Annual Challenge Feedback

[fabio p]

I would like to see something like this: Some categories are established: eg: best city map, best regional fantasy map, best space map et cetera. We could even have categories like best original idea, best improved skill member or stick only to more traditional categories like the first I meentioned.
Each year. starting, say, in November, everybody can post a map made in that year; it can be an already published map, even a map that’s already been uploaded for a challenge and that’s been awarded with a compass; or an original one, created specifically for those who would become the annual (yearly) awards (or whatever name you want to give: a sort of academy awards of the Guild; the Guild Awards).
Only requirements: the map should be complete and created in the year of the competition. So everybody would have complete freedom to decide whether to start an opus magnus the first months of the year, or to post something already created for a monthly challenge or for whatever other reason; so, even newbies signing in december could join, and maybe some people that have long term, permanently unfinished projects, could be encouraged to finish their work to join the competition.

[Jaxilon]

@fabioP I like this idea.

Everyone makes some good points actually. One of the things we need to take into account is the time required to manage a challenge. The easier it is the better because most of the CLs have limited time for art and map making and we don't want to keep them from doing that if it can be helped.

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

[ascanius]

I'm liking Coriolis idea, it would have helped having something like that so as to not lose focus.

[TK.]

I really enjoyed the idea of an annual challenge, specially being a rather new guy here.

I knew from the start my maps wouldn't be able to compete with most, if not all, the other names here at the current level of my skills... nonetheless, I got thrilled to be able to compete "side by side" with them.

The problems I had that prevented me from further developing my map:

- My laptop, which I usually drew my maps at, decided to beat the World's Record for Highest/Longest Jump falling from a 30-steps staircase;
- My old pc decided he wasn't going to do my laptop's work and fizzled one RAM side, leaving me with measly 8G of RAM which barely allowed me to grudgingly load the map at the scale I decided to go with;
- Huge workload increase when I was expecting to actually have more free time to work on it (had to unexpectedly travel and be away for almost 2 months);
- Procrastination - I kept doing smaller maps to improve my skills and was always "I'll get better and work on the big D next!" and rarely got back to it, specially for how troublesome was to work on it without slaughtering it in many pieces to reduce size;
- Competition - I always checked other maps and as many others didn't show much progress it kept me at "ease" because I wasn't the only one behind.

I should add that I'm the guilty one for not managing through the difficulties, nonetheless.

For thought material for the next one:

I believe a "gated-eliminatory-rounds" setup would be the best to solve many of the problems incurred in this one, something along the lines:

- Every 2 months you must obtain minimum scores to "clear" the base for the eliminatory-round. These scores would be given by judges, or CMs, or whoever is decided to judge. Let's say scores go from 5-10 and you must obtain 6,5 or so to move forward to the next round.

- 4 Main "Bases" would be defined - Shape (Continents shape, islands, borders details, fractalization...), Geostructures (Mountains, hills, vegetation, trees, rivers shapes, connections...), Civilization Structures and Political Matters (cities, landmarks, paths, roads, flags, shields, political borders and indicators...), Finishing Touches and Cartography Elements (Border, compass, labels, presentation...).

- You must clear these Bases every time, with the minimum score, and the ones that keep moving forward get their scores weighted and added. After 8 months and 4 Bases cleared, each "surviving" competitor receives their judges final mark.

- After the Judges Final Mark (JFM) we open a 1 month period for Public Voting (PV). So that members in the guild can vote for the maps they like and so, much like we do today.

- After this 1 month period, and 9 months total so far, we have JFM+PV which is the Final Score (FS) and thus, the Winner and Runners are finally known.

- After FS revelation, we can have yet again another 1 month period for the Winner Compass Contest (I thought it's a neat idea), followed by 1 month period for voting, taking us to 11 months total so far.

- So, after 11 months we have the Winner for the Annual + Compass Choice and also have 1 month to advertise the winning maps and participants, all within a 1-year period and with plenty of time for people to do their maps and others to follow the competition, not allowing it to fall under the Procrastination Abyss or without any meaningful development by the majority of maps ever happening.

P.S. I also believe a narrower spectrum would force cartographers to come up with better results, overall. If not for the theme of the map, something like defining Max Size or Max Dimensions or X,Y,Z elements must be present...something that do not inhibit creation, but makes it harder without being inventive.

P.S.S. Duh...Almost same idea of Coriolis, with slight change on dates and frames!

[Chick]

After reading all these ideas, I find I pretty much agree with fabio p:

I would like to see something like this: Some categories are established: ...

My list would be

Best city/town map
Best regional/world fantasy map
Best encounter map
Best dungeon/indoor/underground map
Best space map
Best real world map
Most creative, original or unique map
Most improved skill member

...Each year. starting, say, in November, everybody can post a map made in that year ... Only requirements: the map should be complete and created in the year of the competition...

I think those are both very important:

Complete!
Created entirely in the year of competition.



And in fact, I would love to see the regular/lite challenges include some of these categories!

[Cuin]

Hi all,

Because I took part in the challenge I'd like to comment. For me, I really like the annual challenge b/c I can't find the time to make a great map in just one month. Maybe that's unique to me.

I think many of the participants learned something about logistics needed to tackle a large project. Which is a big upside! It was many member's first time with such a project. I'd suspect if we changed nothing about the challenge, next year's results would be improved.

I don't favor imposed timelines. Entrants should learn to set their own deadlines and develop a time-line that is effective for them. A CG decided-upon time-line would impose too much on personal schedules (I think) especially for special circumstances (death in family, etc.). Perhaps 'suggested' deadlines that entrants can refer to if desired.

I agree with Max, the annual challenge should be grand. I also like their idea of a map set. But also agree there are challenges there. Some regular challenges I find to be pretty grand . What is different about the annual challenge vs. the regular? To me the challenge is the management of a long and large project rather than the map itself. And, it appears many of us (and our maps) would benefit from developing that skill.

We only have a sample size of one, which in statistics... is meaningless. I think it best to have patience, and just try it again. The year of the monkey may be different.

[mbartelsm]

I'm gonna comment as someone who wanted to participate but due to various reasons didn't.

Many have already pointed out the fact that one year is way too long of a timelapse for such an event. I'd like to also add that the Annual Challenge wasn't a challenge but a contest (not that there's anything wrong with it). I think it would be better to change the Annual challenge into one of two things:

An awards ceremony. Something like the Academy awards but for maps, these annual awards could be categorized by 'genre' of map (world map, city map, dungeon map, etc) or by specific competences (best overall map, best symbolism, best artistic quality, best tutorial, etc). Since checking every single map posted on the forum can be a problem it should probably be limited to the finished maps subforum.

The other option is a Bi-annual Challenge or another type of challenge with a timespan lesser than a whole year. It should probably be constrained in some way to actually make it a challenge other than just having to compete with the other members, but still be open enough to appeal to a large portion of the community. Or, it could evaluate a specific discipline within mapmaking.

[Deadshade]

I would like to see something like this: Some categories are established: eg: best city map, best regional fantasy map, best space map et cetera. We could even have categories like best original idea, best improved skill member or stick only to more traditional categories like the first I meentioned.
Each year. starting, say, in November, everybody can post a map made in that year; it can be an already published map, even a map that’s already been uploaded for a challenge and that’s been awarded with a compass; or an original one, created specifically for those who would become the annual (yearly) awards (or whatever name you want to give: a sort of academy awards of the Guild; the Guild Awards).
.

Excellent suggestion I 100% agree with.
Especially the idea of categories. Indeed I have always found it difficult if not impossible to compare/vote real countryside maps on one side with building pictures or with things I call "appartment plans" on the other side.
Clearly these categories are so different in complexity, techniques, skills, creativity and esthetics that they shouldn't be mixed in a single challenge.
Your idea is like an Oscar competition - best world of the year, best town of the year, best appartment of the year (if one wants to call that cartography too).
I definitely like it much.

[vorropohaiah]

Is there going to be one this year, or are you still mulling over the suggestions? I'm so peeved i missed this last year and didnt have a chance to take part

[ChickPea]

Nothing's been decided. I'm not even sure if it'll be repeated, though I'd personally hope that we could get something going, even if not in quite the same format as last year. I'll raise it again and see what can be worked out.

Thanks for the reminder.