Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

The screenshots in the FRUA forum were only meant as appetizers. Please keep in mind, as Manikus pointed out, we (Uatu, Manikus and myself) spend a lot of time with doing art, and on the other hand, at least in case of Uatu and myself, did not yet come up with a design after years of dealing with DC! I guess all of us would not deal with DC or even FRUA if we were only graphic enthusiasts... :D

Indeed! :)

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

Nice compromise between keeping and extending the deadline... :D

I like this idea...

and I do not like this idea. The tutorials are definitely an important point of the contest, but, everybody should have the option not to turn in a tutorial and still having her/his design reviewed- although I personally beg everybody to write a tutorial about a trap/a secret passage, even if it is a simple hole or secret door!

My reason is this:
Some of us are using their own graphics, some are not. Those with nice graphics of their own will get positive reviews, those with not so nice graphics will receive constructive critique, and those who do not use any art of their own will simply get no mark for graphics.
Why not handle tutorials the same way?

It is okay with me to extend the deadline for the tutorials, since everybody should read the tutorials after playing the respective designs. But apart from that, they should be handled the same way as the other aspects of the designs: background story, trap/secret passage, art, art/sound/design composition, a.s.o..

With this approach, also those without a tutorial/without own graphics/without an ingenious trap/... stil have the chance to "win" the contest by doing extraordinarily well concerning the other aspects.

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

:D
So, we adopt my proposal, striking the last clause?

Designs due 20th - 23rd (December)
-please don't play anyone else's until you've turned in yours (at least until the 23rd)
Tutorials due 27th - 31th (December)
-do your best to get one in
Reviews due 7th -31st (January)
-please be constructive

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

Please, a little more time for the reviews (end of January?)! Apart from that, I think this is a good compromise.

Maybe, during the review phase, every contestant should tell (around January 10th perhaps) which designs she/he is detailledly reviewing so that we can be sure that every design has at least two reviewers.

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

Okay, I've changed my above proposal to extend the review dates. :)

I will try and review all the submissions except my own. :D

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

Alright, I'm prepared to turn my design in on December 20th, provided the other contestants turn a blind eye on the "no fewer than 2 levels" rule. In fact, I think I should get brownie points for using just one 15x15 level. ;) It would have been easy to create another level just to meet the requirements but it was unnecessary.

The house does contain several floors but it's only a matter of a few minutes to finish the game and you'll probably be disappointed by story, gameplay and another aspect of the contest being neglected.

I still don't see the need of me writing a tutorial and I don't think I've got time to do it before next year. I'll try to play and comment on all other entries before January 31th though. :)

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

Olivier, I will gladly give a try to anything you submit. :)

Of course I won't be able to play anybody's design until the 23rd. I calculate I need about 10 hours to finish the 1st level, and that's only if the art goes really fast. This is where I mention that I've not added any events (other than transfer module) to levels 2 and 3; and haven't even started levels 4 and 5. :(

C'est la vie. We'll see what happens.

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

Sorry guys, I thought I'd have more time to spare this weekend to polish the design a bit so that it would at least look like a demo but the way it is now I feel it's not fit to be released.

I'd only need 2-3 more hours to polish it but I'm leaving home now and unless I get DC to run on another computer without administrator rights (or find the time to try it, in the first place), I guess I'm out of the contest, which probably means I won't review anyone else's design either according to the rules we established. :(

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

The rules we established say that you CAN play and review the other designs, you just need to wait until the 23rd unless there are extraordinary circumstances. :)

Incidentally, I think if the game can be played on a computer without administrative rights, that the editor will work too, but this is educated speculation. If it doesn't work, I'm sorry, but you will be able to play and review as soon as you get back to your regular computer...

Re: Fall 2009 Design Contest
 

I have a playable module. Playable in the sense that you can take the party from start to finish doing all the things that I intended. I still have lots to do though, both in testing what happens when things are done that are off the path so to speak as well as a lot of little details mostly involving graphics and dialog.

I am concerned though over playability for a mini-mod "contest". Solving this all the way through, while not particularly difficult is complicated and my be more than the reviewers are interested in. I think as written it may take more time to solve than is warranted for a 5 level mod and so I may submit a smaller version. Looking at my walkthrough I can easily wall off at least one level and put the things needed there elsewhere (or just chop them completely). Whatever I do I will be sure to leave the "trap" and secret passage alone, so I can write the tutorials.

In any event, my daughter will start play testing tonight so we will see how that goes first.