Y470 Cultural Contest: FAQ

RazmaelRazmael Administrator, Immortal
edited November 2017 in Aetolia Development
I'll be updating this thread with questions we get asked regarding the Y470 Cultural Contest, so everybody has access to the same information. Also feel free to ask more questions in this thread!

Here is the announce post for reference:
Citizens of Sapience,
The Celebration Committee of Delve, with full approval of the Council of Five, would like to 
announce the return of the Celebration of the Stars for the year 470!

For this decade's Celebration, the city of Delve is interested in the culture and history of 
Sapience! To that end, we invite you all to participate in a city-wide culture contest. We would 
like each city to propose to us a full design document for a cultural exhibit that we will set up 
on your behalf in the Celebration grounds. Details follow.

Requirements
------------
- You must design a minimum of one (1) room, up to a maximum of five (5) rooms, for your
   city's cultural exhibit. This needs:
     * Room title.
     * Room description.
     * Overall room layout, how they connect to each other.

- You can design up to a maximum of five (5) NPCs, but you can only have a maximum of 
  one NPC per room.
     * These NPCs are citizens from your city that are coming to Delve on your
        city's behalf to talk about exhibit contents.
     * Description needs: Appearance, Dropped, Examined, Enter message, Exit Message.
     * You must design a dialogue script for the NPC.
        - You must design a response for them being GREETed, where they will
           introduce what they can talk about.
        - You can design up to six (6) subjects they can talk about.
     * You can optionally design random periodic emotes the NPC will do.
        e.g. cleaning the exhibit, straightening outfit and so on.

- You can design up to a maximum of fifteen (15) items/exhibit pieces, with a maximum of
   three items per room.
     * These are cultural items that your city should be reasonably be able to bring to an exhibit.
     * Description needs: Appearance, Dropped, Examined.
     * You can optionally describe written text so people can READ the item.
     * You can optionally design a number of simple interactions that the item can respond to.
     * At maximum, these responses can only simple text responses, up to three sentences long.
       These sentences can be split up and show one every couple of seconds if desired.
        - The valid interactions you can supply are: TURN, PULL, PUSH, TOUCH, or targeted with
           any predefined emote that EMSHOW works for. (e.g. ponder would be valid, since
           EMSHOW PONDER works).

Guidelines
----------
- A culture exhibit in this instance is anything that represents the culture, ideals or history of
   your city.
- Descriptions should follow standard crafting principles for length. While we won't be hard
   limiting this, we may deduct points from descriptions that grossly exceed traditional
   maximum length requirements. For reference, crafting description max character limits are:
     * Appearance, 50 chars. We'll be hardest on this one.
     * Dropped, 85 chars. More wiggle room on this.
- Items/Exhibit Pieces/NPCs must be appropriate for your city.
     * e.g. no Arqeshi representing Bloodloch, or Nazetu representing Enorian.
     * No Ascended races.
     * Items/Exhibit Pieces are something your city could within reason make.
        - i.e. no full scale statues made from super rare materials.
        - Or clockwork machinery/magitek.

Judging
-------
Judging will be based mainly on the following aspects:
- Theme
     * How well does your cultural exhibit tell us about your city and Sapience?
- Quality
     * This includes anything from the actual writing itself, through to the execution.
- Appropriateness
     * This is a contest where your city is submitting a culture exhibit intended to impress 
       a foreign city council, and should be appropriate for such.
       - Gaudy things like torture and slavery won't go over too well!

Prizes
------
- Prizes will only be awarded to those that successfully submit a complete proposal that
   gets implemented.

- All cities will get the cultural exhibit area linked up permanently to their city after the
  Celebration has ended (It'll be linked to the Delve celebration grounds until then).

- The winning city will receive:
     * 1000 credits to distribute how they please.
     * The Epicurus in Meditation statue, until such a time we run another
       city-wide contest with this as a prize.
     * 100 copies of a new 'starry' style scroll to distribute how they please.
     * 30-day star aura.
     * 1x each of the leystone types.
     * Exclusive access to a new 'model/exhibit' design in Furniture.

- Second place city will receive:
     * 700 credits to distribute how they please.
     * 30 copies of a new 'starry' style scroll to distribute how they please.

- Third place city will receive:
     * 500 credits to distribute how they please
     * 10 copies of a new 'starry' style scroll to distribute how they please.

- Fourth place city will receive:
     * 300 credits to distribute how they please.

Submission
----------
For ease of submission, please have your nominated project leader e-mail the complete design
document to support@aetolia.com. Each city leader will need to message me (Suresh) with the
name of someone they want to act as the project leader. For Duiran's case, we will speak to the
leader council and nominate someone to act as the proposal leader for submission via majority
agreement.

All designs must be submitted by 1ST DECEMBER 2017, MIDNIGHT GMT (i.e. the Howling
between 30th November and 1st December, GMT). This time will be added to the EVENTS 
schedule for ease of translation to your local times. Make sure to update your CONFIG 
TIMEZONE to adjust for daylight savings. Failure to submit a complete proposal by that time will
disqualify your city from the contest.

Once we have reviewed your design, we will submit it back to you with our requests for 
revisions needed to make it fit into the world. There is a deadline of 72 hours to make 
requested revisions and submit it back.


Afterword
---------
We are still planning out the exact dates and prize details for the rest of the Celebration events 
and will announce them in the near future. Our local celebrity, Grand Chef Siraj el-Ferar will 
additionally be announcing sometime soon a cooking contest to exhibit the foods of Sapience.


Q: Is the NPC limit on the contest a maximum of 6 subjects per NPC, or 6 subjects total that need to be divided among the NPC's?
A: It's 6 subjects max per NPC.

Q: Do you want us to use existing mobs, or make brand new ones?
A: You should be making new mobs (and items!) as this is partly a design/writing contest as well. Wouldn't be much of a contest if you just copy/pasted something in!

Q: How complex can the dialogue for each subject the NPCs can talk about be? A single say, multiple says, says and emotes?
A: You can have 5 'slots', so to speak, be it says or emotes. Keep in mind reading attention spans and the intention to give an overview rather than detailed analysis.

Q: Can the interactive items be set up in such a way that they allow access to another room in the exhibit, i.e. the only way to get into that room is to open a trapdoor, for example?
A: Rooms must be connected up via normal exits. As per the contest details, interactive items can only provide simple text responses.

Q: For the Celebration exhibit contest, can there be multiple interactions per object?
A: Up to five total per object (we forgot to mention that in the post)

Q: Can the NPCs walk around our rooms, or do they have to stay stationary to one location?
A: Stationary

Q: Is it possible to make the interactive objects mechanically mirror stages like the one in the lover's fling and the Spinesreach circus?
A: No, this is beyond the 'simple text response' constraints.

Q: Can the interactive objects involve class related abilities like glowing crystals, Syssin Bedazzle dust, etc? By that I mean I want one of my items to utilize these aspects as part of the flavor of the interaction, and I'm wondering if this is too much of a stretch that would fall into the category of something we can't "feasibly construct" or "magitech."
Q: Much of Duiran is tied to Dendara. A lot of Dendara stuff glows fey green. But going by crafting rules, once you take something magical out of its natural environment, it's not magical anymore. Can we have Dendara stuff be glowy or do we have to mimic it like you would in a museum, for example?
A: To the above: some leeway may be given, but it is something that would be case by case. Keeping in mind player skills, technology levels, etc, if you can frame it in a way that works, we can certainly negotiate. How would something from Dendara live in the prime material plane, and on another continent where things work a bit differently? It will help if you can fill those gaps, so it is a matter of refinement rather than working through whether or not it would be possible by world physics.

The closer you are to common crafting, the easier it is.

Q: Regarding object interactions: would it be allowed to use the same prompt (like turn) for different interaction messages? For example, you could TURN THING and it would pick one of four interactions at random to give back to you. Or, in a different scenario, could the same prompt be used to give multiple interaction messages but in a certain order? Each time you PUSH THING it would give you the next interaction.
A: For the former, you could do at a maximum of 3 randomized one-sentence reactions. For the latter, no, but you could space out the reactions as if it was gaining multiple uses.The reason this is otherwise a 'no' is it could leave the object mid-use to someone else coming in, until it resets. The goal of this is to offer some flexibility/variety without getting into using personal variables, considering the volume of things being put together across all four cities.

Q: Does the text for people to READ count as one of the interaction "slots"? Does it also have a maximum of three sentences?
A: READ does not count as an interaction slot. Read can be longer, though the advice would be to keep it within one reasonably-contained/read paragraph.

Q: Just to clarify: for each subject an NPC can talk about, there are five 'slots'. So does that mean we can split up their little speech amongst multiple says/emotes?
A: Yes.

Q: If say, we have one of our objects being a 'book' (I was thinking of the Revelation), would I need to pick out various sections of it and apply it to 'READ', or would having a copy of the already written context work. Basically, how would using a Book as an object need to be worked?
A: If you would like to submit a book you have created as an exhibit, it would be easiest if you provided it already written. We can adjust its permanence and keep it from being taken by others, and alter its appearance/dropped/examined. Important as some texts may be to organizations, keep in mind that this is an exhibit. Passersby aren't going to stop and read a novel, regardless of the revelations it might contain, and neither will delegates in this context and environment. Using a book to circumvent the limitations of information placed on the other objects may not work in your favour.

Comments

  • RazmaelRazmael Administrator, Immortal
    edited November 2017
    Q: Do you want us to use existing mobs, or make brand new ones?
    A: You should be making new mobs (and items!) as this is partly a design/writing contest as well. Wouldn't be much of a contest if you just copy/pasted something in!
  • How complex can the dialogue for each subject the NPCs can talk about be? A single say, multiple says, says and emotes?
  • You can have 5 'slots', so to speak, be it says or emotes. Keep in mind reading attention spans and the intention to give an overview rather than detailed analysis.
  • Thanks. That will certainly help with structure and pacing, and I can avoid over-long information dumps.
  • Can the interactive items be set up in such a way that they allow access to another room in the exhibit, i.e. the only way to get into that room is to open a trapdoor, for example?
  • RazmaelRazmael Administrator, Immortal
    Fezzix said:

    Can the interactive items be set up in such a way that they allow access to another room in the exhibit, i.e. the only way to get into that room is to open a trapdoor, for example?

    Rooms must be connected up via normal exits. As per the contest details, interactive items can only provide simple text responses.
  • KodazaKodaza Los Angeles
    Can the NPCs walk around our rooms, or do they have to stay stationary to one location?

  • AnteheAntehe Immortal
    edited November 2017
    - You can design up to a maximum of five (5) NPCs, but you can only have a maximum of one NPC per room.

    Considering this, they would stay put, so that there is only one in each room.
    Kodaza
  • is it possible to make the interactive objects mechanically mirror stages like the one in the lover's fling and the Spinesreach circus?

  • RazmaelRazmael Administrator, Immortal
    Q: For the Celebration exhibit contest, can there be multiple interactions per object?
    A: Up to five total per object (we forgot to mention that in the post)
  • Can the interactive objects involve class related abilities like glowing crystals, Syssin Bedazzle dust, etc? By that I mean I want one of my items to utilize these aspects as part of the flavor of the interaction, and I'm wondering if this is too much of a stretch that would fall into the category of something we can't "feasibly construct" or "magitech."
  • PhoeneciaPhoenecia The Merchant of Esterport Somewhere in Attica
    I have a similar question. Much of Duiran is tied to Dendara. A lot of Dendara stuff glows fey green. But going by crafting rules, once you take something magical out of its natural environment, it's not magical anymore. Can we have Dendara stuff be glowy or do we have to mimic it like you would in a museum, for example?
  • To the above: some leeway may be given, but it is something that would be case by case. Keeping in mind player skills, technology levels, etc, if you can frame it in a way that works, we can certainly negotiate. How would something from Dendara live in the prime material plane, and on another continent where things work a bit differently? It will help if you can fill those gaps, so it is a matter of refinement rather than working through whether or not it would be possible by world physics.

    The closer you are to common crafting, the easier it is.
  • edited November 2017
    Regarding object interactions: would it be allowed to use the same prompt (like turn) for different interaction messages? For example, you could TURN THING and it would pick one of four interactions at random to give back to you. Or, in a different scenario, could the same prompt be used to give multiple interaction messages but in a certain order? Each time you PUSH THING it would give you the next interaction.
  • KodazaKodaza Los Angeles
    edited November 2017
    Per the announce post!
    • You can optionally describe written text so people can READ the item.
    • You can optionally design a number of simple interactions that the item can respond to.
    • At maximum, these responses can only simple text responses, up to three sentences long. These sentences can be split up and show one every couple of seconds if desired.
    Does the text for people to READ count as one of the interaction "slots"? Does it also have a maximum of three sentences?

  • @Magnhild - For the former, you could do at a maximum of 3 randomized one-sentence reactions. For the latter, no, but you could space out the reactions as if it was gaining multiple uses.The reason this is otherwise a 'no' is it could leave the object mid-use to someone else coming in, until it resets. The goal of this is to offer some flexibility/variety without getting into using personal variables, considering the volume of things being put together across all four cities.

    @Kodaza - READ does not count as an interaction slot. Read can be longer, though the advice would be to keep it within one reasonably-contained/read paragraph.

    Kodaza
  • PhoeneciaPhoenecia The Merchant of Esterport Somewhere in Attica
    Just to clarify: for each subject an NPC can talk about, there are five 'slots'. So does that mean we can split up their little speech amongst multiple says/emotes?
  • Yes.
  • Going off of @Kodaza 's question. If say, we have one of our objects being a 'book' (I was thinking of the Revelation), would I need to pick out various sections of it and apply it to 'READ', or would having a copy of the already written context work. Basically, how would using a Book as an object need to be worked?
  • If you would like to submit a book you have created as an exhibit, it would be easiest if you provided it already written. We can adjust its permanence and keep it from being taken by others, and alter its appearance/dropped/examined. Important as some texts may be to organizations, keep in mind that this is an exhibit. Passersby aren't going to stop and read a novel, regardless of the revelations it might contain, and neither will delegates in this context and environment. Using a book to circumvent the limitations of information placed on the other objects may not work in your favour.
  • Well.. it wasn't ever really my intention to use it for the purpose of circumventing. Which is why I asked if it'd be better if I clipped pieces into "Read" instead. But that's good to know.
  • What's the desired format for turn-in?

  • Medium: In the email body, or attached via word or .txt

    Format: Generally keep things grouped as relevant. Example:
    Mob: 
    a small bug
    
    A small bug is here.
    
    This bug is small and could easily be squashed underfoot. Its hard shell has a metallic green sheen.
    
    Gooey and squished, a small bug's corpse is smeared here.
    
    A small bug skitters in from the $DIR.
    
    A flash of green betrays the departure of a small bug.
    
    
    Greeted: 
    A small bug raises its antennae in greeting.
    - Where is food?
    - Anything interesting?
    
    Where is food?:
    A small bug skitters over to the corner where some breadcrumbs are found.
    **wait**
    Spindly appendages at work, a small bug picks up a crumb and offers it to you.
    
    etc. 
    
    For objects:
    TURN:
    You turn the crystal within its base, adjusting its seat to display a different rune.
    
  • For objects, will there be interaction hints when probed?

    For interactions, can references to the room mob be made, suggesting reactions?
    (i.e)Touch Crystal: You reach out to touch the crystal earning a discouraging look from a small bug.

  • RazmaelRazmael Administrator, Immortal
    Xenia said:

    For objects, will there be interaction hints when probed?

    For interactions, can references to the room mob be made, suggesting reactions?
    (i.e)Touch Crystal: You reach out to touch the crystal earning a discouraging look from a small bug.

    Yes & Yes.
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