Inside The Box is meant to be a pleasant place for all players, and
therefore, we ask that all players behave accordingly. That means that
you should treat this server, the players on it, and those who may
come to experience the server in some other way with respect
and as you yourself would like to be treated.
It goes without saying that anything that players do that would alter,
disrupt or upset any part of the experience of players is a bannable
offense, without warning, and subject to being reported to authorities
if this is necessary. If you can't figure out what we mean by this,
please leave immediately.
[2] Copyright
Other than that, you should know that all the work on this server
is copyrighted, and that your ability to use or re-use any of
it is restricted and bound by certain conditions. Again, if you
don't know what this means or what you can or cannot do, ask us
first. Of course, playing on this server is entirely allowed without
restrictions.
[3] Privacy Policy
You should know that we monitor and log player conversations and
player interactions with the server. We do not provide these logs
to anyone unless legally required to do so, and we do not sell any
player information to other parties or companies. However, we will use
player data to analyze and improve the server experience for users,
so we may closely watch how players behave and interact on the server,
for instance, by creating scores or rankings. If you do not agree with
this, please leave immediately.
[4] Cheating
Cheating, as described by using unfair means to gain an advantage
over other players is expressly prohibited. That means that using
cheats to fly, look through walls, sprint, use noclip, and unfairly to
other player capabilities obtained while on this server are subject to
an immediate ban without warning. We believe that the best experience
is had when players experience the real challenge themselves without
unfair help. If you do discover a way to cheat or exploit, we'd love
to work with you to resolve this problem. If you don't tell us, but
abuse it or tell others, we may take action against you.
[5] Hints
We explicitly allow players to discuss and help players with
hints. This is not cheating. While we think that players get a
better experience trying to solve a problem and persisting in that,
we realize that sometimes you just may not find that secret, well
hidden objective.
[6] Light
Because the amount of available light in the game varies per
display, and per computer, it is always allowed to pick up and move
torches. We know that certain levels are very dark, and this may make
it very difficult for some players. Therefore, we allow you to move
and place torches wherever you can. Of course, not every level
has torches available for the player to do so.
[7] Tutorial
All players are required to complete the tutorial before they are
allowed to enter the general lobby. We want to make sure the players
understand and appreciate the puzzle element of the game before they
start creating their own challenges.
[8] User generated content
We don't want to take over the copyright of your works, but you can't build
on this server without somehow permitting the server to share your
creation with other players, and therefore, you are granting us the
rights to do so. Even if you never submit your creation for review,
you still grant the server whatever rights are applicable to sharing
any content you put in your own creations, and allow the server to
redistribute it to other people without reservations.
[9] FAQ
Q: Can I record videos while playing on this server?
A: Yes, but if you record with the music from this server, you
are required to provide the proper attribution, and you may not use
monetization or otherwise make videos for commercial purposes. The
credits are: "Lee Rosevere, Music inspired by MiNRS, CC-BY-NC-4.0"
Q: I think I found a bug!
A: contact sofar@foo-projects.org, or sofar in the game. Or visit
the website and visit the Feedback page.
On the server, these rules can be read with the command
/rules
Creator Rules
These rules are for people who create puzzle boxes.
We want players to enjoy coming to this server and to spend lots
of time playing puzzles. In order to promote this, we have a few
basic ground rules to prevent player frustration and promote fun
and challenging puzzles. Some of the things listed below are more
"guidelines" than hard rules, and some are really hard rules. If
you think that breaking a rule listed here would improve the game,
then discuss it with the admins, and be prepared to state your case.
[1] The puzzle must always remain solvable
An abandoned puzzle is a failed puzzle, and the player lost. Do not ever
make a puzzle that a player must leave to reset. If your puzzle
needs some sort of reset button, you need to build it with the tools
available to you in the box creator mode.
[2] Dying must never be required to complete a box
A player must never feel like having to commit suicide. There should
always be a way out. If the player is actually in an unsolvable
situation, you should kill the player immediately, for instance by
flooding the player with lava.
[3] Do not create "manholes" that the player can get stuck in
A stuck player is an abandoned player. Either kill the player or
allow the player to recover.
[4] Do not make darkness an essential part of your puzzle
Your monitor may be nice and bright, but some people may have bad
vision or a darker monitor. And your cave system with 20 cave parts
that has one torch is just impossible to do without cheating and turning
up gamma on the monitor. Dark boxes promote cheating and give an
unfair advantage. You can use darkness as an occasional feature
or even anti-feature (e.g., making nonessential parts dark), but if
your box is mostly dark; that's not acceptable.
[5] Do not use fake items
Planting empty or decoy items is the opposite of creativity,
and frustrates players. Try to reward the player instead. Unconnected
switches, empty chests, locked item frames that are not in a "hint"
position or are clearly decorative are all sources of frustration.
[6] Do not make boxes that are 3/4 empty
Empty, large spaces feel boring and allow the player to quickly see
almost everything they need to find. Fill up the space, even up and
down, as much as you can do with decoration or playable areas.
[7] When submitting, expect feedback, and update your box
Everyone wins if your boxes are better. You get a better box that will
be played more and where players are spending more time playing it.
[8] Use buttons, not switches
Unless you need the player to flip a switch twice, you should
always use a button with a filter to open that door, create some nodes,
or open a pathway.
[9] Don't build on the bottom
This is a sure way to get yourself into trouble or make an
uninteresting and an open box. Always throw some basic landscaping in
place with the landscaping tool and build at least a few blocks up.
[10] Decorate, decorate, decorate
4 Hours is almost the minimum amount of time you'll need to spend building to
make a decently decorated and well-functioning puzzle, and more if you
add lots of mechanical components. You can not, I repeat, not make a
box in 30 minutes and expect it to be "well done". Even box 6, which
has a meager sub-100 nodes and took several hours of work to get right.
Use the paint tool. Diversify your nodes. Use slabs to create relief
and texture. But don't overmix things either. 5 different colors
flowers aren't stylish. Mixing certain blocks for building material
may also not match well.
[11] Don't make a puzzle, first!
Always, always make the background and stage for your puzzle first.
It is already really hard to think of a good way to capture your
player and to tell a story, but you really can't do it unless there
is a clear atmosphere with a story present. The style of your box, the
areas that the player needs to visit; these all dictate the obstacles
that the player will have to overcome and are easy puzzle elements
that you can add to make the puzzle more complex and enjoyable.
[12] Avoid signs and icons
Don't repeat the name of the box. Don't put your name somewhere
on a sign. These are all things that break the "4th wall" for players
and ruin the immersion feeling. A doorbell in a normal house doesn't
have the word "doorbell" next to it. Icons, similarly, are not really
meant for decoration or hints, and usually distract more than anything.
[13] Don't leave hints in your box
Don't use a terminal for player hints. They always figure it out,
and it breaks the 4th wall. Plus, most of the time, the terminals
are a distraction. The terminals are for lore and stories you may
want to share. Try to stay away from personal stuff and overly
dramatic passages, though. It's a game, and it should remain fun for
everyone.
[14] Parkour rules
This server isn't meant for endless hardcore parkour. We will
accept boxes that are parkour-focused, but the emphasis should be
on puzzles and not jumps. On top of that, jumps must not be one
of these or further than these: 1 node up and over a 3-node gap;
across a level 4 node gap. 1 node down and over a 5-node gap; Any
jump should be reasonably doable. In doubt: If you cannot repeat
the same jump 5x in succession without failing, it's too difficult.
On the server, these rules can be read with the command
/rules creator
Reviewer Rules
What is a reviewer?
Reviewers are players who can playtest submitted boxes and
provide feedback to the builder. Reviewers do not accept or reject
boxes. Reviews are visible by the builder, and by the moderator. Other
reviewers can only see their own reviews.
[1] Cooperate and improve, not criticize
Everyone wins when boxes are better than they were before. The
players get better content, and builders can enjoy players spending
time in their creations. We do not want to break this positive and
constructive feedback cycle. To do that, we have to have reviewers
and the moderators be friendly, helpful, and constructive.
[2] Stay positive, do not use negative language
Builders are spending an enormous amount of time to make boxes. This
isn't something we should take lightly. The whole server exists because
there are builders that are happy to do so. But we can't take that
for granted. We have to remain positive and constructive at all times
when doing review and moderation work.
So avoid writing reviews that state "this aspect is bad", but
instead form your review in a constructive way "please improve this
aspect". This helps builders focus on finding easy ways to improve
their submission. E.g. When you write "There's no plants/landscape"
it gives a clear indication to the builder what to do, and is better
than writing "There's no decoration" which has no direction.
[3] Work with the builder, help where possible
Reviewing submissions is a delicate act where we want the builder
to improve their boxes whenever they can, and at the same time not
behave as a person who constantly "moves the goal post". Be mindful of
repeatedly sending review to the submitter that leads down this path.
[4] Use the /note tool and leave clear review feedback
The /note command can be used to show a builder exactly what you mean
- it can record your position inside the box. The builder can click a
"Take me there" and see what you were seeing. This is a powerful tool
to fix little but disruptive mistakes or gaps.
[5] Use the /feedback tool and mark things as fixed/resolved
Every time a builder takes the feedback offered to them, and fixes
something, it's a really good idea that the reviewer checks this. The
system allows you to mark your previous reviews as "Resolved", and
"Unresolved". Use this when you can - if a builder fixed an issue
that you reported, then please take the time to check, and mark it
as such. The builder can't mark items as resolved - you have to.
[6] Play the boxes you are reviewing, entirely
The server records that you have, and it shows as a positive review in
the system, so, it helps everyone. Even the builder can see that you
at least tried their box. Make sure to exit out the exit doors. This
is when your playthrough has been recorded.
[7] Work with the moderator team
There are others, including the server admins, that can help. Please
ask and communicate. Be part of the team. Ping sofar if you must.
[8] It doesn't need to be perfect
Not everyone is a Picasso or a Van Gogh. Sometimes it's okay to review
a box that you may deem "very low quality" and just allow it to pass
through review. Try and work with the builder to improve the box. If
the builder doesn't respond to reviews or not make any improvements,
let the moderator (players with the accept privilege) deal with that.
[9] Double check those terminals and signs
Make sure there's no weird things. Check that the box meets the builder
guidelines. These were written for this purpose.
On the server, these rules can be read with the command
/rules reviewer
Moderator Rules
What is a moderator?
A moderator is a special reviewer that can see all reviews, and
decide whether a box is ready to be accepted, based on the feedback
from reviewers and the builder, or not. As a moderator, you play a
crucial role in conveying the need for improvements and deciding at
the right time that the box is good to go. Once you accept a box,
you may need to include it in a series.
[1] Work with the team
Everyone can use some help. Builders can use guidance. Reviewers
may be helped with better instructions or feedback on how to review,
or what to look at. Use the telex and communicate, and ping sofar
when something isn't clear.
[2] Read all the reviews
Make sure reviews were addressed by the builder. Read all the reviews.
Check that things that were asked to be changed or fixed were done.
[3] Play through the box, one more time
Is it really okay? One last check never hurt.
[4] Sometimes okay is just enough
Try not to set the bar impossibly high. There are builders who are
sometimes very young. Encourage them, so they come back and build
more content.
[5] Review is hard and time consuming
Try and encourage our reviewers to come back and help create and
build the content that this server needs to thrive!
On the server, these rules can be read with the command
/rules accepter