New Contest? (2nd Edition)

[plotzzz]

What about a FUN contest ? Make a thief do something funny/silly with having to discover a bloodshed in an underground basement full of zombies ?

[DeTeEff]

What about a FUN contest ? Make a thief do something funny/silly with having to discover a bloodshed in an underground basement full of zombies ?

 

I have also thought in these ways, privately, but it just isn't appropriate for the game/mod. It may be funny, but imo, the whole concept about steampunk thieving is the dark, realistic and rather humourless style.

[SiyahParsomen]

Is poll open for everyone or only mappers?

[nbohr1more]

AFAIK, there's no way to exclude non-mappers. I think players' opinions should have some sway too, mappers are also players (etc). If there are potential contest participants who are concerned about the popular choices (unrealistic, boring, etc), we can have a private vote from the top 4 choices or something like that. (Presuming that would tip the scales for at least a couple of potential entrants on the fence).

[Ladro]

Great poll!

 

Nice subjects and ideas, i voted for Dark secret (especially some "lovecraftian" secret :-) ) and a free form group, to make it more easy to have some inspirational for new kind of gameplay.

[nbohr1more]

Just to be clear, none of the other entrants necessarily need to exclude the option of being speed build missions... nor having a Halloween deadline for that matter. Though a contest with a Halloween deadline will generate player demand for spooky missions so it might negatively affect voting for those who choose to avoid any horror elements.

In other words, if this ends-up being a free-form Halloween contest and you chose to make something like "Swing" or a Manor Heist, make sure to build something good enough to overcome the players' disappointment that your "Halloween mission" is not scary (presuming you are competing against other scary missions).

 

BTW, if Halloween wins... That would be one of my biggest wish list items checked-off. (Though I will be sad that Nosslak's pumpkin probably wont be ready for the contest ).

[Bikerdude]

I voted Haloween and T2 remake.

[Shadowhide]

speed building is pretty bad idea

 

not every one is genius like Melan to build a good mission in 1 month

 

i'm pretty sure,mission created in rush will be buggy and look like shit

 

 

[DeTeEff]

speed building is pretty bad idea

 

not every one is genius like Melan to build a good mission in 1 month

 

i'm pretty sure,mission created in rush will be buggy and look like shit

 

 

 

 

On the contrary, authors will need to be more disciplined to keeping things basic and simple. And I believe someday we'll need a speed building contest.

[Melan]

My genius is greatly overstated. Moreover, contests are speed-building exercises by definition. You can't go on tweaking a perfect creation forever; you have to budget your time and effort to meet the contest deadline, and this includes playtesting. It is possible to make a neat, small mission in one month. You just have to work within realistic boundaries: the boundaries of free time and your own abilities. In one month, a relative newbie could create a decent, moody mini-mission; a pro could create a larger one, or one with a lot of scripting and fine touches.Both can overextend and hand in a half-completed mess (or drop out and finish it later - no harm in that).

Edited September 9, 2011 by Melan

[STiFU]

Hey nbohr, do you think it's possible to allow voters to choose multiple answers in the poll? There's really no downside in doing that in my opinion. Currently I can't vote because I don't like any of the contest suggestions in group 2 and the system won't let me submit my vote after only having voted in group 1.

[nbohr1more]

This is a boil-down vote. I am eliminating unpopular choices rather than selecting popular. It had to be done this way because of the limits of our Poll system and for expediency. I will now combine the top 6 items (3 from each half). Now the real vote can begin.

 

 

@@@

 

Done!

Edited September 9, 2011 by nbohr1more

[STiFU]

Damn, my favorits are gone... I hate democracy!

[Bikerdude]

Right then, well I now have a bunch of work that Flanders and I have shared, so I will be using that for this contest!

 

Tried to revote but got the message "You must cast your vote in each question of the poll", I can only make 1 selection though.

[Bikerdude]

Though I will be sad that Nosslak's pumpkin probably wont be ready for the contest ).

 

I'm sure I/we can make a patchwork version that will look good enough..

[Springheel]

I will be sad that Nosslak's pumpkin probably wont be ready for the contest

 

If someone can find a decent texture I can make a pumpkin in about ten minutes. A half-decent jack-o-lantern would take about half an hour. If that contest wins I'll make sure they're available.

[SiyahParsomen]

crap, now it's broken. I can't vote. It says you must cast your vote in each question of the poll. Thank you stifu.

[Bikerdude]

thanks Springs!

[grayman]

Now the real vote can begin.

 

You lost me.

 

I'm seeing a poll with 6 items now. 3 have votes, 3 don't. It says I already voted.

 

Are we supposed to be voting again?

[STiFU]

crap, now it's broken. I can't vote. It says you must cast your vote in each question of the poll. Thank you stifu.

No problem... Although what I suggested was something completely different than this.

[SiyahParsomen]

voted peacefully

[Shadowhide]

i cant vote

[Professor Paul1290]

This may be a bit of a long shot in terms of feasibility but here's something I think would be interesting to eventually attempt sometime in the future.

 

Contest Concept: The House Was Always There

Size Restriction: None

Time Restriction: None

 

The idea of this contest is to promote the use of more open and realistic environments in FMs.

If you've ever played the Half-Life 2 mod series called "MINERVA", or games with realistic maps like the first three Rainbow Six games, this would apply a somewhat similar philosophy. The mapper would build, or at least attempt to build, the environments as actual environments with gameplay worked in later.

 

Having the map and the mission designed by separate people would be encouraged, and it would also be strongly encouraged that more than one mission is made using the same map/setting in different ways.

 

Maps must be somewhat more separate from the mission than usual in that maps must not be made specifically for the mission that will take place in them. The map should seem like a setting for the mission to take place in rather than a setting created specifically for the mission.

 

In order for this to work, the map would have to be made as if it were an actual environment, within reason of course. Houses should theoretically function well as houses, with front doors and back doors where appropriate, openable windows where possible, basements and attics, and so on.

The mission designer (which may or may not be the same person) will not be allowed to make serious structural changes to buildings or terrain to fit his/her mission that cannot be carried out without major construction or demolition work (adding furniture or installing lights is OK, digging out whole new basement complex is not).

Because of this it will be up to the mapper to make the maps as natural and open as possible to give the mission designer room for possibilities. Difficulty would be controlled through elements such as NPC patrols, locking of doors, setting of traps, and other security measures that would believably be set up in such an environment.

 

Hopefully this would result in a more natural and open ended environment that will not feel as "set-up" specifically for the task at hand. The maps would naturally lend themselves to multiple approaches to achieving mission objectives in a way that seems reasonable for the environment.

 

More importantly the map would feel like its buildings and terrain have existed before the mission and will continue to exist after just like how real-life buildings and terrain are often static or slow to change while their owners and purposes change a lot over time.

 

It would be as if "The House Was Always There".

Edited September 9, 2011 by Professor Paul1290

[Shadowhide]

why i cant vote ?

[lost_soul]

@Paul1290: the thing is, most houses in the real world aren't designed to entertain a burglar who breaks in. Houses in the real world are mostly linear, even the big ones. Thus I think it would be hard to make a fun and engaging TDM/Thief map based on a real house... maybe if you made a small neighborhood instead?

 

When I was young, I had a friend who lived out in the country. Her family had a large two story house with a pool and lots of windows and attics. I've thought about trying to make a mission based on that place, because it had at least five entrances on the first floor and plenty of windows on the top floor for rope arrows. I've even thought about where I would place guards. Ultimately I think the interior just wouldn't be complex enough to offer fun gameplay.

Edited September 10, 2011 by lost_soul