Monthly CC Challenge

[Legacy_Jez_fr]

               This is just an idea... On many 3D modelling websites (and others), there is this fun thing, the themed monthly challenge. I thought maybe we could do the same with NWN custom content, just for the fun of it and as a community wide entertaining event.

The principle is to decide each month a particular theme. The theme concern the realization of 1 very specific item/model, but that could also be a scripts battery, or a portrait, or loadscreen or doors, or a new torch model, or even better 1 fore arm bodypart (or neck!) list is endless. It must be very specific, and it shouldn't be too hard to modelize so that it remains open to beginners and amateurs like me.

There would be simple rules:
- open to everyone who wants to participate.
- all submissions must be original work (no conversion or modifications)
- group work is acceptable (for exemple 1 modeller and 1 texturer)
- only full ingame working submissions are accepted
- submission muist be submitted before the closing date
- insert some technical specs here, like polygon limitation, texture size maybe
- there would be a precise start and closing date for each challenge
- a specific monthly challenge theme must be kept secret until its launched, so that everyone start at the same time

Now, once the challenge is launched, the candidates can post preview of their work to challenge and tease their competitors '> (but mostly is to have fun). They must send/give/submit their work before the closing date. Once the closing date is reached, challenge is closed and all candidates must post a preview screenshot of their submitted final work (so that everyone can see it '> ) AND accept that their piece of art will be publicly released on the vault in a specific month package.

Then there should be a vote, maybe using the poll system of these forums to decide who is this month winner!
The winner would win a nice and tiddy pretty icon to add to his signature and a worldwide awesome reputation and recognition XD

But that's not all about fame and glory. Most of all that would be a entertainig for everyone, a nice way to learn and progress for aspiring artists, but also to offer the community regularly new Custom Content.

Anyways, there is the need for a small team to organize that, I won't do it myself as I'd prefer to submit stuff, so the idea is free to loot '>
Any volunteer?


Edit December 12th, 2011 - List of all Monthly CCC submissions on the vault

Edit October 1st, 2012 - CCC links page at neverwinternights.info - Thanks to Amethyst Dragon!
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Jez_fr, 08 octobre 2012 - 09:00 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Estelindis]

               This is an awesome idea!  It would actually force me to get off my behind and make something original.  ;-)  

Let's do it - I think it would really reinvigorate the CC community.

Not volunteering to organise it, though...  I want to make stuff!
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Estelindis, 27 juillet 2010 - 12:04 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Jez_fr]

               me too!! ;p



               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Calvinthesneak]

               I'd certainly like to learn to model.  I have the tools.  I can do basic manipulations with 3ds, How hard can it be to learn the rest?  Sadly however I cannot promise to do it long, once school starts in september, I'm pretty much away from the community.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Jez_fr]

               But that's why there's a month delay, so that "amateurs" have the time to work on it. Otherwise for simple models most confirmed modellers could probably do that under an hour (or even 10 mn...).

Even during school months you can find 10 mn now and then. The principle is to actually produce stuff for everyone to enjoy while not being time sinkhole like big projects are, and give short term motivation for aspiring artist. Win-Win '>



               
               

               
            

[Legacy_B_Harrison]

               I'll definitely take part, count me out of organising it though!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy__six]

               I might drop in to something like this if I get chance. Don't count on me every time, though.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Michael DarkAngel]

               Okay so what is August's challenge to be then?  How about something in the placeables area...  Since this is the first challenge, maybe we should leave it non-specific, "A Placeable of Your Choice".  Future challenges could get more specific, more technical (as in polycount, et al).



Just thinking out loud,





MDA
               
               

               
            

[Legacy__six]

               Incidentally, if anyone wanted to try something similar but in a purely modelling context (ie no texture work / making to fit NWN), we occasionally do little timed modelling "competitions" over the project Q IRC channel - we try to sort out times whenever we get interest from outside folks, generally. You can find more information on that here. It's quite nice because against the more informal backdrop of IRC it can be easier to share tips and tricks on a "face-to-face" level.

After all, the more places we have for folks to join in, learn and pick up tricks and advice the better, IMO.

Okay so what is August's challenge to be then?  How about something in
the placeables area...  Since this is the first challenge, maybe we
should leave it non-specific, "A Placeable of Your Choice".

 That sounds a good place to start from to me. Although maybe a bit of a theme would help to give people ideas to start with.
 
               
               

               

                     Modifié par _six, 27 juillet 2010 - 10:38 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Jez_fr]

               Agreed on the placeable. Everybody's always happy with more placeables '>

How about a High Fantasy Dressing table? I don't remember there's a lot of this, though its been a while since I didn't check fantasy stuff so I might be wrong... (hmm what a Marilith use as a dressing table?)



We need to find someone to organize stuff, like how and when voting, how to proceed with collecting submissions, and how to post on the vault, announcements and the like.... mmmh I might have to use my "Olivier-leroux-do-that" wildcard XD

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_AndarianTD]

               This sounds like a great idea. Like Calvin I'd like to learn to model and it's something I've been meaning to try to pick up for a long time. Assuming a noob would be welcome this might help motivate me, although it'll be a challenge to fit it in with my modding work.

At risk of asking some noob questions, what tools do you need? I have gmax/nwmax and know the basics of how to use them. I've also got some rudimentary Blender skills. Is there a way to translate formats from Blender, or is working in gmax or 3dsmax required for NWN?
               
               

               

                     Modifié par AndarianTD, 28 juillet 2010 - 12:15 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Jez_fr]

               Of course you're welcome to participate AndarianTD, that's the perfect occasion to begin. And everybody's is a noob, at variouses stages of progress , that is all '>



About the tools, you seem to have all that's necessary. GMax is fine if more limited than its daddy. Formats with Blender is fine as long as you UNcheck the "RLE compressed format" when you save your TGAs.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_olivier leroux]

               

Jez_fr wrote...
We need to find someone to organize stuff, like how and when voting, how to proceed with collecting submissions, and how to post on the vault, announcements and the like.... mmmh I might have to use my "Olivier-leroux-do-that" wildcard XD

Hey, you've already used that in this game! You're cheating!!! '>

I think it's a cool idea but I don't see why you can't just do it without a lot of organizing. Make it a Challenge, not a Competition, without creators rating each others work but instead just giving helpful advice, in order to encourage 'noobs' to participate and not make them shy away from the competition with the 'pros'.

Just announce the Challenge of the Month, keep a thread open for chatting about your progress and have fun!

And btw, a very welcome challenge would be to create some more githyanki heads for invisig0th. '>
(Otherwise we might never see his cool dynamic githyanki race released to the Vault...)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Jez_fr]

               

olivier leroux wrote...

Jez_fr wrote...
We need to find someone to organize stuff, like how and when voting, how to proceed with collecting submissions, and how to post on the vault, announcements and the like.... mmmh I might have to use my "Olivier-leroux-do-that" wildcard XD

Hey, you've already used that in this game! You're cheating!!! '>

huh, well I swear on my character sheet, its indicated "Unique power usable Once per day" :innocent:

olivier leroux wrote...
I think it's a cool idea but I don't see why you can't just do it without a lot of organizing. Make it a Challenge, not a Competition, without creators rating each others work but instead just giving helpful advice, in order to encourage 'noobs' to participate and not make them shy away from the competition with the 'pros'.
Just announce the Challenge of the Month, keep a thread open for chatting about your progress and have fun!

Having an outside organizer is just more fair and square, no stories, no doubts or whatever. Its more clean, and the way to do it in my mind =)
And a Competition is just much more motivating I think.

olivier leroux wrote...
And btw, a very welcome challenge would be to create some more githyanki heads for invisig0th. '>
(Otherwise we might never see his cool dynamic githyanki race released to the Vault...)

And THAT'S the sort of thing you could DECIDE if you were organizing that Challenge!! *Shameless Taunt of Power*
'>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_olivier leroux]

               

Jez_fr wrote...
*Shameless Taunt of Power*

Skill Check: Discipline *success*
Saving Throw: Will *success*
Expeditious retreat!                   *                *              *          *      *    * 

(Reputation -1)
               
               

               

                     Modifié par olivier leroux, 28 juillet 2010 - 01:46 .