Pocket Plane Group
BG2 Completed Mods => Event Modding: Iron Modder and One-Day NPC => Topic started by: Grim Squeaker on January 30, 2006, 07:44:01 AM
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After the tragedy that was IM 9 there was a discussion a while about how to reinvent Iron Modder and make it all cool again and this was one of the ideas that was discussed many moons ago. The idea is fairly simple: battle of the boards.
This would involve various BG2 modding forums going against each other in a friendly competition (this doesn't just mean the big names, it can be little forums as well). Each forum would nominate two entrants: a modder (preferably the admin) and a judge (a trusted lackey). When it comes to judging, each entry will not be marked by its nominated judge e.g. if PPG's judge was Ghreyfain he'd be marking all entries except PPG's.
On top of this there'd be an Insane Overlord who preferably should be someone vaguely neutral who will not be judging but just coming up with the name for the mod, starting and stopping the competition and totally up the scores at the end. My idea of neutral would be someone like for example, Andyr who is a GM at PPG, G3 and an ex-GM at FWS (the father of SHS). Not that I'm saying it definitely should be Andyr, I'm just using him as an example.
As stated above even the smaller forums can enter and in fact it's encouraged as it would be pretty cool if a small forum managed to beat one of the main ones. Some examples (don't be insulted if you're not on the list, I'm just throwing some possible ideas down): PPG (JCompton, Ghreyfain), G3 (CamDawg, Idobek), SHS (SConrad, Seifer), Last Stoplight (StoplightRed, RandomTask) and NAMC (Cliffette, Icelus).
Thoughts?
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Thanks. You've just ruined my last feeble hope to become a RAEL MODDAR.
(Though, since I am GMT +3, I'm screwed anyway...)
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On top of this there'd be an Insane Overlord who preferably should be someone vaguely neutral who will not be judging but just coming up with the name for the mod, starting and stopping the competition and totally up the scores at the end. My idea of neutral would be someone like for example, Andyr who is a GM at PPG, G3 and an ex-GM at FWS (the father of SHS). Not that I'm saying it definitely should be Andyr, I'm just using him as an example.
MPrilla or nothing. And the theme is 'player script'.
And, I don't think admin/lackey is the best idea around, as it has 'elitism' all over it.
Perhaps a good idea (to allow everybody to partecipate) would be that we have a week-long challenge.
- During the week, forum registrations are blocked (so you can't register a new account to get the info).
- Somewhere in the forum, there is a 'get IM theme' page: you access it with your login info, and receive the theme.
- Before the 4 hours time expire, you have to submit the mod (along with your login info), or you lose.
- To avoid fraud, _insert here 2 or three strong security checks, like IP check, additional cookie, and manual checks on all submissions and theme requests_.
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And, I don't think admin/lackey is the best idea around, as it has 'elitism' all over it.
I agree, but it's mainly because I'm not interested. :)
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Maybe it would be a nice idea to choose the "modder" participant by an internal board competition not by the order of "importance".
EDIT> Typo.
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That ain't going to solve the timetable problem either; instead, it'll only diminish the number of partecipants (as I assume it's easier to have 2 or more people willing to partecipate from the same board).
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I have a better alternative. IM 10 begins now. Anyone who wants to participate can send me a PM. The theme will be "who can code the most fixes for the Fixpack." The contest will close in October.
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I have a better alternative. IM 10 begins now. Anyone who wants to participate can send me a PM. The theme will be "who can code the most fixes for the Fixpack." The contest will close in October.
I'd revise the contest to February 1 - do we really want to wait until October for that fixpack?
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I have a better alternative. IM 10 begins now. Anyone who wants to participate can send me a PM. The theme will be "who can code the most fixes for the Fixpack." The contest will close in October.
Hey, you said something about hoping to release it before spring! Now, do we all have to delete fixpack recommendations from our readmes or what?
(No, I can't take a joke. So there.)
I'd revise the contest to February 1 - do we really want to wait until October for that fixpack?
Absolutely. March 1 is the last deadline. :)
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Maybe it would be a nice idea to choose the "modder" participant by an internal board competition not by the oder of "importance".
And what would that smell like? ;D
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Maybe it would be a nice idea to choose the "modder" participant by an internal board competition not by the oder of "importance".
And what would that smell like? ;D
Thank You for immortalizing that typo.
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No, it's that the Fixpack will be one of those projects that will never truly be done--we're constantly going in to fix a bug, and discover two more in the process. So yes, I do want a public release in Spring, but that won't be the end of it by a long shot.
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And, I don't think admin/lackey is the best idea around, as it has 'elitism' all over it.
I agree, but it's mainly because I'm not interested. :)
j00 sux0rz.
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I thought the last IM was made a problem mainly due to time differences, not it being boring.
Not that the idea isn't good, but because of said time differences, I'm wondering if all/any of the forums would be able to compete.
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I think the issues with IM were 1) encouraging the number of people who participated and 2) the shortage of entries that would install and function successfully when the four-hour design period was up.
It's an individual competition. It's about personal Iron Modder glory, not representing a forum of your choice, so when I'm competing, I want to pwn Ghreyfain, Sim, a monkey with a typewriter, *and* John Q. Modder from Forum X. <cue theme from "Backdraft."> Any plan that could restrict willing contestants and not maximize the potential for working entries to judge is probably not the best way to go to achieve invigoration of the modding spirit, raising Iron Modder to the heights of Mt. Fuji once more.
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Is Iron Modder advertised at different forums? Because if it isn't, this would be a good way to entice more participants. They could represent their forum if they wanted too, or participate as individuals. I can see 'Contest Of The Giants' adding a zing to the competition. I think it's a good idea.
NB: Namc is not a community. It is solely a site to access Cliffette's zippily humourous mods. No community-like behaviour occurs there at all.
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Is Iron Modder advertised at different forums?
It's pretty rare that I don't advertise something I'm remotely involved with.
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Then I think you should run with Grim's idea. I'm sure that team/competition minded modders will be drawn irresistibly to it.
Bons, it's a boy/kid thing. ;D
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I'd love to see more Iron Modder compititions.
Hell, might even embarass myself and enter the next one.
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Anyway, the problem with "battle of the boards" is that I think it's always been implied that, if you were interested in that sort of thing, one could use an IM victory as a "hooray for our side" achievement if so inclined. So I'm really not convinced that it's going to reverse the dire participation trend. Ditto judging gimmickery, because the Dawg-monitored contest didn't attract the extra attention I hoped for.
I think everybody just needs an extended rest.
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I think everybody just needs an extended rest.
One year later:
... zzz...
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I'm pretty sure the next IM theme will be "The Shattered Chronograph" and the ideas put to immediate use.
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CAN'T AFFORD THAT, as you keep reminding me.
Anyway, I'd be willing to give IM 10 a go if it was clear there was enough modder interest, but it's pretty clear that we'd have to count on a new breed of entrant to make up the numbers, since most of the evergreen IM competitors are ranging from semi-retired to missing entirely.
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With previous IM competitions, were there any checks in place to ensure entries weren't being worked on for some time prior? Just wondering.
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What's Iron Modder?
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<bats and blinks big Newbie eyes> Like Iron Chef, only you serve up really strange code, instead of squid ink icecream :D </bats and blinks big Newbie eyes>
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IIRC, pretty much, but at least the code was palatable.
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Well, apparently, so was the squid ink ice cream; just depends on who you asked to taste it! :D