Scenario Design Contest number 5

[N35t0r]

Originally posted by Mercator
How long do you think it would take you? And if you're going to do it, you don't have to use that image and sketch I provided earlier. You just make the map from scratch as you would normally do it.

Well, I don't really know... I spent quite a lot of time working on the SA map, and on my fantasy map as well... I'm a bit too much of a perfectionist for my own good, and I sometimes get tired a bit too easily.

I think it would be best if you did it, but if you want i can help with some areas...

Originally posted by Mercator
It's the Lambert Azimuthal projection. I chose it because (a) the website I use has it and (b) it's an equal-area projection.

Ah, well, the atlas I mostly use uses the Lambert Conformal Conic projection... I don't know if there's much difference between both. In any case, since India is so close to the equator I doubt there's going to be much distortion.

Originally posted by Mercator
Yes, I do take tiles to be the same size horizontally as vertically, as it should be, IMNSHO. I make my maps to look natural in the radar map. They look squished on the main map, because you're looking at in a bird's eye view.

Yeah, it's the best way... Though i don't rely much on the radar map, and look to have a balance between both.

[Mercator]

Originally posted by N35t0r
Well, I don't really know... I spent quite a lot of time working on the SA map, and on my fantasy map as well... I'm a bit too much of a perfectionist for my own good, and I sometimes get tired a bit too easily.

Well, that goes for me too. Doing the coastline I can usually do in several days, but all the terrain takes weeks of work. I can get tired of it too. I have quite a few maps lying around that have little more than the coastline done.

Now I think of it... Techumseh, should I just use the standard terrain slots, or should I use custom terrain types more specific to the Indian subcontinent? Then again, it would probably just be Tundra and Glacier that won't get used. It might be handy to leave those unused so the scenario designers can use them for their design, if needed... Which brings up another question. How much editing of the map will be allowed? Some scenario designers might wish to juggle around the terrain types so they can use the forest/hill/mountain terrain slots for graphical effect, for instance, or some may want to change the terrain (and possibly some of the coastline) to better match the time period their scenario is set in, etc. Or do we just leave that open, as long as it is reasonable?

I think it would be best if you did it, but if you want i can help with some areas...

All right then... But I don't think cooperation works too well on maps. Everyone kind of has his own way of doing it, and its rather hard to continue on someone else's work.

Ah, well, the atlas I mostly use uses the Lambert Conformal Conic projection... I don't know if there's much difference between both. In any case, since India is so close to the equator I doubt there's going to be much distortion.

Yeah... I'm not sure.

Yeah, it's the best way... Though i don't rely much on the radar map, and look to have a balance between both.

[Panda]

Originally posted by Mercator
Now I think of it... Techumseh, should I just use the standard terrain slots, or should I use custom terrain types more specific to the Indian subcontinent? Then again, it would probably just be Tundra and Glacier that won't get used. It might be handy to leave those unused so the scenario designers can use them for their design, if needed... Which brings up another question. How much editing of the map will be allowed? Some scenario designers might wish to juggle around the terrain types so they can use the forest/hill/mountain terrain slots for graphical effect, for instance, or some may want to change the terrain (and possibly some of the coastline) to better match the time period their scenario is set in, etc. Or do we just leave that open, as long as it is reasonable?

Can I just say that I was anticipating having to make substantial modifications to the given map, so I have a vested interest in having complete discretion to enhance the scenario. Accuracy checks for scoring would apply here as well.

[techumseh]

First, the grid diamonds on the Civ map are twice as as wide as tall. This means that for the map to measure movement distances accurately, it must be twice as wide (in diamonds) in proportion to it's height. This makes it look stretched in the E-W axis on the main map, but just right in the radar map. I wouldn't consider any map not constructed in this way acceptable.

Second, I'd understood that the map was to be used as is. However, I'm cool with allowing modifications. It's just that it's very hard to objectively place limits on modifications. How much is too much? Perhaps if we disallow coastal changes, but allow additions of special terrain determined by the designer and using the tundra and polar terrain slots?

What if a newbee won the contest with a scenario that was not the absolute best, but was a great effort for a first timer? That's the idea! How about this: If the greatest point total (including handicap bonus) goes to a scenario that's not the absolute best, then give an award to both. One as the best overall, the other the best newcomer award.

On the scoring, I will undertake to provide better descriptions about what judges should be looking for in each category.

[Broken_Erika]

mabe there could be multible categories, like best fantasy, most historicly accurate, most fun and best newcomer, of couse you would need quite a few entries in order to have that many categories, but it is just my thought,

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by techumseh
Kobi, I hope you will enter again, but a lot of work has already been done to sort out the theme and rules. If you'd like to take over as chief judge, I'd be cool with that.

No man, you be the best man for the job. Plenty of dissent this time round so its going to be a hot seat.

And sounds are very very very important.

My vote is to restrict it to a historically accurate scenario, people have a strange way of intepreting a theme. For example, I could rework the terrain graphics easily to represent a wormhole vortext scenario

[our_man]

What if a newbee won the contest with a scenario that was not the absolute best, but was a great effort for a first timer? That's the idea!

I completely agree with your line of thinking; I just think 50% is too large a bonus to award. I think it's important to make sure that people are justly rewarded for the work they put in. As I've stated above, I believe 25% is a sufficient award to allow new designers, who work hard at their scenario, a decent chance of winning, while at the same time not overwhelmingly stacking the field against everyone else. It should also be enough to entice them in the first place too.

[Mercator]

Originally posted by kobayashi
My vote is to restrict it to a historically accurate scenario, people have a strange way of intepreting a theme. For example, I could rework the terrain graphics easily to represent a wormhole vortext scenario

That has already been decided. There will be no such restriction. However, we are expecting the submitted to fit the Indian theme. So your wormhole scenario would be unacceptable unless it's actually set in India.

[our_man]

Any news on the SDC?

[techumseh]

No, I've sort of been waiting for the new SL site to go up, before adding anything more on the contest. I think AGRICOLA may be willing to be a co-judge.

[jim panse]

Well, my dear gentlemen, where is the map

[Mercator]

It's done. But I've sent it to techumseh first, for review, so to speak. When he's given his OK, he'll incorporate it in the SLeague contest site, or however things will be set up, I suppose... He's on holiday for the moment though.

[jim panse]

Ah, excellent! Thank you for that information, Jorrit

[fairline]

Good stuff. So who's willing to put their scenario where their mouth is?

[Exile]

For the record . . . . .

Sounds should be scored, and important. Koby and Brian are right on this one.

Newcomers should get that "best newbie" thing that Erika mentioned, not an advantage. Our_man is right about this. If your first scen wins an award, how cool is that? If the scoring was skewed in your favor, it takes away from the victory.

Code names are good.

History is good too.