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Custom Companions - Needs Some Revamping

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I've been watching the Custom Companion page for a while now. I've been waiting and waiting for my artist of choice to say "Open", and yet the page never changes. It's been quite a while that I've been waiting, and in that time I've noticed that the other artists always stay closed too. I want nothing more than to spend my hard-earned bones on a memorial CC of my late Greyhound, Dusty, but only if I'm able to commission the artist of my choice to do it.

Now, I understand that the artists have a ton of work, but there's something wrong about having such an awesome service and never having anyone available to perform said awesome service - it's almost like making a promise you can't fulfill. There are four artists listed on the CC page - and the Ala wiki shows eight official site artists, 7 of whom are still pretty active (I noticed one hasn't been on in a long time, and another hasn't been on in a week or so). I know a couple people who have had their CC orders cancelled repeatedly because the artists were simply too busy to do the art and I can only imagine how disappointing that must have been.

Here are a couple possible remedies for this situation:
-Have all site artists available to do CCs (one or two, and depending on their other amount of work)
-Hire a couple (or a few) artists to specifically be available for CCs - this way, the current site artists would be able to focus on site art and the newly hired artists would focus on creating art for CCs.
- Allow users to commission other artists (not site artists) to draw CCs, and then have them approved by an admin before being coded - this way a user would be able to get the art done without having to wait on an official site artist, but the work would still be approved. I believe a couple mods and maybe an admin or two dabble in art (and by "dabble", I mean I believe they're quite good). It's been pointed out that this isn't really a feasible option, and for obvious reasons. So never mind this one!

Other suggested ideas:
-Have the artists able to edit their status to either open or closed - that way their status will be more accurate and they won't need to ask an admin to do it (which takes a while - our admin are just so busy fixing all the other things!)
-Have the artists set their own amount of CCs they're willing/able to work on at any given time.

Anyone have any other ideas?

07-31-2012 at 5:28 PM

I would like a revamp of the whole page; to make everything easier on everyone; the artists, admins and the players wanting CCs made. Maybe holding a little CC artist application thing to hire a few new CC-only artists to help out? Carni and the admin can decide who is able to work on CCs based on the applications they receive? Just an idea though, not manditory in any way. My reason for suggesting is I've been waiting for my second CC to be finished since November/December last year; I'm not growing impatient, but I feel bad for requesting it at this point because my artist is already swamped in other priorities. I wouldn't feel as bad if I knew the artist I hired didn't have any other priorities to the site.

07-31-2012 at 4:35 PM

Well the one thing I dont like, is that this was presented to us (very happy about that) however, if you didn't get in when they first came out, you don't get to. It seems like they came out with CCs and it is teasing us because if contacted 3 of the 4 artists about doing a CC and these are the respones: One said they are probably done with CCs Another said that they have no time in real life and the last never responded. So out of 4 artists, 2 aren't doing any and the other refuses to respond to people who ask if they are open or when they will be open. How is this fair to us? You create this awesome feature, and we can't use it. I would be fine if it said it would be limited or first come first serve, but it never did. We have 7 or 8 site artists and basically only 2 are doing CCs (if that)

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2012-07-31 16:36:43 by #8259

07-31-2012 at 3:18 PM

I think most of what I said has been taken drastically different than how I intended it. For one, the options I listed are just ideas - I don't know what's best for the site or the artists, so I can't make well informed suggestions. This is merely a basic list of things that I thought might work. I would love to spend my hard-earned/purchased bones on a CC of my late doggy, because I miss her greatly and would love to have a companion version of her on the site. I think the whole CC program needs work - have there even been any new CCs created lately? I understand that spending our hard-earned money on CCs isn't our "right" and that it's a special feature of the site. However, it doesn't say anywhere that it's a gift-feature from the artists to us - if it clearly said that somewhere, I'd be a lot more patient (not happy, exactly, but still - I'd understand). I'd hate to think that I sound demanding, because I don't want to sound demanding - I'm simply sad that CCs seem to have been "first come, first served" and all the artists will remain closed so no one else can buy CCs. If none of the options I suggested work, please don't just set this aside - I'm sure there are other valid options out there!

07-31-2012 at 2:53 PM

I think the argument is less art-based (though skill and quality is still a priority) and more on the prospect of whether or not the Head Artist and art team would like to make the custom companion feature a user one, as I think respect towards their wishes weighs greater in this situation. It's not strictly about receiving companions. From what I understood while it was a good money sink it was more of the art team giving back to the community when they had the time to do so, rather than an obligation or a feature in which the main purpose is for users to obtain and endlessly create companions. I'm not sure if I am expressing the sentiments correctly, but I am hoping for some understanding from that perspective if so. I've not yet had an opportunity to speak about the issue, but there will be an upcoming administrator meeting early next month.

07-31-2012 at 2:07 PM

I understand the fact that the want to keep the art the same, however if you look at this, this is what alacrity's art is focused on. Alacrity is centered around hand drawn, original art, and custom content should follow with this. That is taken directly from the rules. Last time I checked, our ideas fit the criteria of making a CA, so why not a CC?

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2012-07-31 14:08:22 by #8259

07-31-2012 at 1:38 PM

I've been waiting for a long time to get something done for a CC. There are a lot of people capable of making CC art that are not site artists. I don't see why there can't be the option of doing this but having them go through quality control before being added. It'd be a simple risk one would have to take if they made a piece of art to get submitted as a CC and it didn't cut it. Hiring artists JUST for CCs would be a good idea too. Let those artists get a small cut of the bones that the commissioner pays for the CC. (I'm not sure how this worked in the past). Considering it's a REALLY good way to get people to spend bones on this site it's kind of a shame the option to get CCs made isn't open more often than it is. But, that's just my opinion ^^ Is it really important to have CCs? Maybe not to everyone, but to some people it may be. And if they are willing to buy bones and spend them on this feature, then, I think it should be available more often.

07-5-2012 at 1:32 PM

Hmm, whilst I recognise that there is more demand than supply for CCs, I do have to side with Miss Carnivale in retaining quality of art for Alacrity since custom companions are still treated more as a site item on a certain level rather than a custom accessory due to the privileges attached to them. I have once raised the prospect of allowing non-staff art for CCs if approved by Miss Carnivale, though there has been a lot of discussions about the site and things to fix since then. It would not hurt to discuss it again, but at this point in time I think it is worth considering that they are a luxury and not essential to game play nor (I imagine) intended to be mass produced by throwing art at it. It seemed to be intended to be something special on part of the art staff giving to the community, rather than a way of getting more companions or an obligatory site feature if that makes sense.

07-5-2012 at 12:33 PM

I'm in agreement. Its our bones, shouldn't we be allowed to have what we want, no matter where the art is from? I've shelled out more than $300 to Ala. (If my husband finds out, he'll probly kill me). Before Ala, the maximum ammount I had ever spent on any other website was $20. All other websites combined where I have spent money is only about $60 or so. I say we be allowed to use whomever's art we want. I just bought a beautiful, site quality piece from some one who is not on the CC artist list but I'm going to hold onto it until I can make it into a CC.

07-5-2012 at 9:41 AM

I don't really see why the site-art matching is a huge issue; if they're paying so much to the site, let them have it as they please? For example, CC's little cousin the CAM allows whatever style of art you'd like to do, and there are Ala items that are more cartoonish, for example, the old pony accessories.

07-5-2012 at 5:39 AM

i tend to have to support this. i've been waiting well over 6 months for an artist to become available for my CC. as for the matching art thing.. i understand it's the whole "aesthetic" and whatnot, but for those who don't want the CC to reflect ala-style and perhaps want theirs a bit different (personally, i want mine more cartoonish), this makes it seem quite limiting. honestly, i've given up the hope of ever getting my CC. I hope those still waiting are more patient than I. heh

07-5-2012 at 5:34 AM

Yeah, I understand how unfeasible it would be to have other artists commissioned individually and then have their art approved after it was completed. I crossed that option out xD I also understand that patience is a virtue, but at a certain point it's no longer "patience" - I've been saving up since Dusty passed away (May 25, 2011) so that I could get a CC of her (in all her gangly, Greyhound glory). Now that I have the bones and reference pics all picked out, the artist I wanted isn't accepting commissions and tells me that they may never be open for CC commissions again.

07-5-2012 at 5:21 AM

I just read the few pages now. The reason why people may be waiting is because the admins are busy, so they have no time to change an artist's status, which is why I suggested my idea. Through the amount of times that the CCs were released, I have gotten two CCs drawn, my guinea pig and Nellyfox and Hubby. At first, I commissioned an artist that I thought might not have as many CCs to draw. So, if more than one artist were open, it might be best to do that. I also think that the whole art team should be involved with making CCs. Even if their name is just on the CC list as closed all the time, I think they should be on the list in case they ever open. Though...that is just me.

07-4-2012 at 9:21 PM

As Clay said, it's the trouble with matching art. The approval thing would be difficult. But perhaps Carni would be willing to look into hiring more artists to fill this void if she knew of the want people had for CCs. I too am waiting patiently for the artist I want to do the CC I wish. And it's been a half a year. Do I wish it could be sooner? Yes. But because I wish to have that artist's art, I am willing to wait. So, I cannot say I support, persay, with the ideas as they are. But I would like to have the CCs open again, and it would be nice to explore ways to make that happen.

07-4-2012 at 8:58 PM

support :D

07-4-2012 at 8:25 PM

Supported

07-4-2012 at 8:22 PM

That's why I mentioned getting admin approval, but now that I think about it that would be a lot of work for someone to go through just to be told it wasn't enough like the site's art.... So scratch that one. I still wonder if opening up the other site artists (if they're willing) would be possible. Or maybe, if the site can, add a couple extra CC only artists - ones who have been preapproved and who draw only CCs for the site. Or...something.

07-4-2012 at 7:27 PM

The reason why they don't allow non-staff-artists to do CCs is because they want the art style to stay consistent. It's a bummer, I know.

07-4-2012 at 7:19 PM

We understand that its a choice but shouldn't we have the choice as to who we get to ask? No we are obligated to ask only those 4 people. So as stated, I'd like to see more artists available.

07-4-2012 at 7:16 PM

I understand that Clay, I do - but they are so busy that they aren't ever open. Ever. I had to save up to get one, and now that I have the bones, no one can do it. That's why I suggested alternatives, such as other artists being added to the team for the specific purpose of drawing CCs, or all the site artists being included and made available (if they want to participate). And Nelly's idea of having them set their own status and number of CCs they're willing to take on. The last thing I want is to force them to draw when they're already swamped, but having the page up with no artists available (and no availability in sight) is a bit of a tease.

07-4-2012 at 7:01 PM

Hmm to be honest, this suonds a lot like doing CCs is an obligation and not a choice. Site artists don't have to do CCs, it's just a nice service they offer when they are open.

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