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NiroZ
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icon DROD RPG does the discovery channel (+4)  
One thing about videogames that people often complain is that they’re a waste of time. Sure, you have fun. Sure you can socialise over it. But do you learn? Sure, you can argue that videogames can teach all sorts of things, and there’s thousands of educational games out there to prove that. However, DROD is not one of them, unless in life everybody just stands around waiting for you to interact with them, or always waits for your move before moving. Or swords can harmlessly pass through walls and giant snakes. Well, how about fixing this?*

Rules
For this contest, you will be making a DROD RPG hold depicting a historical event and/or cultural myth. I won’t set limits for number of rooms, levels or monsters. However, try to make it take less than 30 minutes to complete, including retries (although I don’t expect people to vote on this unless you go for hours and hours and hours). I would set this in the eighth, but I don’t want to have the contestants have to make up the stories as well. This should be as accurate as possible.

In addition, the contestants will write up a short explanation of the history/myth, providing evidence to back up their tale, explaining anything they feel they left lose in their level set, anything that wasn’t quite factually accurate (due to limitations of DROD RPG, please don’t do a Dan Brown) plus any trivia or background you would feel is relevant. I’m not going to set a word limit, but please keep it brief (and I do expect people to vote on that). People don’t want to have to read an essay on the topic after playing though the hold.

You may make up to three entries, and please state whether you would permit your entry in a compilation or not.

To submit your entry, go here and attach it. Place the explanation text, if you can, in the ending text. However, considering that it can only hold 1350 characters, which equates to around 160 words, if it doesn't fit, place the text that people are to read after playing the level set in blue in your message, and I'll post it next to your entry in secret tags.

No custom media. No imported music, images or videos or sound or anything else under the name of media I might have forgot. You may import scripts, however. Not that I'd be able to pick up on that anyway. You may modify the graphics of DROD RPG as much as you want, within the actual engine. There is a _Mycolor (Yes, I know. The misspelling is killing me inside) variable under the set var action in the scripting menu. This variable changes the colour of characters. The default setting (what you see on the screen normally) is 50,50,50. That is 50/99 Red, 50/99 Green, 50/99 Blue, in that order. Thus, a 00,00,01 will make a character completely black, 99,99,99 would make a character fairly whiter. Higher values increases the colour, lower values decrease the colour. Note that this is not removing or placing colour, it is simply changing the strength of each colour within the character where it already had it. So the black outlines of the characters stay the same not matter what.

You can use this, on conjunction with the hp, gold, def, atk, rep to create your own custom monsters, which you can use this spreadsheet to work out precisely how the monster will behave in terms of damage, and how much atk/def is needed to kill without harming the player, and how little atk is needed to attack and excreta. There is also a range of music within DROD RPG, as well as the ability to use a combination of monsters/characters, objects, floors and walls to create pictures either in the room, or in the minimap. Don't believe me? Checkout Seasons or Castle Steele by Elfstone if you want to see examples. Sure, the smaller room size does make things more restricted, but nowhere near impossible.
If you want to know why I'm banning custom images, see this post.

TimingLocal Time:10-03-2009 at 01:00 PM ,negative 755 weeks, 5 days to finish your entires.

Voting
The voting for this contest will be two fold, although the criteria will be much the same. The voter will vote on the telling of the history/myth. Accuracy will be paramount, entrants should be strongly penalised for making factual errors without a good reason. How entertaining the historical/mythical element of the level set is what you should vote on. Even if a voter has just happened to have studied that particular thing for their PHD, even though you cannot surprise them with twists, weird facts or any other tricks, your interpretation of the tale should be intriguing enough to make it entertaining, in much the same way that people who read the book watch the movie.

As for the game play/design, that too should be judged by how entertaining it is, and also how seamlessly the history/myth integrates into it. Does it go gameplay gameplay gameplay CUTSCENE gameplay gameplay gameplay, or is it a smooth tasty blend like they advertise on TV?

Prizes
100 rank points (not to be confused with mod points) and a pick from the prize pile for winning
50 rank points for coming second
25 for coming third.

Tips
Pick something that is A)interesting B)Easy to fit into a 30 minute level set. I want voters to feel that the history/myth was built into the level set from the ground up, not have a level set built, and then thrown a few bits of trivia in.
Don’t pick something that is common knowledge, such as WWII or the Christian bible mythology (that is, mythology from the perspective of history). Well, maybe if you picked a really specific bit of WWII that didn’t involve the holocaust or D Day or the invasion of France you could get away with it, but that's beside the point. And if you do something that is familiar to the public consciousness, make sure you find obscure facts or shatter some myths. Or you can hope that your storytelling skills a strong enough that it's irrelevant.

Definitely research your topic, even if it’s just a trip to Wikipedia. Doing it in highschool really doesn’t cut it, as there’s always new discoveries, and they really do simplify things and omit the less than G rated facts. On that topic, remember that there are children on the forum, so something lewd, like what a lot of the greek gods got up to, no matter how factually accurate and entertaining, is not a good idea.

Don’t pick a brief or vague topic. Sure, they make it easy to make level set out of, but I want the player to be provoked into though about the topic. And you'll also get poor marks on the story side because vague tales aren't very engaging, and brief tales won't have enough content to make the story immersed in the level set. Kinda like spreading smooth peanut butter. The number of topics to chose from is nearly infinite, so you've got no excuse. Ideally you should find something that has an enormous amount of detail, and then you cut out what you don’t need. The more tightly ingrained into the level set the better. If you need help with that, I recommend you read this and this. And if you want more advice, you try this. (Man, I've been wanting to post that for ages.)

It doesn’t have to be a story told by history or mythology, in fact, there doesn't even have to be a story at all (although you should have some kind of narrative). In fact, it doesn’t even have to have people in it, even if you are telling history, or even animals. Or if you are telling a story, who says you have to stick to one? (provided, of course, it's on the same subject. Cramming multiple bits of history/mythology into one level set will each count as an entry. Please don't do that.)

If you have a problem, feel one of my rules restricts your schedule or your brilliance, please, bring it up now, before the entries close. Remember, the further we are into the contest, the less likely I’m going to be willing the change things.

Oh, and make sure you play through the entire level set one last time after you’ve changed and your ready to submit. There’s nothing more crushing that finding out that your hard work is for naught because you accidentally made the level set impossible.

*I know, it could be improving your intellectual capacity and problem solving skills. But that kills my argument, so shush.

[Last edited by NiroZ at 09-26-2009 06:22 AM]
09-12-2009 at 03:48 AM
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minimike98
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icon Re: DROD RPG does the discovery channel (0)  
So you have to make a hold teaching you like maths
09-12-2009 at 06:44 AM
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Znirk
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icon Re: DROD RPG does the discovery channel (+1)  
minimike98 wrote:
So you have to make a hold teaching you like maths
Only if you think (and can convince everyone else) that maths is narrative and either historical or mythical.

I'd explain in more detail, only I'm not going to. Instead, I recommend you scroll back up to the top of the page and read Niroz' contest description post.
09-12-2009 at 08:17 AM
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NiroZ
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icon Re: DROD RPG does the discovery channel (0)  
Teaching you? I suppose you could define it like that, but I don't like it put that way.

More like telling you a tale. That just happens to be at worst to contain useful bits of trivia.

Think of it as an interactive documentary.
09-12-2009 at 08:19 AM
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NiroZ
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icon Re: DROD RPG does the discovery channel (+1)  
Ok, first amendment. No custom media. I'm doing this because this is an architecture contest, and I don't want to give graphic artists/photographers an unfair advantage. I mean, if they managed to create a level set full of era appropriate floor tiles, creatures and so forth, there would be no way I'd be able to objectively vote on it compared to other level sets without fancy graphics, I'd either vote too low or too high. Same goes for music and videos and sounds.

Then there is the whole copyright thing, and I'm probably doing you a favour preventing you from running around finding pictures/music/movies and desperately asking for permission for this that and the other, meanwhile fervently hoping someone will reply. Sure, the likelihood of the owner or someone else who would be inclined to bust you is about as likely as 4chan suddenly becoming a haven of new age hippies who just want to spread the love by donating at every donation box on the internet, but caravel sees it as a karma policy, as it is quite protective of it's custom media that it spent much blood sweat and tears to produce.

If your bummed by this, I have some workarounds listed in the top post.

[Last edited by NiroZ at 09-12-2009 09:44 AM]
09-12-2009 at 09:42 AM
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NiroZ
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icon Re: DROD RPG does the discovery channel (0)  
Jatopian wrote:
Next up, watch our younger members all get blocked from the forum due to asking their parents what orgies are.
I'll ignore the horde of presumptions that it took you to get to that conclusion (that such a parent would let their kid on the internet, that a parent couldn't come up with a G rated definition, or just not answer), and ask you, do you have a better sentence to fill that spot? I'm perfectly happy to replace it if your concerned about it.
09-12-2009 at 09:47 AM
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Briareos
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icon Re: DROD RPG does the discovery channel (+1)  
Hmmm... if I weren't so lazy I might have done "How Not To Be Seen" in DROD:RPG, seeing[sic] as it's a very important event in history... :D

np: Wassermann - Berg Und Tal (Instrumental) (Various - Kompakt Total 10 (Disc 2))

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09-12-2009 at 09:49 AM
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NiroZ
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Heh, that's an interesting interpretation of history. Or is that mythology? Didn't think of that, and believe me I though of some strange perversions of history and mythology (some of which I hinted at).

I see your point, however, as monty python stumbled upon a very important concept there. Learning not to be seen is a very important skill, although it does break the old adage, but I'm sure those who say such thing's are not particularly concerned if children really aren't seen.
09-12-2009 at 10:16 AM
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Jatopian
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icon Re: DROD RPG does the discovery channel (-1)  
That sounds like a fine idea for a hold. Shame it probably doesn't fit with the contest.
NiroZ wrote:
that a parent couldn't come up with a G rated definition, or just not answer),
It's called "where did you hear that word, young man/lady?"
do you have a better sentence to fill that spot? I'm perfectly happy to replace it if your concerned about it.
I'm not going to write one clause for your contest, NiroZ. You're so proud of being the contest coordinator; you can do it if you want. My post should be enough to tip off the kids with an ounce of sense that they should use dictionary.com instead or just not bother.

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[Last edited by Jatopian at 09-12-2009 04:15 PM]
09-12-2009 at 04:11 PM
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Tahnan
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This is an intriguing idea. I've just started a new job, so I don't know if I'm going to have time to enter (and RPG architecture is still wholly uncharted territory for me), but I look forward to the results!
09-12-2009 at 05:16 PM
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minimike98
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Can we do it in DROD TCB?
09-12-2009 at 09:33 PM
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kie
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minimike, please read the rules of the contest.

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09-12-2009 at 10:07 PM
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Someone Else
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Or maybe just the subject.
09-14-2009 at 09:34 PM
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NiroZ
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obliterating complex entry system. Just get them in within the next week.
09-26-2009 at 06:23 AM
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Sillyman
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NiroZ wrote:
Ok, first amendment. No custom media. I'm doing this because this is an architecture contest, and I don't want to give graphic artists/photographers an unfair advantage.

Also, I just realized that one could theoretically just put a permissively-licensed or Public Domain educational video in the hold and call that it.

Edit: Of course, I meant if you had not done this thing which I have quoted.

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[Last edited by Sillyman at 09-28-2009 07:13 AM]
09-28-2009 at 07:13 AM
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NiroZ
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Hmmm, well with 2 entrants, I'm harldy in a position to erect a poll. Seems like I managed to make the bar too high for once. Hmm, suggestions?
10-03-2009 at 08:32 PM
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zwetschenwasser
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Oh no! I would have totally done this contest if I hadn't been meandering through the paths of senior year college applications... :angry

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10-03-2009 at 10:04 PM
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skell
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Same here, I've been busy with keeping work deadlines and school (getting my student's identity card and matricula and studying the surroundings). Well, it was certainly a darn interesting idea and I wish I could have participate but I will limit myself to playing the entries. Good luck to both contestants!

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10-03-2009 at 10:27 PM
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noma
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I think that since two people went to the effort, the contest should go on. My 2 cents.
10-03-2009 at 10:31 PM
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NiroZ
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Oh, I never said that I should just end the contest, but what I should do now with the contest and the two entries.
10-04-2009 at 03:33 PM
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CuriousShyRabbit
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In my humble opinion, you should go ahead and make a poll with just those two entries. Yeah, it's like giving those two entrants freebie prizes, but hey, they bothered to show up and no one else did.

September is a very busy month for many people. Back to school and all that. Perhaps that's not the right month for a work-intensive contest. At least judging the entries won't be too time consuming. :)
10-05-2009 at 07:41 AM
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Jatopian
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Not to mention that you took an already work-intensive contest in a busy month, and then made it involve the product that fewer people play.

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10-05-2009 at 04:09 PM
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brian_s
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What if we take 150 points totaling first and second and when the poll is over, the points are split acording to the number of votes. For example if the final vote is 9 to 6, then the winner would get 90 of 150 points and the other would get 60 points.
10-05-2009 at 08:04 PM
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GigaClon
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So are we going to see these contest entries?
10-14-2009 at 02:08 AM
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Lamkin
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GigaClon wrote:
So are we going to see these contest entries?
http://forum.caravelgames.com/viewtopic.php?TopicID=30147&page=0#296338
10-14-2009 at 03:13 AM
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