An abandoned city damaged beyond repair sits in the cracks of the universe's continuum, its skies alight with the threads of fractured timelines. A lone clock tower lies in the heart of the city, beating with the ticks of lost seconds gone by, its bell ringing for no one to hear..."Have you ever wanted to make a wish?"Splinter City is a Steampunk OC Tournament with some meta elements!Round 5 ends on Wednesday, October 26. The extended grace period concludes on Saturday, October 29 at 11:59 PM PST.

LIBRARY

WHAT'S AN OCT?

AKA original character tournament- People throw their OCs into a single elimination tournament where they meet and (usually) duke it out! This happens through a storytelling medium, often comics or animations.In a randomly assigned matchup, both sides create an entry and whichever one the judges deem the winner moves onto the next round.In order to participate in one, you are usually asked to create an application including a reference sheet of your oc(s) and an “audition” showing your character’s reason for being in the tournament. This is to be inclusive to anyone interested while keeping the traditional bracket size.

Maybe you’re familiar with this? If you’re looking for inspiration, give it a watch!If you’re still confused, Here's an old but great guide on OCTsWhere does the collaborative series come into play?You can see OCTs as less of a competition or contest and more of a collaboration involving several people contributing to the plot progression of a series. Of course, the elimination aspect means less people will be able to contribute over time, but this is not a bad thing! Every contribution to the story matters in the long run, big or small.Even if you are not accepted into the OCT, you are encouraged to spectate and invest in the characters and their shenanigans.

RULES

If you need clarification for any of this, please read the FAQ or contact us on Twitter/Discord!

GENERAL RULES

CONTENT GUIDELINES

Be mindful of your peers and their discomforts, so definitely add content/trigger warnings on content where applicable.

FAQ

GENERAL

What do all these different terms mean?
Application: Consists of Reference sheet and Audition
Audition: The comic/animation/etc that shows how/why your character arrives at the OCT's setting.
Round: The comic/animation/etc that shows your character competing/winning in their matchup
Applicant/Auditioner: Those who apply for the OCT
Competitor/Contestant: Those accepted to the official roster
Roster: List of people accepted into the OCTWhy isn’t writing accepted?
While we do very much look for a well-written story before art quality, we feel that the two forms of media are just too different to fairly judge against one another. However, we do allow for a team of two people, so a writer can partner with an artist!Do I need a Twitter account or a Discord to enter?
Yes, you need a Twitter account to post your content in public. It can be on an alt account if you wish! That being said, we do allow cross-platform posting of entries. If you want to post your entry on a separate site for convenience, you must put the link to your entry in your tweet for submission.
Being in the Discord server is entirely optional; we will still post all the important information to the OCT Twitter and website. However, we recommend joining if you are looking to actively engage with the community and receive immediate announcements!How are matchups decided?
We will use a random generator to decide matchups to keep things fair. For transparency’s sake, we’ll livestream this process!How long will the rounds be?
We'll start off with about 4 weeks per round, and progressively increase the length as we approach the later rounds! 1 week extensions are bound to happen on top of this. 2 weeks extensions will be reserved for extreme cases.How do we request extensions?
Just DM us and if a good amount of the competitors need one we will happily grant the extension.What happens if my opponent forfeits?
If the forfeit occurs within 1 week of the beginning of the round, then we will bring back someone from the previous round as a second wind to take their place. Otherwise, you will move on to the next round if you submit a round that fulfills round requirements. Don't just submit a few panels or concept sketches with an outline and expect to pass because your opponent forfeited - it is not a guaranteed auto-pass!What about double forfeits?
If both competitors in a matchup forfeit, then one of the losing contestants from the current round, chosen by the judges, will be given a chance to advance to the next round as a Second Wind.Can I make spectator entries?
Of course! You are welcome to make whatever content you want outside the tournament, as long as it still follows the rules (except for the medium rule, as you can write prose for your spectator entries). Heck, even if you're months late to this go ahead and create a character anyway!Will we get critiques?
All matchups for each round will receive a public overview on how the winner was decided. Contestants are free to ask for a more in-depth crit about their round, by messaging us on the OCT Twitter! As a note, auditions and spectator entries will not be reviewed for critique.Can we create our own NPCs/tagalongs?
You can, but keep in mind that your entries should focus first and foremost on your characters and your opponent characters, rather than on your NPCs! Your opponents will not be required to include your NPCs in their round and vice versa.

SPLINTER-RELATED

Last updated: 7.5.21

Does my character have to be steampunk?
No.How old are the NPCs?
Their apparent age is around 21+, do not interpret them as under 18.Are the NPCs related?
Noire and Jade are NOT related by blood. Please do not interpret them as such. Otherwise, up to your interpretation.How much freedom do we have with the lore/environments/NPCs/etc?
Absolute creative freedom! Whatever hasn’t already been established is free real estate, as long as you are respectful.What does Noire look like under his mask?
You can interpret how he looks if you'd like, but if he has a human-like appearance we would clarify that he would be white.What kind of wish can the characters make once they win?
Any kind, no limits. How the wish granting works is up to your interpretation.Where does my character land when they first enter the city?
Anywhere you want.Will there be round prompts?
Yes, but they will be very simple ones that will not affect your round’s location!What exactly counts as an alternate timeline?
Any audition that didn’t get in counts, as well as any round that lost. This does NOT include any entries not officially submitted to the OCT (ie. forfeited rounds, spectator entries)How do cameos work in this sense?
Any character that has arrived to the city through an official audition is still in the city, even if their application wasn’t accepted. What becomes an alternate timeline is the characters' participation in the tournament. That means those characters become spectators, unable to get home right away. Your favorite character from auditions stage didn’t get in? Give em some love and cameo them in your round!If things that happened in my opponent’s rounds completely contradict what has been happening in mine, how do I write my round?
Think of it this way: Every competitor in this OCT has their own timeline. You focus on your timeline and your opponent focuses on theirs. Still keep in mind the continuity of your opponent’s characters and developments, since that should not contradict with your vision and it shows you paid attention to their rounds!Does my OC have to physically fight their opponent character?
Not necessarily! As long as there is some form of conflict, it’s considered a match. An intellectual OC might challenge their opponent to a mind game, a manipulative OC might trick their opponent into throwing the match, etc.What's the weather like in the city?
The city exists in a void between time and space; essentially, there's nothing but cracked, empty skies (and gears) around it.Where can my character find food and drink in the city?
The lack of rain and snow as well as the sea consisting of just gears makes water difficult to naturally come across.
The mall and the bar are your best bet, though the factory might also have some rations. The helpers are eager to keep these locations running but are not really reliable when it comes to restocking edibles.

APPLICATION PROCESS

If you have submitted your entry but need to make a change for any reason
(Twitter repost, new username, etc.), you can DM the OCT Twitter or message
Classy through Discord with what you need fixed.

Character Guidelines

Reference Sheet

You are free to add more to your reference sheets! You can keep your information on a single sheet, or separate text from art using Google docs, etc, whichever you're more comfortable with or makes things more convenient. You can even make a carrd if you're feeling snazzy! We only ask you to make the ref sheet easily accessible for people on mobile.

Audition

All that's required for your audition is showing your character arriving to the city. You may make it as long or short as you need; everything else, such as the how or why, is ALL up to you!We encourage you to give us a strong idea of their personality and motivations, something that readers would want to see more of. Give us a hook! Give us a foundation that your future opponents can use as a guide for your OCs!

Please refer to RULES for general guidelines.

submission PERIOD

Your entry may be submitted during any time between the start of the deadline and the end of it. If pressed for time in any way, and you still have a few last details to add, then don't worry! That is what the grace period is for.A grace period is a period of time immediately after the deadline ends where you may continue to submit your entry without being penalized. By default, our grace periods last 24 hours after the end of the deadline, unless stated otherwise.To qualify for grace, you must DM the OCT Twitter your reference sheet and a part of your audition progress. It can be a WIP or a finished cover, and it does not have to be posted publicly - Google drive, Dropbox, etc. are fine to use. However, your entry must be officially published to Twitter and submitted to us before the grace period ends.While a visually polished entry is appreciated, don't be afraid of submitting what you have! Focus on completing your story and on visual clarity over polish if you are pressed for time. Visually rough entries will still be accepted as long as they are still primarily visual and fulfill entry requirements!

ROUND SUBMISSION

If you have submitted your entry but need to make a change for any reason
(Twitter repost, new username, etc.), you can DM the OCT Twitter or message
Classy through Discord with what you need fixed.

submission PERIOD

Your round may be submitted during any time between the start of the deadline and the end of it. If pressed for time in any way, and you still have a few last details to add, then don't worry! That is what the grace period is for.A grace period is a period of time immediately after the deadline ends where you may continue to submit your entry without being penalized. By default, our grace periods last 72 hours after the end of the deadline, unless stated otherwise.To qualify for grace, you must DM the OCT Twitter a WIP of your round progress. It can be a WIP or a finished cover, and it does not have to be posted publicly - Google drive, Dropbox, etc. are fine to use. However, your entry must be officially published to Twitter and submitted to us before the grace period ends.While a visually polished entry is appreciated, don't be afraid of submitting what you have! Focus on completing your story and on visual clarity over polish if you are pressed for time. Visually rough entries will still be accepted as long as they are still primarily visual and fulfill entry requirements!

SPECTATOR ENTRIES

Guidelines in the google form below!

JUDGING

JUDGES

CLASSYTwitter

PARTTwitter / IG

OJTwitter

The nature of this OCT is meant to be more relaxed, so we want to clarify what we are encouraging here:STORYTELLING:
Passion (Highest priority) > Technical Quality > Quantity (Lowest priority)ART:
Simple Clarity (As long as we can understand what's happening. Neither style nor technical skill is a deciding factor here!)While our job as judges is to determine who trumps over the other, the one true thing we wish to see is you having fun! Please do not feel pressured to create something long and complicated, especially if you feel uninspired or forced to do it. We are not judging based on how many epic things are happening within the plot; and while that could be very impressive and engaging, burnout is a serious result that we do NOT want to see.OCTs can be an excellent way to learn but it should not be at the cost of your enjoyment. Do what you can do and like doing first and foremost! If you like angst, make angst. Edgy battles? Hell yeah! Humor and wit more your style? Absolutely hone in on that.We are here to be self-indulgent and to enjoy OCs being OCs!

ROUND REQUIREMENTS

Because this OCT is more character-driven, the main requirement is to make engaging interactions between you and your opponent's characters! We highly encourage showing conflict, interesting dynamics, and character development, as long as you display respectful characterization and a level of investment in the characters you are writing.

STORY

A letter is written. Passed along three pairs of hands until it sits neatly in an hourglass bottle, sent down the stream of time. It splits into many hundreds of itself, carried away to all ends of existence. Most may not make the journey, but for the lucky few that survive to deliver the message..."Have you ever wanted to make a wish?"Maybe if you should have made the other decision during that fateful day, or if you could have bought a few more precious seconds for that one incident. Maybe you have had an unsatisfying life, and desire to start anew."What if I told you that there was a city that held the key to granting that wish?"

Somewhere, somehow, an invitation manages to make its way into your hands.What the letter says, and how your character obtains it is entirely up to your creative liberty. As a matter of fact, you are not obligated to use a letter at all; you may interpret your character arriving to the city in any other possible way, whether that be a different form of information or through their own means of transportation.Whatever you choose, the city beckons you. Do you accept?

SETTING

The setting is an industrial city with no particular name, living in its own pocket dimension only accessible through rips in space that can be triggered by the invitations. It does not obey rules of time, forgoing consistent time cycles. It is often referred to as “Splinter City” because:

In this OCT, those splintered timelines are literally the competitors’ entries. Normally when someone loses a match in an OCT, their round is considered “non canon”. This time, they are canonly an alternate timeline! Alternate timelines are archived in the city's library.

The city's main inhabitants are three mysterious men and their little helpers

NPCS

Anything not explicitly stated on the refs is up for interpretation.

PRIZES

FIRST PLACE> Full character illustration from Rainboopz
> Chibi animation from Alt-o
> Full painted illustration from Tori
> Full character illustration from FireCracker101
> half a minute animation of one of the rounds from 5word
> Sculpture of character from BETA_Core
> Colored Fullbody from Kyle
> Full body painted illustration of character(s) from Lindor

Check back later!

ARCHIVE

TRANSPARENT LOGO (+ variations)