Since S.N.N. says that the contest thread isn't for discussing future contests, we can discuss them here. Post ideas for future contest and how we can implement them. Maybe in the near future we'll have a contest forum? Who knows?
I'll start by replying to Wowfunhappy's comments on my ideas (they were mine, not da777).
Everyone is free to post their ideas. Hopefully contests won't be the new fad...
I'm looking at you, "Ask ______!".
And you too, team hack threads!
I'll start by replying to Wowfunhappy's comments on my ideas (they were mine, not da777).
Originally posted by Wowfunhappy
Having contests in a certain section of the site would be a good idea. Here's how it would work...
In the months of February and July, the contests section of SMWC would have many different contests about different things, sorta like the grand prix.
Every other month, the contest section would be an "archive" which held the levels of past contest winners.
We could have a section with just these "contest levels", just like the existing hack section.
It would be a great addition to the site, and I truly believe it would benefit the SMW hacking community greatly.
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Sorry for being picky, but here are my comments to the contest Ideas made mydaa77 Lucas. Please don't be offended by this or anything, daa77 Lucas.
Best autoscrolling level - great idea
Best upwards vertical level - great idea
Best small level (3 or 4 screens) - that doesn't really make sense, it's just... to short. It would be a good idea to have a contest with a set number of screens, but how about something like 7-10 screens instead?
3 or 4 screens is plenty for a good puzzle, but maybe you weren't thinking of puzzles?
Best automatic level - Sorry for being a total idiot, but I'm Not sure what this is. If you mean a level in which mario moves by himself, why not just make a movie? If you don't mean that, someone will have to explain to me what you do mean.
Automatic Mario levels are where Mario is moved by the level without player control. While there is no real gameplay factor involved, they are still interesting to watch and a good one requires a lot of skill. I see your point when you say that only a movie is necessary however.
Best SMB1 style level - But how would this contest work? You couldn't have any set, written guidelines, as there's no clear cut definition of what an "SMB1 style" level is.
A level with SMB1 enemies, SMB1 bricks, no left scroll, etc. It has to have a level design style similar to the original SMB1. There has to be a nostalgic feeling without it being a remake.
Best level remake of a non-mario game - Where's the creativity? Isn't that the point of hacking?
It is easy to remake SMB1 and SMB3 levels, but it takes real skill to emulate a non-mario game in SMW. You'd have to find a way to make the level play and feel like said game.
Best all original graphics level - Why make a level, why not just make graphics? Also, unfortunately, I would bet about $70 that either Icegoom or Ghettyouth would win that contest.
Neither of them are active >_>... Still, I see your point. It could also be judged on usefulness in addition to how nice it looks. There are few good desert FGs and a ton of grassland FGs, so the desert one would have an advantage, right?
Best level to match a certain custom song - This MIGHT work, though I'm very doubtful. I can't quite lay my finger on the reason why I'm so doubtful though, and if I can't pinpoint my reason, I probably have no right to make a comment...
Example: A level to match the Lost Woods song. Obviously it needs to embody the Lost Woods in OoT, where you need to think outside of the box to choose the correct path.
Here is my list of what contests we should have. I never said everything on this list was my idea, I'm just compiling all the ideas that I like, as well as adding my own.
01. Best level made using only LM as a tool.
02. Best auto-scrolling level
03. Best vertical level
04. Best level which is exactly 7 screens long
05. Best overall level, no rules involved
06. Best Music, (no level involved, just the .txt file.)
07. Best custom Boss (and a level for him to go in.)
08. Best custom sprite (no level involved, just the .asm and .cfg file.)
09. Best custom block (no level involved, just the .asm file with the relic offsets and such.)
10. Best overworld
11. Best level made using only one sprite. (the sprite which would end the level.)
In the months of February and July, the contests section of SMWC would have many different contests about different things, sorta like the grand prix.
Every other month, the contest section would be an "archive" which held the levels of past contest winners.
We could have a section with just these "contest levels", just like the existing hack section.
It would be a great addition to the site, and I truly believe it would benefit the SMW hacking community greatly.
********************************
Sorry for being picky, but here are my comments to the contest Ideas made my
Best autoscrolling level - great idea
Best upwards vertical level - great idea
Best small level (3 or 4 screens) - that doesn't really make sense, it's just... to short. It would be a good idea to have a contest with a set number of screens, but how about something like 7-10 screens instead?
3 or 4 screens is plenty for a good puzzle, but maybe you weren't thinking of puzzles?
Best automatic level - Sorry for being a total idiot, but I'm Not sure what this is. If you mean a level in which mario moves by himself, why not just make a movie? If you don't mean that, someone will have to explain to me what you do mean.
Automatic Mario levels are where Mario is moved by the level without player control. While there is no real gameplay factor involved, they are still interesting to watch and a good one requires a lot of skill. I see your point when you say that only a movie is necessary however.
Best SMB1 style level - But how would this contest work? You couldn't have any set, written guidelines, as there's no clear cut definition of what an "SMB1 style" level is.
A level with SMB1 enemies, SMB1 bricks, no left scroll, etc. It has to have a level design style similar to the original SMB1. There has to be a nostalgic feeling without it being a remake.
Best level remake of a non-mario game - Where's the creativity? Isn't that the point of hacking?
It is easy to remake SMB1 and SMB3 levels, but it takes real skill to emulate a non-mario game in SMW. You'd have to find a way to make the level play and feel like said game.
Best all original graphics level - Why make a level, why not just make graphics? Also, unfortunately, I would bet about $70 that either Icegoom or Ghettyouth would win that contest.
Neither of them are active >_>... Still, I see your point. It could also be judged on usefulness in addition to how nice it looks. There are few good desert FGs and a ton of grassland FGs, so the desert one would have an advantage, right?
Best level to match a certain custom song - This MIGHT work, though I'm very doubtful. I can't quite lay my finger on the reason why I'm so doubtful though, and if I can't pinpoint my reason, I probably have no right to make a comment...
Example: A level to match the Lost Woods song. Obviously it needs to embody the Lost Woods in OoT, where you need to think outside of the box to choose the correct path.
Here is my list of what contests we should have. I never said everything on this list was my idea, I'm just compiling all the ideas that I like, as well as adding my own.
01. Best level made using only LM as a tool.
02. Best auto-scrolling level
03. Best vertical level
04. Best level which is exactly 7 screens long
05. Best overall level, no rules involved
06. Best Music, (no level involved, just the .txt file.)
07. Best custom Boss (and a level for him to go in.)
08. Best custom sprite (no level involved, just the .asm and .cfg file.)
09. Best custom block (no level involved, just the .asm file with the relic offsets and such.)
10. Best overworld
11. Best level made using only one sprite. (the sprite which would end the level.)
Originally posted by Schwa
You know, what would be cool would be like a SMW Hacking Grand Prix, with like 3 or 4 different contests in one huge event, and everyone could enter only 1 or 2 of the events... There'd be one for level design without anything custom (just like this one), level design with ExGfx but nothing else custom, level design with custom anything, and one other one that I can't think of (those three are just examples).
If it's alright with SNN, no matter what we do I want to play a bigger part in running the next event, rather than entering it as a competitor.
But one thing's for sure, we can't hold these TOO often or they'd get stale. Most likely, at least.
If it's alright with SNN, no matter what we do I want to play a bigger part in running the next event, rather than entering it as a competitor.
But one thing's for sure, we can't hold these TOO often or they'd get stale. Most likely, at least.
Everyone is free to post their ideas. Hopefully contests won't be the new fad...
I'm looking at you, "Ask ______!".
And you too, team hack threads!