Deckplan contest

[RandyT0001]

Since Cardin Brewitt has stated that the deckplan contest website(http://spacecraft.sfrpg.net/) will not have any more contests I was wondering if any one would be interested in starting a new deckplan contest and if anybody has interest (and skills) in either taking over the old website (with Cardin's permission) or creating a new deckplan contest website?

I was also wondering that if someone does come forward to host/manage the site and the contest begins anew would QLI offer a small prize for the winner like was done for the mercenary contest recently done on CotI? I was thinking that a quarterly contest would work best giving ample time to render the deckplans and vote for the winner. Any comments?

 

[jhulse]

I've never had a chance to enter a deckplan contest, but I'm chomping at the bit to join one!
Sorry, but I'm not set up to run one... :-(

 

[Jame]

I have a few ships that could be deckplanned, if you want. I don't think I'd actually plan any decks myself, but I have a mild interest in seeing the results.

 

[flykiller]

Since Cardin Brewitt has stated that the deckplan contest website(http://spacecraft.sfrpg.net/) will not have any more contests

did he say why? I'd like to know.

... if anybody has interest (and skills) in either taking over the old website (with Cardin's permission)...

maybe. have to think about it, and see how much my present job ramps up the workload.

 

[RandyT0001]

Cardin said that there was no interest in a deckplan contest on the yahoo deckplan group. I think he got discouraged because there was only one entry for Contest #4 (a 1000 dton belter depot made from an asteroid) and real life issues got too busy for him to continue. IMO Contest #4 was difficult to get the components into the specified hull and still meet the judgement criteria of not looking like a symeterical asteroid. Personally I think there is quite a bit of interest in a deckplan contest.

EDIT: He has made a post about the contest and it's future at the yahoo deckplan group. He is going to review the options he has and might change it to a Deckplan Challenge website.

I think that with the release of Profantasy's Cosmographer that there might be more interest in a contest.

 

[GypsyComet]

Well, there was no interest in *that* contest.

Truth be told, most of us deckplan wonks work in fits and starts of inspiration and need. The number of "finished" plans I have on my site is easily matched by the half (or less, usually) finished plans, concepts, and doodlings. If I need plans for a game, I do them. Otherwise, it's a matter of being bitten by the inspiration bug, as happened with the Hopper Barge...

Deckplans require a touch of "art", quite different from the simple mechanics of ship stat design. As any artist will tell you, the talent operates on its own schedule, wholely uncaring of attempts to produce on an external schedule. This is why there are far more "designs" (ie. stat sets) out on the web then there are deckplans for them, and why a steady diet of contests will fail.

Having a pride-and-joy set of plans get "worked" by the judges doesn't help, either.

 

[flykiller]

Having a pride-and-joy set of plans get "worked" by the judges doesn't help, either.

builds character.

 

[GypsyComet]

It builds resistance, is what it does. The time you carved out for the first one simply won't be worth repeating.

As such, the open-ended rally that CB is suggesting is a bit better, but is also best served by an environment like this board, instead of a normal website.

 

[RainOfSteel]

Originally posted by GypsyComet:
Having a pride-and-joy set of plans get "worked" by the judges doesn't help, either.

Learning to accept criticism, contructive, harsh, and congratulatory, is a major step for an artist toward improving their work (whatever field, from the grand to the prosaic, it is in).

Of course, as the creator of the work, it is up to each artist to pick through the criticism to find the nuggets that will allow them to improve their work, and to ignore the rest that won't.

 

[BetterThanLife]

If the entries aren't going to be judged, then it isn't a contest.

If it doesn't matter who wins and who loses then why keep score?