Contest time?

[Tarlanon]

O.k....I kind of have a big question for everyone who peruses this board and is either thinking of making a module for DC, or is actively creating one now....

We all think DC is 'Da Bomb' more or less right? And I know DC is getting to be pretty full featured. (i.e. a lot of functions are fully operational now). But the one thing that I think DC lacks which could really generate a lot of interest in the product is it doesn't come with any adventures or modules.

So I was thinking...
Maybe we could have a little contest or something like the FRUA folks do to create a small 'demo' module so new people to the FRUA or DC world can get a feel for what kind of games DC can create. You know, something small like 1 or 2 levels (so it doesn't take a year to produce) and using primarily the default art (so as to minimize download size)?

So what do you all think?

[manikus]

first, let me start by saying this is a good idea.

but, second, let me be the devil's advocate for a bit.
how small is small? 2 levels in dc if used at max settings is roughly the same map area as 40 dungeons in FRUA.
what is the default art? do you mean just the stuff that ships with dc? do you mean everything available at ironworks? what about my icons and walls and stuff available at other websites?
who would be the judge?
what would be the parameters set up for such a contest?
would there be a limitation on total size for the design?
who would/could participate?

third, and most important, i think that all of the above questions are answerable and that an idea like this is doable.

[img]graemlins/1druid.gif[/img]

-manikus

[Rami Sihvo]

I throw in my cents:

>how small is small? 2 levels in dc if used at max settings is roughly the same map area as 40 dungeons in FRUA.
Then maybe one level would be enough, endless dungeons don't make good game to me.
>what is the default art? do you mean just the stuff that ships with dc? do you mean everything available at ironworks?
Pre set site like Ironworks would be ok.
>what about my icons and walls and stuff available at other websites?
Eh... Isn't there already too much of that stuff. Maybe desings size would be better limit in bytes than just limiting graphic to all that is
offered in certan website. Besides diffrent graphics would promote DC better.
>who would be the judge?
I think two round competition would be great. Couple desings that get most votes would get to secound round and this would
make judges work easier. This would need a website set up.
>what would be the parameters set up for such a contest?
>would there be a limitation on total size for the design?
As metoned earlier, DC desings will be huge (my desing has not even started to build up and it is already 30mb mostly this is beacuse unpacked
pictures and mp3:s, so I would say that desing would be limited to couple hundread bytes or at least below 1.4 mb, so great masses
could dl DC and try our contest desings with it.
>who would/could participate?
All who are interested in DC. I doubt that DC is so widely known that amout of participates would be a problem.

[Tarlanon]

Yeah Rami, pretty much what I had in mind too. I agree Manikus, at max settings even one level in DC an be huge, so I was thinking maybe 1-3 levels (with or without a town level) at not more than, say, 20x20 in size? I think ideally the adventure should be able to be complete in a few hours or so. (That also to help the developer create the design sooner). As far as art goes, I agree with Rami again that maybe the art should be limited to the default art in DC, maybe with limited additions (1-2 megs max uncompressed art/sounds). That will help reduce overall file sizes.

I'm even working on something along these lines right now....well, when I can sneak in some dev time behind the wife's back.

[Rami Sihvo]

Sounds fair. Maybe I begun to write script for small game too... Since major problem now is that there is not much desings availble to DC and it would be easier to market game what does have ready desings. Now we need someone who beguns to work on this thing...

[manikus]

who is going to be the judge for this thing? maybe more than one?
what's the deadline going to be? (see below)
where will these designs be available for download? (maybe magic mirror?)

how about this for guidelines so far:
-max size zipped 1.4 meg
-restricted to one overland level and 1 dungeon maximum size of 40x40
-limited to art that comes with dc download & artwork available at escape gaming (since it's the official art site)(escape gaming=ironworks [img]smile.gif[/img] )
-keep it to a pg rating so that people of all ages can participate and enjoy the outcome
-deadline is december 15, 2002 (that gives just about two months)

[img]graemlins/1druid.gif[/img]

-manikus

[Rami Sihvo]

What is offical definition of PG-rating?

[manikus]

i was thinking that pg would be something like mild language, non-graphic violence and no nudity. and if you wanted to include any of these (cussing, graphic depictions of of wounds, or full frontal nudity), just put a little disclaimer in the readme file or at the beginning of the adventure.

[img]graemlins/1druid.gif[/img]

-manikus

[Rami Sihvo]

I think I'll manage with that. More stupid questions: art is only from Ironworks and not other releated sites? So can I use Maniukus wolf cpic?
And just for clarification: I 'm free search the music and other sound effects from anywhere I like?

[manikus]

how about we modify using only art from escape gaming, to using only art from one of the sites listed at the official dungeon craft page?

[img]graemlins/1druid.gif[/img]

-manikus