To start off, what are akis?
They are a non-spendable 'currency' for upgrades! They never deplete. You gain them every time you draw Akeli-related art and stories! This can be of your character, someone else's character, NPCs or official group creatures! Eggs count for props!
If you are unsure about your aki count, you can always ask for help in the #legality-help channel on the discord server!
On each piece submitted to the group, you must put in your aki count. It has a very simple format:
Akis Earned / Total of Akis
Example: 3/25 Akis
The total of akis also count the newly earned akis!
The total akis is link to the member, not the individual character. Every kel you have get access to the full count!
Akis cap at 50 per deviation!*
This cap is only for art submissions! Written stories can go over the cap.
If you have a comic that goes over the cap, I suggest splitting it into multiple parts!
Members will have to use a publicly visible tracker for their akis! This tracker must be only editable by YOU!
You must use the following aki tracker.
To use it, you'll have to create a copy of it! To create the copy, please go in File -> Create a Copy.
You can then colour it the way you want to, change fonts, etc.! You must link the tracker in every deviation! Please add links to the deviations in the "Link" section. You can embed the links or leave them as the full link.
*Bonuses like the BWP bonus, the extra birthday gift bonus, Gift Blitz bonus, animation bonus, and possibly future bonuses are no longer counting towards the cap!
What counts in this category: Playable Characters, NPCs, Official Fauna and officially released monsters during events (who may not already have their beastiary page).
Any character counting in this category also contributes to the shading bonus character count!
Minimal art of a character is whenever they are showing less than 30% of their body. While they do not count for partial akis, they can still earn shading and gift art bonuses!
Halfbodies of characters count for anything that shows less than 70% and more of 30% of their body.
Fullbodies of characters count for anything that shows more than 70% of their body!
Applications count for akis!
Background elements that do not create a scene but add to the character/dimension/create a story line.
Does not include accessories, outfits or costumes of characters.
Akeli eggs count as a prop!
Does not stack.
Minimum of 2 environmental elements, must depict a scene/environment but is still relatively simple. Can't just be blotted colours.
Minimum of 4 environmental elements, discernible background and midground, sometimes foreground.
Elements likely have shading but it is optional.
Background element list (but not restrictive): Floor [grass, wooden floor, etc], walls, sky, trees, bushes, flowers. props that the character doesn't interact with, etc.
Gift Art is a bonus given every time you draw a character that does not belong to you! This can mean another member's character or even an NPC! This also counts for member-owned pets. Commissioned art doesn't count for the bonus.
Drawing an NPC on their birthday gives an extra +1 aki too (so +2 akis)!
Animations with at least 3 uniquely drawn frames will get the animation bonus! The frames must be fully unique or, if reusing the same base, must have a minimum of 3 distinct moving features.
(Click on examples for more information!)
Shading bonus is given to any shaded character on the piece. You get a bonus of +1 at tier 0, adding + 5 akis for every tier!
Here are the tiers! (SC means Shaded Character)
Tiers:
Tier 0 - 1-4 SC +1 aki
Tier 1 - 5-9 SC +6 akis
Tier 2 - 10-14 SC +11 akis
Tier 3 - 15-19 SC +16 akis
...
and so on!
For every written story or roleplay, you can get bonus akis!
The story aki system functions with tiers, similar to the shading bonus!
Here are the tiers!
Tiers:
Tier 0 - 100 words - +1 aki
Tier 1 - 500 words - +5 akis
Tier 2 - 1000 words - +10 akis
Tier 3 - 1500 words - +15 akis
...
and so on!
Make sure you list the number of words in your story!
We round up to each tier if you are within 20 words of the tier's minimum (tier 1 and up).
For example:
If you have 486 words, you can round it up for tier 1 and get +5 akis!
If you have 974 words, you cannot round it up for tier 2, try adding in 6 extra words so you're within the 20 words threshold.
Large Projects include but aren't limited to: Crafts, sculptures, plushies, PMVs, AMVs, etc.
These larger projects do not fit in the regular aki counting system well and thus get awarded a unique aki count by moderators. The akis rewarded will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
You have reached 1000 akis! What are you going to do with all those akis, you might ask. Well, you can redeem a Cardboard Crown every time you reach 1k akis (1000, 2000, 3000, and so on)!
To learn more about Cardboard Crowns, head over to their guide!