*** September 2009 Challenge - Passage of Time ***

[Gandwarf]

Yes, I guess you could use a masterpiece and only tweak a few things to show the passage of time. We would like to see a lot more effort however, so the new piece should almost be an entirely new map. That is one of the core rules. You should submit a map that you made specifically for the challenge.

This is a special challenge though, so let's see how it turns out when people are allowed to take a previous map as the basis. One thing I have learned is that the people on this forum act very grownup. Also, we are not giving away Oscars or something...

If I am wrong, there's even an award for messing things up

Thanks for your comment by the way.

[Ascension]

Personally, I think we should let it go and see what happens. If someone does do as Imm says then we will know to be more restrictive for future challenges. Although there is no real way to prevent someone from just taking an old piece (that hasn't been shown before) and if it fits the challenge then just throw that up. In the end, we trust in everyone's good intentions...until it becomes time to not do so. If you feel that someone is violating the essence of the challenge or outright cheating then just send a private message to a community leader and we will review it.

We try to be a real guildhall and as professional and courteous as possible. What we do is very niche so there will be a bad seed every once in a while. The main goal is to always expand your repertoire and learn new things, prizes are secondary. This is also why we try to stay away from basic challenges like "draw a castle" because just about everyone has a castle or two laying around in cold storage that they could throw up at any moment (note to self, draw some castles).

The essence of the challenge is to start and finish a map in a certain time frame as this will help people get used to working around schedules. It's all about having fun and learning so experiment and have fun with it. If you earn some respect or inspire someone or teach them something that they didn't know - I count that as a win so that's why I do what I do...winning is nice but respect is better. And nearly every one of us knows what that feels like when you "wow" someone either with a great map or a great technique or a great trick. So map on my friends.

[MysticMagellan]

I like this conversation and the candid responses. Everyone has a good point, and I think they are all well said. When I heard about this challenge I was both excited and sad at the same time because I've already got my Taristal map completed and was intending to work on another map for the site that represents the city (now called "Shardport") that it would become centuries after a magical disaster that occurred early after it's founding. Personally, even though the rules have expanded to allow me to do this and enter it in the challenge, I think I'll do a new map instead, mostly because I don't think I'd be challenging myself enough with the Shardport project since I planned both maps before I began the first.

Another thing to take into account is the amount of work required for certain maps. If someone is doing a passage of time layout on a city like Oten-Jo, then I'll be really impressed. If it's a small town, maybe not so much unless there is a very creative difference. Anyway, I think there are challenges to be faced either way and I'd like to see what people come up with both with using prior maps and without.

PS - If I get the time the map I will be creating for this challenge will be a Tomb with Egyptian themes. The first being the original layout, the second being a partially sand-filled, collapsed, and looted version discovered a few hundred years later.

[Cisticola]

Hi folks...am I late?

Sorry been very ill of late...getting back to full strength slowly....

This looks a cool topic....how long I got?....when's the closing date?.....better get mapping

[ravells]

*** This challenge will end on or about the 25th of September...when I get the time to close it ***

Plenty of time!

[töff]

25th, the deadline?

I'm screwed. I have only Sunday the 27th to work on -- and finish! -- my piece.

Whose wife do I have to sleep with, to the get the deadline pushed to the 28th?

[ravells]

They key words are 'on or about' the 25th. It just depends on who is around and has time to close it.

[töff]

Well, "on or about late on the 27th," my piece will be as done as it'll ever be in the month of September.

[demetri0us]

I've lurked here for a year now, I always intend to join the contest, this time I might just make it... Now if I can figure out how to post...

Is the deadline, like 11:59? ...or just sometime that day?

[Gamerprinter]

Hard to say, the CLs have been trying to be more timely about getting the challenge closed on time, allowing plenty of time for the next challenge, but its gone as far as the end of the first week of the next month. Though like I said, they are trying to get it right recently.

GP