(Big wall of text)
(EDIT: I accidentally didn't fully read the poll. So I chose the wrong answer, sorry for any confusion it might have caused. I would have chosen: Not necessarily...)
First off I will say that I have already gotten the Builder rank a while ago.
Now on topic, I talked with rawr for a quite amount of time in the past week about the new builder standard. There were a few things that should in my opinion should be looked at and possibly fixed. I do think that the rank requirements are way too high right now, especially with the removal of WE. I have also noticed that those in this thread, who say that the builder rank level is fine, are adv+ (just an interesting point).
Here are the issues:
1) I have noticed a huge amount of inconsistency between the standards of the ops. Some ops have a build standard that is close to an adv level build and others are much easier.
2) The build help plot is practically next to useless. Yes, I said “next to useless”. Even if you pass all the examples with flying colors, you are not guaranteed what so ever that you will get builder.
It’s like studying for the SAT from the official study guide. And let’s say you scored perfectly (100%) on the study guides’ practice tests. And if you had done exactly the same on the actual test, you would have only gotten a 50%. If that was the case, what use would the study guide be?
3) Ops never seem to bother to ask about the build. They never ask if you were following a theme for the build (which might restrict blocks). Or what is the story behind the build (if there is one).
4) Ops seem to look at the overall build, the landscape, and interior design. I am not saying this is a bad thing. The problem is that ops seem to expect all 3 to exist. To be completely honest, some people when they are making a build could care less about the landscape or if they add anything to the interior. Especially since terraforming and interior decorating aren't what is getting you builder.
5) Ops seem to judge builds on their own tastes. Not based off technique.
Now that I have brought up the problems let see how we could fix it.
1) Have multiple bare minimum builder builds on a staff only world. That way, operators would be on the same page on what is acceptable and what is not. Or make a staff thread with detailed instructions/examples. We need to make the inconsistency gap much, much smaller.
2) The build help plot needs to be redone or guarantee the builder rank if you pass all the elements. If you do redo the plot, make sure you do guarantee the builder rank if the player passes all the redone elements. Maybe add a bare minimum build to the plot? (If players copy it, deny them the rank of builder.)
Also if ops show players builder level builds on other plots make sure you show them the barely passing builder builds and the small builds. Right now players seem think that they are expected to make half plot builds to have a smug of a hope to get builder (Because ALL the examples that are shown to them are huge.)
3) When an operator arrives to look at a build, they should ask questions about it. Does it have a theme (is it based of a historical time period, is it from a game/movie, or is it just from the imagination?), is there a specific reason why a certain block was used, is there a story behind the build (there might not be any). Only after an op sees and understands the build as the player does, that is when the op could make a well informed decision.
4) This is the one issue that is and isn’t a problem. Ops tend to forget the players who are working on builder builds are not thinking on what would get them adv. Also nothing in the build help plot tells you about terraforming. Also why are we making adding furniture to builds a requirement to get builder? I can understand if a person wants to add furniture to his/her build. But this should NOT be a builder passing requirement. (Yes there are arguments for both positions, sometimes builds need interior detail. But the ops’ vision of improvement should not be that of furniture.)
5) Lastly, the builder rank shouldn't be totally based off the personal tastes of the op. (My build was at first denied because the op didn’t like my nether brick roof and nothing else was wrong.) It took me 10 min talking to that op to get him to finally realize that the beyond the fact that I used nether brick for the roof, that the design of the roof and the rest of the build surpassed the requirement for builder. (When I first built it, it was pre acacia wood update. When I submitted it back then, Damer (when he was director) said it was adv. quality). So, how on earth is something that was adv quality, is now a barely pass? If this is the case, then the requirements for builder are insane.
Shouldn’t the builder rank be based off technique and/or the looks? Shouldn’t ops look at the layering of blocks, the use of curves and bends, and looking for “less is more”? If a build doesn’t look that great, but is extremely technical. It should get builder.
I am not saying this just out of my frustration, but for the other players. I am certain we have lost countless players due to the frustration of the builder rank being almost totally out of reach. I want to see BB to succeed greatly; but right now there are issues that need to be ironed out.
TL;DR There needs to be more refinement, more consistency, and more clarity of the Builder requirements.
and I love that it's more challenging.
