Next Scripting Contest: What will you participate in?

[SephirothSpawn]

The staff has come up with a decent list of next scripting challenges, each that target an area to develop upcoming scripters skills or sharpen our current scripters skills. Now we could go in a certain order, that would benefit people at a slightly higher rate then skipping around, but in the end, if one were to partipate in all the challenges we have outlined so far, the end result will give people a pretty good range of dealing with the various aspects of scripting in XP/VX.

Our main goal in these contests is to get people scripting and giving them constructive feedback on their scripts. Each of us will probably take 1-2 hours per submission, providing all the feedback we can to give you a boost to higher level scripting. But we also want this open to a bigger range of our members. So we are now looking for a little feedback from you guys, to help us decide on what contest we host next.

Below is a list of ideas we have come up with, and our personal object for each contest (what areas we are wanting you to work on). Take a look at each and help us decide, what we will do next. :thumb:



HUD
Details & Object: A more relaxed and introductory to window design, but something even experienced scripters can benefit from.
Approximate run-time: 2-3 week contest, 1-2 week judging.

Custom Scene Design
Details & Object: Like the HUD and CMS contest, this will be more geared to getting scripters comfortable with Scene and Window layout/flow. Default scenes are acceptable modifications, or custom scenes with windows will work here.
Approximate run-time: 4-6 week contest, 2 week judging.

Character Development System
Details & Objective: The idea of this contest is to familiarize scripters with the Game_Battler & Game_Actor classes specifically. The idea is to get people to use some sort of feature that will manipulate the characters stats, skills and other data associated with them. This contest will have participants choose what type of Character Development System they want to create from a list of ideas we have constructed. Of course you may come up with your own unique system, but it must be ok'd with one of the contest judges to make sure it fits our goal for that contest. The list of systems includes things like a Materia System, Sphere Grid, Junction, Equipment Skills, Point-Growth System, etc. Each item may have a different "Difficulty" point bonus that acts like extra credit (Learning Data Structures in Materia/Junction Systems, more than likely Event and Map manipulation in the Sphere Grid System, Data Structure manipulation in Equipment Skills, etc.)
Approximate run-time: 4-6 week contest, 2 week judging.

Enemy Development System
Details & Object: The idea of this contest is like above, but with Game_Enemy instead of Game_Actor. Scripts like Enemy Levels, Enemy Drops, Smarter AI, etc. will be included here. Once again, we will come up with a list of choices or members can submit their own for verification. Again, each will have it's own difficulty bonus.
Approximate run-time: 4-6 week contest, 2 week judging.

Party Switcher
Details & Object: The idea of this contest is to get people more familiarized with Game_Party (and Game_Unit in VX) along with some scene/window skills along with some creativity. :toot:
Approximate run-time: 4-6 week contest, 2 week judging.

Unique Battle Command
Details & Object: The idea of this contest is to get scripters more in tune with the more complicated phases in Scene_Battle (3 & 4 in XP, essentially the same in VX). To this day, very few scripts include this because so few have an understanding of the default flow in Scene_Battle. We will come up with a list of ideas for commands to be added and once again, new ideas can be verified.
Approximate run-time: 4-6 week contest, 2 week judging.

Mini-Games
Details & Object: This contest will be more open to each individuals creation. We may think of a specific game for you to make, or again, a list to choose from.
Approximate run-time: 4-6 week contest, 2 week judging.

Other ideas?
Feel free to share them. We are open to other ideas, but looking for ideas geared towards learning the various aspects that we most commonly modify to break-away from the default system and target a specific area.



So what will it be .ORG? Please do not vote if you don't intend on participating in these events, and please do not post scripts you want to see made for contest ideas.

 

[BlueScope]

For some reason, I like this poll ^^
Ah well... my votes go to HUDs or the development systems... I figure I could actually participate the next ones, as I'll have a bit more time... that is, if you won't kick me out because I didn't make it to the CMS contest ^^

HUDs are always cool, because you need to get creatively active heavily to decide between necessary objects and stupid junk noone needs, while it doesn't need too much, but very effective scripting. The only problem I see with the rating is that it might be hard to judge very different submissions there, ya know? But I trust you judge guys there 8)

For the development systems, that's exactly what I like to do... some mechanics noone will really notice, but anyone will experience while playing the game. I like the idea of an advanced enemy AI, but I also have a bunch of ideas for character development systems...

 

[rey meustrus]

I voted for HUD, mainly because with the layering Scene_Base that I won't stop bringing into everything makes HUD's extremely easy. The mechanics of placing it on the map are already there; it just needs new_layer(Layer_HUD) and delete_layer(Layer_HUD) to work. It's so easy I made one in 5 minutes to make testing something go faster. However, making those mechanics would be a very educational exercise for beginnings scripters, and it would be a good chance for graphical design which is also very important, even though sometimes we neglect to make our scripts visually appealing.

Party switcher would be another useful task with design elements, although personally I already had one in my CMS submission so I'm biased again. I wouldn't mind making another one though, maybe for a tactical battle system this time. Another part of the default scripts that more people should be familiar with, because honestly it's not that difficult to work with.

Unique battle command is something I actually don't have any advantage with...I can't imagine anything that I've already done making it easier, although the SDK makes it much simpler to manage. Scene_Battle is a monster. Getting to know it is the single best thing I can think of for customizing any game.

The others were good, and I'd recommend them, but I probably wouldn't participate.

 

[Glitchfinder]

Well, I might take a hand in the character/enemy development systems. (I've made some in the past). On the other hand, my preference is for other, as I seem to have a penchant for unnecessary but interesting scripts. (Click the linky in my sig for an idea of what I mean) This is all assuming I somehow gain the time to actually start scripting something for a contest.

On the other hand, if an enemy/character development system is used as the subject of the next contest, I would be perfectly willing to have one of the two scripts I have submitted to be used as an example. (As in, the two I have submitted that are in that category. There are others, but they either aren't directly supported, or they don't fall under any category but other)

 

[Mr_Smith]

I voted for HUD, Custom Scene System, Character Development and Mini-Game. However, everything is fine for me as I will try to participate in them.

 

[Flickayy]

I voted for Character development, Enemy development and Custom Scene.. i would love to participate in the next one.. cant wait

 

[hanmac]

i would make development stuff

like windows witch can automatic resize, or evaluate code if you press a key

but i dont know if there exist a catagory for this..

 

[rey meustrus]

So when will we get another contest?