Please. Your thoughts on joining Monthly Challenges.

[Badger]

A recent reply and recent CL discussions have prompted me to move this discussion to the general forums and all of you lovely people.

Any explanations on the reasons you voted the way that you did? Remember the poll was anonymous and if you wish to remain anonymous in your voting you don't have to respond. Your reasons are your reasons. We (CL's) felt we needed a little feedback in the low response to the guild challenges. (This month's challenge was an exception of course, we really didn't expect such a welcome and glorious response, and we all thank you.)

As a point in fact, I haven't joined the last couple of challenges (save this month's) because of a number of reasons, but mostly I was just too busy too join.

I noticed a lot of votes leaned toward the fact that people just don't feel confident enough in their skills to make an entry. I too at first was a bit hesitant to submit an entry, especially after seeing such great entries from users like RobA, RedRobes, Gameprinter, and many, many more. I am my own worst critic when it comes to my artwork or writing, and often bash my skills. But ultimately after being on the site for a couple weeks, and getting such positive feedback from other members (Highly constructive criticsm) and NO flaming or other such bashing as you might see on other sites, that I would go ahead and put in an entry. (http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1624)

So glad that I did, because I get such good feedback from those around me, I've become ten times the artist/cartographer since then. I mean it literally opened up a whole new world for me and gave me the confidence that I needed to take on actual commissions (http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=2695) that actually paid money, and since then I've gotten at least three more paying commissions. All due to the fact that I decided to go ahead and give one of the monthly challenges a try, and I still haven't won one yet. (crosses fingers) But I keep trying and my skills are improving because of it.

So to all those who feel they just don't have the GUMPFF to hand in an entry, I've been there. I know what low self-esteem is, and you gotta just take it on faith. I'm not guaranting that you'll immediately become the superstar I have (lol! j/k) but you won't get bashed or berated and we aren't going to hate you for it. What's the worst that will happen? You won't win.... big deal... its not like you have money on the table, and chances are you will at the very least get some good feedback on where you may be lacking and what points you need to focus on to make a decent possibly professional looking map.

So, what's you take on why you don't join, or why other's should join... or whatever it's a discussion... DISCUSS!!

[jfrazierjr]

For me, its has been a matter of a) not feeling confident in my talent, b) the few types of styles where I do have some confidence in has not been the challenge targets, and c) sadly, lack of time...

[Karro]

Well... I guess I've been waiting for the intersection of three cosmic events: (1) A challenge topic that looks interesting and fun and that I think I can benefit from participating in, (2) Having enough free time to participate and (3) having developed the skills and speed at producing maps necessary to complete the challenge within the one-month time frame.

I guess cosmic event #1 happens relatively regularly (it's like a lunar cycle or something), but cosmic events 2 and 3 just aren't working out for me. I've been too busy to even have time to work on my own personal projects, much less one of the monthly challenges. And I still lack the skill and (computer) speed to get these things done in a timely manner.

I suppose I might be a little intimidated by some of the sheer awesomeness of talent out there, and among those who participate in challenges, but if I entered it would be with the explicit expectation that I wouldn't take home the gold anyway... that's not why I'm here or why I'd play the game. I came here to learn how to make maps better, and that's what the challenges would be all about, for me. So yeah, I'd like to participate, but those second two conditions don't look like they'll be lining up for me any time soon...

[Gamerprinter]

I love and live for the challenges. In roughly 14 months as a member, I've participated in 11 challenges. I've won two, and I'm proud of that, noteably, however, those winning months had far fewer challengers. I keep participating not to gain more "wins", so much as opportunities to try different kinds of maps. And yes, my skills improve all the time. The deadline keeps me focused. Everything learned in participating in the challenge goes to the attributes needed for creating maps for commission.

Don't get intimidated, just get involved, as Del said it, entering a map gives you improved skills, confidence and satisfaction in doing your best on a completed map, no matter how the voting goes. No one will be disappointed by you entering the challenge, no matter what level your mapping skills are, everyone will grow from the experience.

I prefer the multi-vote poll, and keeping it honest is fine for me - there's plenty of choices on winning maps this month, and the possibility of 5 votes has me thinking where to put them already.

Final point - I have heard some whining, I think back in the January 08 challenge of something like, "Gamerprinter is entering again, when will I ever win a challenge...".

Don't be intimidated by me or anyone participating - like I said, in 11 challenges I've won two - I've lost more than I've won. The odds of winning are as much as anyone's who comes up with a good idea and executes it well. This could be you (directed at the lurkers who don't participate...)!

Maybe I push the envelope alittle on some challenges, it just makes the challenge more exciting for everyone.

Come up with an idea, post a brief in a new challenge thread - even if you haven't started your map, ask questions and tips on direction, tools. After a day or two post your results no matter how bad you think it looks. We'll help you out. You got 25 days to get it done, and keep asking questions - before long you'll be creating a masterpiece.

I am just as happy giving someone a winning idea or tip for their entry that let's them beat me in a challenge! Come on guys, participate!

GP

[meleeguy]

I love the challenges, they are a great excitement generator and motivator. But I realize (as a moderately skilled hobbyist) I don't have the chops to finish one in 25 days that is even vaguely competitive. We've got some really first rate, professional mappers in the guild (which is a major attraction), but I see no point in going head to head (speaking only for myself). Past a certain point, psychologically being last all the time would vastly overshadow the benefits of practice. Or so my 46 or so years of life tell me. My time is better spent in the other forums where time isn't 'against' me. Now, I sure I'll enter some contests again soon. They are fun! But I need/want to finish my other maps. The Ambush Inn needs to be rptools enabled, and Fenridge Castle needs a massive gatehouse or two. And a road.


My thought is having different tiers or competitions for the various levels of mappers. Maybe run two competitions at once, one for previous winners and one for the 'herd'.


Map on my Cartographic 'brothers',
-meleeguy

[ravells]

My thought is having different tiers or competitions for the various levels of mappers. Maybe run two competitions at once, one for previous winners and one for the 'herd'.


Map on my Cartographic 'brothers',
-meleeguy

Funny you should mention that...

I just use the mapping challenges to experiment with different styles. If I don't have enough time in a month I try to find a style where I can complete the map quickly (like this month's entry as I was starting a new job and about to go on holiday).

I find that it's the encouragement that I get when I post my first effort that gives me the confidence to go on. I think that most of my maps are terrible compared to others - the trick is just not to let it worry you and to do the best within your limits. Of course it's nice to win occasionally, but it's just fun being part of a community where you help each other get better.

Have a bash - that's what I say, and use the challenges to improve your own skills. All that can happen is that you'll get a little bettter.

[Ascension]

Here's how I see it...in college I was in a fraternity, we had some 150+ dudes but only 20 or so of us really ever did anything..making floats, playing intramural sports, running for office, etc. So no matter how many members the guild has only a fraction will actually do anything. This is really not a problem though...everyone joins hoping to get something out of it...even if it is just the ability to view the pics we all post up. Those who are the most passionate about what they do will be the active ones irregardless of "what others think".

The second thing is that I think some of the past challenges have focused on what I call the "close up" stuff like dungeons and encounter-style maps. Certain programs like CC3 and Dunjinni are the best tools to use for these types of maps with some post work in Photoshop or GIMP. I don't own either of those tools/programs so in order for me to do a pretty dungeon it requires me to invest a disproportionate amount of time creating something. If I had either of those I could whip out a decent dungeon in a day or two but since I don't it takes me some 5 hours just to create a decent chair. So challenges like those require me to have the right software so I'll just skip those no matter what. Sure I could draw something up by hand and that would be enough to suffice for a quickie game thrown together but would never come close to being something worthy of being called artistic.

I joined in June so I don't remember what that challenge was but July's challenge was that inn...I'm gonna skip that, August was a VTT dungeon and I did that one just to attempt to wrap my brain around that medium. I probably should have skipped that one as well since trying to do it all in Photoshop was very time consuming and irritating since I don't know anything about that stuff. This month's challenge was very generic despite being given an initial rough sketch. I just like to draw (or in this case, use a mouse to draw) and close up stuff is harder to do than the city or regional stuff that I like.

I think, and this is just my own hunch, that if the challenges were more generic and "large-scale" like cities and regions and what not that there would be more entries. The thing that I think is most important is the scale...all of us are good at drawing maps but we're not all good at designing a pub with all the doohickys that go inside...heck it took me 5 hours once just to do up a nice table whereas I can do a whole continent in 2 hours. So for me, I'll join in on the bigger stuff and forgo software specific stuff like dungeons.

[töff]

I desperately wanted to join the September challenge. It was a good one, and I had a great idea. I just haven't had the time. I hope they will keep coming.

[Valarian]

Maybe we should have a league or handicapping system

[Jkaen]

There are a few reasons why I think this months has proved popular, for me I was waiting for an outdoor mapping project, as right now that is all I have tried, and I want to discover my style for that before moving indoors or to more detailed projects.

The other thing I think is the indimidation factor. when it was just half a dozen big names entering, then I can understand people being nervous to enter, however once you had various rookies and others like myself entering, I would have thought that would make people think they could 'hide' with all the others and it became less daunting, hence you got a kind of snowball effect.

I think now you have such a large group this month, as long as you are careful and dont make next month overly esoteric then you should retain quite a lot of participants