SRB2 Message Board

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The SRB2 Message Board, abbreviated as SRB2MB or simply MB, is the main point of communication for the SRB2 community. In this message board, users can discuss SRB2 topics, release custom modifications, or ask for help regarding the game. It also hosts an off-topic section for general discussion not related to SRB2.

Forums

SRB2.org

These forums are for discussion related to the SRB2 homepage, such as news and announcements, and for other parts of SRB2.org that are not directly part of the message board.

  • News – This forum is for discussion of news posted on the SRB2.org homepage.
  • Talk to the Staff – Report bad behavior and forum abuse.
  • SRB2 Wiki – A link to the SRB2 Wiki.
  • SRB2 Master Server – The official Master Server for SRB2 is located here.

Sonic Robo Blast 2

These forums are for any discussion related to SRB2.

  • SRB2 Discussion – This forum is devoted to general discussion of SRB2.
    • Bug Reports – This forum is for reporting bugs in the current version of SRB2.
      • Bug Report Archive – For bug reports that have been properly fixed. This is for archive purposes only.
  • Help – This forum is for asking for help about playing SRB2. Questions about editing SRB2 should be asked in the Modding Help forum.
  • Modding – This forum is for the discussion of editing SRB2. Users may post their in-progress modifications here to receive criticism and suggestions. Finished work should be submitted to the Submissions forum instead.
  • Modding Help – This forum is for asking questions about editing SRB2.
  • Submissions – Users can submit their finished modifications here. If it works properly and complies with the rules, the judges will move it to the Addons & More section.
    • Submissions Rules & Help – Contains the submission guidelines and other information about the submission system.
    • Rejected Submissions – Rejected submissions are moved here, along with a notification explaining why the submission was rejected. The topics here can be only be seen by judges and the users that created them.
  • Addons & More Discussion – Contains the discussion topics for releases in the Addons & More section.
    • Custom Gametypes – Addons that change the way the game plays, including those that require custom executables.
    • Maps – This forum is for level releases, both single stages and level packs containing multiple levels.
    • Characters – This forum contains custom characters.
    • Assets – Resources for maps such as textures or objects.
    • Resources – Resources for maps such as textures or objects.
    • LuaLua scripts that do not fit into other categories.
    • Miscellaneous – This forum contains miscellaneous modifications that do not fit into any of the above categories. Examples of these are SOCs and 3D models.
    • Software – This forum contains additional software for editing or supplementing SRB2. Examples include WAD editors and launchers.
    • Player Colors – This forum is for skincolor packs.
    • Guides – Discussion for released guides.
  • Official Level Design Contest – This is where the Official Level Design Contest takes place.
    • Contest Submissions – Users can submit their contest entries here.
    • Archived Contest Submissions – Contest submissions are moved here after they are used for a contest.
    • Contest Voting – A subforum containing the OLDC voting threads. These are private during the voting phase but are made public afterwards.
  • Kart Releases, Addons & More Discussion – Contains the discussion topics for official SRB2Kart releases and mods for SRB2Kart.
    • Official Kart Releases – This forum is for official releases of SRB2Kart.
    • Kart Characters – This forum is for releases of characters exclusive to SRB2Kart.
    • Kart Maps – This forum is for releases of levels exclusive to SRB2Kart.
    • Kart Miscellaneous – This forum is for releases of miscellaneous modifications for SRB2Kart that do not fit into any of the above categories, such as graphics or scripts.
    • Kart Custom Builds – Custom builds for SRB2Kart.
    • Kart Guides – Guides for things related to SRB2Kart.

Off-Topic

These forums are for discussion not related to SRB2.

  • General Discussion – This forum is for discussions that do not fit into the other forums.
  • Video Games – This forum is for discussion of video games and consoles, including the Sonic franchise.

Archived

In these forums, old but important topics are archived. They are locked for new posts.

  • Obsoleted Releases (2.2.X) – Contains releases that do not work properly with the latest release of SRB2 v2.2 or that have been merged into other releases.
  • Obsoleted Kart Releases (1.X) – Contains releases that do not work properly with the latest release of SRB2Kart or that have been merged into other releases.
  • Outdated Releases (2.1.X) – Contains releases for SRB2 v2.1. They are not compatible with the current version.
    • Outdated Official Level Design Contest (2.1.X) – This forum contains OLDC topics for v2.1.
    • Mods (2.1.X) – This forum contains mods, including source code modifications and addons that change large parts of the game, for v2.1.
    • Levels (2.1.X) – This forum contains custom levels and level packs for v2.1.
    • Characters (2.1.X) – This forum contains custom characters for v2.1.
    • Lua (2.1.X) – This forum contains custom Lua scripts for v2.1.
    • Miscellaneous (2.1.X) – This forum contains miscellaneous modifications for v2.1.
    • Software (2.1.X) – This forum contains additional software for v2.1.
  • Outdated Releases (2.0.X) – Contains releases for SRB2 v2.0. They are not compatible with the current version.
    • Outdated Official Level Design Contest (2.0.X) – This forum contains OLDC topics for v2.0.
    • Mods (2.0.X) – This forum contains source code modifications for v2.0.
    • Levels (2.0.X) – This forum contains custom levels and level packs for v2.0.
    • Characters (2.0.X) – This forum contains custom characters for v2.0.
    • Miscellaneous (2.0.X) – This forum contains miscellaneous modifications for v2.0.
  • Outdated Releases (0.X & 1.X) – Contains releases for versions of SRB2 that precede v2.0. They are not compatible with the current version.
    • Outdated Official Level Design Contest (0.X & 1.X) – This forum contains OLDC topics for versions of SRB2 that precede 2.0.
  • SRB2 Forum Archives – This forum is for important or otherwise notable old topics relating to SRB2.
    • Archived Announcements – This forum is where old announcements are kept that were posted in the now-obsolete Announcements forum.
    • Bug Reports (2.1.X) – This forum archives old bug reports for v2.1.
    • Bug Reports (2.0.X) – This forum archives old bug reports for v2.0.

Rules

  1. The SRB2MB is 13+. If you’re under 13, we appreciate your enthusiasm and love for the game, but we have to obey legal regulations. Please feel free to return when you’re old enough!
  2. No flaming or trolling. Be kind to each other! Don’t instigate or try to bait negative behavior.
  3. No bigoted language allowed! This includes things that are commonly used as slurs, or things like racially charged language. This community is made up of mixed company, and people from all sorts of backgrounds, ethnicities, identities, and orientations are welcome here. Treat each other with respect, even if they’re not familiar concepts to you. Seek to build bridges, not put up walls.
  4. Keep personal arguments off of the SRB2MB. If you believe an issue with another member is important enough to require moderator action, make a post about it in the Talk to the Moderators forum. Only you and the forum staff will be able to see your thread.
  5. Politics, religion, or other hot-button or sensitive issues, are not to be discussed here. It’s not that we don’t care about these topics, of course! It’s just that this isn’t the right place for those discussions. This is a community for discussing a fan game.
  6. The forums are not the correct place to vent about your life. It’s not that nobody cares, it’s just that it’s not the right place for it. We may lack context or the resources to help you the way you deserve.
    • If you're in need of remote counseling, research BetterHelp and similar services.
    • For discounts on counseling services, research OpenPath Collective.
    • For government mental health services, dial 211 in the US.
    • For suicide hotlines, review this international list and FAQs.
    • Or, you can use the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
    • There is also a Games and Online Harassment Hotline which you can reach by texting SUPPORT to 23368.
  7. Do not post explicit sexual or violent content, or discuss pirating material.
  8. No spam. Do not make pointless topics, one-liners, polls, or forum games. Even if you think it’s funny, try to keep the forum pleasant and easy to read for everyone.
  9. No advertising outside of signatures.
  10. Do not ask for netgames in the forum. Please use #netgames on the SRB2 Discord server instead, or browse current netgames on the Master Server.
  11. Do not backseat moderate. It is our job to lock topics and ban users, not yours. If something concerns you, make a post about it in the Talk to the Moderators forum.
  12. Do not bump topics pointlessly. Make sure your post adds something to the discussion.
  13. Read the FAQ and search the Wiki before asking simple questions. They are probably already answered there.
  14. No posting about project plans without proof that you have started.
  15. Do not ask people to make things for you, or request certain mods or features. If you have an honest suggestion, we have a Suggestions thread related to the game. If you want to learn, there are plenty of resources if you search. If you have questions, you are welcome to use the Editing Help forum. Plenty of people will be happy to point you in the right direction.
  16. Avoid making "what if" topics. A "what if" topic looks like "Hey wouldn’t it be cool if Shadow was in the game?" The lines between an interesting discussion topic, a pipe dream, spam, and a thinly veiled mod request are blurry but not unidentifiable. Think twice before you make a post of this nature, or it might end up being deleted to cut down on fluff.
  17. This community thrives on creative content. Be respectful to those who create and refine it. Keep comments and criticism constructive. The difference between constructive and destructive criticism is seeking to build someone up and encourage their creativity, versus putting them down and making them feel bad for sharing it. Everyone is welcome to share their art, whether they’re an accomplished creator or just starting out. People’s first projects are rarely masterpieces, and that’s okay. Everyone is here to grow!
  18. No plagiarism. If a release is not marked as reusable, you MUST get permission from the original author before posting about modifications of their work, and give credit. This includes unofficial ports, files themselves, and also screenshots of the modifcation.
  19. Do not ask where to find files without looking through the Releases subforums and searching on Google first. Older files can be found in the various Outdated Releases subforums. If you still cannot find something you know existed, and you know was not rule-breaking, you are allowed to make a post about it in the SRB2 Discussion subforum, as long as you describe what it is in as best of detail as you can.
  20. If you wish to submit a mod, you must do so in Submissions. Please read the Submission Rules and Filename Conventions before posting your mod.
  21. Financial transactions are not allowed on these forums. While we won't stop you from doing commissions outside the forums and posting the results here, you are strictly on your own and we will not intervene on anybody's behalf if a deal goes bad.

These rules aren't a contract: they're a reflection of a culture. There is no hard line and there are no loopholes. Be constructive, be kind, and take it easy; if you can do that, you'll probably enjoy your time here and make good friends!

If you have any questions about these rules, feel free to ask an administrator via private message, Discord, or make a post about it in the Talk to the Moderators subforum. Once again, your post in there will be viewable to only staff, so you have privacy to talk about what you need to.

Please do not worry about wasting the Moderators’ time. We are more than happy to address any issues that you think might need our attention. We volunteered for this because we love this community, and telling us when something may be wrong lightens our load. Otherwise, we’d just have to deal with it later down the line.

Enforcement of the rules

The rule enforcement system consists of warnings, infractions and bans. Infractions are issued by the moderators and administrators for rule-offending behavior. Each infraction adds one point to the user's infraction count. The point will expire after three months. Warnings are issued for lesser offenses and do not add a point. Warnings and infractions issued for specific posts are publicly displayed below that post with a reason for issuing it.

Bans are issued automatically once a user has received a certain number of points. A week-long ban is issued for three points, a two-week-long ban for four points, a year-long ban for five points and a permanent ban for six points.

Staff

The message board has four types of staff that perform various tasks.

Administrators

Administrators (or admins) have control over the entire board and can change the way it is set up.

Moderators

Moderators enforce the rules. They can lock, move, edit, and split topics and posts. They can also view the IP of users and issue infractions to those who violate the rules.

Judges

Judges are users that moderate the Submissions forum together with certain administrators and moderators.

  • Boinciel
  • Charybdizs
  • cozyraf
  • Diggle
  • DrStephen
  • Frostiikin
  • Inazuma
  • Lach
  • Larz T
  • Othius
  • Pikaspoop
  • Princess Plushima
  • Random Badnik
  • RoyKirbs
  • SMS Alfredo
  • SonicX8000
  • wolfs
  • Xian

Developers

Developers have moderation powers in the Bug Reports forum and access to a private developer forum.

April Fools' Day

The SRB2 Message Board briefly risks out-of-the-ordinary changes to celebrate April Fools' Day. During this event, the message board sometimes features a different background and logo along with modified user titles to fit a certain theme.

Nazi Allied Blitzkrieg 2

The first April Fools' Day theme took place in 2007 in which the message board appeared with a red skin, and was renamed "Nazi Allied Blitzkrieg 2," which is a reference to calling admins "Nazis" because of harsh rules, or extreme measures taken to maintain such rules. They also created new rules, which were simply not to "piss [the admins] off," and that breaking one rule would lead to a permanent ban. Many users changed their avatars in the spirit of the holiday, but some viewed the nature of the joke as tasteless and offensive.

Rainbow Unicorn Blast 2

Taking place in 2008 and in direct contrast to the previous prank, "Rainbow Unicorn Blast 2" had very little rule enforcement and was focused as if towards 12-year-old girls. The boards were changed to a blinding pink, and a MIDI of the Barbie Girl theme song (which was later turned into a "Rick Roll") played in the background of the forum. Administrators were dubbed "Faerie Queens" and Moderators were dubbed "Faeries". As with the previous April Fools' Day theme, many users were displeased by the event, though most of the issues were not against the theme itself but rather against the excessive spam and relatively obscene material that were posted during the time.

This event was also accompanied by a slopes update starting the SRB2 10th Anniversary Blog. While the update was indeed fake, the blog was not and was updated with a genuine blog post a few days later.

srb2 bulletin board

This took place in 2009, and was focused as if to a completely "noobish" community. It had a white background with a picture of Sonic tiled on it, larger post text, animated sprites of six Sonic characters trailing the mouse pointer, and "Open Your Heart" playing in the background. The only forum available was one called "srb2 bulletin board", with every other forum hidden for the day. This theme had generally decent reception, but there were a few users who were displeased with the large amounts of spam that this April Fools' Day joke encouraged. The event was also criticized for not allowing members to post in the regular forums.

A few days earlier, a preview video of Arid Canyon Zone in Version 2.0 had been posted on YouTube. The fact that it was April Fools' Day led many to believe that the video was a joke.

April Fools' Day 2010

This was the first April Fools' Day not to have a specific theme. Rather, several separate events and jokes were prepared by the staff. The most prominent was a staged argument between the developers that involved making Sonic's eyes green in SRB2. Additionally, Match Test Zone, which – as the name suggests – is a level used by the developers for testing the Match system, was released on the main page of SRB2.org, advertised as the most substantial SRB2 release yet. As a third event, a deliberately crashing version of XSRB2 was released into the then-empty Hall of Fame section of the Releases forum, but was replaced the next day by a genuine release. This April Fools' Day had generally positive reception, though some users criticized the lack of a theme.

April Fools' Day 2012

After no April Fools' joke had been prepared in 2011, 2012 saw an update on SRB2.org that showcased four new features in the upcoming v2.1 release. All of these were genuine, but because it was April Fools' Day, the community speculated that part or all of the new features were fake.

External links