Scratch

Can I 'sign' the peace treaty?

webgal15 wrote:

Silverspines wrote:

Can I 'sign' the peace treaty?

OT: We have almost the same sig!

***

I wanna sign too!

'cept her nickname is Tonks.

webgal15 wrote:

And besides, it's a "rare find", and I like to be different :3

If everyone was perfectly nice and good, would you choose to be different and evil? 

jk.

webgal15 wrote:

cocoanut wrote:

webgal15 wrote:

OT: We have almost the same sig!

***

I wanna sign too!

'cept her nickname is Tonks.

I like Tonk better.

And besides, it's a "rare find", and I like to be different :3

Tonk, if you don't like me calling you Tonk, I'll stop.

Tonka Trucks!
XD

btw, if people spent time making longer animations, that would definitely be 'worthy' enough for game makers and other scratches cuz it takes some annoying programming to get everything timed right.

If art = not allowed, then why is there a art tag ???

RPGs... it has so much history. Now if you've been in the programming industry, or atleast had Commodore 64 for example, you may know what an RPG. Well on scratch, it is rather different. Here, it is commenting, and/or talking on the forums, like in "WOTF RPGing", a famously known text-based game people played on the forums. This involves using your imagination to talk in a fantasy place. Yet when I think of RPG, and maybe you too, the main thing that comes to mind is an actual RPG game, that involves warriors, and items, and maybe skills or talents, and many quests and goals, and you invade other people's territories.

One example of the type of RPG I know, is this project. In this game by B-Reyn428, you fight a creature multiple times, with a melee, magic, and a special attack. In addition there is a shop. Pretty normal. And there are many of these around the internet, although not in scratch.

Nethertheless, there is also the RPG in the form of a text-based game. In this, many people talk in 3rd person, except when typing in parentheses or double parenthesis called talking "out of character". There is often a setting, and the players talk as if they are real people, from staggering rougues to tiny pixie faries. This allows people to use their imagination and creativity, and enriches their vocabulary a bit.

Focusing on the text-based-RPG, this is wonderful to do on scratch, because there are thousands people with young minds, and children ages (9-12) on the website, that makes it so engaging. As we grow older, we lose this creativity and 'randomness' to us, and rather become more mature, but not always.

Maybe it has just been me, but these type of RPGs haven't been on scratch for such a long time. As I have read from others, people have done it in many different locations, from projects, to galleries, to forums. But the first time it got popular, or atleast I noticed, was when the Text-Based-Games forums came out, and nikkiperson2 created "WOTF RPGing". This was a big hit. It became about 576 pages long, with about 24 or 25 posts each pages. People were even so dedicated, that if they had their DS or DSi, and they were on the go, they would find a Wi-Fi hotspot, and post on the thread. Later after the TBG was closed, and the new one was opened - they re-opened WOTF RPGing, with currently about 40 pages, continuing the tradition.

But where does that lead us? How does that help us with scratch? Well this churns our creative juices, and inspires us to make different projects of art, animation, and more, which basically puts the imagine, in "Imagine, Program, Share".


This was an entry for the guest blogger contest that Jonathanpb won.

Can you guess who wrote it . . . Lucario621.

the problem with the art folks is that their spammed art projects (which really don't belong here) overshadow and crowd out the brilliant work of some of the real programmers.

somelia wrote:

AmoebaMan wrote:

the problem with the art folks is that their spammed art projects (which really don't belong here) overshadow and crowd out the brilliant work of some of the real programmers.

*crosses arms*

That's a problem...but no reason to complain!

Again, I agree. Besides, games with awsome backgrounds blah blah blah also is art. Art is useful.

This is a very polite conversation!  I am enjoying seeing all the good points that are being made.  What I have seen so far, with my observations:

1. Effort invested in a project does not always result in proportional publicity.  That is, a simple project by a very popular Scratcher can get Front Page very fast.  I agree.  I can remember the days when simple online tests by Archmage would make the front page.  These were not even complete projects - they were just uploads to the server to test functionality.  So it's really a matter of how popular the author is, not necessarily whether its art or a game.  The Scratch Team has done a lot to try to keep the situation balanced, mostly by limiting the number of projects any author can have on the Front Page at one time.  Does it need to do more?  Probably - but I suspect the majority of their efforts are going towards designing Scratch 2.0 at this point.  We may have to wait.

2. The mix of projects on Scratch has changed over the years.  It started out as mostly games and animations and, while it continues to see those kinds of projects, it has also evolved into a popular platform for sharing art and doing story-based role playing.  This is good for Scratch as it has brought more creative people to the site and helped spread Scratch's popularity.  It shows that Scratch has "wide-walls" and is a useful tool for all kinds of creative people.  This makes Scratch a more valuable tool and helps the Scratch team get further funding to continue to improve the project.

So given the observations above - here's an idea for the game-makers.  Why not try to leverage the large art sharing and role-playing audiences?  Work with the artists and story-tellers to make better games.  Such a collaboration could be very popular and would help to show them that programming can add value to their own projects. 

In a competitive environment, it is the creatures that adapt to the environment the best that thrive the most 

Paddle2See wrote:

So given the observations above - here's an idea for the game-makers.  Why not try to leverage the large art sharing and role-playing audiences?  Work with the artists and story-tellers to make better games.  Such a collaboration could be very popular and would help to show them that programming can add value to their own projects.

Because for me making games to themes I do not enjoy are plain boring. 

08jackt wrote:

For those who are saying Art and RPGing is a part of Scratch, you are wrong. Scratch was not made to draw pictures, OR importpictures from other programs onto the stage. Is it really that hard to understand? That's what I try to tell everyone, but they usually don't listen

Sure, art projects are welcomed on scratch. The scratch team have even said so. But should they really come before what scratch was made for? This is of course, programming. I agree. Scratch was made for programming, not drawing wolves

Scratch is an educational tool. It was made to teach kids how to program, and have fun doing so. And is drawing anime educational? Nope

Let's take a physics engine. Looking through one can help new scratchers work out the program. It takes a lot of skill to make a physics engine. Making one can further develop a user's knowledge of the program.

Now let's take a project with 6 grey and pink circles. What does the new scratcher learn from that?  Nothing. It may even inspired them to further spam the website. They learn nothing, but that they can get a decent amount of views with pointless rubbish. Which this is why art is so popular, and I can name a few Scratchers that live off that

This is just my opinion. I've been on scratch for almost 3 years now. I remember how scratch use to be. I use to think everyone saying scratch has become a death zone, was just some winning kid who was making scratch sound like a 3rd world country. But, now, I have to say I agree.  I joined in 2007, and that was how Scratch was meant to be

Scratch isn't the website I grew up with. I just feel sorry for people who don't understand that. They'll never know the true scratch. (Yes, there is such thing. What we have now, isn't.) It has changed a lot, and wayyyy too much

So lets stop moaning. Let's try make a difference.

Artist, just take it. Please. I know "you should be aloud to make what ever project you want," but drawing a quick doodle and uploading it, ISN'T a scratch project. It's a picture. And one day, you're going to have to understand that.

Scratch was made for scratch projects, not drawings. And believe me, there is a long space between the two.

But you know what, I don't care any more. I'll keep doing I do, trying to get out as many games in the community as I can. Artists, have fun ruining a perfectly awesome programming website. I agree. Yes, the "projects" might have a script playing a song, but that's not programming

And for those who are going to reply to this with "OH YA. THUS PICTURE TOOK ME 5 HOURS TO MAKEDED." I don't care. The reality is, its a picture. Not a scratch project.

So I leave you with 1 final question....

What was the scratch website made to host?

Art, or Scratch Projects?

(As I've already said, they are not the same, and by a long shot.)

Like Paddle2See actually said, any kind of projects are allowed on Scratch.

All of you can complain about how artists are getting more attention, but one must realize that that's because more people on Scratch currently like art better than games.

If a massive part of the community is shifting to one end, you can't do anything about it.
A person has a right to make art projects without any programming, and a person has a right to like these art projects.

I've also been constantly annoyed with the fact that when I create a game that takes weeks it usually doesn't get that popular; however, you just can't tell people to stop what they're doing just because they might be hindering your popularity.

This argument should just end.