Contest Idea

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ID:119251
 
Sep 29 2011, 3:24 pm

Poll: Would you pay to enter a developer contest?

Yes 23% (10)
No 19% (8)
Hell no, Empirez is a troll and can't be trusted with my money. 57% (24)

Login to vote.

As you are all aware, there has been a decrease in activity in the guild. I've been busy doing nothing school work, Yusuke is shooting Arabs, and I can't even remember where Lige is.

So, I'd like to run a contest but I still have no job so I can't put up money to give to the winners. However, Dj Dovis made a suggestion that I don't think will interest you guys but it's worth a shot.

Basically, you pay to enter the contest and the winner gets the sum of all the entry fees. That's assuming I don't accidentally use the cash to buy myself a new pair of Nikes.

So, vote in the poll and we'll go from there.
Sep 29 2011, 3:26 pm
At least buy something cool. Like a blowjob from a hooker.
Sep 29 2011, 3:32 pm
Complex Robot wrote:
At least buy something cool. Like a blowjob from a hooker.

The going rate for a one night stand nowadays is more than what will be accumulated from the contest. I would know - I lurk the "personals" section on craigslist.
Sep 29 2011, 3:34 pm
I laughed when you said "That's assuming I don't accidentally use the cash to buy myself a new pair of Nikes."
Sep 29 2011, 3:34 pm
Well, if it costs more than a pair of Nikes, then it's too steep for me.
Sep 29 2011, 3:51 pm
I voted for the 3rd option.

Sounds like a legit idea though. I'd be interested assuming the entrance fee isn't too much.
Sep 29 2011, 3:53 pm
Well, I wonder of the validity of this poll, since you included that third option.
Sep 29 2011, 4:12 pm
Do contests need to have cash rewards? Not many people participated in the PopLava contest even though it had a cash reward. More people participated in the GSD, but I don't think that had a reward. It seems like it's the concept that motivates people more than the reward.

I've always wanted to do a platformer contest. Well, I've wanted to run the contest badly enough that I spend time thinking of ideas, but not badly enough that I'd actually run the contest.

My best idea was to create a simple platformer - basic graphics, a few enemies, some traps, and other objects (keys, switches, etc.). This would be given to the contestants. The contest would be to design levels using that game. Participants could code up new things as they needed but most of the work would be level design. Assuming there are a few decent entries, aside from the winner getting a prize BYOND would get a fairly complete game out of it.
Sep 29 2011, 4:16 pm
Forum_account wrote:
Do contests need to have cash rewards? Not many people participated in the PopLava contest even though it had a cash reward. More people participated in the GSD, but I don't think that had a reward. It seems like it's the concept that motivates people more than the reward.

I've always wanted to do a platformer contest. Well, I've wanted to run the contest badly enough that I spend time thinking of ideas, but not badly enough that I'd actually run the contest.

My best idea was to create a simple platformer - basic graphics, a few enemies, some traps, and other objects (keys, switches, etc.). This would be given to the contestants. The contest would be to design levels using that game. Participants could code up new things as they needed but most of the work would be level design. Assuming there are a few decent entries, aside from the winner getting a prize BYOND would get a fairly complete game out of it.

This sounds awesome.

Sep 29 2011, 5:03 pm
I would only pay if the contest involved dressing up as the thugs from Michael Jackson's "Beat It" video and meeting in an abandoned warehouse to tie ourselves together at the wrist and engage in dangerous knife-fighting/dancing.
Sep 29 2011, 5:04 pm
BrickSquadron wrote:
I would only pay if the contest involved dressing up as the thugs from Michael Jackson's "Beat It" video and meeting in an abandoned warehouse to tie ourselves together at the wrist and engage in dangerous knife-fighting/dancing.

Done.
Sep 29 2011, 5:22 pm
Good theory if you can balance the cost to enter, your number of paying participants and prize money worth the effort of joining.

A $10.00 entry fee would see very few people entering (5 tops), and anyone willing to pay such a (reasonably steep for this place) fee probably wouldn't be motivated by $50.00.

A $1.00 entry fee would see more people participating (20), but $20.00 isn't enough to motivate people either.

$2.50 would probably be borderline what anyone's willing to pay to join a competition (they pay it for iPhone apps, and they're of less value most of the time) on BYOND. We can use the same number as before (20) 'cause I'm really not qualified to state how many people would or would not enter a contest. $50.00 might be enough to get a few to actually take it seriously. But then again, I imagine the masses would be demoralised if the DM top guns entered as well.

Oh, and yes, your reputation is a factor. I wouldn't send you money for life saving surgery let-alone a BYOND competition. But that's just me.
Sep 29 2011, 5:35 pm
Tiberath wrote:
Oh, and yes, your reputation is a factor. I wouldn't send you money for life saving surgery let-alone a BYOND competition. But that's just me.

That's just cold, bro. Real cold.
Sep 29 2011, 6:40 pm
Well apparently my attempt to steal all your monies and buy a new pair of shoes has failed.

You all may now return to your regularly scheduled lives.
Sep 29 2011, 9:41 pm
I'd rather it just be a free entry, mostly because of other competitors. If people aren't confident enough that they'll win, the chances that they would join is pretty slim, so even a low entry price probably wouldn't garner that much participation. No prize is still fine, I'm not sure if you have yet, but you should specifically contact some game owners to get some subscription offers. Again though, I'd be fine with no prize, I just like to join and get something done for the heck of it.
Sep 30 2011, 3:41 am
Maybe you could convince a pixel artist to donate some of their time as the prize. BYOND developers spend ridiculous amounts of money on pixel art, so people would see the value in this prize. I guess the problem is that people who are decent at pixel art wouldn't enter the contest because they'd have no need for the prize.
Sep 30 2011, 7:26 am
A few issues with that is that some people might offer their services, but they'd only be "so-so" at pixel art. Then the winner might not need someone like that for their game. They also have to actually be in an active game to make use of the pixel artist, because some people may just be joining for the contest.

Another issue is the amount of work that's needed, if you get a good pixel artist as a prize, but he can only help out with a bit of the game, you end up with a mix of art styles. And if you try to get the artist to stay on board for a long time, it ends up a little unfair to the artist who's going to be doing art for a long time for this single game. If he's going long term, there's also the issue of motivation, most people need to be very invested in a project to want to spend so much time and energy on it if the work is non-paid.
Sep 30 2011, 7:50 am
lol that troll option was nearly un-avoidable.

Anyway ET if you still wish to give a cash prize then you can rob me of $40, just give me a paypal address and that's as much as i can afford to donate towards whatever competition you have planned.:)

You could then do a cheap entree fee and maybe you'd raise a bit of interest and money for the prize? or whatever you wish lol.
Sep 30 2011, 2:12 pm
Teka123 wrote:
lol that troll option was nearly un-avoidable.

Anyway ET if you still wish to give a cash prize then you can rob me of $40, just give me a paypal address and that's as much as i can afford to donate towards whatever competition you have planned.:)

You could then do a cheap entree fee and maybe you'd raise a bit of interest and money for the prize? or whatever you wish lol.

I'll page you.

[Edit] On second thought, you can just keep the money. I can run the contest and then when it comes time to pay, you can just give the money to the winner. :)
Oct 1 2011, 7:31 pm
So is there gonna be a contest
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