Should we stop allowing recolors in the graphics forum?

Postby **Witchking666** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:29 pm

I'm really annoyed by the fact that people post topics of recolor tilesets in the graphics forum while every user on these forums could just download this tool and make recolor tilesets in mere minutes. Like, I'm not saying every topic in those forums should have handdrawn graphics in them. In my opinion restyles, edits, expansions and anything else that required some sort of effort are fine. Two possible ways of fixing this problem are either banning recolor tilesets from the graphics forum completely, or to make a recolor subforum, just like we used to have one for requests. Also, I would suggest stickying the tileset compiler/seperator in the graphics forum. Just because people will have an easier time finding it.

PixelPest · Postby **PixelPest** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:33 pm

There are actually some recolours that are done well and are very useful, such as SMB3 Grass --> SMB3 Snow. I definitely don't think they should have their own subforum for sure and I don't think banning them is necessary either since they really don't do any harm

Postby **Witchking666** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:34 pm

PixelPest wrote:There are actually some recolours that are done well and are very useful, such as SMB3 Grass --> SMB3 Snow. I definitely don't think they should have their own subforum for sure and I don't think banning them is necessary either since they really don't do any harm

Im not saying recolors cannot be of high quality, everyone can just do them in a whiff of time using the compiler/seperator, so at least sticky that. And the harm they do is pushing tilesets that actually have effort in them to page 2 or lower due to how easy they are to make.

YouTube · Postby **bossedit8** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:35 pm

What you can do by recolors is by having a lot of different recolors and make a pack out of it... that could work out.

Postby **Witchking666** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:37 pm

bossedit8 wrote:What you can do by recolors is by having a lot of different recolors and make a pack out of it... that could work out.

Yeah, that would be fine since that actually takes effort. So it deserves a spot in the graphics forum.

PixelPest · Postby **PixelPest** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:46 pm

Maybe then if your issue regards the number of small, fast graphics that don't deserve their own topics, I would propose one or more of the following to be implemented:

Have an active user take over the GFX Index from Squishy Rex.
Have a Sticky topic in Graphics entitled "Miscallaneous" for the sharing of graphics that don't deserve their own topics (such as recolours of single tilesets and single NPC reskins).
Each user can only have one topic in the Graphics forum (named however they wish) to post their graphics. I would most recommend this option since I think it would be the most organized and although it may take a bit to implement, I think the end result would be the best of the three.

StrikeForcer · Postby **StrikeForcer** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 3:10 pm

I rather you ban graphics that do not have a utilitarian use. Recolors, as simple as they are, do have their uses in level design as well as making graphics cohesive in style. Why would you deprive would-be graphic creators if they want to share their abeit simple graphical works? Im against the idea of banning recolors in the graphics forum.

TLtimelord · Postby **TLtimelord** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 3:15 pm

PixelPest wrote:There are actually some recolours that are done well and are very useful, such as SMB3 Grass --> SMB3 Snow. I definitely don't think they should have their own subforum for sure and I don't think banning them is necessary either since they really don't do any harm

Just because something doesn't do any harm doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. Recolored graphics require literally no effort and almost no graphical skill. Someone posting a recolor of, say, one of Eternity's tilesets and claiming it as their own new graphic is mainly what this topic strives to stop. There doesn't need to be a recolored tileset if the same tileset exists in another topic or graphics pack. If someone wanted a specific recolor like that, it takes no time at all to do it yourself.

StrikeForcer · Postby **StrikeForcer** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 3:45 pm

Another reason im against this idea because submissions to the graphics forum section as well as levels still should must be treated as a unbiased warehouse (or museum) where people who made their works put said works there for archival and sharing purposes as its there as an option for would-be artists and actual artists to have their works archived, as such the content posted and shown there are beyond what we like or not, and what we deem as acceptable or not. Im not saying that we can't review things that are shown there...we absolutely can and have our own opinions of the sort, but everything that is posted there for people's use and for sharing and for show should at the very least be given the service of archival.

TL;DR - Having QC for anything and categorically banning certain works would be counterproductive to the purposes that those forums exists for (archival of graphics and other forums of art that have utilitarian usage for other artists). Not saying that we can't have our opinions on art and what goes in to those forums but why must they be subject to what the community deems as acceptable when really its beyond that?