Lights On Lights Off 2024 - Now Over

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Lights On Lights Off 2024 - Now Over

Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:23 am

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Welcome to
Image Lights On Lights Off Image


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Official Fanclub | Discord Server

LOLO is over for this year, see my post here for more info





        Image What is Lights On Lights Off?
    Image
    Lights On Lights Off (otherwise known as LOLO) is a user-run Halloween themed gifting game. It runs during the entire month of October. It is essentially the CS version of trick or treating; you dressup one of your pets in a halloween costume, write a short story about trick or treating, and send that story to other LOLO players. They respond by sending a 'treat' (a gift) or a 'trick' (nothing). It runs only during October and is a fun way to give and receive gifts! We have been running this game here every year since 2011. Please keep in mind LOLO is not an official CS game, please direct questions to our LOLO team, not site staff.

    LOLO runs from October 1st to October 31st, we use CS time, so this means it starts at the same time the October monthly pets are released, and ends once the November monthly pets are released.

Before you get started:

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This thread is a bit wordy, but the only post necessary to read is the next one, which contains all the rules for the game and instructions on how to play. If you have any questions, be sure to check our FAQ as well. If your question is not answered there, please feel free to PM any of the LOLO team members for assistance. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have or give more detailed explanations on various parts of the game.


All pixel art on this thread is create and owned by Celozon, and is not free to use
all other decorative images belong to CS


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Rules

Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:23 am

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Thread Navigation:
| Welcome | Rules | FAQ | The Team | Player List | Signature Images | Costume Help | Story Help|


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By playing Lights On Lights Off, you agree to follow the below rules.
Refusal to follow the rules may result in your removal from the player list
and you will not be allowed to play again until next year.


      Image Thread Rules: Image
    1. Please do not post 'bump', 'mark', 'marking', etc, on this thread. We suggest using the bookmark feature instead.
    2. Only forms and questions belong on this thread. Any chat and discussion of LOLO can be posted in our fanclub or our discord server.
    3. Please do not answer other player's questions about LOLO. Leave these for a LOLO team member to handle, unfortunately it is easy for misinformation to spread otherwise.
    4. If you see someone breaking our rules, please report it to one of our team members. This only applies to rules specific to LOLO, if you see someone breaking site rules, please report that to site staff instead. You can find a list of our team members here.
    5. Be respectful of others. We do not tolerate publicly or privately shaming someone for the story or costume they have created for LOLO. Additionally, no story or costume should be made to make fun of or belittle a certain group of people or specific person. If you have a problem with another player or feel their story/costume is not respectful, please report it to our thread staff, or site staff if it breaks site rules.
    6. We do not allow the use of AI generative text or image tools in LOLO. This includes using it to write trick or treat stories or for art (either as decoration or treats). If you are having trouble writing your story, our team members are happy to give one-on-one assistance or advice.

      Image Playing LOLO: Image
      This section is intended as a basic explanation on how to play for those who are new to LOLO. Please wait to start making anything for LOLO until you have finished reading this section and the next section ('Gameplay Rules'). If there are certain parts which you are unable to do (such as not having items for a costume) there are additional resources linked below. Our team is also available to be contacted anytime for assistance.

    • Before you start playing you will need to choose a pet you would like to be your trick or treater.
    • You will need to create a halloween costume for the pet you have picked, the costume does not need to be specifically halloween themed, they just need to be dressed up as something.
    • Once your pet has a costume you'll create a story about this pet going trick or treating on Halloween, ending with them approaching a house to trick or treat at.
    • Once your story is completed you will need to fill out the form below and include both the dressup and story and post it on this thread. Before posting your form you should also add 'lights off' somewhere in your signature as this is the signal to others that you are playing LOLO. The LOLO team will then review your form and contact you through PM letting you know if you can begin playing, or if something needs to be changed first.
      • All rules for your story and costume are detailed below. Our LOLO team are available through PM and discord to answer any questions you may have. Questions may also be posted on this thread.
    • Once your form is approved you can start playing! To play, just go to the list of other LOLO players and find someone who has 'lights on' in their signature. Then send them a PM with your trick or treater pet and story. They will then respond with either a 'trick', which means you will receive nothing, or a 'treat' which will be a gift they send you.
      • You can also switch your signature to say 'lights on' or 'lights off' depending on when you are ready to receive stories from other players. 'Lights on' let them know they can send you their stories, and 'Lights off' tell them to try again later.
    • Once your form is accepted you will be added to the player list so other users can send you their stories when you have 'lights on' in your signature.
    • LOLO ends at rollover on the last day of October (when the site time goes from Oct 31st to Nov 1st). Until that time you are free to play as much or as little as you like. Keep in mind that this game is intended to go both ways! Please consider if you actually intend to give out gifts before participating.

      Image Gameplay Rules: Image
    1. Keep all content you create for LOLO child-friendly. This means costumes and stories should not include anything too bloody, gory, or disturbing. Additionally do not create costumes or references of characters from media that is not CS appropriate.
    2. When creating a costume, try not to use the pet's design as part of the costume. They should be 'dressing up' for halloween, so the items that you add to the pet should be the costume, not anything that was already part of the pet design.
      • The costume does not need to be a typical 'Halloween' costume, as long as they are dressing up as something recognizable it can be anything you want (ex: a scuba diver, a fisherman, etc).
      • Check this post for more information on what makes a good costume. There are also free costume items available through that post if you do not have enough to make your own.
    3. Your story for LOLO must be at least 10 sentences long. There is no limit on the max length.
      • Your story must involve your costumed pet going trick or treating, and should end with them approaching a house to trick or treat at.
      • Do not include anything in your story that would be controlling the action of the person/entity within the house they are approaching. This includes seeing someone inside the house, opening the door, etc.
      • See this post for more details on writing your story. This post includes more detailed information on the above rules and some tips on how to get started on your story if you are having trouble writing it.
    4. Put lights off' or 'lights on' in your signature. Your 'lights on' or 'lights off' text must be clearly visible, try not to use small text or difficult to see colors or we may ask you to edit it to make it more visible.
    5. You may play LOLO even if you only want to receive trick or treat stories and not send them. Just post a form with 'n/a' for the costume and story and say you only want to receive trick or treaters. If you change your mind later on you can re-join as a trick or treater as well.
    6. Your form must be approved by a LOLO team member before you can begin playing.
      • Do not post WIP forms on this thread or re-post a form that you have edited.
      • Please give us 24 hours to contact you about your form after you have posted it. If you have not received a PM within 24 hours, please contact a team member directly and let us know.
      • You may have 'lights on' while waiting for your form to be approved, but you may not start sending trick or treat messages until you are approved.
    7. You and other LOLO players are never required to give a treat/gift to someone if you do not want to. Gifts should be entirely voluntary. You should expect to give away some gifts if you do join, but other players should never tell you that you must give them a treat or give something specific as a treat.
      • Users on our list may have gift preferences listed, these are only to be used as a guide. You are still free to give the user anything you want as a treat. Players should not be requiring that only treats following their preferences be given.
      • This applies to stories as well, while creative liberty is given for different character types, your character should not be overly demanding of getting treats, or specific treats, etc. as readers may be interpreting it as your words and not just the character's.
      • If you do not want a treat/gift being sent to you, you may cancel, but you may not ask for a different treat in return.
    8. Be sure to respond to any trick or treat messages you receive. Even if your lights were off when you got a message, you should respond to the user and inform them of that.
    9. If your trick or treat message has not been responded to within 48 hours, it may be resent, so long as the user still has 'lights on' in their signature. If they have 'lights off' then do not resend until they have 'lights on' again.
    10. By default, you may only send 1 trick or treat message to each user (except for resends when they do not respond). Even if you receive a 'trick' that counts as your 1 time. If a user allows more than one visit this will be next to their name on the player list.
    11. Keep track of who you trick or treated with. This is important to ensure you do not keep revisting users when you should only be sending one message to each. Check this post for suggestions on keeping track of this.

      Image Making changes to your story or costume after you have started playing Image
    • We understand that sometimes you might want to change some things in your story or costume after you've already been accepted and started playing LOLO. We allow players to make changes to their story or costume, but all major changes must be approved before you can start using them. Keep in mind this is meant to be used sparingly.
    • This form is also for anyone who joined without a costume or story (those just receiving trick or treaters) and would now like to have one.
    • You can make minor changes without needing any approval or asking first. For stories this includes: fixing grammar, misspellings, and small amounts of rearranging within stories. In costumes this includes: adding extra scenery or other items to costumes that do not cover or change the costume itself.
    • All major changes to stories or costumes must be approved, this includes: Making any changes to a costume (not including scenery/background objects), replacing a story or costume with a completely new one, adding or removing content from the story, or changing to a new trick or treater. If any of these apply to you, please fill out the 'Story/Costume Changes and Additions Form' below and post it on this thread.

      If you are not sure if your changes need approval or not, please contact a LOLO team member to ask first.

      Image Form: Image
      We suggest going through our Rules Checklist before posting your form.
      Almost every declined form can be avoided by double-checking this.
      If you have any questions about your form, or just need help with something, please message a LOLO team member.
    Code: Select all
    [b]General Info:[/b]
    Username:

    [b]Game Preferences: (optional)[/b]
    When receiving treats, do you prefer items, pets, and/or C$? (list all that apply):
    Are you ok with non-wishlist pets in treats?:
    Are you ok with art as a treat?:
    Do you allow users to revisit you? (if yes, please list how many times or how often):
    Are you interested in being included in the 'Featured Users'?: (explanation linked below)

    [b]Trick or Treater and Story:[/b]
    Trick or Treater:
    Story:

    Did you read and understand the rules, and do you agree to follow them?:

    Additional information wrote:- For the question on revisits, please see the 'Visit preferences' section of the Player List post to see some examples, feel free to give the same phrasing we use on the list in your answer.

    - If you are willing to accept art as a treat, please consider having a link to your characters somewhere on your profile or story, or mention you'll accept art of your trick or treater.

    - Full explanation of the 'Featured Users' can be found at the bottom of the first post of the fanclub. In short, a small group of randomly selected users who currently have their lights on will occasionally be posted on the fanclub. It is mainly to provide some visibility for users who don't get many trick or treaters because of their location on the list.


      Image Story/Costume Changes and Additions Form: Image
      This form is specifically for when you have any major changes you want to make to your story or costume, or if you first joined without a story and would now like to add a story/costume. This is ONLY for when you have already submitted a form, it has been accepted, and you have been added to the list. If your form was declined then you need to message back the team member who declined it to get it fixed.

      Please give a detailed account of all changes you are making. For example, if you want to change your story, please tell us what you are changing in it. Such as if specific sentences are being changed or if the whole thing is being changed.

      Please do not remove the top line as it is there to alert us that you have already been added to the list so we do not add you a second time. If you are not yet on the list than you should not be using this form!

    Code: Select all
    [b][size=120]I'm already on the list but need to modify my previous form![/size][/b]
    Username:
    Your number on the player list:
    Link to previous form:
    Describe what changes you are making to your form:

    Trick or Treater:
    Story:

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Frequently Asked Questions

Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:23 am

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      Image Frequently Asked Questions: Image

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      What counts as a 'trick' and what counts as a 'treat'?
  • Trick: A trick just means that you do not send a gift. Why you give a trick is up to you and you will never be required to give a reason. Remember to always respond to trick or treat messages, even for tricks, which you can respond to with just 'trick' to let them know. Please do not use tricks to send messages that may come off as rude or mean.
  • Treat: A treat means that you give a gift. What you chose to gift is completely up to you, and you will never be required to send someone a gift if you don't want to. Users have treat preferences next to their names on the player list which can help you know what they prefer as treats.
    • What can be given as a treat:
      CS pets, items or C$
      Custom art
      Off site currency/pets may be given only if the other user agrees to it beforehand

      What do 'lights on' and 'lights off' mean exactly?
  • This game is like an emulation of Halloween, traditionally on Halloween if a house has its lights on, that means you can knock on their door and ask for candy. It is the same concept, if a user has 'Lights On' in their signature it means their 'house' has its lights on and you can send them your story through PM, as if you were trick or treating at their 'house'. 'Lights Off' means you should wait till later. Many users will use 'Light Off' when they are offline, restocking on pets, or trying to catch up on PMs.
      I was accepted, but I'm not on the Player List. xxxxxxxxImage
    We now have a live player list, the link can be found here. The list on the main thread is not updated immediately after accepting people as only some of our team members can edit the post, though we do our best to update it a few times a day. If there are users who posted their forms AFTER you that are on the list and you aren't, and you never got a message saying you were declined, please message a team member as you may have been missed.

      Someone's signature doesn't have 'lights on' or 'lights off'!
    You can message a LOLO team member with a link to the person's profile to confirm if the user does have their lights status in their signature. Please be aware that accessing CS on mobile, or on a PC using Safari or Google Chrome has been known to cut off parts of signatures if they include large images or lots of coding and could be cutting off the section with the person's lights status. Please do not send trick or treat PMs if you cannot see someone's lights status!

      I keep hearing about 'trick' and 'treat' stories, what are they, and do I have to make one?
    These are stories some people use to respond to trick or treat PMs, usually they will follow where your story leaves off, having the door open and a treat being given, or a trick may be given. You don't have to make one if you don't want to, but a lot of players enjoy making and reading them. There are no rules for these except for the basic rules that cover the whole game, such as no excessive gore or violence, and no rudeness. If you have a pet in these stories it does not need to be in costume.

      Am I allowed to have multiple trick or treaters in my story?
    It is fine to have multiple trick or treaters. If you have multiple trick or treaters, you can only include one pet image with your story (if it is a single pet with items used to create the appearance of a second trick or treater that is fine). If you have other pet images for your other trick or treaters, you can include these in your story as links.

      I'm concerned something I do might break the rules
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    We understand all of this might be a bit intimidating. If you are worried you might end up breaking a rule, you can contact any of our LOLO team members and ask them for clarification, you'll never get in trouble for that. Even if you do break a rule we will just ask that you change what you are doing to fix it. It is extremely rare that we ever need to tell someone they cannot play LOLO, and those players are free to join again the following year so long as they agree to follow the rules. If you still have any concerns, please feel free to contact Celozon directly and I'll be more than happy to answer any questions.

Question not answered here?

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There is an extended FAQ on the second page of the thread with the less-asked or less important questions. Please check there first to see if your question is answered. If it is not, or you still have questions, you can ask your question here, on the fanclub, in the discord, or you can message a LOLO team member.


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The Team

Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:23 am

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Thread Navigation:
| Welcome | Rules | FAQ | The Team | Player List | Signature Images | Costume Help | Story Help|


      Image The LOLO Team:

    Image
    Celozon [owner]
    General availability any day 10am-12pm EST. Replies may be delayed if I see it doesn't need an immediate response. Ping me on discord for fastest response. Please be understanding that I do work full time.


    Image
    Lacuna [co-owner]
    My time zone is MST (Arizona) and I do work during the day Monday through Friday, but I will respond ASAP, especially on Discord, as I can use my phone at work.



    Image
    Burrito Bunny
    I live in EST, and you can catch me fairly easily most days. Feel free to hit me up with any questions, even if I'm not around that moment I'll get back to you ASAP.



    Image
    Keir;
    My timezone is EST, though I'm often awake at odd hours - my last visited/online status is probably the best way to see if I'm around or not. I'm free most of the time and will usually respond right away as long as I'm not asleep! You'll probably get faster replies if you ping or DM me on discord, but I also check CS regularly


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    Ashki
    My timezone is PST, but I work nights so you'll often find me online during PST nighttime. I work 12hr shifts Wednesday-Friday so I won't be available as much those days, though I'll still respond to any questions as soon as possible. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help!



    Image
    still
    My timezone is PST and I'm generally pretty available afternoons and evenings!! I will be checking CS pretty regularly though, so I should respond quickly to pms.




    Image
    lucky333123







      Image Who do I contact?
    Below are the most common things you may need to contact us about, if you need help in another area not mentioned below, it is best to contact Celozon.

  • Any LOLO Team member: General questions, rule breakers, help with stories or costumes
  • Celozon or Lacuna only: Disputes or arguments with other players
  • Celozon only: Suggestions on game changes

    Also check for these first:
  • If it is something serious and needs immediate attention, contact any team member currently online, or if none are, message Celozon or Lacuna
  • If it is something that breaks CS rules (ex. bullying), please don't message us, send a help ticket or report the post. CS staff must handle that (even though some of our team are CS staff, it is best to go through official channels)

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Player List

Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:23 am

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    Player List:

    • "player name": Means that they do not have a 'lights on/off' in their signature.
    • "-removed-": Means they are no longer playing or were on the list twice.

      Updated through page: 197, post 6
      Current total: 241

    Live Player List

    The above links to a live version of the player list hosted on google docs that will be updated as users are accepted. Please give at least 30 min after being accepted to see your username show up. The list below will still be updated as normal but may be a bit behind the live list.

    List Updates:
    The Live player list linked above will always be the most updated version of the list as all of our team members are able to update it. However the following post on the thread will still be updated periodically and is generally updated 1-2 times a day. If you see an issue with it which needs to be updated sooner, you can contact Celozon or Ashki for that.

    Visit preferences:
    Below some of the more common visit preference will be listed with their explanation, if you are ever confused about how often you may visit a user, please contact thread staff for clarification. Keep in mind that even if you can visit a user multiple times, you should not revisit until you receive a reply to your last visit.
    • If there is no preference listed, you may only visit once
    • 'Revisit: Once' - You may revisit one time, equaling two visits total.
    • 'Revisit: Only if tricked' - If you receive a trick you may continue to revisit until you receive a treat.
    • 'Revisit: Once every 24 hours' - You may revisit every 24 hours.
    • 'Revisit: Once every week' - You may revisit once a week

    Player gift preferences:
    These are meant to represent what a user would prefer to receive in treats, it is not required to follow these. They are just here to be helpful when deciding what to send someone. If there are no preferences listed, it means the user's did not fill them out, or they have no preference.

    Image = Prefers pets in treats
    Image = Prefers items in treats
    Image = Prefers C$ in treats
    Image = Accepts art as a treat
    Image = Accepts non-wishlist in treats
    Image An empty color means they do not prefer that type as treats

    If you see your preferences are listed wrong here, or you would like to update them, please contact any thread mod with the details.
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Player List cont.

Postby Ashki » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:23 am

Last edited by Ashki on Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:31 am, edited 30 times in total.
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Player List cont.

Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:24 am

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Keeping a List of Users Visited

Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:24 am

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      Image Keeping a List of Users Visited:

    It is important to keep a list of users you have visited already. Many LOLO players will only allow you to visit once, and since users often change their username and profile it is important to keep a list so you do not revisit someone you shouldn't be.

      Image Suggestions:
  • Everyone's UID (user ID) is listed next to them on the list, these numbers are unique to each user and can be used to track them.
  • Users also have a number for their place on the list. This number stays the same for each user, we do not move users to new numbers even if someone is removed from the list so these numbers are also a good way to track users you have visited.
  • Do not use usernames to track users, these change often and users can ask for their name on the list to be updated, so their name on the list may change over time.
  • We suggest also keeping track of users who have replied to your trick or treat PMs, since you can resend if you don't get a reply, this helps you know who you can resend your PM to if you don't get a reply.
  • How exactly you keep track of users is up to you, if you prefer to use physical paper, a document/note on your PC or phone, or a google doc, all of these are acceptable.
  • You can do all of the above by writing down the name and ID every time you visit a house, or copying the list into your online document/draft, and removing or crossing out everyone you visit.

    There are many ways you can keep track of your list. The most important thing though is that your way will be reliable. If your computer is prone to deleting documents or crashing, making your list on paper or Google Docs (which saves automatically) is better. If you are prone to losing your documents, make a link to it on your desktop. Take into account your individual situation and plan ahead. Its also fine to ask for advice on our fanclub or discord if you want some input on what other users prefer to do.

      Image Ready-made lists you can use:
    Some players have created their own lists in google docs and have made them available to use by everyone, please feel free to use any of the following. If you've made your own and you'd like to also make it available for other players, please contact Celozon to get it added here.

    To use one of these, pick the one you would like to use, then in the spreadsheet go to the top left corner and click 'file' then select 'make a copy'. This will create a new copy of the original you can use. Never use the original, that what everyone else is copying from!


    Caeleesi - Link
    Lacuna - Link

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Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:24 am

x
x
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Postby Celozon » Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:24 am

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x
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