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DV's Level Contest #1 - Sand in Your Boots

Archive: 54 posts

http://i.imgur.com/nsFBc7N.png
Many thanks to Wafflegod345 for the awesome poster he created!

Hey everybody, this is Dragonvarsity, and I'd like to present a new series of level contests to the forum. We all admire the hard work put into big, official site contests, but the 'Community Contest' subforum was created for a reason I think, and that's to allow for smaller-scale contests to peacefully coexist with the larger kind of competitions crafted by big teams that work tirelessly for our lovely fansites. (We salute you, guys and gals!) What the big official site contests have offered have been great and imaginative, but they can also feel intimidating sometimes, offering up big prizes now and again (with the recent LBN contest especially proving this point) and they typically draw in a dozen big faces automatically.

But hey, those aren't really that big of a deal. In the end, we all just hope to have a ton of fun when competing, and heated competition right off the bat can make things even more interesting. Still though, some site contests have faced some irregular scheduling lately, and.. it is to be expected. They're teams who run these things, so crew members join, while others eventually have to drop. Sometimes other platforms and games like LBP Vita have to be accommodated for, and people of other regions need to be heavily considered. The LBP community is divided across several forums too, so timing can be key for the larger contests, especially as the community has become more "quiet" recently, and the bigger prizes means more to risk.

So then, what I propose is this: A series of community contests starting right here, right now. Because it's not tied to the site, it might not seem as intimidating. Because I'm doing this all by myself, communication between other team members is not a worry. And because this series is just starting out, I've decided to go with a simpler theme, as well as a smaller prize, but with the promise of a consistent schedule of contests. Now what are the downsides here? Well, I'll have to limit the contest to LBP2 and will be offering prizes that aren't as luxurious as some contests, but I won't have to be too careful about timing with different contests, since I really just plan for this to be one after the other after the other (although I'd be lying if I said that I didn't wait a little for SackQuest to get close to its deadline before starting this initial contest up). Now then, let's hop right into it!

Theme:
The theme for this initial contest is to create a level that heavily features the use of rocks and sand. What I mean, essentially, is to create a level set in a desert, underground, the outback, or in a canyon of sorts, mainly following egyptian and wild western cultural influences (if you want to go for something with a cultural influence, that is). So, walking into saloons and venturing deep into tombs or pyramids works greatly. Feel free to mix in other cultures too if you'd like, such as Wild West with Steampunk as seen in Steamworld Dig (http://steamworldgames.com/dig/), or Wild West, Space and Chinese as seen in the hit television series Firefly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_(TV_series)). Or how about a candy-filled desert, a series of ninja-infested canyons floating in the sky, etc. etc?

Existing levels that fit with this theme. (http://lbp.me/t/x6-s)

Prizes
1. $20.00 PSN code. (U.S. only, apologies to those outside my region)
2. A fancy, in-depth creator interview.
3. Top spot in a level hub created to compile all contest entries.
4. ..The sense of accomplishment from having won?

Rules for Entering:

Your level must be new, as in you cannot enter a previously published work. It must be created and submitted in LBP2 and contain "(DVLC1)" in the title, and it must be published within the entry window, which is between March 19th and 11:59 PM EST on March 28th (the deadline for this contest). All entries submitted after the deadline will be disqualified.

The level must also include gameplay, meaning it can't be a movie. Cutscenes are allowed for it of course, but there should still be a fair amount of playable portions.

I should be able to play through each level entry without needing a PS Move or PS Vita as a controller, as I own neither. To reiterate, every level entered must be playable using the PS3’s standard controller.

Only one level may be submitted per creator, and your level may only include one level slot. That means no use of level links to add additional thermo to your entry.

Once your level has been published, make sure to notify me either through this thread (preferred), by VMing/PMing me, or through twitter. Also make sure to say what region you’re in and to provide a link to your level's lbp.me page, just in case the search filters mess up when it’s time for me to judge everything.

You may republish your level at any point during the entry window (a.k.a. between March 20th and the deadline) but DO NOT republish after the deadline. Any level republished after this point will be disqualified, unless of course you need to fix a huge game-breaking bug or small details regarding the level title, description, or badge. If this is the case, make sure to tell me this by posting through the thread or sending me a PM, then wait for my approval before republishing. (Once judging is over and the winner's been announced, feel free to make any changes of course.)

Please respect the creators you are competing with, and the decisions I make when judging everything. This is supposed to be a fun community event, and just know that I plan to do many more of these types of contests in the future.

While that should cover the basics, I imagine many other questions could potentially pop up from those interested in entering. Because of this, I have created the following: (with some parts borrowed from existing FAQs, ehum..)

Q: Am I allowed to enter a previously published level?
A: No. As I said in the rules, all levels entered must be first published during the entry window.

Q: Can I enter a level I already have on my moon, but has yet to be published?
A: Yes. That’s definitely allowed.

Q: But couldn’t that give me an unfair advantage in the competition?
A: That’s one way of looking at it, but clearly you’d still need to put the effort in to make it look good. Besides, there’s no way I could figure out if you started making a level that fits the bill of the contest ages ago, and there’s really no point anyway.

Q: Are there certain DLC kits I’m not allowed to use when entering?
A: Nope, use whatever DLC kit you’d like when crafting your entry, so long as it doesn’t involve the Movinator, the Brain Crane, or the Vitanator. Other tools from the 'PS Move'/'Cross-Controller' kits that don't require other controllers, (e.g. wormholes) are fine to use.

Q: Am I allowed to receive assistance from other creators for my entry?
A: Yes, and even if that wasn’t okay, there’s no way I could monitor your creating activity anyway. However, if you do decide to work with others in designing an entry, please note that the prize(s) will be awarded to only one person. Decide upon who will receive the prize(s) if your entry wins and tell me this user’s name either through a private message or this thread. If argument breaks out and you cannot seem to decide who gets the prize, then I will simply award it to the publisher of the level. Please respect these rules and be careful if you decide to work with others for the contest.

Q: When will the judging start?
A: Proper judging will not begin until after the deadline. Nothing says I can’t look at some of the levels before the deadline, but I won't be looking into them very deeply until judging truly begins.

Q: Well, would you mind giving me some feedback on my entry when it’s been published so I can then republish it before the deadline and have a greater chance of winning?
A: Sorry, that’s not allowed. Asking for feedback from friends or whoever is fine, and taking that feedback to improve your level before the deadline hits is great and certainly strategic. But I am the one person (or one of thecpeople, if other judges are added) who you may not ask for any sort of feedback, given that I am (maybe one of) the judge(s) for the contest, as well as the host.

Q: When will the results be up?
A: This will vary depending on several factors: The number of entries, how long they all take to complete, and how difficult it will be to pick a winner. Judging every level, making an informed decision and creating the contest HUB/list shouldn't take more than two weeks though (and probably not even close to that).

Q: I'm not sure if my level fits the theme. How can I be sure that it fits?
A: In the OP is a link to a list of levels that would fit this theme. Feel free to play through those to make a good judgement. Otherwise, feel free to PM me sending me a bit of information about the ideas for your entry, and I'll do my best to determine if it fits. There shouldn't be too much overthinking with this theme though.

Q: Must the level be able to be played alone?
A: Nope, co-op levels are allowed, I'll just have to see who's interested in possibly playing alongside me in case co-op levels end up being entered to the contest.

Q: Are we limited to making a basic platformer as an entry for this contest, or can we try out other genres such as RPGs, shooters, survival challenges, or minigames?
A: Sure thing, any and all of those examples work fine, so long as the desert-esque theme is followed.

Q: Does the level have to be completed within a certain time period to qualify?
A: Nope, entries may be as short or as long as the creator wants. However, when judging, points may be deducted from levels for feeling that they are too short for what they offer or drag their substance out too much. Essentially, you can make your level as short or as long as you want and still enter it, but a suitable length is a plus. This shouldn't be much of an issue with minigames/survival challenges entered of course.

Q: Can you guarentee that you or any other possible judges will finish every level entered, no matter how difficult or dragging they may be?
A: I will do everything I can to complete every level entered, even for those who decide to make it overly punishing. For those who do try to make the level literally right on the edge of impossible though, I cannot guarantee I'll make it to the very end, but I will of course take into account what I managed to see, and why I couldn't make it to the end. But don't worry, I am positively sure I will be able to finish every level entered.

2014-02-26 16:30:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

2014-02-26 21:32:00

Author:
FreeAim

Posts: 2462

Very best of luck with this! Cool theme too. I always seem to have a lot of fun playing Wild West or Egyptian levels xD so I look forward to playing the entries when they're out.

2014-02-26 21:38:00

Author:
shropshirelass

Posts: 1455

As a price this contest can't reward me with anything material, but I might enter anyway. However, I am currently in the middle of creating my next level, "Dr. Kernkraft's Nuclear Rocket Into Madness", so I am not 100% sure whether I'll make an entry. If I have time, then certainly. The theme is good, I have yet to create a desert level in LBP2 and so on, but whether or not I'll have enough time next month to do anything is an entirely different thing in itself. But yeah, apart from timing, I have no issue with this.

So, depending on whether I get my now-in-creation level done soon enough, which depends on how the logic will work out in it and so on, then certainly, count me in.

Thanks a lot, FreeAim. It certainly bums me out that I can't do more for those outside my region, but unfortunately that's just one of the main downsides of hosting this by myself, and Sony certainly hasn't made it any easier, given that every alternative I think of ends up getting shot down by their overly restrictive sharing policies. Good luck with your current level by the way, it's already got a sweet name going for it.

Very best of luck with this! Cool theme too. I always seem to have a lot of fun playing Wild West or Egyptian levels xD so I look forward to playing the entries when they're out.

Thanks, I'm glad you both like the theme picked for this one. It took lots of unnecessary evaluating in some eerily dark studies of mine to choose it, but in the end, I felt like going for a desert-related contest was just what I wanted to kickstart this series with. ^^

2014-02-26 21:48:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

;-; why start a level contest in the middle of my coursework and EPQ.
Sorry, won't have time to enter this one, looks exciting though! Looking forward to playing the winning entries

2014-02-26 22:39:00

Author:
flamingemu

Posts: 1872

I have a vastly different idea from anything egyptian or western, but it's still desert based. Would that hurt my chances if I were to enter?

2014-02-27 04:25:00

Author:
Tynz21

Posts: 544

I have a vastly different idea from anything egyptian or western, but it's still desert based. Would that hurt my chances if I were to enter?

Not at all, levels entered do not have to follow a cultural theme in order to have a good shot at winning. I was simply pointing to "egyptian" and "western" themes so people would get a good idea that I want something desert-based. Going for something strictly desert-related (or with different themes like horror or futuristic mixed in as opposed to western/egyptian) works fine. I will keep an eye out for creative uses of presentation and gameplay mechanics however, but do note that a solid level with a simple desert theme and effective gameplay could also score first place.

So basically, if you're going to avoid the two main cultural influences I mentioned, so long as it's clearly set in a desert or with lots of sand or canyons nearby, you should be fine. Hopefully that clears things up for you.

2014-02-27 13:38:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

I haven't entered an LBP contest since the workshop golf challenge 5 years ago. I still have nightmares about that

But I might give this a go. I'm not US but meh

2014-02-27 13:55:00

Author:
ARD

Posts: 4291

I haven't entered an LBP contest since the workshop golf challenge 5 years ago. I still have nightmares about that

But I might give this a go. I'm not US but meh

Everyone likes fancy, in-depth interviews. ^^

2014-02-27 14:32:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

What about a level with rock puns?

"Find the gemerald and you'll be given a clean slate."
"Sorry, I only date boulder people."
"Granite? But I just got it!"

I could go on but I won't.

Nah!

"It's metamorphin time!"

2014-02-27 15:19:00

Author:
xxMATEOSxx

Posts: 1787

Nice idea by the way. (I just don't want people to think anywhere "rocky" goes like mountains or concrete roads.)

2014-02-27 15:30:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

I am going to enter. Yush.

2014-02-27 17:16:00

Author:
theIronHorse

Posts: 279

Thank you very much.

2014-02-27 22:44:00

Author:
Tynz21

Posts: 544

This is quite awesome. And I love the theme. If it only was for PSVita... But hey... I haven't created something in LBP2 in ages. And I want to create something with the hero cape so badly. Hmmmmmm so tempting

2014-02-28 00:26:00

Author:
yugnar

Posts: 1478

I haven't entered an LBP contest since the workshop golf challenge 5 years ago.

I tell a lie! I did enter a beta contest a few months later which is where I got my bugblaster. But yeah I'll definitely enter this, I've actually started creating properly again hooray!

2014-02-28 13:13:00

Author:
ARD

Posts: 4291

Well, I'll have to limit the contest to LBP2 and will be offering prizes that aren't as luxurious as some contests, but I won't have to be too careful abo

As I don't play much oftenly on PS3, I won't enter in this contest, but good luck to allof you who are entering!

2014-02-28 19:23:00

Author:
cakito123

Posts: 353

Crud, I just finished a western level but its for the LBN contest, after that im off to the vita to create. Best of luck everyone!!!

2014-02-28 23:14:00

Author:
L-I-M-I

Posts: 611

I've already started putting my entry together! Here's to getting it done!Good luck everyone!

2014-03-01 04:17:00

Author:
vezonfan01

Posts: 293

I try to enter it. Lets do it.

2014-03-01 11:52:00

Author:
Sandro8708

Posts: 625

Ideas are flowing
Thoughts are gathering
Juices are... juicing!
...
...

I'm in!

2014-03-05 00:59:00

Author:
Wafflegod345

Posts: 74

And so the power of the Juicebox Hero shall be brought to bear.

2014-03-05 03:01:00

Author:
xxMATEOSxx

Posts: 1787

Thanks for all the nice feedback, everyone! And good luck vez, Sandro, Waffle, Iron, Tynz, Mateos, and anyone else who might try entering. ^^

By the way, if you happen to be on twitter, the contest now has its own super-slick hashtag, (#DVLC1) for shameless promotion, of course. ^^

2014-03-05 14:37:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

Waffle, Iron

lol

I've started a level for this anyway so woohoo good luck everyone

2014-03-05 14:57:00

Author:
ARD

Posts: 4291

Nice good luck to everyone!

2014-03-05 16:32:00

Author:
Five-Ate-Five

Posts: 197

Might give this a shot, just for funsies

Kind of need a break from my WIP anyway. That stinker's been weighing me down a lot recently.

2014-03-05 20:38:00

Author:
grayspence

Posts: 1990

i'll give it a shot...

2014-03-05 22:24:00

Author:
Tikaki-MooMoo

Posts: 524

Positive news: I will be entering this contest!

Negative news: I will not have too much time to do the level, so huh.

2014-03-07 13:00:00

Author:
FreeAim

Posts: 2462

Question: are you only allowed to create a "basic" platformer or are top down rpgs, survivals, and minigames allowed?

2014-03-08 19:17:00

Author:
DawnBreaker_23

Posts: 568

Question: are you only allowed to create a "basic" platformer or are top down rpgs, survivals, and minigames allowed?

Dang it, should've thought about that... ummm.. hmm. Top down rpgs should be okay, even though they are very different, and would still have to remain consistent in their design. As for minigames/survival challenges, I'm not sure if I should judge those alongside standard levels.

Anyway though, thanks for asking Dawn.

2014-03-08 20:19:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

Oh I should have asked about that I forgot. The level I've been making is a survival challenge. If that's not acceptable that's fine, but I don't have time to make another entry

2014-03-09 01:24:00

Author:
Tynz21

Posts: 544

Hmm. I have a similar issue. I think I can work something on mine though.

2014-03-09 03:33:00

Author:
xxMATEOSxx

Posts: 1787

Well, I don't want to block entries just because of my careless mistake, I'm just not sure if survival challenges and standard levels shoukd be judged together. If you guys have any thoughts on the matter, feel free to discuss.

2014-03-09 03:57:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

Maybe have a different judging criteria for each one? Like
platform:
Gameplay: ?/5
Enjoyability:?/5
Design:?/5

Minigame:
Creativity:?/5
Replay value:?/5
Enjoyability:?/5

I think you get the idea (:

2014-03-09 04:15:00

Author:
DawnBreaker_23

Posts: 568

I wish I had found out earlier, but I might consider entering just because my current SackQuest entry is not looking too well! XD Anyways, I think I could help more as a judge, so if you need any help that way send me a PM!

P.S. I hear that the whole site is a bit buggy, so I'm not even sure if things like the PM system still work... Oh well, good luck to you DV and anyone else who may be entering!

2014-03-09 05:53:00

Author:
Bryan_Zuckerberg

Posts: 874

Okay, scratch what I said in my last couple of posts in this thread.

After some helpful advice from a friend on this site, I have decided that levels of other genres, may they be RPGs, minigames, or whatever, will be eligible for entering. At first I worried about judging all kinds of different levels but you know what, creativity is key here, and while placing restrictions can help a contest, I'm not going to limit it to basic platformers.

By the way, I've updated the PAQ with three new questions, one regarding level genres like I just answered, with the other two having to do with length and difficulty.

Oh I should have asked about that I forgot. The level I've been making is a survival challenge. If that's not acceptable that's fine, but I don't have time to make another entry

That should be fine now that I've changed my mind. Good luck with your level, and hopefully my flip-flopping in deciding whether it'd work hasn't brought forth too much confusion.

Hmm. I have a similar issue. I think I can work something on mine though.

Again, my apologies. I hope you didn't change it too much in a weird way to fit my rules only for me to make a switcharoo allowing for your previous version. :L

Maybe have a different judging criteria for each one? Like
platform:
Gameplay: ?/5
Enjoyability:?/5
Design:?/5

Minigame:
Creativity:?/5
Replay value:?/5
Enjoyability:?/5

I think you get the idea (:

Good idea, although I might just morph some of those parts together since having two separate forms of judging with only one winner could lead to messy results, no offence.

I wish I had found out earlier, but I might consider entering just because my current SackQuest entry is not looking too well! XD Anyways, I think I could help more as a judge, so if you need any help that way send me a PM!

P.S. I hear that the whole site is a bit buggy, so I'm not even sure if things like the PM system still work... Oh well, good luck to you DV and anyone else who may be entering!

Nice, and thanks for the offer. Because getting opinions from multiple players can be important, I'll definitely consider that. ^^ Oh, and thanks for warning me about LBPC. I know it's been having some problems lately, so I'll definitely keep alternatives like e-mail or PSN messages in mind if that works out better.

2014-03-12 04:07:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

This does sound like fun. I might enter it a little bit, setting maximum create time at 24h or whatevs. Great theme

2014-03-12 14:54:00

Author:
Mnniska

Posts: 531

This does sound like fun. I might enter it a little bit, setting maximum create time at 24h or whatevs. Great theme

Thanks for the kind words Mnniska. If you do decide to enter, then I'd love to see a SpeedCreate episode on your entry.

(Not so much because I'm a rat seeking promotion, but more because the series is simply addicting to watch)

2014-03-12 15:10:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

2014-03-12 16:43:00

Author:
DawnBreaker_23

Posts: 568

Great contest and I’m glad you decided to leave the door wide open for creativity! If I could create faster than the speed of yogurt, I would love to enter this. I would love to help judge if you decide you want some outside help. Good luck!

2014-03-12 18:48:00

Author:
peoriaspitfire

Posts: 359

Still pretty exhausted from sackquest (think my fingers are still tired from all that friggin logic stuff yesterday) so I haven't done any more work on this yet

But doing sackquest has at least shown me I can create levels in a very short space of time, haha.

2014-03-12 20:29:00

Author:
ARD

Posts: 4291

Still pretty exhausted from sackquest (think my fingers are still tired from all that friggin logic stuff yesterday) so I haven't done any more work on this yet

But doing sackquest has at least shown me I can create levels in a very short space of time, haha.

Heey, maybe the SackQuest efforts gave you some cool gameplay ideas to throw in. ^^ But yeaah, good luck either way Ard!

2014-03-13 18:44:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

Another way of judging could also be honest preference. Just saying.

Anyway, sorry, but I can't attend after all. There is no way I am going to make the monster-circus black & white wild west theme into a coherent level in such a little time that is left for me to work on the level.

2014-03-13 23:11:00

Author:
FreeAim

Posts: 2462

Can I put an Arabic design? Please reply.

2014-03-14 03:12:00

Author:
KING_HACK_GREEN

Posts: 41

Can I put an Arabic design? Please reply.

Yep, sounds like it would fit in. The two main cultural influences that the contest is focused on is Wild West and Egyptian, so that should fall right in with the latter option (if you decide to go with a cultural influence, that is.) Something along the lines of this (http://lbp.me/v/40em6c) would certainly work. (So long as there's some use of sand or something that matches one of the two cultural styles originally referenced.)

2014-03-14 03:22:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

So would a temple in a desert be ok?

2014-03-14 04:13:00

Author:
DawnBreaker_23

Posts: 568

So would a temple in a desert be ok?

Mhm. ^^

2014-03-14 04:40:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

Because I can be flexible on when the entry window begins and one nice tweeter has already finished an entry for the contest and is ready to publish it, I have decided to start the entry window one day early, a.k.a. today. The deadline will still be the night of the 28th, but now you've got 9 days to publish your level instead of 8 (and of course, work more on creating the entry itself).

I have also gone ahead and created the list that will compile all contest entries (alongside the level HUB).

Good luck everyone. ^^

2014-03-19 12:12:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

So, I have three days to finish my entry then. That's nice

2014-03-19 21:54:00

Author:
Wafflegod345

Posts: 74

So, I have three days to finish my entry then. That's nice

8 actually, lol. Ends the 28th

2014-03-19 22:41:00

Author:
DawnBreaker_23

Posts: 568

For those of you who don't know, Wafflegod made an awesome poster in LBP for DVLC1, which I have replaced my crappy poster attempt with in the op for this thread. So feel free to check it out, he did a really great job in making it.

In others news for my egocentrically-named contest, a message to those entering who are outside the U.S: Now, I said that I can't award the winner the $20.00 PSN code if he/she is outside my country, as it wouldn't work for their account. But I can still go out and buy the card then send you the code, and you can do whatever with it, if you want . Maybe someone who helped co-create with you or is just a good friend happens to live in America, or maybe there's a not-so-shady business dealer who you can exchange PSN codes of different regions with.

Or perhaps by creating a U.S. account on the same PS3, you can redeem the funds, buy something, and then it'll be accessible on your main account. (Not saying that works though. Knowing Sony's restrictive policies, it probably diesn't) Oooor maybe use the code to host your own contest! Just know that the code I give you, while coming from a card I would have just bought, might eventually expire, so keep that in mind, whether or not you can use it on your main account.

2014-03-21 19:18:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

I published my entry for this! Here's a link http://lbp.me/v/qq66tec

2014-03-28 14:48:00

Author:
KomodoBrothers

Posts: 89

Thanks KomodoBrothers for your entry. ^^ (Same goes for kasperi6, Dawnbreaker_23, and Darkcloudrepeat for their entries too.)

Less than 15 hours to publish/republish entries now. :3

2014-03-28 14:56:00

Author:
Dragonvarsity

Posts: 5208

So, uh, I have this thing, this level I mean.

It's really good. I worked really hard on it. It has rocks, and uh, it has stones and sand and uh, well, that's what you wanted, so I uh think that it'll be really good and I should enter it in this contest because I think its fun.

A Hard Place (http://lbp.me/v/qq676wb)

Enjoy

2014-03-28 15:46:00

Author:
xxMATEOSxx

Posts: 1787

Well darn real life got in the way haha Good luck to the entries that got completed!

2014-04-01 03:57:00

Author:
theIronHorse

Posts: 279

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