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MINI-GOLF!

adam
polycounter lvl 19
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adam polycounter lvl 19

Starting January 20th, 2014 this contest will be a 4 week affair where artists will be tasked with creating a single mini-putt hole (and a custom golf ball if you'd like!) using Havok's Project Anarchy tools. That's right! Not only will you be creating game art, but you will be designing your own mini-golf level and put it in a brand new game engine! Now that's video game development!

Havok will be on hand to help answer any questions you might have for their tools as well as offer a few video tutorials to get you on your way. Havok has created 4 video tutorials for you on Project Anarchy and how you can use it for the Mini-Golf polycount contest.

 

  • Part 1 -- Download, setting up Project Anarchy, and install the mini-golf framework.
  • Part 2 -- Exporting from 3D packages to Project Anarchy
  • Part 3 -- Importing your objects and creating levels
  • Part 4 -- Lighting, Skyboxes, materials, and everything you'll need to complete your level inside of Project Anarchy.

 

IMPORTANT FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS: In addition to this, Havok has also created two demonstration mini-putt holes for you to use and review as you go along. You can find these holes on Project Anarchy's MINI-GOLF Github page, made specifically for this contest! This page also has all scripts and other tools you will need in order to complete your entry.

If you still need help with your mini-golf hole, please ask your questions in the Q&A thread.

The theme, setting, and art style for your single mini-putt hole and your golfball is entirely up to the artist. With the rules being as loose as the VGREMIX we're very excited to see the submissions!

Up-to 9 winners for the Mobile Mini-putt Contest will have their holes demonstrated at Havok's GDC 2014 booth and walk away with a very special edition of our Greentooth trophies! In addition to this, the Top 5 winners of the Mobile Mini-Putt contest will be walking away with a cash prize! All entries that go to GDC will be given full credit, along with their contact information if they'd like.

 

Summary:

  1. You must be a member of Polycount.
  2. Participants of this contest will be creating a low-poly mini-golf hole and golf ball using Havok's Project Anarchy game engine (completely free).
  3. Havok will be on hand to offer tutorials and/or hands-on help with their tools for the duration of this contest.
  4. This contest is 4 weeks, starting January 20th and ending February 16th @ 23:59 EST (-4 GMT), 2014.
  5. Art style is entirely up to you.
  6. There are video tutorials above and a Github page here for you to reference when learning the ins & outs of Project Anarchy.
  7. Setting the limits are entirely up to you so long as they achieve the essence of low-poly artwork. There are guidelines posted below for you to get started from.
  8. Up-to 9 winners will receive a Special Edition Greentooth Trophy and have their hole demonstrated at Havok's GDC 2014 booth.
  9. The Top 5 winners will also receive pre-paid American Express credit cards (read: Cash!)

 

The technical specifications will be very similar to Polycount's VGREMIX contest. This is a low-poly art contest where there won't be so much as defined limits you must work within, but rather you must achieve the 'essence' of low poly video game artwork. It is highly recommended that you view the Top 20 entries from the VGREMIX to get an idea as to the type of limitations you will have to put on yourself when creating your entry for this contest.

For this contest you are required to build your mini-golf hole within Project Anarchy by Havok. If your hole is chosen as a winner you will be required to upload the Project Anarchy files so make sure to keep them safe! If you have questions regarding Project Anarchy and how to use it, please ask them in the Q&A thread. Havok is on hand to answer your questions.

As a means of guiding you to your limitations, here is some information you can use:


  • This is a lowpoly contest and therefor your final mini-golf hole should look and feel 'low poly'. Reference the VGREMIX entries noted above and below as a guide.
  • If you manage to get a lot of triangles in your scene, that is OK! But! You shouldn't exceed 35,000 triangles for the entire scene.
  • Do not exceed 1024x1024 of total, combined texture resolution for your entire scene. (4x512x512, 16x256x256, etc.) This rule is applied per texture pass (1024x total for diffuse, 1024x total for spec, and so on).
  • Textures should be diffuse, spec, and self-illumation only. You can also render your pixels unfiltered for that extra special 'old school' feel!


Just keep in mind these 'limits' are not hard set. You will not lose if you go over these limits (well, maybe that 35,000 triangle limit...). They are here as guide for you. If you compare these limits with the Top 20 VGREMIX entries you will get a really good idea at the level of geometric & texture detail you should be achieving with your entry.


  1. Sign up and download! You will need to register and be a member of Polycount to participate in this contest. In addition to that, you must use Havok's Anarchy game engine to participate in this contest, which you can download here.
  2. Post your Work-in-progress (WIP). During the development of your entry, you must create a WIP thread on Polycount in our Contest & Challenges forum.
    1. Your thread must follow this naming convention: GOLF - <name of your hole>.
      1. E.g. GOLF - Death Whisper
    2. This thread must be started and maintained during the durection of your efforts to participate in this contest. This will help show others your development process and also act as proof that you developed this artwork specifically for this contest.
  3. Your final submission. As the deadline draws near there will be a 'Final Submissions' thread in the Contests & Challenges forum. This is where you will post your final entry for this contest. Your submission should these have 4 things:
    1. Up to 2 'beauty' shots of your final entry. Maximum resolution of 1280x720
    2. At least 1 texture breakdown shot, no larger than 1280x720.
    3. At least 1 'technical' shot of your final entry (wire frame, scene construction, anything that is relevant to showing your development process), no larger than 1280x720.
    4. The link to your contest entries WIP thread.
    5. Havok says you'll score 'bonus points' if you capture video of your mini-golf hole in action so they can see how it looks when played. We reminded them that this is a contest and not a soccer game and that there are no points. That's when they looked at us funny.


  • The Polycount community will vote for their Top 3 entries from the final submissions thread.
  • The Top 15 winners as voted on by the Polycount community will be sent to Havok where they will choose up-to 9 winning entries for this contest.
  • Up-to 9 winners will receive a special edition 'Golfball' Greentooth Polycount trophy and have their mini-golf hole displayed at Havok's 2014 GDC booth.
  • In addition to the above prizes, the Top 5 winners will receive pre-paid American Express gift cards (Cash!).
  • Winners of this contest will receive a pre-paid American Express gift card and their entry will be on display at Havok's GDC 2014 booth.
    • 1st @ $750 pre-paid AMEX gift card (USD)
    • 2nd @ $600 pre-paid AMEX gift card (USD)
    • 3rd @ $500 pre-paid AMEX gift card (USD)
    • 4th @ $400 pre-paid AMEX gift card (USD)
    • 5th @ $300 pre-paid AMEX gift card (USD)

 

This contest starts January 20th and ends February 16th @ 23:59 EST (-4 GMT), 2014.

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