Submit your faction! - Alpha Contest - administrative thread

[sisko]

I pitched the forum personalities factions idea about 4.5 years ago, and have actually made three. I have to disqualify myself from sisko's challenge, as I'm sure he's talking about one DrazharLn and I made...

..but you do qualify for the first round.

..and stop giving away hints. 

[Sigma]

Well the way that the Network Node worked was that they had an email that you could send your custom factions to, and every couple weeks to a month they would release a seven faction set for download. The barrier for entry was really low-- all you needed was to send a .txt and maybe some instructions on how you'd like the faction to look and they'd make it work. NN always did a great job with base graphics but I always felt like their leader pics tended to be somewhat lacking, though I have no idea whether that was the fault of the contributors or not.

What this did was encourage each contributor to put forth their best effort, since only seven factions would be featured in each set. Then of course the editors for NN would decide which faction was the best and would give it some kind of reward. I remember I won an award for most enlightened faction for the Aardom Federation (I was really proud of this back then!). Then after that set was done you'd start working on the next set. About half the time there was a theme to the set, like the aforementioned types but I also remember a Joke pack that I submitted an insane asylum to (but didn't win). That way you have a balance of structured sets vs free sets.

I'd suggest that rankings be arranged for each set by the following criteria. Since there are only seven factions per set there shouldn't be too many awards handed out, otherwise they become meaningless.

Best Overall Faction
Most Original Faction
Best Graphics
Best Leader

[Buster's Uncle]

That's a good system for keeping a faction artist in projects...

[Sigma]

Plus if everyone who can do faction art all works together it would be easier. One person makes leader portraits, another does bases, another logos and diplomacy and that way no one person has to put together all those pcxs (unless they want to that is).

[Buster's Uncle]

That assumes plenty of dependable volunteers - it's probably a detail we'll have to work out as we go.  I'm very fond of collaborating, but it's not for everyone.

[Green1]

Well, I suppose I can put out my Exterminatus guys when they are ready.

I am still play testing them and may tweak some of their numbers yet. But, they are meant to be a companion and enemy to the Antimind. So far, so good. that Robotic Assembly Plant actually is not too overpowered considering.

I really should have screenshot this MASSIVE battle one test run between them and Jarlwolf's Crimson Comrades when I was running it in scenario.  I had to stop and watch the two AIs.

txt is done. I am using Marr's graphics but still trying to tweak the flag color to make if different and readable - for now...

Post it after I try out one more tweak or two. I do not like throwing thinks up without thought that others might enjoy.

[Buster's Uncle]

I gotta say, the more I think about this project, the better I like it.

[JarlWolf]

If you need graphics for the Exterminatus let me know.

[Green1]

If you need graphics for the Exterminatus let me know.

I may have to take you up on that, being that I have almost zero artistic talent.

[sisko]

@Sigma: can you draft a presentation (including a rules section maybe) for the contest? nothing fancy. just the way you see it...

EDIT:
here's the link to what's left of the early NN site: http://web.archive.org/web/20011103234742/http://networknode.org/
from what i see they had a file of the month award. in the third round (a themed round, i think) the winner was a fan-fiction file by Vultur (which BTW, you can read in planet Tales now).
maybe we should do the same thing.. give the participants more options for the themed rounds: factions, factions sets, fiction, maps, even scenarios..

[sisko]

I'd suggest that rankings be arranged for each set by the following criteria. Since there are only seven factions per set there shouldn't be too many awards handed out, otherwise they become meaningless.

Best Overall Faction
Most Original Faction
Best Graphics
Best Leader

these should be awarded every year? or maybe we can have transmittable badges for each of the categories based on perpetual polls?

[Sigma]

I'd suggest that rankings be arranged for each set by the following criteria. Since there are only seven factions per set there shouldn't be too many awards handed out, otherwise they become meaningless.

Best Overall Faction
Most Original Faction
Best Graphics
Best Leader

these should be awarded every year? or maybe we can have transmittable badges for each of the categories based on perpetual polls?

These would be awarded on a Per-Set basis, and then every seven sets we could go all hunger games and quarter quell the winners, pitting the best factions from each set against each other to figure out which is the best.

[JarlWolf]

Was there ever a way to make all the factions AI and just observe? always wondered that.

[Green1]

Was there ever a way to make all the factions AI and just observe? always wondered that.

Actually, there is. I do it all the time.

Go to Scenario while in game. Select Switch Sides/Change View. A choice will come up asking you if you wish to assume control or watch computer play. Select watch computer play. Go back and reenable omniscient mode. Have fun watching everyone destroy or act stupid and get destroyed.

If you are wanting to run simulations and do not want to press "end turn" all the time, just put a weight on the enter key. Head off, then come back a while later and see the results.

[JarlWolf]

That's actually really helpful for testing my factions! Thank you.

Edit: I did that, and what happens is that I still control my faction but I can see all the others or I can play each factions turn. Its not letting me pick an option to just "watch" unfortunately.

Edit 2: nevermind I figured it out