Group: Elite Builders of Robloxia - Roblox
Last updated: 19th August 2020
Introduction
Hey everyone, This is an informative post about the Elite Builders of Robloxia (EBR). Our original posts were on the Roblox forums, but the posts are obviously no longer accessible.This post focuses on the group itself, as well as admission requirements. We have included a list of requirements we usually review each entry by, and the most common mistakes people make when creating their entry.
This post is split into the following topics:
- Introduction
- The Group
- Sending an Application
- Review of an Application
- The Voting Process
- Conclusion (+ Frequently Asked Questions)
- Resources
DISCLAIMER: In this post we refer to “moderator” and “administrator” as the GROUP RANKS. This should NOT be confused with Roblox staff, forum moderators and so on. The group moderators and administrators has no influence on official Roblox moderation.
The Group
Elite Builders of Robloxia (EBR) is a diverse collective of passionate artists, architects, and designers from the Roblox community. Our focus is to provide a place to find quality work, both showcases and games. The group was started in 2009 by Bloxmin, and is one of the oldest groups still active.The group can be found here.
Previous Owners
- 2009: Bloxmin
- 2009-2010: owen0202
- 2010-2011: SilentSwords
- 2011-2016: WhoBloxedWho
- 2016-2017: DieSoft
- 2017-2020: Ravenshield
- 2020 - present: NoirSplash
Sending an Application
Anyone can send an application to the group, but we advise that you thoroughly go over your creation before you do so. Applications that either look fake or that is nowhere near the quality required by the group might be ignored. Our goal is to try to respond with constructive feedback to all serious applications.When you are going to send an application, it is best to either send it directly to EBR_RBLX on Twitter or to one of our moderators (see the group).
An application should contain link(s) to your best creations. If your creation is a Model, you should upload it to a place.
Make sure the place settings allow anyone to enter (Access: Everyone).
Review of an Application
Each application submitted to the group is initially reviewed by one of our moderators.As anywhere, each member has their different set of personal requirements they judge an entry by. These requirements can (and will) vary between our members, but the general criterias most judge by are (but not limited to) the following:
Review Criterias
- Efficiency
- Consistency
- Creativity
- Originality
- Level composition
- Atmosphere
- Detail vs. simplicity
It is worth noting that we are not only looking for super-detailed builds. Many times entries are turned down because they put detail in the wrong places even though the entire build is detailed. Our criteria is that each builder should be able to determine where to apply detail and where to leave it out.
Some common mistakes people make when applying for the group:
Common Mistakes
- Repetitive patterns
- Inefficient use of parts
- Using a lot of parts for something very simple, also known as “brickspam”
- Lack of color/material
- You are only excused to use a single color if you’re specifically going for a style. It is recommended that you use more than one color, as such a style is hard to pull off properly.
- Inconsistent use of color/material
- Inconsistent level of detail across the creation
- Some things are hyper-detailed while other things are really simple. It is usually not a good match. Find the middle-ground instead!
- Not enough has been built to properly determine skill
- This is really common. People send us all sorts of entries that are basically just a tiny room or model, and this is usually not enough to fully determine your skill. We will not judge in your favor if you don’t bother spending more time on your build than we spend reviewing it.
- No or lacking atmosphere
- Here we mean that your combination of lighting, particles, sound/ambience, built assets and so on lack an overall atmosphere or ambience - they don’t fit together nicely, for example.
- Overly detailed creation
- More often than not, building detailed actually means putting detail in the right place in your creation, not actually making every model super-detailed.
- Flickering or z-fighting
- This occurs when you have a brick inside a brick and they are both aligned so that the surface of both bricks is inside each other. It doesn’t always happen if the bricks are the exact same color and material.
- This is a sign that you’re not paying attention to detail as much as you should, and is usually one of the very first things we spot in an entry. This is BAD and should be avoided at all costs.
By building a common theme for your entry you might lose points on originality, which may harm your chances of getting accepted into the group. Some common themes that have been (over-)used throughout the years:
- Zombie
- Apocalypse
- Zombie apocalypse
- Vignettes
- Steampunk
- Generic houses
- Cathedrals
- Sphere terrain
- Cafes
You are free to build what you want, but we advise you to carefully think through your plan before you build any of these common themes.
The Voting Process
Admission to the EBR is granted when a vote has been held for an entry, and the vote has passed in favor of the entry. Every member of the group are able to vote in every vote, and each member has one vote (either “yes” or “no”, with a reasoning for their vote).A vote lasts for 5 days, and the deciding factor is common majority in favor of “no”. That means if there are more than 50% yes, the vote goes through. If there result is 50/50 (equal amount of yes and no), the vote does not go through.
There has to be at least five votes for a vote to pass. The vote will be extended or recast if there are insufficient votes. If the vote still has not reached the required amount of votes, an administrator may decide whether the vote shall pass or not, for example in a case the group has reached a point where there are not enough active members for a vote to be held.
Example of vote
Your vote should contain either a yes or no, and ideally have a justification statement.
- “I vote yes, he builds consistently and has a really clever use of materials and colors. No parts of the creation stands out, and it blends nicely together.”
- “I vote no. He clearly doesn’t know how to build efficiently, which you can see from the flowerpot made out of 500 parts. The colors can also be somewhat distracting, and they don’t blend well.”
Conclusion
We are always looking for more, skilled individuals. If you are interested in applying for EBR, it would be in your interest to read Admissions Guide 2018, which can serve as a neat checklist for you. It has some nice tips and tricks for when you apply to the group.Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is my place good enough?
A: The best way to quickly check if your place might be good enough is to compare it to our most recent members’ creations. If the quality of your place aligns with the places of our most recent members, your place might be good enough.
Q: A moderator has not responded to my message!
A: The best way to reach us quickly is through Twitter. If you apply through a Private Message on Roblox, please allow reasonable time (at least a week) for the moderator to review your application. If you have not received a response after reasonable time, you may submit to another moderator. If this moderator does not respond either, you should submit your application to EBR_RBLX on Twitter or send it to one of the administrators of the group.
Q: How long time do I have to wait until I can apply again?
A: There is no time-limit for when you can apply again, but we highly suggest you don’t apply until you have made significant improvement on your places based on the feedback you were given by the reviewer. It is possible to be blacklisted if you send in unnecessarily many applications without showing any sign of improvement.
Resources
Admission Guide 2018
ADMISSION GUIDE 2018
(Note: This guide is the work of several authors, and the latest version was from 2016 by Matthew_James. The 2018-version has been revisioned and edited to correspond better to the group as of 22nd of December 2017.)
1.) Entry place
With your EBR application, you must have a designated place that shows off the very best of your abilities. This place should be completed, located on your profile, and must be open to the public. Ideally, you should send us a single map that is large enough for us to get an accurate idea of your building skills, but also keep in mind our standard of quality over quantity.
No copied places and no free models. Some moderators allow for stamper-tool entries for terrain, some do not.
Before you send in an entry, it would benefit you to self-evaluate your place. Sometimes it is the case that our constructive criticism and suggestions do not help with improvements, as it is your map. You’re the builder. Keep in mind that we look for not just intricate details, new styles, clever uses of meshes, and aesthetics, but the key to a successful application is inspiring us. If you need ideas on what exactly we’re looking for, it may help to review some our members’ work.
If you would like suggestions and tips while creating your entry, feel free to message any of the EBR moderators and we will help you. It is our job to help you with the admissions process and to present you to the group for a vote.
2.) Contacting a moderator
Once you have completed your entry place and are ready to send it in, please send in your application to an EBR moderator by personal message or to EBR_RBLX on Twitter. Your message should contain the link to your entry place and any other information you would like us to know. Please be courteous, respectful, and professional when messaging a moderator.
Do not send your application to more than one moderator and please allow at least a week for a response. If you still do not receive a response after that time period, message an administrator and they will get back to you. Please do not spam our staff. The speed at which you receive a response depends on who you contact and how busy that person is.
When a moderator receives your application, they will review your entry place. If they think it is good enough for EBR, they will put it up for vote and will let you know. If it is not quite to our standards, the moderator may give you some advice on how to improve your work and tell you to try again. Do not be discouraged if this happens, feel free to re-apply again after a month’s time.
3.) Voting process
When a moderator puts your entry up for vote, a group shout will be posted with your username and a link to your place. Group members have 5 days to cast their vote on the group wall, usually with a brief explanation. An approval rate of more than 50% must be reached for you, the applicant, to be given admission. You will receive a message from the moderator regarding the outcome of the vote, and if you are accepted, we will ask you to send in a join request if you have not done this already.
Please be patient while the vote is taking place. It is possible that there is already a vote in progress and we put votes up based on a first-come, first serve schedule. We will let you know when the vote starts, and we will let you know when it concludes. Please do not spam us asking about it.
If the vote finishes and you are declined, again, please do not be discouraged. You should also not argue with a moderator about the outcome as that will only reduce your chances of being accepted in the future. Simply go back to the drawing board and try again.
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