question: If we wanted to make our own simpletale/verse designs what are some rules/guidelines that need to be followed?
if your going by undertale standards.
-sans. ALWAYS. has a circular head, NO exceptions, his face can be different, sure, hell, you could even somewhat change the shape of his head, but its ALWAYS a somewhat round or circular shape
swapsimple sans head breaks the circle logic, but its still somewhat ROUND! so in conclusion, keep it round and simple!
-use beta/concept art elements, or just generally what the original creator of whatever your parodying made before getting a clear idea of what he was making, and apply it to your characters! (yes, this applies to the personalities too, but dont follow it too strictly! try to be a bit original!)
try to exaggerate the design a bit to make em more funny lookin
LIKE LONG ASS TEETH!!!
now for some non-undertale specific bits
if your using an au or story that doesnt really have beta elements, try to simplify the concept then make a new story from scratch. like simplekiller is simplified from "oh sans makes a deal with the human and then kills people to experience something more" to "oh sans works for the human ig", then let your brain spin and make your own story from this simplified bit. it can be a long story as long as the base for the story is made from a simplified story!!!
do all simpletale based stories have to be dumb/silly?
NO! they dont have to be. but there should at least be some characters or plotlines that have a more goofy aura, not to spoil anything. but simpletale WILL HAVE DARK MOMENTS!!! in conclusion, dont let the story take itself too seriously, fuck around!
can i make simpletale AU's of non-undertale content?
YES! i encourage making simpletale versions of other franchises then undertale, do you want to make a simpletale version of star wars? GO WILD! BE FREE! DO IT! i LOVE seeing fanart and fan creations of simpletale. and i encourage you to play around with more content then just undertale. have fun!