Iron Modder: February 8

Remove all ads!

With an insane gleam in my eye and the satisfying crunch of a bell pepper, I am pleased to announce the return of Infinity Stadium, which will host a battle of Iron Modders on Sunday February 8. This is an open Call to Arms to modders who want a unique challenge. It follows the successful inaugural Iron Modder competition of March 2003.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Iron Chef concept, you may immerse yourself in wisdom at http://www.ironchef.com but here's the basic setup:

An insane overlord character (Chairman Kaga) assembles chefs in Kitchen Stadium and announces a special "theme" ingredient. The chefs then have one hour to create a complete multi-course dinner that best illustrates that theme. So if the theme is, say, bell peppers, you would expect to see a soup that included bell peppers, a main course that included bell peppers, etc.

Well, here in Infinity Stadium, the setup is like this:

- I am the insane overlord.

- On Sunday February 8 at 12 noon US Central time (10 AM Pacific, 1 PM Eastern, 6 PM UK, 7 PM Europe), I will announce a mod theme on the General Mod Discussion forum on the Forgotten Wars Projects forum, http://forums.forgottenwars.net

- Any and all comers will have FOUR (4) HOURS to complete a mod that best illustrates that theme. This is a change from the first contest where only 3 hours were allowed. The scope of the mod is entirely up to the creator, so long as it is DELIVERED TO ME IN WORKING FORM before the 4-hour time limit expires. You don't need to pre-register or declare your intent or anything like that. It's a free-for-all. Your submission to me indicates your participation.

Here's a rough idea of how this will work.

Let's say the theme I announce is "Kobold Mania."

Modder X chooses to create a battle with 10,000 kobolds.
Modder Y chooses to implement ten NPC banters where the NPCs discuss the opinion of and history with kobolds.
Modder Z chooses to make the Kobold Shaman in the slums sewer a party-joinable NPC.

All three modders have illustrated the theme, even though their mods are totally different. But only one will be declared the IRON MODDER!

- REQUIREMENTS:

Mods must work on an otherwise unmodded BG2 install. SOA or TOB accepted.

Mods must be in my hands before the 4-hour time limit elapses. I will accept them via e-mail or IRC/IM transfer (I am on both ICQ and AIM.) If the mod is obviously in transit when time elapses (like, the transfer window is open) it will still be accepted.


All entries must include a basic plain text (.txt file, e-mail body, whatever) description of what the mod is and how the judges can see the changes implemented in the game. We will have a THIRTY MINUTE LIMIT on playing the mod, so if, for instance, you change every CRE in the game to a kobold, we'll only play it for 30 minutes to see how clever you were, we won't play SOA in its entirety. Awww.

WeiDU/TP2 install format is strongly, strongly, strongly urged, among other reasons because it has backup capability. IAP-SFX is allowed IF AND ONLY IF your mod does not overwrite ANY existing game files--no scripts, no 2DAs, no CREs, nothing. No other formats will be accepted.

- Just as the Iron Chef competitors can come to the table with some ingredients and menu items mostly planned (pending the announcement of the secret theme ingredient), we will be loose about the use of existing content, such as community AI scripts and so forth. Any gross re-use of published content may be met with narrowed eyes: if the theme were Kobold Mania and Modder Q turned in Improved Yaga-Shura, and the only thing different about it is that he says "I hate kobolds," it won't be very impressive. Pre-existing content should be documented in the README so the scope of your work can be more fully evaluated.

- Just as the Iron Chef competitors have kitchen assistants, we will allow you to work with lackeys and gophers and such if you so choose. However, only one modder's name will appear in the honor roll for the finished work. Like in the kitchen, the sous-chef has to get out of the shadow of the master if he wants official recognition.

- Judging will be conducted by me and whomever else I get to help me. In the spirit of Iron Chef, old men and skinny Asian girls will be preferred. Judging is likely to be quite arbitrary. The idea is to have fun. If you're interested in judging, contact me, although the contest needs modders more than it needs judges.

- Prize(s): To Be Determined, although maybe there's a signed portrait of Kelsey in it for the winner.

- All mods will be proudly made available for download from the Forgotten Wars site for the benefit of the general community. They remain your property, though, of course.

- I swear on the soul of Gene Rayburn that I will not reveal the theme to anyone before the competition commences. Hint: it's not gonna be the kobold thing.

- Last year's entries can be seen here-- http://3ddownloads.com/forge/forgottenwars/Iron%20Modder

[ January 16, 2004, 21:54: Message edited by: jcompton ]