This is a post for all the new builders out there...not everyone in the "user" or "player" community are builders. By simply being a "builder" you've taken your first real step to be an active member of the SP community, congratulations! Now that you're a builder, here's a few suggestions:

1. First, avoid downloading some dank meme of a creation, slapping on 68 bombs and missiles hanging from a forest of pylons, coloring it with some garish paint job (fuchsia and orange, anyone?), putting not one, but two rotary cannons (they're not really "mini" and they actually pack a punch, so why would you really need two of them?), complain about the fact that it does backflips in your comments, title it "Dank Mustang V2.16!!!" and post it anyways. While doing this might be fun for your very first post, if you want to be a well-respected builder and garner some Upvotes (not the end-all of everything, see #5 below), you'll realize that, first, it's a rude to plagiarize other creations, especially if you don't acknowledge the original creator, second the community doesn’t appreciate it and third, that abomination may very well be taken down by a moderator! Instead, spend a few minutes (or hours) building something unique. It doesn’t have to be the best thing out there, just take a little time and put your twist on your creation. We’ll notice and appreciate it. If the community doesn’t notice at first, do it again. Download other builds, figure out what makes them work, ask questions on the community board. It takes time and effort, like anything else. Don’t fret, it’s a life lesson we all eventually need to learn.

2. Gimmicks not appreciated…while it may seem cool at the time to post that build that’s really just 648 bombs that ends up crashing your device or a post where you don’t actually see the build in the screenshot that’s titled “FASTTTESSSTTT JETT—30,000 MPH!!!”, the community really appreciates vehicles such as planes, cars, ships and even more if they actually do something fun. Posts like these are kind of like Calvin turning in a report with a clear plastic cover thinking it’s hidden the turd report on bats which claims they’re actually bugs. Sure, you may garner a few Upvotes and it’s amusing from time to time, don’t make it your raison d'être (look it up, it’s French).

3. Fuselage blocks. Learn them, love them, use them. By the way, Resizable Intakes work the same way, albeit with a few additional features. You can do so much with them, you can make shapes that actually look like real airplanes, or ships, or cars, or tanks, etc., etc., etc. I remember when SP didn’t have them and their introduction really revolutionized the game, so use them!

4. Colors. If you want to get noticed, experiment with color schemes. Not the default scheme, the custom scheme. Word of warning: Most modern military jets are painted in muted tones, greys, greens or browns. They don’t standout on the build platform. While that doesn’t prevent me from building my fair share of replicas, I do try and find color schemes or shades of the typically boring colors which pop out against the grey building platform and black background. Accent colors (reds, yellows, etc.) which standout on a muted grey work particularly well.

5. Don’t beg for upvotes, you’re better than that! Sure, we all crave approval, but the Sistine Chapel wasn’t painted in a day…it took Michelangelo 4 years and we still rave about it today. So, similarly, don’t expect the first thing you post will bring about a cascade of Upvotes! First of all, Upvotes are not the reason why the game exists. Upvotes exist to make us feel good about ourselves. SP exists because it’s fun. It’s fun to build, fly and post creations. To realize someone is excited about that cool idea you incorporated in your design or because you NAILED that P-51 replica. Upvotes will come with time, posts and followers. Even the brand new builder who posts an awesome creation right out the gate probably has been building awhile without ever posting. So, don’t beg. Again, it’s a life lesson.

6. Descriptions. Please write one. I’ve seen countless creations without descriptions and countless comments saying…”I can’t be bothered to download this build if there’s not even a description.” Plus, descriptions are really useful for pointing out that really unique feature, controls on how to fly your build or some really unique backstory you’ve made up. For all you Anglophones out there…really, there’s no excuse. One French-speaking builder posts descriptions in French, then uses Google translate to post an English version of his description. Sure, the translation might the choppy, but we really appreciate the effort. Give a comment in return, even if you have to use Google translate to do so!

7. Most of all, LEARN. You can learn a lot with this “game”. It’s a great educational tool. Sure, the physics aren’t perfect and there are no supersonic compressibility effects, but it teaches the basics in a very fun and engaging way. I see hundreds of future pilots and engineers on this site, and that gives me hope for the future. You can learn what CoM and CoL mean and how CoM should go AHEAD of CoL. You can learn the difference between cambered and symmetrical airfoils, or if you want to go further/fly longer you have to carry more fuel, but that makes the airplane heavier (I really hate the infinite fuel cheat, by the way) and penalizes performance. You can learn what trim is and how it works or even Dead Reckoning navigation.

So, there you go! Welcome to the Simple Planes. Enjoy, have fun and learn!