13114DartKayl wrote:

Very Helpful, but I have one question… How can more than one person with different accounts work on one project ?

mojohill wrote:

Thanks; now I know how to bump my posts!

Hamish752 wrote:

There aren't many guides on collaborating, and many collaborations don't get anywhere. So, for these reasons, I made this guide. I hope you enjoy! I'm sure that you will find these strategies to be very helpful for you and your collaboration .

Start you collaboration
(If you already own a collaboration, then I recommend skipping this step) Before you can do anything, you have to start your collaboration! You can do this by posting in the “collaboration forum”. Try to make your post as organised as possible. Also, make it appear friendly and welcoming, as it's the first thing that potential members will see. List anything that you think will be needed. Whatever you do, remember to list the following:

-Members
-How to apply
-A little bit about your collaboration
-Any other links (studio, projects you have made, other threads etc)
-Some basic rules

This will let people know everything about your collaboration. I also recommend reserving 2-3 posts, in case you find something else to tell people about, or if your post is getting a little messy. You can do this by simply replying with “reserved”. Then you can edit these posts, when you want to use them.

Bump your topic
Ah! The famous bump…. but what actually is a bump? Well…. for you Scratchers that don't know , a “bump” is when you “bump” a topic, back to the top of the list of topics. Basically, when you bump a topic, it goes back to the very top of the list of topics, meaning that more people will see it! You can bump a topic by just replying with “Bump” on your topic. You probably won't get any members as soon as you post your topic, so bumping is crucial. However, only bump once every 1-2 days. Otherwise, it can be considered spam, and may annoy people. Don't get frustrated when people don't join, just keep bumping and hope for the best!

Add members
Without members your collaboration won't go anywhere. The whole reason you made a thread in the collaboration forum, is because you need people to help you. So, because, of this you need to make sure that you have a decent amount of members. Generally, a good amount of members is 4-8, but there can be more or less, depending on the collaboration, and the situation. You need to be as active as possible, to answer all applications. You should make sure that they are active, and whether their skills will fit the collaboration. You don't need to accept every application, but remember to tell them why you think they wouldn't be good for the collaboration. They also need to have a specific role, so you can decide what they should be doing. Here are some example roles:

-Owner (that's you!)
-Co-manager/s
-Coder/s (you can have specific coder roles, such as- cloud, custom blocks, pen use and many more depending on the collaboration)
-Art/s (you can have specific art roles, such as- pixel art, vector or bitmap)
-Sounds (you can have specific sounds roles, such as- soundtracks, 8-bit, sound effects)
-Ideas
-Animation
-Advertiser
-Tester

And many more depending on the situation.

If your collaboration is HUGE then you can try to add “heads” of each sector (head coder, head art etc). Also remember to put a form on the front page, so members know how to apply. An example form:

Username:
Role:
Activity (1 to 10):
Experience (1 to 10):

Give assignments
Assignments are how your members work together to make projects. Give them out, by telling everyone what their assignment is. Remind them to do their assignment, constantly, otherwise they might not do any work, and your collaboration may slowly fall into ruins…. It's also a good idea to put the assignments on the front post, this will remind them to do their assignment, and will also show Scratchers who want to join, what your currently doing. Be reasonable when giving assignments, don't give one person too much work, unless you know that they are dedicated, and will do more work than others. Once everyone, has finished their assignments, you will (usually) be the one who combines it all in to one project. Use everyone's assignments in the final project, and remember to also give credit to all those who helped. Sometimes it can take multiple rounds of assignments, before the final project is complete. Be patient, but make sure that you do remind people to do their assignments.

Give updates
Remember to constantly update everything in your thread. This doesn't just mean giving out assignments. You also need to constantly update the information in your thread. If you have completed a game, and are making a different one, then tell people that! If you have a new member, then put them on the list! As, the leader of the collaboration, people will probably consider you a role model, and do what you do. If your not active, then others may not be active either. Giving constant updates about the status of the collaboration, is extremely important, and will make you seem active. This will encourage others to be active, which will let your collaboration become more successful and popular!

Thanks for reading this guide! If you have any suggestions and/or questions, then I would highly encourage you to leave a comment! I guarantee that I will be able to answer it! Thanks again, and

Scratch on!

~Hamish752

Novakitty wrote:

Very good! It is nicely detailed and organized. It's really good and helpful!

One thing I might say: Make your front page appear friendly as well as Organized and detailed. It is the first thing potential members look at and if it seems too intimidating, they will not join. (Personal experience.)