As an online multiplayer experience, Collective Unconscious places a heavy emphasis on its community. This emphasis not only applies to the community of players playing the game, but also the growing community of developers and contributors, hence the varied content contribution methods. The game is entirely given form by the artwork, music, sound, design, and programming that has been provided as a collaborative effort by the authors.
As the game remains in active development, it regularly accepts new content and new contributors. This page provides a general summary of content contribution for Collective Unconscious. The information contained on this page, though intended to be accurate, should not be considered fully representative of any of the specific guidelines defined by the development staff. If you decide to contribute, consult the most up-to-date information available on the official development Discord server.
Contributing Content
All individuals creating content for the game are generally referred to as contributors, but official guidelines will sometimes make a distinction between normal contributors and developers, the latter of whom are granted additional privileges and responsibilities.
Contributors are those who submit assets such as music, SFX, pictures, and panoramas. They do not require any prior experience with programming or with RPG Maker 2003. Contributors do not have the ability to implement any assets they create into the game itself; instead, they can submit their work to the game's repository and leave it available for a developer to use, or they can directly collaborate with developers who are interested in including their work.
Developers are a subset of contributors who are given access to the development build and are responsible for detailing and programming maps for the game, as well as initializing assets such as tilesets and animations. The activities that developers are responsible for require ID numbers in the game's database to be reserved in order to avoid merge conflicts. As developers are granted additional privileges and responsibilities, they may be subject to greater scrutiny.
Individuals looking to become contributors of any kind must follow the application process that is outlined in more detail in the official development Discord server (linked above). This includes filling in a document with details about availability and any skills related to the process.
Content Guidelines
Creative freedom is important for a game like Collective Unconscious, allowing every content contributor to freely create something meaningful for others to interact with. In the interest of abiding by relevant laws and maintaining a consistent experience for the game at large, however, all content is subject to a number of guidelines.
Usage Rights
Everything that is contributed is expected to be the work of the person contributing it, or otherwise be content that the individual has the rights to use. Plagiarism of any kind is not acceptable. This includes heavy referencing of source material and any usage of AI tools. References or tools should only be used for inspiration.
Contributors and developers are also allowed to restrict how their work can be used by other developers. The individual preferences of all contributors and developers are tracked in a comprehensive policy document. In any case, developers are expected to obtain permission before utilizing any content they have not contributed themselves.
Sensitive Content
Yume Nikki and its fangames are known for exploring sensitive topics, and Collective Unconscious is no different. However, a handful of creative guidelines are enforced in the interest of catering to a wider range of players and maintaining a consistent experience.
Explicit sexual content, loud "screamer" jumpscares, and depictions of real-world events, public figures, or organizations are strictly forbidden. Other sexual themes and depictions of violence, gore, self-harm, and sexual themes are permissible, but are subject to close moderation. The usage of text, though not itself a sensitive topic, is also closely moderated in the interest of keeping the game as light on text as possible for immersion purposes.
Quality Control
All contributions are subject to a minimum standard of quality control. Quality control guidelines are not intended to punish creators for any perceived lack of artistic ability, and they are instead solely focused on the overall design of each world and how a player will experience it. This is intended to emphasize the creation of maps that are functional and engaging, both by themselves and in the context of the game at large.
Contributors must be able to analyze their own work critically and consider feedback from others. The maps created for the game are also expected to be in a finished, playable state at the time they are formally submitted.
Designated Connections
The surreal nature of Collective Unconscious gives any number of spirit worlds the ability to freely connect with one another by simply placing entrances, even if there is little thematic overlap between the connecting worlds. However, merely placing a connection anywhere in an existing map can lead to a chaotic and confusing design for the game over time. A poorly placed portal can disrupt immersion, and it can also violate an author's intent in the design of an existing location. In short, new maps must be playable without adversely impacting the locations they are connecting to.
Collective Unconscious addresses this problem through its designated connection system. When creating a map, developers are encouraged (and oftentimes required, especially when the map is close to the Nexus) to proactively designate specific positions for connections by marking them visually with a sign or other object. This informs prospective developers about where their maps are expected to connect, allowing them to design accordingly.
Designated connections are tracked in the Connections spreadsheet, and new connections are claimed using the Open Connections form. Both of these documents are available in the official Discord server.
There are two types of designated connections: open connections and closed connections.
Open Connections
An open connection is available to connect to a new spirit world. It has not yet been claimed, meaning that other developers are invited to connect their own worlds at this position.
An open connection is denoted by a sign or other prop that is clearly marked with an O symbol. In gameplay, finding an open connection sign indicates that there is no connection present or planned at the moment, but there may be a connection to another world at this location in a future update.
An open connection sign in Playzone Maze. This is a generic sign that can be found throughout Collective Unconscious in many different colors.
Another open connection sign in Twilight Woods in the generic style.
An open connection sign in Lilliputian Leaflitter that has been modified to match the style of the world.
A unique open connection sign in Megalith Lake taking the appearance of a stone pillar.
Closed Connections
When a developer claims an open connection, it becomes a closed connection. A closed connection is actively planned to connect to a new spirit world, and it is no longer available for other developers to use. A map's developer can also place a closed connection of their own to indicate that they are planning to expand on or connect to their own map in a later update.
A closed connection is denoted by a sign or other prop that is clearly marked with an X symbol. In gameplay, finding a closed connection sign indicates that there is no connection present at the moment, but a connection to another world at this location is in active development.
A closed connection sign in Lush Hilltop in the generic style.
Another closed connection sign in Forget-Me-Not in the generic style.
A closed connection sign in Petscii World that has been modified to match the style of the world.
A unique closed connection sign in Mini Mart taking the appearance of a wet floor sign.
