety parallel to the variety of players, please consider a rule that no designer can win back-to-back contests or more than two out of three contests or ANYTHING that varies the players' designs released.

Sounds great. Looking forward to some more player content for guys

Way too complicated for ME to understand. *sigh*

Sounds like great changes

Hello!

Lots of cool info, thank you for all your work Vikings

Just out of curiosity, are the previous artisan and innovator designers going to have that "exclusive 'Player Designer' label-like costume item that's locked to their account" too? Theres many designers in game and would be nice all the ones that won a contest and play actively get one of those exclusive labels. Just wondering Thank you!

Cookie Monster (4327680) wrote:Simply to provide variety parallel to the variety of players, please consider a rule that no designer can win back-to-back contests or more than two out of three contests or ANYTHING that varies the players' designs released.

I'm gonna have to agree with this here!!!!!!!!

I happy to hear that the designers with be rewarded with cash and items, they do fabulous jobs.

Are there ever going to be any contests with Novice category in the future?

Thank you for the good information. Now I know.

Thanks to all the designers who take the time to do all of the different items we now have in YoWorld. These are some of the best we've seen here in Yo. Sometimes we may not get the time to say it, but we really do appreciate all of items we get to choose from. I am so happy to hear that the designers will be rewarded with Yo-cash as well as with the copies of their designs.

Thank you for making yoworld better by finding more designers. I wish I could be designer easily but not much experience & don't have tools as designers do.

CherryWoodland (186261148) wrote:Thank you for making yoworld better by finding more designers. I wish I could be designer easily but not much experience & don't have tools as designers do.

We also consider hand-drawn submissions! You don't need fancy tools to participate Would love to see your submissions if you feel so inclined!

Always (112546669) wrote:Hello!

Lots of cool info, thank you for all your work Vikings

Just out of curiosity, are the previous artisan and innovator designers going to have that "exclusive 'Player Designer' label-like costume item that's locked to their account" too? Theres many designers in game and would be nice all the ones that won a contest and play actively get one of those exclusive labels. Just wondering Thank you!

Hey Hey!

Thanks for your question! Please send all questions to the Discord! We will be more than happy to help you with questions related to Player Design Contests there!

MaryLouYoJ (107140937) wrote:Way too complicated for ME to understand. *sigh*

Hi there!

Sorry this feels complicated. I know it's very comprehensive and there's a lot of text here! Feel free to send any questions you have regarding Player Design Contests to the Discord and we will be more than happy to clarify anything for you!

Im new and dont know how to upload my avatar or picture to enter a contest ,can someone be kind en ought to tell me how? thank you

Sounds great!