For Future Contests

[Celaquil]

Because I don't appreciate what Tobyfat did one second, I'd like to add a new rule for future contests. Mainly the following:

"No submissions may include models or skins specifically created for their terrain during the period of the contest."

Basically, this will prevent "gifted" modellers and skinners in shadow-mapping the models they use in their terrains, or modify other small things that may enhance the look and feel of the terrain, it's a terraining contest, not a modding contest.
So, unless any of you chaps have got some really convincing arguments against it, then this will be included during future terraining contests.

 

[Cihparg]

I'm perfectly fine if they submit the models during when the theme is being selected, but creating them during the actual contest and in the end even modifying the final entry screenshot? I find that a disgrace.

Perhaps we could add a rule for only allowing modular models; Models that you'd use to construct the terrain, rather than simply place the model in and present it as a terrain, as seen in Tobyfat's entry.

The latest terraining contest was sloppy at best, and I don't exactly blame the judges for this; they did their job the best they could.
This was likely allowed to happen because the whole terraining community has become quite sloppy in following it's standards; as Keiji mentioned yesterday, we might be /expecting/ the users to read the rules and not break them /a little too much/.

Mind you, if you disagree with any of this feel free to point it out, I might be a slow bastard to understand but hopefully someone else would, then.

 

[Celaquil]

Yeah, the point is to prevent users from making models for their terrain during the contest, any and all publicly available models and skins made and published pre-contest are perfectly fine.

Actually, to make the rule even clearer, and to avoid anyone who'd like to argue that they made a model, but didn't make it "specifically" for their own terrain, I'll change the rule to this:

"No submissions may include models or skins created during the period of the contest."

 

[2-P]

I'm totally with you on this one, it's (sadly) a necessary rule.

 

[fladdermasken]

"No submissions may include models or skins created during the period of the contest."

I think the easiest way to ensure this doesn't happen again is to go the THW/WC3C public resources + a list of contest-sanctioned models route. As an ammendment, if you want to include other models, they would need to be approved by the contest host or the terrain moderator.

 

[Celaquil]

No, I don't want to discourage the use of off-site resources,
nor do I want to place any more work on my own, or the hosts,
shoulders than necessary. I want to keep it as is.

 

[fladdermasken]

It would only be rare cases if you include the most commonly used resources in the contest-sanctioned list. I mean public resources include RIR, toby's models, Stone and Sword, B₂M high res sets, etc. We are talking few exceptions which could easily be answered by a yes/no in the contest thread.

I am pretty much just expecting "these models were made before the contest started." drama.

 

[Celaquil]

Well. They're supposed to be publicly available resources regardless, and as such, one can merely check the time-stamp of it's upload date, anything uploaded during the contest lapse isn't approvable.

 

[Gilles]

I agree with fladder. Give a list of available resources. People can submit new resources and Keiji and or judges of the contest can approve them for future use.

 

[Belgarath]

http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/terrain-board-267/discussion-contest-sanctioned-models-115741/ this might be a decent place to start (disregard my highly negative post in that thread, not sure what drugs i was on).
certainly is an innovative, if entirely off the point, way of making a nice terrain. to the point: I entirely agree with such a regulation, with an approved list plus perhaps judging of case-by-case basis in addition during the contest (example if a nice tree model is made right then, and it actually just happens to be released then).
also: custom skies should perhaps be evaluated. they can make outrageously good looking things which are just so hard to get anywhere near with normal terrain - especially mountains. However, seeing as people would probably rather make a sky for a terrain than a terrain for a sky, the same regulation applying would likely be sufficient to prevent abuse of them though.

edit: I see now that thread was unstickied just recently - did the guy somehow wiggle into the rules by making the resources publicly available or what happened there?

 

[Celaquil]

Yes, he did. He posted the map.

I just can't help but feel that doing everything case by case and keeping a list, like the contest sanctioned models thread, will be anything but hazardous. There's a reason why I unstickied it and went looser on the rules: Because I thought more leniency would be fun. Regardless, though, in the scenario where a great tree model happens to be released during the contest, what about it? If the guy wants to use it he can make a terrain outside of the contest, and use it, or he can use it in the next contest. I don't see how it's really all that much of a big problem, especially considering the massive amount of already good looking models we've got at the tip of our fingers.

 

[Belgarath]

well personally i agree with you on not judging everything case-by-case and having a larger criterion like only from x,y,z sources and/or not created during the time of the contest/for the contest.
The tree thing was more for people that would dislike that very unforgiving structure: a different model or a skin might make a terrain much nicer; more importantly, it might make it come out a lot more as the artist intended. It's far different from the original problem where multiple elaborate things (as far as I understand the situation) were created to essentially make a terrain not slightly enhance it. Granted, the whole thing wouldn't make much of a difference since these things tend to be made/discovered in large packs, but it would be a slightly more lenient solution which still does not miss the key goals.

 

[Celaquil]

I guess I could add a by-note to the rule stating something like "Certain models might be approved by the contest's host or judges."
Actually, let's try that with the mini-contest. (of which I'd love it if you made an entry, Belg )

 

[Belgarath]

on that note - does anyone have a resource map that i can use including all the cool shit the kids are using these days? like utm/some b2m/sword and stone/ogre_'s pack?
or is there one lying around somewhere kinda thing.
linking this to the topic - could be pleasant to provide a map like this to people

 

[fladdermasken]

Ohai thar Belg.

There are probably some maps in this thread you could base it on. http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/terrain-board-267/pass-along-terraining-246334/