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Cult of the Dragon Foundry Contest - Official Discussion Thread

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  • sn0wst0rmzsn0wst0rmz Member Posts: 114 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    akromatik wrote: »

    Greetings adventurers,

    I'd like to start by thanking you guys for sticking with me through all of this. Your support means a lot and like it's been said: we've all learned a lot from this. I've really enjoyed playing through your Foundry adventures (haven't gotten through all of them just yet) and I really want to do something similar to this contest again (though I'll probably be doing the judging).

    That being said, entries need to be submitted for featuring by the 19th. Out of concern for M4-related Foundry bugs, I think it's only fair if we let people have a chance to edit their quests until 6AM PDT on the 19th. Hopefully there will be no issues, but I feel that this at least gives entrants time to adapt accordingly.

    I truly believe that the Foundry is one of the greatest features Neverwinter has to offer and I look forward to experiencing more of your art created from it. Yes, the turnout was unexpectedly large and yes, we've had to adapt some thing. Will all participants get a green-level Mystagogue companion? Of course! Will we be featuring quests that are eligible? Yes! Will we be giving out prizes based on the stars accumulated during their featuring week in addition to our favorites (Judges' Choice)? Umberlee be praised, yes! Have I gained something that will help me run better Foundry challenges? You bet your Book Imps, yes.

    Come to think of it...this would make an interesting story for a Foundry mission, eh?


    Here we go, servers about to come up, let's see if the foundry is blown up.... or a miracle happened and a ton of fixes, extra options, and tons of new objects too use were added.

    *crosses fingers*
    "I attack the darkness!"

    Foundry Author of Arselu'Tel'Quess (NW-DDQ6P4IKQ)
  • sn0wst0rmzsn0wst0rmz Member Posts: 114 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    I can finally access the forums. Server wasn't letting me in earlier today. Of course, I still can't work on my Foundry quest. Only 2 or 3 days left to submit for featuring...crucial amount of time left, and I can't access the Foundry. Maybe they should have let us known they were keeping the server offline after the patch?
    "I attack the darkness!"

    Foundry Author of Arselu'Tel'Quess (NW-DDQ6P4IKQ)
  • eldartheldarth Member Posts: 4,494 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    sn0wst0rmz wrote: »
    I can finally access the forums. Server wasn't letting me in earlier today. Of course, I still can't work on my Foundry quest. Only 2 or 3 days left to submit for featuring...crucial amount of time left, and I can't access the Foundry. Maybe they should have let us known they were keeping the server offline after the patch?

    That was implied by the fact that every module release the foundry has been down for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
  • reiwulfreiwulf Member Posts: 2,687 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    Still, having the last 5 days or so of a contest unaviable to work on your entries is really a bad idea, I hope they at least wait till the foundry is back up before closing the contest.
    2e2qwj6.jpg
  • josephskyrimjosephskyrim Member Posts: 356 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    reiwulf wrote: »
    Still, having the last 5 days or so of a contest unaviable to work on your entries is really a bad idea, I hope they at least wait till the foundry is back up before closing the contest.

    Indeed, I was actually in the process of re-publishing mine with fixes but I guess the publish didn't finish by the time the patch hit. Since I withdrew it first (I find that's the easiest way for changes to flow through) now I have an unpublished quest for the contest. And with no access to the foundry... well. :P
    If you can't stand on a chest, it is a mimic!
  • eldartheldarth Member Posts: 4,494 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    Indeed, I was actually in the process of re-publishing mine with fixes but I guess the publish didn't finish by the time the patch hit. Since I withdrew it first (I find that's the easiest way for changes to flow through) now I have an unpublished quest for the contest. And with no access to the foundry... well. :P

    Um? You realize publishing was no longer accepted after:
    Submission period end: 8/6/2014 10:00 AM (When is this for you?)
    Edit:
    • Update: Contestants need to have their submissions submitted for featuring by the 19th at 6AM PDT, as we will feature the first batch of eligible entries starting 8/19! (When is this for you?)


    Are you saying you withdrew/published before that and publish didn't complete by 8/14/2014 Mod 4 release?!?

    You may have shot yourself in the foot doing that.
    ...although IF there are foundry bugs, AND IF 8/19/2014 "bug fixes" editing is allowed, maybe that'll be alright unless they go by "first published" date (likely after a withdraw).

    Good luck. I'd say doing a withdraw before publishng is just one more place Cryptic can break something.

    Edit: Update simply says submissions by 8/19, so you are probably alright. -- but still, I wouldn't Withdraw/Publish - just adding points of failure to an already flakey system.
  • grimahgrimah Member Posts: 1,658 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    rules are basically, you need to announce your quest before 8/6/2014 on the official thread.

    You need your quest submitted for featuring/published by 8/19/2014

    But yes you should have submitted earlier. I know many newer authors don't know this, but submitting only flags your foundry for featuring it does not upload anything over. It just gives them a way to find your quest and upload it (the version at the 8/19 deadline in this case, not the one at the time of submission.)
    Creator of the featured survival horror foundry: "The Silence of Haydenwick" Video Review
    and also the featured satirical comedic adventure "A Call for Heroes".
  • iandarkswordiandarksword Member Posts: 978 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    grimah wrote: »
    rules are basically, you need to announce your quest before 8/6/2014 on the official thread.

    You need your quest submitted for featuring/published by 8/19/2014

    But yes you should have submitted earlier. I know many newer authors don't know this, but submitting only flags your foundry for featuring it does not upload anything over. It just gives them a way to find your quest and upload it (the version at the 8/19 deadline in this case, not the one at the time of submission.)

    So, those of us that have announced, but are waiting to proofread/proof-run our Foundries for errors after this new Mod before "Submit to Featuring" on 8/19 are essentially screwed? Because, I don't know about anyone else, but I like to make sure the work I put out is as error free as my knowledge allows, and it fits the criteria I was going for. Mine is essentially ready to roll, if all is well and nothing was affected by the Mod, then the "Submit" button is pushed, end of story, off it goes. If the Foundry was up, I'd planned on doing my "proof-run" today, therefore fixing any errors, and submitting. As of 48 hours before the contest "closes", the Foundry is not available. This is a major problem with the integrity of the contest if they allow the "lucky few" who hit "Feature" before the mod dropped to actually qualify.
    "I don't know, I'm making it up as I go..."
    Featured Foundry Quest: Whispers of an Ancient Evil [v3] - NW-DQ4WKW6ZG
    Foundry Quest: Harper Chronicles: Blacklake - NW-DCPA4W2Q5
  • grimahgrimah Member Posts: 1,658 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    no you misunderstand, submitting only flags your quest. it doesnt actually submit anything only permission that they can use your quest for featuring. If your map isn't "flagged" then they wont see it for featuring.

    Basically you could have submitted at the beginning of the contest with a blank map and it wouldn't make a difference, Its only best to not submit if you think your quest is really good and they might feature it before you are happy with it.
    Creator of the featured survival horror foundry: "The Silence of Haydenwick" Video Review
    and also the featured satirical comedic adventure "A Call for Heroes".
  • sn0wst0rmzsn0wst0rmz Member Posts: 114 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    Well I'm bored with my Warlock already. I think they did a half decent job, but it doesn't feel like the 4e warlock (i hated 4e btw). Foundry is down, and I think earning enough free zen from their ponzi scheme Peanut labs <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> for 3 keys is enough for a day. Really hoping they click the 'open foundry' button or whatever they do, because this sequestered network is bad enough without their apathy slapping you in the face.
    "I attack the darkness!"

    Foundry Author of Arselu'Tel'Quess (NW-DDQ6P4IKQ)
  • sn0wst0rmzsn0wst0rmz Member Posts: 114 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    grimah wrote: »
    no you misunderstand, submitting only flags your quest. it doesnt actually submit anything only permission that they can use your quest for featuring. If your map isn't "flagged" then they wont see it for featuring.

    Basically you could have submitted at the beginning of the contest with a blank map and it wouldn't make a difference, Its only best to not submit if you think your quest is really good and they might feature it before you are happy with it.

    I'm a Foundry ****, I was expecting 5 more days of polishing my quest. It's pretty much reinforced the idea that their really isn't a devoted dev team to the Foundry. Cuz i'm finding it hard to believe. Hopefully, I'm proven wrong and tons of awesome were added when it pops back up... but.... I'm losing hope quickly.
    "I attack the darkness!"

    Foundry Author of Arselu'Tel'Quess (NW-DDQ6P4IKQ)
  • eldartheldarth Member Posts: 4,494 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    As long as you posted your entry into this thread: official entry thread

    ...which is now locked as all entries had to be posted by 8/6/2014 you then have until (currently) 8/19/2014 to make any fixes/re-publish due to foundry bugs introduced by Module 4. I think most of us are expecting this to get extended to at least a few days AFTER foundry actually comes back up since it is impossible to make fixes when it is unavailable.


    So...deadlines:
    • Posted in official entry thread by 8/6/2014 (now closed)
    • Published/Submitted by 8/19/2014 (awaiting new extension)
  • sn0wst0rmzsn0wst0rmz Member Posts: 114 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    I really hope you're right. My first foundry, to be honest i'd rather have a large database of foundry objects to use than prizes. I've been so bored I think i've earned over 1000 zen on their marketing free zen offer pages. *twitches* auto-complete addon FTW. Maybe I should just run those for a month instead of playing and see how many thousands of free zen I can rack up. *twitches*

    errr... maybe not. That was pretty horrific. Meh... Got about 7 keys and 30 preservation wards for an hour worth of ad clicking though....

    Missing Foundry.
    "I attack the darkness!"

    Foundry Author of Arselu'Tel'Quess (NW-DDQ6P4IKQ)
  • bardaaronbardaaron Member Posts: 545 Bounty Hunter
    edited August 2014
    sn0wst0rmz wrote: »
    I really hope you're right. My first foundry, to be honest i'd rather have a large database of foundry objects to use than prizes. I've been so bored I think i've earned over 1000 zen on their marketing free zen offer pages. *twitches* auto-complete addon FTW. Maybe I should just run those for a month instead of playing and see how many thousands of free zen I can rack up. *twitches*

    errr... maybe not. That was pretty horrific. Meh... Got about 7 keys and 30 preservation wards for an hour worth of ad clicking though....
    Bit off topic, but how do you manage to get free zen? Apparently I don't qualify for a single one of the Peanut labs surveys, and I don't want to order any products.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • myrkolithmyrkolith Member Posts: 212 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    I'm really hoping they do extend things Eldarth, because we need time to be able to fix anything that might have broken, and then be able to click submit for featuring since they added that requirement. At the rate it's going we won't even get the Foundry back before the deadline has passed lol...
    Conduit of Time: 7 Chapter Campaign in progress (Currently Chapter 6 Released)
    Search @Longshire for 12 Foundry Quests, all are story driven adventures
    Story -- Medium/Heavy, Combat -- Light/Medium, Lore -- Medium/Heavy
  • bardaaronbardaaron Member Posts: 545 Bounty Hunter
    edited August 2014
    Akromatic, we need word on this. It's going to be really tight at best, and my quest for one isn't even back online yet, not that I could edit it if it was, since the editor is down. A lot of us don't even know yet if our quests have been broken, and there is little more than 24 hours until the deadline. Will we get an extension?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • eldartheldarth Member Posts: 4,494 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    bardaaron wrote: »
    A lot of us don't even know yet if our quests have been broken, and there is little more than 24 hours until the deadline. Will we get an extension?

    I know for sure a portion of mine is -- Skill Checks for ALL skills are broken in foundry quests.
    I have to put in a known-bug sign at start, in description, and (thankfully) fix the one dialog where I allow multiple solutions based on skill checks.
  • jintortlejintortle Member Posts: 655 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    I can not access Foundry atm. Unavailable!

    I can not check my Foundry nor put it up for Featuring.

    it is the 19th where I am so lol - good luck!
    Genus Draco Fad and the Muster@Jintortle
    ID: NW-DD5FLOBTJ
    Cult of the Dragon Foundry Contest - Please participate and vote for your favourite - 26/6/2014 contest rating begins.

    Sir Camps A Lot. Mr SlingShot Boom. XX Phantasmagorical. Jinn Dragonfeast.
    SlingShot Boom Jr. Jocan Traders. Little Lord Forgatty, Dwarf Mean and introducing Necro Torquemada (The Warlock)
  • sn0wst0rmzsn0wst0rmz Member Posts: 114 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    bardaaron wrote: »
    Bit off topic, but how do you manage to get free zen? Apparently I don't qualify for a single one of the Peanut labs surveys, and I don't want to order any products.

    First off, the Peanut Labs stuff is a marketing network of scams. About 1/10th of them will pan out. They target very specific market groups too pander their 'goods' or 'services' too. Mostly in order to get free zen from them you have to figure out who they are targeting and why. The only thing i will say is, do not give out your credit card info, or anything like that. You can fill out surveys and not get anything... you can sign up with valid info and not get anything. It's mostly about finding the 'triggers' that flag it as completed. Once you do, it's pretty much how well you can use addons like auto-complete and make sure to clear your history and set up yahoo emails that you don't care about. They will spam them forever. Usually you have to acknowledge their 'ploys' through email to get the ratification of completion for free zen. This is just a big marketing ponzi scheme, don't read into it more than it is. I can get about 10/12 of them to payout. I usually use Dwarven character names instead of my own... or email handles for names. I actually had someone call my cell phone when i gave it out asking for Brutus Battlehammer. LoL. You can simply ask them to remove your number from their list after they call you. You can have them fined if they don't. Now Brutus had some aweful heartburn and hepatitus he had to sign up for some info to take care of. Get my drift? I actually signed up for one of those survey sites, and I gave it honest time and effort. They were a total sham. They never paid me once for any of the surveys. Not once. They advertised 20 dollars or 50 dollars for this or that survey. Then at the end they give you some fake coupon to print out. False advertising at it's worst. I feel no guilt for piling up thousands of free zen this way. It's really, really pathetic. I've tried to use Tide coupons and you name it from them, signed up for samples.... and I've never gotten a single one of them to work. Not one. Total scam. I did hear someone say he got some business cards from one of them, but that's one out of hundreds that all said what I have. Rip off marketing ploys.

    Now the Foundry is up for me finally. Some people are saying they've had access to it for days. Which tells me alot. Like why my chat keeps going offline, and why some would get access and others didn't?

    Perfect World is a Chinese business. PWE is just the North American Branch of it. One of my earlier posts has a link to a very special Securities Exchange Commission page, you might want to read it. The link explains a lot about some of the Chinese sponsored businesses. I won't even delve into the overwhelming cyber attacks that China targets foreign businesses with. Like I said, it will explain a lot.

    Ok.. time to polish up my Foundry and see if I can get it submitted for featuring by the current deadline.
    "I attack the darkness!"

    Foundry Author of Arselu'Tel'Quess (NW-DDQ6P4IKQ)
  • bardaaronbardaaron Member Posts: 545 Bounty Hunter
    edited August 2014
    The foundry is up for you? Ok, time to immediately check if it's up for me.....

    In other news, I totally agree that those Peanut Lab surveys are B.S. I went through several whole surveys, and at the VERY END they announce "sorry, you aren't eligible" after they've already gathered all the data they wanted. Total scam, posted right at the top of every forum page, and offering "Zen." The already questionable nature of calling a game currency "Zen" notwithstanding, in the context of dangling it like the grapes in front of Tantalus to fulfill a marketing scam is horribly offensive.

    It's like shouting "SERENITY NOW!" gives you 0 serenity. Pressing "Get Zen Now" gives you 0 Zen. Either electronic or spiritual.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • akromatikakromatik Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2014

    Hey guys, just wanted to update you all. Because of the recent Foundry issues, the deadline is getting moved back. I'm communicating with the devs now to see just how long until everyone can edit/fix their quests. Once I find that out, I will give an exact date. Until then, sit tight.

    Thanks for your continued patience and support.

    Update: I've received word that the Foundry editor should be back up for everyone, so I'm proposing a tentative deadline of 6 AM on 8/26. Please have your quests submitted for featuring by then.

  • waryurwaryur Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 167 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    Thank you very much for this Akromatik. I appreciate you talking to the devs and essentially advocating on behalf of us authors to push back the final contest date so we can edit and fix the breaks. Because no one wants a contest full of broken entries. Thanks. :)
    The players and community at large will get to see the contest entries the way they were supposed to be, and the Foundry, and this contest, will get more of the positive attention it deserves.
    Hidden Valley Ranch - NW-DPNGENL6E D&D Adventures Part I
    House of 1000 Corpses - NW-DIEYVLCML D&D Adventures Part II
    Well of Dragons - NW-DTPJEKZCT Third Place Winner CotD Foundry Contest
    It's Just a Flesh Wound Pt. 1 - NW-DM8GHAME2 Monty Python!
    It's Just a Flesh Wound Pt. 2 - NW-DFADOS4EX Monty Python!
  • akromatikakromatik Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2014
    Update: I've received word that the Foundry editor should be back up for everyone, so I'm proposing a tentative deadline of 6AM on 8/26. Please have your quests submitted for featuring by then.
  • eldartheldarth Member Posts: 4,494 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    akromatik wrote: »
    Update: I've received word that the Foundry editor should be back up for everyone, so I'm proposing a tentative deadline of 6AM on 8/26. Please have your quests submitted for featuring by then.

    Boom. Done.
  • bardaaronbardaaron Member Posts: 545 Bounty Hunter
    edited August 2014
    Thank you Akro!
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • eldartheldarth Member Posts: 4,494 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    prettycelt wrote: »
    Any ETA on getting Skill checks working again? I think I speak for everyone when I say this is kind of vital and it isn't something we can fix on our end. At least my patrols seem to be working as intended but I have multiple skill checks scattered throughout my adventure, some are needed to summon extra help.

    I wouldn't count on it anytime soon. We've got even simpler foundry bugs dating back to beta. I chose to call out the bug in [ooc] in the (one) dialog I am using it (or I might have placed an info sign at entry) and removing the Has Skill requirement for each response, like so:
    Cryptic has newly bugged class skill detection so I have made all skills visible so that you can at least choose an option based on your skill choice.

    blah blah dialog prompt blah blah
    1. [Arcana] Cast minor sleep spell to...
    2. [Thievery] Sneak around behind and sap ...
    3. [Dungeoneering] Sucker punch and knockout ...

    This will at least allow the PC to self-choose their class skill.
  • grimahgrimah Member Posts: 1,658 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    I've had to do some heavy editing to one of my maps due to some funky new AI pathing issues, cost me a gizzilion more invisible walls >.<

    I suppose you guys who have the skill check problem either use the suggestion eldarth did for this contest. But it's not a bad thing, I personally hate class specific choices because its not really a choice. I like to think my fighter or wizard could partake in some thievery now and again :) it adds more flavor.

    Hope this contest starts soon, I really want to see how many and what entries get put up :)
    Creator of the featured survival horror foundry: "The Silence of Haydenwick" Video Review
    and also the featured satirical comedic adventure "A Call for Heroes".
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