In the Adventure Building Challenge, members of the NWN community are challenged to produce a playable module in a limited period of time, and in accordance with some previously chosen theme or adventure seed, while also observing various restrictions on what Custom Content may be used (see this thread for more information).
In this particular challenge, participants will have approximately one month to make a first draft of a module, followed by a period of two weeks that can be devoted to improving and polishing this module. To successfully meet the challenge, a more or less complete and playable module must, before midnight (GMT time so make appropriate adjustments for your time zone) on September 1, 2014, be sent to this email address: abc.nwn@gmail.com. Approximately two weeks after that date, any modules submitted will be made available on the vault (in a single combined entry) by the cycle organizer. During those two weeks (i.e., before midnight GMT on Sept. 15), you may submit a revised version of your module which will replace any earlier version sent.
Those who wish to participate should announce their planned projects in this thread, and the occasional progress report is also encouraged. Once the modules are released, participants are also encouraged (though not required) to engage in a review and discussion of each other's submissions. Participants can continue to revise or expand their modules after submission, and I will endeavor to update the vault entry with revised modules if they are sent to the above address. However, I cannot absolutely guarantee that such updates will be made in a timely manner, so those who wish can of course make a duplicate entry of their module on the vault so at to have complete control over revisions to it, and links to such duplicate entries will in due course be added to the vault page containing the original submissions. If you are opposed to even temporarily letting your module pass through my hands before being released, then contact me and we will attempt to work out some alternative arrangement.
THEMES:
The themes for this cycle are as follows (2 each picked from two separate lists):
List One:
1A) Make a module for a Healer PC (cleric or druid probably best, but bard, paladin, etc. might also work).
1B) Make a module for a PC of Level 10 (at least approximately, a module for Level 9 or 11, a scaleable module for levels 8-12, etc. would also count).
List Two:
2A) Save the Princess - A rescue mission. From Tristram to Dudley Doright, heroes for centuries have been tasked with getting the girl. (Note that is is permissible for the object of rescue to be someone other than a literal princess).
2B) Fairy Godmother - The PC is assigned a difficult task by an NPC who also provides some unusual magical aid in accomplishing it.
Participants in the challenge are expected to base their module on at least one of the above themes, and ideally would combine one (at least) from each of the two lists (e.g. a module where a Level 10 PC saves a princess).
CUSTOM CONTENT RESTRICTIONS:
Module-specific custom content is restricted to no more than one of any given file type (hak, movie, character file, etc.), and the combined size of any such module-specific content may not exceed 15 Megabytes in size. Participants are also encouraged to include a readme file indicating any sponsored haks used, level or other expected characteristics of PCs, or anything else it would be desirable for players to know before playing your module, as well as to include 1-3 screenshots (you can include even more screenshots if you wish but if there are too many I may just pick out a few to upload) that can be used to decorate the vault page. The readme and screenshots will not be counted against the size limit.
Sponsored Custom Content is not restricted. One may make use of as much of the CC found on our list of sponsors as desired.
The module must be playable in vanilla NWN, meaning that third party add-ons (NWNX, NWShader, etc.) are not required to play it.
The module may be set up to take advantage of optional content outside the above limits (e.g. music files) provided that it can still be played without such content.
AWARD SYSTEM:
Participants who submit a module that is on time, in accord with one or more of the cycles themes, and respects the Custom Content limitations, will be awarded an ABC Completion Prize.
Participants who submit a module that is late or otherwise not in accord with the rules may receive an honorable mention. This may be denied in cases of particularly egregious violations (to be decided on a case by case basis in the hopefully unlikely event these occur).
Those who receive a completion prize may in addition be eligible for a separate Extra Mile Award if they:
1) use at least one theme from each list.
2) use no non-sponsored Custom Content other than edited 2da files.
A NOTE ON SEQUELS:
An author who has submitted a module in any previous ABC cycle may submit a sequel to that module, and such sequels need not follow any of the cycle's themes. A sequel can qualify for the Extra Mile award by also being in accord with at least one theme from either list. In other words, being a sequel will be considered equivalent to being in accord with any single theme.
In addition, a sequel module may make use of any sponsored hakpak originally used in the module to which it is a sequel, even if the hakpak in question is no longer sponsored in the current cycle.
FINAL COMMENT:
Have at it and have fun!
