Another RAD Contest Proposal

[andylegate]

Okay, this is just an idea that I had last night, so either Flame it, Use it, or laugh at it, but in any case, those of you that enjoy RAD's and like doing them, listen up:

How about we have another RAD Contest, with the theme being "Small Ages"

The fist RAD was pretty much a free for all, and included small places like Shells, and huge things like Zephyr Cove.
The second RAD was much more structures, and built upon the first RAD, this time with a Theme: Shells

I'd like to suggest we have another RAD, only this time we base it upon smaller Ages, ones that could be completed in about 3 weeks, like with the Shells.

Here would be the basic idea of rules for it:

All the rules that you had for the previous RAD's, such as Deadline Date, when to start, how long you have, etc, etc. But now add these rules to them:

They must be actual "Ages" no AP Shells this time (we just did that one).
The Age must not be any bigger than say Eder Tsogal.
The Age can be any theme as long as it conforms to RAWA's guidelines over on MOUL.
Ages can be Pods, Garden, or Neighboorhood type Ages.
Ages can include usage of all the things that the current plugin release of 1.5.0 has to offer.
Ages should be for looking at with only minor interaction involved (IE No puzzles, I'll explain below).
Ages would be judged on Astetics, ambient moods, functionality, and completion.
Entries will be accepted as long as turned in prior to the deadline. Ages that are not complete are okay, as long as the judges can still load, and link into the Age (all though not being completed can affect the judging of the AGe).

Okay, here's why I'm suggesting this:

The last RAD was a lot more popular than the first one. I think a 3rd one might get more attention too.
New Writers that have joined not too long ago can use this to show off what they've learned how to do.
Large Ages with puzzles take a long time to do, just as Jennifer_P pointed out (I may not agree with her on the time, but I do agree with her that it takes WAY too long for a RAD, hehe).
Small Pod or Garden Ages do not have to take a very long time to do. They can also be linked to with out having to use AP (not bashing AP here, but it's nice to have other things besides AP too).
I said no puzzles because that can make the development time for the Age stretch out. But if a contestant wants to put one in, that should be okay, just make sure that they know that the puzzle will not aid them in this contest (IE: one Age gets better marks than another Age, simply because one had a puzzle and one did not. Let's leave the Puzzles for a later RAD contest, say a "Puzzle Age RAD" down the road, okay?).

Anyway, just an idea I had. RAD's help other guilds too, it helps give my Maintainers something to do, and it helps the GoMe, in that they have something new to write news about.

In anycase, I've been itching to make a nice small Age that's for looking at and resting in.....One that I can pump out in a few weeks, vice the months that it takes for HUGE Ages like Zephyr.

So....any takers? I'm willing to be one of the contestants, and I KNOW that there are several Maintainers that will volunteer to help with judging.

[Marcello]

Great plan Andy... I'm into this one. Just tell me when to start

[andylegate]

anytime as far as I'm concerned, but I don't plan on putting this together, I will instead defer to people like Lontahv and Grorgery(sp?) on this one as they have mucho experience now putting RAD's together and running them. I just wanna be a contestant is all....

[Trylon]

Sounds like a great plan andy

[ametist]

Anyway, just an idea I had. RAD's help other guilds too, it helps give my Maintainers something to do(my boulding), and it helps the GoMe, in that they have something new to write news about.
.

Now you all know why he's one of our excellent GuildMasters

Truth is one can learn so much judging RAD, (at the first competition I remember I had to ask Lontahv what a vertix was and now I can delete them, copy them, rip them and move them all over ) besides all the fun and excitement there is in a RAD contest!!

I really hope people will go for this idea! /cheer

[katreeny]

Great idea, Andy!

I'm in

Katreeny (promise no huuuuuge collections of verts this time!)

[Grogyan]

I like the idea too, but at the same time I want to encourage the creation of puzzles.
And also get the sub Guild of musicians involved too next time around, our ages need music too ya know?
Simple ones like touch 3 coloured stones in the right order

How about asking the contestants to implement 1 subworld in a small Age?

Ideas are all welcome, submit yours

[Lontahv]

I really like this idea. For once people can be judged by how the place feels rather than how "grand" and "puzzley" it is. This will create such detailed and cared-about places.

I also like the idea that the contestants have to follow RAWA's rules. This gets people ready for life-in-MORE and also lets me sleep soundly at night without the fear of someone on earth linking into my bedroom (you just learned that I don't sleep in Relto).

Kinda troubling how it seems people will actually have to _work_ at making no inter-age linking (there seems to be some odd trend to have this kind of linking in ages). I have advice that everyone can use for the rest of their age-building lives: DON'T FOLLOW YEESHA!



lemme sign this post.

All your base are belong to,

Lontahv

[Chacal]

Conversely, I don't like the idea that the contestants have to follow RAWA's rules. This is a GoW event, not a Cyan event. RAWA's rules are only for Ages that will beome part of MORE. By adding this limitation, I expect a loss of creativity.

Personally, when (and if) the day comes when I can write Ages, I don't intend to pay any attention to those rules or even applu for a FCAL, except if I want to get my Age accepted into MORE.

Apart from that, great idea Andy!

[Lontahv]

For my part I'm working on tools to make "ages". The idea of the "age" is Cyan's.

Chacal, if you want to hack to splice in files feel free but they're not ages unless they fit with the laws of age-writing IMO.