Iceblade on 15/11/2015 at 16:38
Note: Only unpublished authors and players with an interest in dromeding should vote in the poll.
All authors and players are allowed to contribute in the discussion of course.
After reading a few threads from the past few years, I've noticed that there are quite a few members who have experimented with dromed but have never released a mission for one reason or another. I'm sure there are a number of other players who thought about creating an FM but felt their missions wouldn't compare with missions released in the last few years.
And while there is the Speed Build contest, that contest does favor the experienced dromeder. Not that a potential author should feel they can't join that contest or release any missions just because their first mission won't be able to necessarily compete in the visual or technical categories. After all, story and fun gameplay are the main reasons I love fan missions, and I would imagine many other players would agree.
So I would like to know if there is any interest amongst unpublished authors and potential dromeders for a contest where the playing field is more level. Just a note that there is a big difference between building parts of a mission and a mission release, so virgin dromeders have only a small disadvantage easily corrected for by a few tutorials.
Just some initial details about the contest:
One million cubic units box build area.
Theme to be determined, though probably something that hasn't already had a contest.
The missions should be largely stock resources, but a small amount of custom resources are allowed for spicing up a level.
Two to three month build time.
The contest is for Newdark for both Thief Gold and Thief 2.
Edit: Looks like there are enough participates, now it is just a matter of ironing out the details and setting a start point. But please keep voting. It lets me know just how many are participating.
So, should the contest start before or after the holiday season? I know sometimes December can either result in a lot more time for dromed or a lot less depending on personal circumstances.
Also, the contest theme is tentatively planned to be focused on Ruins, but I open to suggestions or adjustments.
Squadarofl on 15/11/2015 at 17:07
M-maybe _(┐「ε: )_
Grandmauden on 15/11/2015 at 19:17
I think I'd like to give it a try.
I've been working on a series of missions for a while now, but it'll be a LONG time before I get that finished.
ZylonBane on 15/11/2015 at 19:19
Quote Posted by Iceblade
One million cubits box build area.
Truly a contest of Biblical proportions.
Iceblade on 15/11/2015 at 20:47
Unh...oh yeah, cubits. Edited it to cubic units for clarity. Probably still a moderate sized mission area for novices, but I went with the previous novice contest restriction.
As for theme, I'm thinking of going with Ruins. It's an underused location mission wise that offers a wide variety of possible missions. A small abandoned town section overrun with undead or a lost underground city populated by elementals, traps and environmental hazards or a run down city section with collapsing architecture and housing criminal elements. And it doesn't even have be a city like area, it could be ruins of a tower or fortress filled with collapsed passages requiring heavy use of player ingenuity.
fortuni on 16/11/2015 at 05:33
would any experienced mappers be prepared to buddy up with newbie contest entrants ?
A Buddy for contest entrants would not only give newbie Dromers a significant helping hand in the learning curve that the newbies would need to overcome, i also suspect it would reduce the drop out rate from those who start in the contest. There would of course need to be rules as to what buddies can/can not do in any mission build, but as a general rule of thumb they should be there to give advise only and have no actual role in the mission build.
Iceblade on 16/11/2015 at 06:11
RE: Buddying up: I'd be open to the setting up rules and guidelines for this if enough interested parties agree.
A question for interested participates: Should the contest start before or after the holiday season? I know sometimes December can either result in a lot more time for dromed or a lot less depending on personal circumstances.
Grandmauden on 16/11/2015 at 16:49
The timeframe doesn't really matter for me. I've got an entire month off between college semesters (mid-December to mid-January) that I can use to work on it.
I think a buddy system would be really helpful, as there are quite a few technical details I'm not too familiar with yet.
Iceblade on 16/11/2015 at 16:57
An alternative to the buddy system would be for 1-3 experienced dromeders to volunteer to act as contest technical advisers available for private message/email. It would be easier for contestants to remain anonymous than them posting vague questions at the editors guild.
Not sure what extent to limit advice. Most things in dromed have been asked in one form or another at editor's guild anyway. Maybe some of the major authors can offer rule suggestions.
Also the earliest I plan to start the contest is the first week of December to allow new dromeders a chance to complete some tutorials.
fortuni on 16/11/2015 at 17:32
Quote Posted by Iceblade
1-3 experienced dromeders to volunteer to act as contest technical advisers available for private message/email.
Good idea.....that would work, there's nothing more frustrating than hitting a brick wall for lack of finding an answer to the most basic of questions....trouble is sometimes you need to know what the question is in the first place and if your in a race against time, trawling through 100's of pages in the editor's guild is not an option
