- Joined
- Jul 6, 2017
- Posts
- 34
- Ratings
Heya! I'm LawsOfScience, or better known in chat as Wasted, but you can call me whatever you want to. :p
I've noticed that a lot of people looking for an easy grade, such as a D, on Creative build a dinky little structure that has very little of the aspects that graders are looking for. I feel that I should help inform those new builders who want to get their first grade on what graders are looking for and how to best fulfill it.
Graders typically look for a few main things. These include:
Terrain is the hills, valleys, and other physical features in a plot. Terrain can be intimidating at first glance and may seem impossible to accomplish, but Creative has a tool that makes adding and smoothing terrain much easier. This wonderful tool is called WorldEdit. A very good tutorial explaining the use of WorldEdit can be found here (all credits to makers). The gist of WorldEdit is using brushes to make adding terrain blocks, such as grass, stone, and andesite, much easier than by adding them by hand.
Graders always look for terrain as it makes the plot look more realistic than if it were flat. Think about a flat plot with a nice home and farm on it. Not too attractive, right? Now add some terrain to it and see how it looks. Terrain with simple structures and some detail can give a new builder a good chance at a D. ALWAYS add terrain, even if it may cost a few gems for WorldEdit or you think it's too hard to add terrain, even with WorldEdit. Trust me, it never gets easier. :P
Some tips for terrain are to use a large brush size and to mostly hand smooth the terrain (hand smoothing is smoothing terrain without the use of WorldEdit). I recommend hand smoothing as the smooth brush can get messy. When smoothing, make sure the terrain looks okay, and don't be afraid to make it look messy. Terrain is messy in real life!
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Structure is also key in a plot. A plot is nothing without structure, else it would just be bare terrain. Structure is also something graders look at intently. A great tutorial by Vanillish can be found here.
Whenever you make a structure, try to make it as detailed as possible while looking nice. Be careful of adding too much detail, called overdetailing. Structures shouldn't be too small as this limits area for detail. Rather, don't be afraid to make structures a bit larger than normal. Also, when possible, add interiors to your structures. Interior can greatly improve a structure if done right.
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Detail is something any builder must pay close attention to. Detailing has a fragile balance to it: too much and your plot looks overdetailed and busy, too little and your plot looks barren.
Detailing can be anything, from adding wools and clays to the grass to ice spikes off of the side of a tower, and much more! Detailing is basically adding little elements to make a plot look more appealing. Simple, practical examples include adding a little flower garden under a window or mixing stone and andesite into a cliff side. Graders look for a nice, detailed structure and detailed terrain when grading.
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Finally comes Theme. Every plot has its own theme, which is what the blocks you use, terrain you make, and structures you build are based off of. It is absolutely essential to stick to your central theme when building, else the plot will go all willy-nilly. Graders especially look at theme as it shows that you can stick to a concept and form ideas around it.
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I hope this helped! If it didn't, then I guess I failed my job, but falling down only motivates you to get back up. A few other general tips include:
-Never be afraid to demolish something. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work! Two steps back, three steps forwards.
-Always, always, always put effort into a plot! No matter how good the terrain is or how detailed the structures are, effort is seen in a plot. A rushed plot looks rushed, and a carefully planed plot looks carefully planned.
-If you're stumped on what to build, just think of what you like best, or where you've always wanted to travel to!
Once again, I hope this helped. If you have any feedback or feel I am missing something, do comment! Have a great day!
I've noticed that a lot of people looking for an easy grade, such as a D, on Creative build a dinky little structure that has very little of the aspects that graders are looking for. I feel that I should help inform those new builders who want to get their first grade on what graders are looking for and how to best fulfill it.
Graders typically look for a few main things. These include:
-Terrain
-Structure
-Detail
-Theme
These may seem overwhelming at first, but they are easy to understand and master.-Structure
-Detail
-Theme
Terrain is the hills, valleys, and other physical features in a plot. Terrain can be intimidating at first glance and may seem impossible to accomplish, but Creative has a tool that makes adding and smoothing terrain much easier. This wonderful tool is called WorldEdit. A very good tutorial explaining the use of WorldEdit can be found here (all credits to makers). The gist of WorldEdit is using brushes to make adding terrain blocks, such as grass, stone, and andesite, much easier than by adding them by hand.
Graders always look for terrain as it makes the plot look more realistic than if it were flat. Think about a flat plot with a nice home and farm on it. Not too attractive, right? Now add some terrain to it and see how it looks. Terrain with simple structures and some detail can give a new builder a good chance at a D. ALWAYS add terrain, even if it may cost a few gems for WorldEdit or you think it's too hard to add terrain, even with WorldEdit. Trust me, it never gets easier. :P
Some tips for terrain are to use a large brush size and to mostly hand smooth the terrain (hand smoothing is smoothing terrain without the use of WorldEdit). I recommend hand smoothing as the smooth brush can get messy. When smoothing, make sure the terrain looks okay, and don't be afraid to make it look messy. Terrain is messy in real life!
-----
Structure is also key in a plot. A plot is nothing without structure, else it would just be bare terrain. Structure is also something graders look at intently. A great tutorial by Vanillish can be found here.
Whenever you make a structure, try to make it as detailed as possible while looking nice. Be careful of adding too much detail, called overdetailing. Structures shouldn't be too small as this limits area for detail. Rather, don't be afraid to make structures a bit larger than normal. Also, when possible, add interiors to your structures. Interior can greatly improve a structure if done right.
-----
Detail is something any builder must pay close attention to. Detailing has a fragile balance to it: too much and your plot looks overdetailed and busy, too little and your plot looks barren.
Detailing can be anything, from adding wools and clays to the grass to ice spikes off of the side of a tower, and much more! Detailing is basically adding little elements to make a plot look more appealing. Simple, practical examples include adding a little flower garden under a window or mixing stone and andesite into a cliff side. Graders look for a nice, detailed structure and detailed terrain when grading.
-----
Finally comes Theme. Every plot has its own theme, which is what the blocks you use, terrain you make, and structures you build are based off of. It is absolutely essential to stick to your central theme when building, else the plot will go all willy-nilly. Graders especially look at theme as it shows that you can stick to a concept and form ideas around it.
-----
I hope this helped! If it didn't, then I guess I failed my job, but falling down only motivates you to get back up. A few other general tips include:
-Never be afraid to demolish something. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work! Two steps back, three steps forwards.
-Always, always, always put effort into a plot! No matter how good the terrain is or how detailed the structures are, effort is seen in a plot. A rushed plot looks rushed, and a carefully planed plot looks carefully planned.
-If you're stumped on what to build, just think of what you like best, or where you've always wanted to travel to!
Once again, I hope this helped. If you have any feedback or feel I am missing something, do comment! Have a great day!
