Polycount Challenges Idea

thnom

Today, watching Dodgeball I came up with the idea of a community like mod-project. Now I was thinking of something SIMPLE (like Dodgeball or 'Ultimate Frizbee' (3dguy's suggestion) into an engine that doesn't take much work. I'm proposing something with a lot of artistic freedom (again, Dodgeball the movie - all the different team sets, etc.). How does this tie into polycount challenges? Right now they seem a tad 'empty'. The current challenge has 2 entries. There is ALWAYS mad interest in Q3 'quick' (to modern standards) SDKs. I'm thinking of challenges like:

"Design a team with at least 2 body variants" (no head involed). Week after (or w/e): "Design at least 2 head variants)". Then have people release their models for other people to skin (much like an SDK). I'm basically typing out loud here..

I see one problem in the fact of coders. If it was a mod idea (so all the challenges link to a 'final piece') it would need a coder, not easy to find.

Thoughts?

aesir

a collaboration project with gamedev.net?

steady

this sounds like a great idea to me!

Soccerman18

I still wanna see that steampunk mod. That was awsome.

KDR_11k

I don't know if dodgeball would be playable on the computer, the game has a lot of focus on catching and throwing, which wouldn't be easy to simulate (in a way that the player can control well) in a videogame...

We could make the first or last challenge "Make a game engine that can run this!"...

Rick Stirling

I still have steampunk game design docs knocking about....somewhere...

Joao Sapiro

an anti hero, a guy you would look an not say hes a hero, but infact he saved manikind or something...

shotgun

speedball.

who doesn't want to redesign speedball..

ebagg

Or table tennis....OF DEATH!!!!

Dodge ball teams would be great, once everyone has their teams done, there should be a ladder tourney!

rooster

something that can comfortably accomodate a bunch of drasticly different looking characters and environments.. like a fighting game? each person submits a character or environment?

ElysiumGX

this is an art community, dodgeball is a programming challenge. see below:

http://www.cis.ksu.edu/~res3535/quake3/
http://www.rens2sea.com/content.php?content.4
http://www.dodgeballsource.com/modules/news/

I also noticed the current challenge only has two entries, and only one making progress. No one contributed a clear idea for an environment focused challenge to vote on. It could have been something like "design a small bathroom".

thnom

Elys you missed the point. The point would be to set a clear goal (for a mod- SIMPLE mod) and then set the challenges around that.

ElysiumGX

An engine that doesn't require much work, and is well supported for the community would be UT2k4. So that's a start. A simple mod, with a lack of programmers, would rely on existing game types, so no sports conversions. This community would best contribute custom content. The number of assets would need to be kept minimal for those with less freetime. perhaps 2-3 small maps, one new vehicle, 2 weapons, however many characters are possible, atleast 2 skins each, custom animations. i know there are artists here who can accomplish one or more different tasks. a number of tasks could be assigned to each person able to contribute, so the workload is even. and the best way for anything to succeed is, keep it simple and fun.

Tulkamir

If it's related to the contest it could be done in a manner that chooses only the best from each contest? Say the first one is a concept contest, we vote on the top three character concepts, the next contest would be a contest on modeling based around the concepts of the previous week, etc...?

Anyways, sounds like it's a cool idea. However it goes I'd be interested in taking part.

As a side note... why is it that when I finally get the balls to enter a contest no one else does?

CMB

Group chalenges maybe?
You find a group of 3 or more people and create a flash game or level for quake or UT.

ElysiumGX

a group level design challenge sounds like a plan. it could be a section of the whole mod idea.

skankerzero

I think it would be cool to do a monthly where you had to come up with a character from a dodgeball team in style with the movie.

thnom

http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/t...amp;media=image

I've uploaded some screen caps from dodgeball - and why it came to mind initially as a mod, but also the artistic freedom. Within the movie all the teams had to do was wear the same clothes- so it basically is a theme then applied to dodgeball. White Goodamn (Ben Stiller) within the film as wears an arm sleeve (NFL Style) on his left arm when playing to make it more of a sport style. See Keith Bulluck:

Joseph Silverman

[ QUOTE ]
no sports conversions.

[/ QUOTE ]

In theory, everything could be donated to http://www.dodgeballsource.com/modules/news/

thnom

If people want to try and get something going and would be interested - we can try talk to some pre-existing mod or whatever. I don't see why sports is or should be ruled out.

[ QUOTE ]

The number of assets would need to be kept minimal for those with less freetime. perhaps 2-3 small maps, one new vehicle, 2 weapons, however many characters are possible, atleast 2 skins each, custom animations. i know there are artists here who can accomplish one or more different tasks. a number of tasks could be assigned to each person able to contribute, so the workload is even. and the best way for anything to succeed is, keep it simple and fun.


[/ QUOTE ]

The whole idea for me, would be to not make this a mod. The idea would be to set an idea down for say a month and if people want to take part - they can and then it will be in a mod or something. I'm not saying we shouldn't be setting targets but I think the mod approach would doom it from the start IMO

thnom

Guys I remembered the name of a sports-like mod for Q3! If we want to do this (without getting a coder) I think we should do it on this. Its like hand football and is quite enjoyable to play. That is of course if people are still interested..

Edit: forgot the post the link.. http://proball.planetquake.gamespy.com/screens.html

Steve Schulze

Theres always the Cannonball deally in UT2004...