Okay guys, I just had this crazy idea, that I think just might work.

So, I was thinking...what if Trap17 had it's own graphics crew? Unofficial of course, unless the admins would want to make it official. Making graphics a bigger part of the forum might bring in some new members and more activity, maybe.

Anyway, I doubt most of you know what a graphics crew does, so here's some examples:

-- Collaboration projects.
-- Releasing downloadable resources. (Free sig PSDs, renders, brushes, or whatever.)
-- Accepting graphics requests.
-- Teach graphics through tutorials, or "study sessions", to help the other members advance in graphics.

And I'm sure other stuff will come later on.

So anyway, this is just something I was jumbling around in my head and discussing with Saint Mike, so it's still all a rough sketch, but here's some ideas I/we had.

-- To get in the graphics crew, a member posts an application (the details for which will come later) that includes basic info, how they can contribute the the crew, and some examples of their work. And EVERYONE has to submit an application if they plan on getting in. Even me. There's no free rides.

-- Then I take the application, and make a new topic with all your information, plus a poll asking members if they think that person should be on the crew. Maybe like 5 votes will get you in, but if your voting topic is open for more than a week or two, it'll be denied. Now remember, the graphics crew will represent the top designers on T17, so don't just vote for someone because you like one or two of their pieces of art. They should get a "yes" only if you believe that they can really take on the challenges.

-- Then, when a member gets accepted, maybe we can have a new forum for the graphics crew for portfolios, where they can post up whatever artwork they like.

-- Then there would be a list for all the current gfx crew designers, and their areas of expertise (sigs, templates, flash, vector, 3d, etc.)

-- The accepted crew members would then take on requests and release resources for download, and do collaboration projects with other crew members, or maybe just members in general.

-- The crew members could maybe have a minibanner in their sig to show that they are part of the crew, so members know who to talk to about different stuff. Of course, I'd have to ask any non-crew members wearing the tag to remove it and such. And I do have mod powers, so don't test me. Mods can just remove it.

-- And maybe if the admins approve it, we could have a download section for the gfx crew members to post their resources.

So, those are the basic ideas we've outlined so far...if you have any thoughts or suggestions, please post them up. This is just very tentative at the moment, but I'd like to see it come through.

If we get some solid plans, I'm sure we could get this thing going nicely.

EDIT: Forgot to add one thing. We also might host a sig of the week (SOTW) contest and various tournaments.

 

 

 

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I remember trying to do this in an old forum, but that forum went down. But, this would be awesome if it were to happen here.


[1], I've always wanted to do that.
[2]I was planning on making my own brush sets.
[3]In the old forum i was in, they had a section in the forums for that.
[4]My website is all about that. I was planning on making flash movies about the tutorials on my site. Showing where to go, and what to use.
[5]In my old forums, they didnt just have it on their sigs. They also had it on the "group" part of the avatar area, or description area, whatever it's called...

 

 

 

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[1] You should try it. It's fun. Unless you're doing it with Mike.

[2] You should do that too. I was as well...have a few already, just haven't released them.

[3] *nod* I already have a topic in the staff section about adding a "Requests" section.

[4] Do it here.

[5] Yeah, Mike suggested that as well, but I dunno how well that'd work out...I guess we could add it to custom titles, but not all members can do that. I suppose as a mod, I could do it for them though.

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Excellent suggestion!

A while ago someone made a post to volunteer to create a logo to be tailored for a user. Why not make the first collaborated project to be creating user tailored avatar? I see some members were creative on their avatars but some were using default ones. While there's nothing wrong with using what you'd like, I think the easiest request and project to start would be a simple 64x64 avatar (either animated or non-animated).

Getting back to the topic, will you (Johnny) create a similar requesting form to Free Web Hosting Form? An automated form generator would certainly make your life easier.

Edit: Ohhh, just had an epiphany. I wonder if OpaQue will ever install a module to edit member's title. Then, you wouldn't need to police TRAP 17 GraFX Crew logo as part of the signature since only high members and moderators can edit them. Or perhaps request to OpaQue (if he's not going to install the module) to edit a particular member's title. That way only admins have the control over who is a genuine GraFX Crew. I'm trying to coin that phrase, "TRAP 17 GraFX Crew"

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[1] Thanks.

[2] Nah, if the gfx crew is as good as it should be, avatars should be easy stuff, and therefore we wouldn't need to collab. But you just gave me another idea. Maybe when we get the crew assembled, we can have everybody pitch in for a "GraFX Crew" sig. Then maybe one of us could do an avatar to match. Of course, it wouldn't be a required type thing...I'm not sure if all the crew members would want to wear it.

[3] I was thinking of setting up a request guideline form thingy, but I wouldn't know how to start on an automated one. Any of you scripter types wanna try?

[4] We can already edit member title's, can't we? And I don't really wanna bother the admins too much...I think I can edit user's titles, if we decide to go with that. And policing people's sigs wouldn't be that hard, really. I doubt anyone would even try.

[5] Not a bad phrase, but I'll still use GFX.

Thanks for the input BH. I would like to keep this a pretty open discussion, so let me know if I'm sounding too bossy.

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No. None of us can edit the member's title (the one just below the avatar) even our own. We, mods, were able to in the past but I think OpaQue did not install for the new forum version. It was an idea since anyone can just swipe the logo or logo link and place it in the signature.


Any time. Any discussion is a healthy one and there should be one who directs the discussion to the final goal. Otherwise it'll just be a random thoughts posting, ya know? You're not bossy....yet. HA~!

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UNO! -- Ah... right. Guess we'll just have to stick with the minibanner and/or avatar thing, unless Opa decides to reinstall custom titles...

DOS! -- Hm...you do have a point.

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Sounds good Johnny. I don't know if it even needs to be official though? Things like collabs/requests, SOTW, whatnot etc, don't *really* need to have an official team to do. I don't know whether an "elite" graphics crew is wanted, or just a general graphics community. As there are so many graphics teams already out there, I think a much more casual kind of team would be good. Rather, as long as you do some designing (and have been on Trap17 for sufficient time/post count), you can join. Everyone in the team just helps each other out. Rather than being a position of priveledge, it just allows other designers to recognise one another on the forums and associate with each other accordingly.

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W00t. You're still alive. I was telling Mike earlier that if you visited and did sigs more often you'd probably be top dog around here.

Anyway, it's not really an "elite" team, as you put it...it's more of an honorary thing...I mean, we're just as much members of the general community, and they're as much a part of us, it's just that the crew gives an added sense of responsibility, and would probably give some of these other guys incentive to get better. And the official thing's sort of an honorary thing too...just like a public...thing.

I dunno. Basically, the crew will just be a set of good designers helping out the newer guys. At least, that's what I'm hoping for.

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Hehehe, while I love the idea and would probably end up trying out, I don't think I am near good enough to give it a go.

But you got my vote for this project.

I suggest as first collaborate project to make a skin of IBP here It seems easy but there's a lot of graphics involved.

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