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Burn2: ANIMALIA
October 6-15, 2023

Octoburn Builder Guidelines

Burn2 in October

Black Rock City will rise again, and going Home is a cause of great joy for many Burners.

Burn2 Burners are uniquely equipped to carry on the tradition of echoing the week-long Burn event we call "That Thing In The Desert", Black Rock City in Nevada, including Lamplighter processions, Burn2 Rangers, and of course the Burning of the Man and Temple the 14th and 15th of October.

Burn2's theme follows that of Burning Man: https://burningman.org/event/2023-art-theme-animalia/.

Welcome Home

Guidelines

Important: BURN2 Staff will first attempt to contact a builder to ask for the removal of any build, object, or scripted object that does not fit within the very liberal Ethos and Principles of Burning Man. If the builder cannot be reached within 24 hours, the build, object or scripted object may be returned.

These guidelines and rules may be updated at any time, so please remember to check the website often, and read any notices sent out to the Burn2 Access group. Failure to comply with these rules and guidelines may result in your plot being reassigned.

Your purchase of a plot automatically implies that you AGREE to comply with the current Builder Guidelines, Terms of Service, Community Standards, Maturity Ratings and The Ten Principles. Ignorance of this information by not reading it is not an excuse. Radical Self-reliance! Community Effort! Civic Reponsibility! HECK, ALL the 10P apply!

Please read the following guidelines carefully
(* = READ & ** = read TWICE)

For Plot Owners in All Regions EXCEPT Pandora (fka Anarchy)

Builder Rules and Guidelines for Burn2

Second Life Building Considerations.
While the following refers to ‘building’, it also applies to theme camps and any other use of the Playa. A person does not have to be a builder to take part in a BURN2 event, and someone can also join as a novice builder by taking advantage of our building classes that are offered at various times. Please ask about our building and training camps.

"There are no bystanders, we are all participants".

It is a fact of life that in any big community there will be some rules to help things run as safely, smoothly, and as fairly as possible for all in the community.

The Burn2 Regional is not just a bunch of individual builders thrown together in a big virtual space. Each builder is part of Burning Man, and is responsible to the community and fellow participants to build in a manner that does not adversely affect others.

As you build, keep in mind we have only a few RULES, then consideration for Playa Aesthetics.

* IMPORTANT! Remember to wear your Burn2 Access tag while building. There is a 2-minute return time for non-Access objects rezzed on the playa. Nobody likes getting their work returned when they forget to do this!

* BUILD-BY-DATE: 11pm Tuesday October 3rd - ALL BUILDING MUST STOP BY THIS DATE. At that point we do a final check and give you a chance to sort out anything that may be a problem.

* NO 11th HOUR BUILDING: Please understand you need to have your work finished and ready for inspection or it will be considered UN-FINISHED. If a plot is found to still have only a place claim object on it by 11pm Sunday the 1st of October, your plot may be reassigned if you have not contacted us.

* All builds should connect to the ground, with no skyboxes or floating platforms.

* Please keep below the following build heights, determined by your plot size:

512sqm - 16m
1024sqm - 20m
2048sqm - 24m
4096sqm - 28m

* At the end of the event, we practice "Leave No Trace" and pack everything back up. This is the responsibility of the builder. DO not leave it to us to return items, as we will not have the ability to name it for your special folder. The parts of your build will land in a messy heap in the Lost and Found folder in your inventory. No copy items may disappear.

* No old Megaprims. You can use the large prims that modern SL clients can make. The largest size a prim can be is 64m, more than sufficient for most builders anyway.

* Mesh is allowed, but please use it wisely, and be aware that not everyone uses a viewer which enables them to see Mesh, so they may miss seeing your awesome work.

* No Temp-on-Rez objects.

* Please respect parcel boundaries and build within your plot. Nothing is allowed to go over roads or over any infrastructure. There should be NO objects that overhang or extend outside of your parcel lines in such a way that avatars and riders on vehicles cannot easily pass your plot. We call these things MOOP, or "Matter out of Place" and they may be returned to you (not always with warning).

* Please keep texture size as low as possible (512x512 or its equivalent) and reuse textures when possible. This helps rez your build quicker for people, so they won't see everything ugly gooey gray and move on, missing your awesome work.

* Do not use any scripts that require interacting with the region server or external servers/databases, such as scanners, sensors and the like and keep script times to .02ms or less, if possible.

* Keep to the very minimum the use of lag inducing physical objects.

* Consider making prims phantom where you can. A prim does not have to be solid to be sat on.

* Use glow sparingly. The effects of glow multiply in an area (which includes yours and those in nearby plots), so if you have a few glowing pieces in your build, a maximum of 0.5; if many glowing pieces, a maximum of 0.2. Many people do not like a lot of glow, it hurts the eyes, so they will move on, missing your awesome work.

** Please read the 10 Principles of Burning Man. If these are followed, you should not get into any trouble. You can find the 10 Principles here: https://www.burn2.org/about/the-ten-principles/. If in doubt about any of the Principles and your work, ask us.

* Information givers on touch are encouraged; however please do not include external links except those that are strictly informational, like wiki pages and Burning Man/Burn2 pages.

** Off-playa landmarks and SLURLs break the Immediacy principle. Keep visitors immersed in the here and now, to experience the magic of being fully present on the playa!

** Weapons - Catapults, cannons, sling shots or anything that can shoot projectiles at others - are not permitted on the playa. Please do not give out such items as gifts, and do not have them on your plot.

** Ignoring some of the above does not only mean you are ignoring the guidelines, it also means people MAY NOT SEE YOUR AWESOME WORK, that you put so much effort and time into creating.

Playa Aesthetics (The Beauty and the Inspiration)
BURN2 is a virtual continuation of Burning Man, an event that happens yearly in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert on an ancient, dry lake bed. This "playa" as it is called is ringed by distant mountains and supports no animal, insect, or plant life. It is very windy, very dusty, very dry, and very inhospitable. Storms can appear suddenly and out of nowhere. EVERYTHING is trucked in or brought in from hundreds--or even thousands--of miles away. And, when the event is over, EVERYTHING is picked up, and the playa is returned to its natural state as if nothing ever happened. Not a single sequin or twist tie remains.

** Plants, Trees and Growing Things in Planters or Pots .. be creative.

** There are no lakes, ponds, or rivers on the playa. Water is kept in containers and prone to evaporation.

This is the challenge builders face every year on the physical playa, and our challenge to builders here on the virtual playa. Keep these conditions in mind as you plan your build, and try to keep it as close to the physical world Burning Man event as possible. Ask yourself how would this have been trucked in or packed in using only means available in the "default" world? If you had the ability, and remembering "Safety Third", could you transport your build to the playa? For ideas and visual suggestions, you could do a Google image search for Burning Man to see what types of amazing structures have been brought in and assembled in this hostile setting.

We have these GUIDELINES that respect playa aesthetics:
** What is the difference between rules and guidelines? The above rules are limitations to which everyone must adhere. Guidelines, however, are suggestions. They are not rules, but if everyone follows them, then it will enhance the look and feel of our event. Remember, creative builders - you love a challenge! We will not lecture you on this... we merely invite you to consider participating with us!

* Not digging up the playa, creating mounds of playa, or otherwise harming it environmentally.

* Remember, the playa is a long-gone, ancient dry lake bed. No lakes, ponds or rivers exist here.

* All fires are on burn stands, burn barrels, or somehow contained so as not to leave burn scars on the playa surface.

* Builds are made of lightweight materials that can be trucked in. Sometimes, they may require many trucks and/or cargo containers, but everything is still trucked in.

* The Black Rock Desert gets magnificent dust storms, lasting hours, or even sometimes days. Build things that won’t get caught by a windstorm and blown away. Use rebar and rope and tie things down securely.

* Tents, shade, sail cloths, poles, scaffolding, portapotties, temp sheds, trailers, Quonset huts, geodesic domes, motorhomes, rental trucks (no logos - or parody the logos for humor), bikes, or other temporary structures come down quick and leave no trace.

* The Black Rock Desert is a hostile, barren environment that won’t support grass, lawns, forests, or gardens. Instead, use astroturf, fake potted trees, or other items that are designed to look manufactured, rather than lifelike. Plants are often near impossible to keep alive, even in their own potting - so bring fake plants!

** If in doubt about anything, ask! Burn2 staff members have textures, building tips, and other resources available and are there to help. Please request assistance in Burn2 Access group chat if you have any questions or need further information or clarification. Fellow builders may also offer help, seek information, support, or just make new friends. If you wish to know the reasoning for any of the rules or guidelines, we are more than happy to explain. Here's a handy Octoburn FAQ page for answers to some often-asked questions.

Leaving No Trace (LNT)

We have a tradition of asking plot owners to leave their builds out on the playa for the week following the close of the Octoburn event. This allows a more relaxed chance for people to visit all our awesome gorgeous creations, perhaps have little parties, explore, and grab those gifties they didn't get before. This period of time ("afterglow"?) will run from after Octoburn closes on the 15th of October until Sunday, the 22nd of October at 11:00pm SLT. That is the LNT deadline.

Leaving no trace means exactly that. When it is time to clear your build off, your entire build GOES! Anything of yours left behind will be returned. That includes transparent objects, even no-copy items. CLEAN UP so our staff won't have to return your MOOP in an ugly heap in your Lost & Found folder!

A beloved tradition has been taking root, where some builders burn down their builds before clearing off. We love and encourage this! Self-cleaning MOOP! More on this later.

For Plot Owners in Pandora (fka Anarchy)

Builder Rules and Guidelines for Burn2's Pandora Region

Welcome to the Pandora region, where the normal build rules are relaxed a bit. This is your opportunity to have more Self Expression and less restrictions than in other areas.

These Builder Guidelines for the builders in the Pandora region are not meant to be taken to mean "you can go wild"...Pandora is a place to practice actually building MUTUAL RESPECT with your neighbours . YOU must deal with neighbour's themes, ugly builds, sounds and any plot boundary issues.

"Pandora" can be destructive if not handled with care. How people respond to chaos from Pandora's proverbial box can have far-reaching impact. It can destroy people and property, or it can be a catalyst for profound change. In the context of this year's art theme, "ANIMALIA," consider our place in the animal world - real and imagined.

How does this relate to you, plots and building?
Those on Pandora must be responsible for themselves. There are very basic guidelines to follow, then everything else is about getting along with your neighbours. How strong or weak your community is comes down to how well you all pull together.

There are some rules that none of us can ignore, and are outside our control, just as BM must follow Nevada and other local authorities laws. These are the TOS (Terms of Service) for SL and Maturity Ratings, and the CS (Community Standards).

*** THE TEN PRINCIPLES GUIDE OUR CONDUCT ON ALL REGIONS ... READ THEM and KNOW THEM! ***: http://burn2.org/about/ten-principles
DECOMMODIFICATION IS ALWAYS IN FORCE! NO gray area here.

* IMPORTANT! Remember to wear your Burn2 Access tag while building. There is a 2-minute return time for non-Access objects rezzed on the playa. Nobody likes getting their work returned when they forget to do this!

* Information givers on touch are encouraged; please do not include external links except those that are strictly informational, like wiki pages and Burning Man/Burn2 pages.

* Off-playa landmarks and SLURLs break the Immediacy principle. Keep visitors immersed in the here and now, to experience magic of being fully present on the playa!

** NO Weapons. Catapults, cannons, sling shots or anything that can shoot projectiles at others are not permitted on the playa. Please do not give out such items as gifts, and do not have them on your plot.

If there are questions about the rules and guidelines, you can find the staff list on the this page to find the Event Lead or Placement Lead to assist you, or ask a Burn2 Ranger.

Other than that, there are these building rules and guidelines:

* Plants, Trees and growing things must be in planters or pots .. creativity using non-living items is encouraged.

* Remember, the playa is a long-gone, ancient dry lake bed. No lakes, ponds or rivers exist here. Water is kept in containers and is prone to evaporation.

* Sounds will NOT be restricted to your plots, you will be in an actual environment of sharing the air, but you will still be able to ask for a stream to be set on your plot.

* The size of the PLOT you purchased determines your Prim/LI count .. it will be checked, but this will be according to your occupied neighbourhood section (entire area surrounded by roads that your plots are in).

* All builds should connect to the ground in some way (things can float if on a tether) and can go to a height of 28m, no matter which size plot.

* NO scripts or effects will be allowed to go into or cross over to the other sims.

* Do not use any scripts that require interacting with the region server or external servers/databases, such as scanners, sensors and the like and keep script times to .02ms or less, if possible.

* There should be NO objects that overhang or extend outside of your parcel lines in such a way that avatars and riders on vehicles cannot easily pass your plot. Use common sense, please!

* BUILD-BY-DATE: 11pm Tuesday October 3rd - ALL BUILDING MUST STOP BY THIS DATE. At that point we do a final check and give you a chance to sort out anything that may be a problem.

*** Footnotes ***

Although we likely will give them, 'cause we are nice Burner staff, DO NOT expect warnings if your items move outside your plots or breach some rule. You are responsible for them and risk having them returned. You are expected to practice Radical Self-reliance, Civic Responsibility, and show Communal Effort. In other words, be a Burner!

At the end of the event, we practice "Leave No Trace" and pack everything back up. This is the responsibility of the builder. Do not leave it for us to return items, as we will not have the ability to name it for your special folder. It will land in a messy heap in the Lost and Found folder in your inventory.

*** You must deal with neighbors. Make it WORK .. ARTists are amazing people .. be AMAZING!

The way you use your prims, scripts, textures or any other ingredient in your build could have the potential to crash your sim .. please be aware that your neighbor's build is also being crashed in the midst of their work and they may not appreciate that ... Be considerate - and BE AMAZING!

Here's a handy Octoburn FAQ page for answers to some often-asked questions.

Leaving No Trace (LNT)

We have a tradition of asking plot owners to leave their builds out on the playa for the week following the close of the Octoburn event. This allows a more relaxed chance for people to visit all our awesome gorgeous creations, perhaps have little parties, explore, and grab those gifties they didn't get before. This period of time ("afterglow"?) will run from after Octoburn closes on the 15th of October until Sunday, the 22nd of October at 11:00pm SLT. That is the LNT deadline.

Leaving no trace means exactly that. When it is time to clear your build off, your entire build GOES! Anything of yours left behind will be returned. That includes transparent objects, even no-copy items. CLEAN UP so our staff won't have to return your MOOP in an ugly heap in your Lost & Found folder!

A beloved tradition has been taking root, where some builders burn down their builds before clearing off. We love and encourage this! Self-cleaning MOOP! More on this later.