bmags? for beginners only?

Ubel · Sun 06/04/2008 16:10:23

Quote from: rock_chick on Sun 06/04/2008 15:56:03
I didn't think such a thing was allowed

Can you see a rule anywhere that says "Don't start new competitions in ANY forums without permission"? Because I can't. Such activities have been started in the General Discussion forum before and that's actually probably the best place to put it. Of course it's not gonna gather as much attention as it would in the Competitions forum but it's better than nothing.

Of course I'm not a moderator and not responsible for any forum rules, therefore it is possible that I could be horribly wrong about this. But I doubt it.

Quote from: rock_chick on Sun 06/04/2008 15:56:03
However even if it were allowed, wouldn't it been seen as offensive to CJ or other mods and possibly lead to conflicts?

I can't see how it could offend any of these people you mention. It's not like it could have a damaging effect on the community. Quite the contrary.

rock_chick · Sun 06/04/2008 16:18:33

Well as a beginner myself I would be interested in hosting such a completion, however as the host I would not be allowed to enter and since I am merely a beginner I question whether I would be qualified to pick the winners. On he other hand, who better to pick beginners entries for winning positions than a beginner themselves. Also if the idea too off, the winner would be encouraged to start another event and I would be allowed to enter.

CodeJunkie · Sun 06/04/2008 19:01:21

The competitions board isn't so much somewhere to prove your worth as just to have fun. People won't care if you draw terrible sprites, write horrible music or make bad MAGS games. The idea is to motivate you to do things you wouldn't normally do, put a little effort in and learn a bit, as well as just have a laugh.

I think a month is more than enough for a MAGS. Short enough to wait for a new topic, long enough to get the work done. If it were any longer people would lose focus and chances are something would come up in real life. In fact even if you can't finish a MAGS game, at least you've tried. One of the most valuable lessons it teaches beginners and experts is to think small. If you struggle on every aspect of making a game you will have at least something complete as long as you aren't too ambitious.

If you haven't released a game before I thoroughly recommend entering a MAGS, whatever the quality of your finished game, as long as it is your best effort.

rock_chick · Sun 06/04/2008 19:28:09

I am talking about sprite jam, background blitz and the colouring ball for beginners not MAGS.
I said that in the post just before yours. Maybe someone should get CJ over here to read that post so he tell me whether I'm allowed to do such a thing, whether I'd need to rename the games and if I could would it make people take me less seriously in the future.

veryweirdguy · Sun 06/04/2008 19:46:51

Guys, gals, countrymen. The most important thing is this:

http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwords/bimonthly

Everyone is right!

Nagania · Sun 06/04/2008 22:41:37

wow, alot to read....

the point of this competition, as alot of people havn't seen to grasp, is so that beginners, who aren't particularly confident can enter into a much less confronting competition than mags.

also, instead of having only 1 month, the beginner has two, which gives them more time to experiment and learn, but they still have a deadline, which they indeed need to learn to reach.

in the normal MAGS competition, how many excuses aer there where people say: "Oh, didn't get it finished in time, maybe next time."
We don't want beginners to learn to make excuses, do we?? We want them to learn skills.

I appreciate everyones opinion, I think I will attempt to procede with the competition, and if it isn't popular, so be it!

rock_chick · Sun 06/04/2008 22:51:09

Hey anything but the MAGS one! Please!

On the other hand you're the man.

nihilyst · Sun 06/04/2008 23:02:34

Maybe someone decides to enter MAGS. He makes all the stuff he needs and starts to write the game. As time goes by he realizes that he can't finish it in time. He just has to say: Okay, I didn't make it in time to enter MAGS. But heck!, I have come so far, I will finish it nonetheless. Look at Modalles' "Duty and Beyond". It was intended to be a MAGS game (IIRC), but he didn't make it in time. So he released it afterwards, and it has an 89% overall rating.

What I'm trying to say, is: It's not about the competion, it's about games. MAGS doesn't want to get you started, it wants to see, if you can make it in a month. You don't win anything, after all; it's just for yourself.

My advice for beginners: Try to bring up a small and polished game, e.g. like JBurger' "La Croix Pan". It's his first, it's short, but great nonetheless.

And why should there be a beginner's Sprite Jam or BB. What for? Sure, when certain users enter, they're likely to win. But as I said: It's not about winning a competition, it's about making sprites and backgrounds. Keep in mind, that there are several voting categories in BBlitz. One e.g. is for usability in games. Creating a usable BG hasn't something to do with good graphical skills.

rock_chick · Sun 06/04/2008 23:28:26

Quote from: nihilyst on Sun 06/04/2008 23:02:34
And why should there be a beginner's Sprite Jam or BB. What for? Sure, when certain users enter, they're likely to win.

Well for for both or any beginner's competition there should be clear rules that make anyone who is clearly not a beginner not allowed to enter for that very reason and usually it wouldn't be too hard to figure out whose a real beginner and who isn't. So if a non beginner submits an entry they are thrown out of the competition, their entry is void and then a database of these jerks can be kept for future reference, and very few AGS forum members would want to risk that type of shame. Plus most non beginner's would probably not be so pathetic as to stoop that low.

Tuomas · Mon 07/04/2008 00:55:05

Big Momma's Adult Games Society

Nagania · Mon 07/04/2008 00:58:19

well done you have successfully created a stupid joke!

rock_chick · Mon 07/04/2008 01:08:02

Quote from: Tuomas on Mon 07/04/2008 00:55:05
Big Momma's Adult Games Society

You just made an ass out of yourself because Nagania is a MAN, perhaps in your haste to overwork your few brain cells you forget to check his profile.

Nagania · Mon 07/04/2008 01:13:48

ladies and gentlemen lets all stick to the topic yes??
i realise tuomas has issues but lets just concentrate on the thread.

Ubel · Mon 07/04/2008 01:20:24

One really has a stick up one's ass, doesn't one?

Tuomas · Mon 07/04/2008 01:20:45

Quote from: rock_chick on Mon 07/04/2008 01:08:02
Quote from: Tuomas on Mon 07/04/2008 00:55:05
Big Momma's Adult Games Society
You just made an ass out of yourself because Nagania is a MAN, perhaps in your haste to overwork your few brain cells you forget to check his profile.

Also, I prefer donkey to ass, if you don't mind.

ThreeOhFour · Mon 07/04/2008 01:46:35

Woah, bit of a harsh reaction to a harmless joke, boys and girls. Let's not get too serious hey?

Regarding "only beginners" competitions.

Who is going to decide where the line is drawn between beginners and experienced people? What if a new guy to drawing or the forums puts a lot of effort in, spends hours perfecting his sprite, tweaking and polishing, and then enters it in the competition, only to have people disqualifying it because it is too good? That's not going to make any friends.

Not saying it won't work, just interested to know how you plan to define it with only minimal feelings hurt.

rock_chick · Mon 07/04/2008 01:55:18

Quote from: Ben304 on Mon 07/04/2008 01:46:35
Woah, bit of a harsh reaction to a harmless joke, boys and girls. Let's not get too serious hey?

Regarding "only beginners" competitions.

Who is going to decide where the line is drawn between beginners and experienced people? What if a new guy to drawing or the forums puts a lot of effort in, spends hours perfecting his sprite, tweaking and polishing, and then enters it in the competition, only to have people disqualifying it because it is too good? That's not going to make any friends.

Not saying it won't work, just interested to know how you plan to define it with only minimal feelings hurt.

Entires wont be disqualified because their too good, only people found to be not real beginners will be and there's other ways to find that out than how good their entry is.

Nagania · Mon 07/04/2008 01:56:57

i'm kinda relying on people beeing honest. if one is really good, we're not going to disqualify it for skill!
and anyway, if someone doesn't win, it doesn't matter, as long as they know they've done a good job, which we will be sure of telling them.

as i have said, we kinda rely on people to be honest whether they are beginners or not.
by beginner, i have said they have had four or less months experience in AGS.
no more than that.

Tuomas · Mon 07/04/2008 02:01:30

So consider I've been kind of a user for 4 years, but haven't done anything that would make me less newbie than the beginners, would I qualify?

Ubel · Mon 07/04/2008 02:02:52

Tuomas kind of beat me to it, but anyway:

Quote from: rock_chick on Mon 07/04/2008 01:55:18
Entires wont be disqualified because their too good, only people found to be not real beginners will be and there's other ways to find that out than how good their entry is.

I'm intrigued. What ways? How do you define a "beginner"? This is a big problem that will no doubt stir up a lot of controversy if this idea is developed further.

Is beginner someone who has no experience in game creation? Or is it someone who just started using AGS? Because in that case the person could have years of experience behind them and could make an awesome game even though hasn't made games with AGS before.

I'd really like to hear your definition on this.