*** Official ED Campaign Creation Competition ***

[Arne Anka]

Given the release of 1.0.1 today, all submissions will need to be made by November 10th.

 

Good luck to all participants!

 

Dear Arne Anaka,

 

We’ve discussed this internally and we’ve decided to directly support this effort. We agree that this could be a win-win for both this community and Eagle. Black Shark campaigns would have be based on 1.0.1 to take advantage of new ME functions and they would need to consist of at least 5 stages with at least 3 missions per stage (minimum of 15 individual missions). This would have to include not just design, but complete development and debugging.

 

We will have a competition for both a single player campaigns and a multi-player campaigns (using multiplayer campaign functionality introduced in 1.0.1).

 

 

 

 

We will judge the campaigns based on a combination of a community poll and an Eagle evaluation. Things like localization, briefings, game play, scripting, and balance of fun/realism will all be factored.

• 1st prize will be $100 and copies of both DCS: A-10C Warthog (when available) and available printed manuals, along with TFC polo shirt and hat.
  

• 2nd prize will be $50 will be a copy of DCS: A-10C Warthog when available and printed manuals.
  

• 3rd prize will be $25 and a copy of DCS: A-10C Warthog when available.
  

If more than one individual is involved in creating a campaign, up to four members of the team will be provided prizes and the monetary prize will be split among team members.

 

The campaign building phase will last three months after the release of 1.0.1 (for example: it took me three months to create the 104 mission GOW campaign when not working on my normal job duties). After those three months have expired, there will be a two week judging period.

 

Please use the following forum for your campaign development discussions: http://forums.eagle.ru/forumdisplay.php?f=87

 

For those interested in taking part, I would suggest working on your "paper design" and briefings while waiting for 1.0.1 to be released.

 

The winners would have their campaigns available directly from the Eagle web site, assuming there is no offensive material.

 

No promises, but if we identify a very talented mission/campaign designer, there may be a slot for such an individual on the DCS: A-10C Warthog beta team.

 

Thanks,

Matt

__________________

Matt Wagner

Producer, TFC/Eagle Dynamics

 

Hello

 

First of all, DCS BS is an awesome game, all creds to ED.

 

Awaiting the A-10 and the patch, I would like to make a suggestion.

 

What about having a Campaign creation competition? Everyone can participate, and the task is simple; create the best campaign under some preset rules/conditions, and the winner (top 3) wins a prize. The exact rules of the competition would of course have to be set by ED, here are som suggestions though:

 

Rules and conditions:

First, the preset conditions, where the number of mission should be set (5?), the overall difficulty (Medium?), number of AI vehicles (to make it playable on most systems) and so on. Mission should be for Single Player.

 

 

The campaign is evaluated in three "parts" that are equally important:

 

Playability:

How well does it play? Any hick-ups? Is it any fun at all?

 

AI:

How well does the AI work? Is there any strange things happening, vehicles driving into each other, traffic jams etc. Also, can you fly over enemies without them engaging you and so on.

 

Ambience:

How well does the creator capture the "right feeling" with a nice briefing/background information/radio traffic and so on.

 

You could also instate a fourth part, Realism, but then, who are we to judge this?

 

Winner:

The winner would be appointed here on the forum by a vote. Of course this will be very arbitrary and subjective, but on the other hand, the same rules applies for all. To prevent people from cheating (for example registering many nicks to be able to vote many times), the prize(s) should be very... humble (who would go through a lot of fuzz just to win a 40 $ prize?).

 

Prizes (suggestion):

1:st prize: A copy of the A-10, and the hardback of the Flight manual for both the A-10 and the KA-50.

2:nd prize: A copy of the A-10.

3:rd prize: A copy of the Flight manual for either the A-10 or the BS.

 

If there is many campaigns participating, well, it will be up to the Campaign creator to promote his own campaign, with briefings/pictures from the campaign here on the forum. Perhaps not all campaigns will be flown in the competition, but if we could get some disc space from ED, well, they would have several downloadable campaigns for those who are interested for the future.

 

I'm sure my idea has many problems, that needs to be solved, but I think this could improve the interest for the game, since playing your own missions feels like... cheating, since you know it all. I also think it is a cheap way for ED to increase the life-length of the BS, meaning that there will not be ten posts every week on "When will the A-10 ber released?"

 

So, I'm up for a fight in Mission Editor/Campaign Builder. Are you?

Edited August 11, 2009 by Acedy

[nemises]

Great idea mate :) - I think this is something the community could do tho, and it sounds like you just volunteered to organise! ;)

[jctrnacty]

Great idea - it´s up to ED if they will motivate people to make good missions.

[Weta43]

An alternate suggestion - have a competition - not for the best campaign, but for the best idea - background, number of stages, branch directions, general location of each stage, rosters of available units for the stages - the broad outlines and restrictions around unit numbers etc, then having chosen a winner, all who want to can submit missions within the parameters given by the campaign design winner - that way a campaign with a large number of missions & mission styles (but that remains cohesive) could be put together with a variety of levels of contribution... If people wanted to contribute 1 or more mission for every stage they could, but if they only had time to do a single mission they could do that too..

[th3flyboy]

question becomes, is this campaign for the A-10C or the KA-50?

 

great idea though..

[DivinuZ]

Sounds like a great idea!

 

Perhaps open up a sub-forum where you have to be given permission (i.e. apply) to start a thread - then each contribution would have it's own thread where the poster would have the first post to add pictures and descriptions and what not. Of course everybody is allowed to post and discuss within those threads.

 

Just my $.2

[VMFA117_Poko]

It's a great idea and great promotion for ED imho! :thumbup:

[SNAFU]

Nice idea, Anre Anka.

 

But I doubt you will find many volunteers for that as long as the placing of units is as it is now in the ME, only pain. I for myself have a job and a real life, and my maximum sparetime is in average 30minutes per day, and I won´t spent these few minutes getting angry about digital units that don´t want to be placed where I would like them to be placed. ;)

 

As soon the ME has become somewhat efficient, and you don´t spent hours and hours just starting game, klicking through units, end game, move units, repeat again, to find out, that you better use the other area for your idea... ;) ... then I think we will see more and more missions.

[Grimes]

Could be interesting. Multiple people oughta be able to contribute to the overall campaign.

 

Suggestion for a prize...

The winning campaigns get patched into the game/ officially hosted by ED. This way user work will be recognized, ED would officially add to the games campaigns, and myabe some player might get the bright idea "that if these other guys are getting their stuff shown off by the developer, maybe I can too!" and prompt more people to make missions.

 

Plus it would be nice to get something to rally the troops so to speak and get everyone excited about the results. It wouldn't hurt to expand this whole contest idea and have separate ones for textures and other creative enhancements players can make.

[Arne Anka]

Hello all, and thanks for the feedback, the thread was dead for awhile, so I thought the idea was really crappy :huh: ...

 

@ th3flyboy

Initially, my suggestion would be to make the campaign for the Black Shark, but on the other hand, if it is a success, why not do a new competition for the A-10 (or both?)

 

@ SNAFU

I agree that there are some problems with the ME. Hopefully, some of these will be fixed for the patch. This gives us a really good starting point for the competition; the release date of the patch. This for two reasons; first, because of the fixing, and also, since perhaps changes probably will be made, even though they are small, this puts all contestants more on the same level. This also will in a fast manner test the ME, so that any new bugs quickly will come to the attention of ED.

 

BUT, and this is an important thing; if you are good in ME, which the winner should be (he should be the best ;-) ), then he/she will have learnt the tricks to do make missions fun, realistic and interesting, despite the hick-ups...

 

Since I also have a fulltime job, and a 9 month old daugther that tries to get my attention, I would suggest that the competition would have to go on for awhile, perhaps two months.

 

It would be interesting to hear an opinion from one on ED or the community manager. Anyone?

[Warbird_242]

Just to register my interest in it!!!!

 

I doubt that ED would offer any prizes ( pleeeeaseee prove me wrong :PPP), but the idea would be great. I'd agree with Weta in that we all suggest scenarios ( not sure who to? Mabye Wags or one of the senior ED guys) and then everyone can contribute their missions as long as they conform to the scenario, and we could make a sort of 'DCS Community Grand Campaign' . We could also have a set number of missions - for example a 10 mission campaign, scenario decided by Weta's method and then ED guys create the basic campaign plan - as in they say "first mission, Casualty evacuation near Mineral N'Ye Vody" and we all compete to create the mission. To avoid one exceptionally good designer winning all the mission stages, we should say whoever wins a single mission cannot contribute again

[Arne Anka]

Well Warbird 242, I honestly believe that this is, even though it is a cliché, a win-win situation for the guys at Eagle Dynamics...

 

Even though ED do not have any plans at all to release a "Mission pack", that is what the ME is for, they could, at an extremely low cost, increase the life-span of the game, especially for those who are not really interested in learning the ME, and also are a bit sceptic towards flying your own missions. So, take the example I proposed for prizes, 2 copies of the A-10, and 3 copies of Flight manuals. The cost for ED for these products + the margins that ED would lose if the winners otherwise would have bought the manuals and the game are not high, maximum $140.

 

So that is what they would "lose"...

 

But would they win? Well, to those who are not "hardcore-simmers", additional missions/campaigns, that even are for free, I think increase the attractivess of the game, and perhaps even more importantly, could in some cases get some players to actually buy the A-10, something they were not 100% sure of before. Why? Well, because they feel that the game is worth $40 of their money, due to the fact that the game continue to "live" even after you have completed the campaigns that came with the game.

 

And honestly, they would need to convince less than 10 people to get the A-10 game to reach a break-even result out of this.

 

Or, am I missing something?

Edited July 31, 2009 by Arne Anka

[159th_Viper]

 

Or, am I missing something?

 

There is always a risk, however negligible, when one aligns onself with a Community-Based Interest. Is it worth the attendant commitment in time and resources, financial as well as personal?

 

Good Idea. Win-Win.......I'm not too sure about that - let's hope this Devil's Advocate has erred in his synopsis :)

[Warbird_242]

Sorry Arne, I didn't put my point across properly. I know that there would be absolutely no disadvantages for ED to participate in this, but I've seen things like this happen on other forums without any official sponsorship. I don't know why, simply basing my assumptions on experience, so don't take me as saying " you're wrong". I'd welcome ED to join in with this idea, but I just don't think it's likely. However, it would be good to get an ED opinion on this matter, and as I said before, I think the idea is really good!!!!

 

There's always the option of doing this without ED???

 

Warbird

[Arne Anka]

There is always a risk, however negligible, when one aligns onself with a Community-Based Interest. Is it worth the attendant commitment in time and resources, financial as well as personal?

 

Good Idea. Win-Win.......I'm not too sure about that - let's hope this Devil's Advocate has erred in his synopsis :)

 

I'm sorry, perhaps my English comprehension is way off, but I do not understand... Which financial resources? Except for the $140. And how do they align themselves? They do not have to include the campaign, it was only a suggestion. They could simply say; "Make the best campaign under these conditions, and the winner gets the A-10 Warthog upon release. Period."

 

Sorry Arne, I didn't put my point across properly. I know that there would be absolutely no disadvantages for ED to participate in this, but I've seen things like this happen on other forums without any official sponsorship. I don't know why, simply basing my assumptions on experience, so don't take me as saying " you're wrong". I'd welcome ED to join in with this idea, but I just don't think it's likely. However, it would be good to get an ED opinion on this matter, and as I said before, I think the idea is really good!!!!

 

There's always the option of doing this without ED???

 

Warbird

 

I don't care if it is ED, EA ( :cry: ) or the EU ( ;) ) that arranges the competition. The reason for me proposing ED is because I believe they are the ones with the highest gain arranging a competition like this.

 

Worst case scenario; they receive only three campaigns, that all are terrible, of which one in the background material is straight-out offensive. Since it has been established in the rules that ED (or EU :megalol: ) has the right to not include campaigns that in any way can be harmful to them, or might be seen as offensive, some people will test the two official Campaigns, that earn the 1st and 2nd place, and that's all about that, they won't do this type of event again, and tomorrow it will be forgotten. However I doubt this is the outcome.

 

Once again, am I missing something?

Edited July 31, 2009 by Arne Anka

[Wags]

Dear Arne Anaka,

 

We’ve discussed this internally and we’ve decided to directly support this effort. We agree that this could be a win-win for both this community and Eagle. Black Shark campaigns would have be based on 1.0.1 to take advantage of new ME functions and they would need to consist of at least 5 stages with at least 3 missions per stage (minimum of 15 individual missions). This would have to include not just design, but complete development and debugging.

 

We will have a competition for both a single player campaigns and a multi-player campaigns (using multiplayer campaign functionality introduced in 1.0.1).

 

We will judge the campaigns based on a combination of a community poll and an Eagle evaluation. Things like localization, briefings, game play, scripting, and balance of fun/realism will all be factored.

 

• 1st prize will be $100 and copies of both DCS: A-10C Warthog (when available) and available printed manuals, along with TFC polo shirt and hat.
  

• 2nd prize will be $50 will be a copy of DCS: A-10C Warthog when available and printed manuals.
  

• 3rd prize will be $25 and a copy of DCS: A-10C Warthog when available.
  

If more than one individual is involved in creating a campaign, up to four members of the team will be provided prizes and the monetary prize will be split among team members.

 

The campaign building phase will last three months after the release of 1.0.1 (for example: it took me three months to create the 104 mission GOW campaign when not working on my normal job duties). After those three months have expired, there will be a two week judging period.

 

Please use the following forum for your campaign development discussions: http://forums.eagle.ru/forumdisplay.php?f=87

 

For those interested in taking part, I would suggest working on your "paper design" and briefings while waiting for 1.0.1 to be released.

 

The winners would have their campaigns available directly from the Eagle web site, assuming there is no offensive material.

 

No promises, but if we identify a very talented mission/campaign designer, there may be a slot for such an individual on the DCS: A-10C Warthog beta team.

 

Thanks,

Matt

Edited August 3, 2009 by Wags

[joey45]

FAN-DOOBY-TASTIC!!!!

 

im up for this...

[Warbird_242]

Well, Arne, I stand corrected. You were right, and well done for getting this great idea up!

[VMFA117_Poko]

GREAT!!!

[Arne Anka]

Well, what can I say: Thank you Matt!

 

I humbly bow, and start working on my paper design. :book:

 

Two questions though; you write that the contestants should do the debugging. What does this mean, that we report any bugs?

 

Also, since I cannot compare performance on any other systems besides my own, should there be any limitations on the amount of units deployed on the battlefield? This so that the majority of community members are able to play the campaign. (Or perhaps that is not an issue, this is hardly my area of expertise)

Edited July 31, 2009 by Arne Anka

[GGTharos]

It means you should debug your campaign - ie. ensure that your triggers are not malfunctioning, that you will not get stuck in some sort of scenario where you cannot acquire or lose points when you should have one of either happen, etc etc.

[Outlaw24]

It's nice to see ED get behind this great idea, it's really great for the community and kudos to Arne Anka :thumbup:

[Wags]

It means you should debug your campaign - ie. ensure that your triggers are not malfunctioning, that you will not get stuck in some sort of scenario where you cannot acquire or lose points when you should have one of either happen, etc etc.

 

Correct

 

Regarding unit counts... that is up to the designer to best balance creating a battlefield that feels populated and maintaining frame rates for most users. There is no magic answer to this in regards to numbers, but rather up to the designer to best balance. Welcome to mission design.

[VMFA117_Poko]

Also, since I cannot compare performance on any other systems besides my own, should there be any limitations on the amount of units deployed on the battlefield? This so that the majority of community members are able to play the campaign. (Or perhaps that is not an issue, this is hardly my area of expertise)

Balance would be the key factor ;)

[Arne Anka]

It means you should debug your campaign - ie. ensure that your triggers are not malfunctioning, that you will not get stuck in some sort of scenario where you cannot acquire or lose points when you should have one of either happen, etc etc.

 

Ah, but of course. Sorry, my bad.