[!Foundry Contest!] Tower District - WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

sominator · July 2013

Hey everybody!

It's time for our next Foundry Design a Mission Contest! For the next two weeks, you'll have the opportunity to create quests inspired by the below prompt, to be voted on by your fellow authors and players. The top-voted quest will then be featured for the world to see in our Foundry Spotlight!

Update: Winners have been announced!

In first place we have @Celantra's quest, Tower District Travails!

Second place goes to @Antonkyle's quest, A Dwarven Rebellion!

Third place goes to @Izatar's quest, Cult of the Dragon!

And an honorable mention goes to @agentjaspor's quest, Undercover Brother!

Congratulations to the Foundry Contest: Tower District winners, and to all of the contest participants for their spectacular quests. The first-place winner's quest will be featured in the next Foundry Spotlight, and each of the winners will be featured in-game!

And one note: although @TripsOfThrymr's quest, A Strange Merchant, was wonderfully crafted and well-received, it was found to have had an unfair advantage, with 1000+ plays before the voting process had begun. However, it will still be eligible for a Foundry Spotlight in the future, along with all of the Foundry Contest entries!

Spectacular work, everyone! I'm so proud!

Head over to the Neverwinter website for a full list, and have fun playing each others' quests!

Original Post:

Here's your prompt:

Design your best quest that takes place alongside the events of the Tower District.

And a couple of guidelines to remember:

Create whatever you like related to the prompt, focusing only on original intellectual property (IP). Feel free to build dungeons that draw upon existing Forgotten Realms & D&D lore - even stuff already going on in Neverwinter - but make sure that all of your quests, NPCs, and pretty much everything, are your own.
No profanity or obscene content of any kind. All content is still subject to review, and anything questionable will be removed.
Aim for your missions to be ~30-45 minutes in length, even if they're part of a longer story arc or campaign.
Make sure to play through your missions, check your quest text for spelling, and all that good stuff! A little self-editing goes a long way!

The contest runs from July 2 to 11:59PM PDT Monday, July 29 (when is that in your time zone?). After that, there will be a week of playing and voting, and the contest winner(s) will be announced on Tuesday, August 6.

If you'd like to have your quest considered for the Foundry Design a Mission Contest, please post the following details in this thread:

Quest Name:
@yourname:
Short Code:
Quest Type:
Average Duration:
Amount of Combat:
Starts at: (NPC or location)
Mission Summary:
Author tips/hints:
Screenshots/attachments: (please include at least one screenshot, along with a link to hi-resolution versions)

Some pro-tip reminders:
-Check out this thread about Demo Recording and how to take nice screenshots.
-Please make sure the screenshots have no UI or watermarks visible (unless the UI is integral to the composition).
-Make sure your quests are flagged for featuring if you'd like for them to be eligible to be featured in-game.

Good luck, and happy dungeoning!

gutotito · July 2013

How? Publishing has been largely broken since Friday with no word on a fix. If we cannot publish what we have, why bother creating anything new?

sominator · July 2013

We're looking into this and hope to have it straightened out soon. Thanks!

gutotito wrote: »

How? Publishing has been largely broken since Friday with no word on a fix. If we cannot publish what we have, why bother creating anything new?

angrysprite · July 2013

sominator wrote: »

Here's your prompt:

Design your best quest that takes place alongside the events of the Tower District.

Actually, this "prompt" will have nothing to do with your chances of being featured. I submitted my entry in the first contest ("...takes place along side the events of the Blackake District") - I think my quest and one other actually did this. None of the other entries did anything close, many didn't even mention "Blacklake" at all, including the winner, runners-up and honorable mentions.

I'm not complaining about it or anything, just giving a heads-up that this "theme" isn't all that important.

Now, this part is partially whining: If you've looked closely at the other featured Foundry works you'll know: slap something together that is light on dialog, loaded with meaningless combat and be sure not to use a prefab Cryptic map (create one on your own). Your chances of being seriously considered will excel exponentially.

NOTE TO SOMINATOR (and Cryptic Devs who participate in the voting) - as a Foundry Quest player, I'd really appreciate if you considered Foundry quests with the *FEWEST* plays that also happen to be quite good. The more plays a quest has, the more likely many of us have seen it before. I always thought Featured Quest/Mission was to highlight the good stuff that is falling through the "play count" cracks because of how nightmarish it is to actually find stuff you (people in general) like (whatever genre of style it is that they like).

izatar · July 2013

angrysprite wrote: »

None of the other entries did anything close, many didn't even mention "Blacklake" at all, including the winner, runners-up and honorable mentions.

I am not sure where this is coming from...the winner "I am Slayer" took place entirely within the Blacklake district and it riffed off the two themes of black sludge and the Nasher rebellion. The runners up "Blacklake Gold" and "The Secret of Blacklake" were also both Blacklake themed.

Also, the winners were chosen by review score and the only submission I am aware of that was not 'considered' and allowed to win was one that used Nintendo copyrights.

To win a contest like this, you must take into account the tastes of the entire player base, not just of a subset of players who want complicated story.

dzogen · July 2013

Does this have to be lore based or can you make up your own events?

ash4ll · July 2013

Eek, my quest applies to the rules! I'll edit this post as soon as I wake up :P

crok2 · July 2013

angrysprite wrote: »

Actually, this "prompt" will have nothing to do with your chances of being featured. I submitted my entry in the first contest ("...takes place along side the events of the Blackake District") - I think my quest and one other actually did this. None of the other entries did anything close, many didn't even mention "Blacklake" at all, including the winner, runners-up and honorable mentions.

I'm not complaining about it or anything, just giving a heads-up that this "theme" isn't all that important.

Now, this part is partially whining: If you've looked closely at the other featured Foundry works you'll know: slap something together that is light on dialog, loaded with meaningless combat and be sure not to use a prefab Cryptic map (create one on your own). Your chances of being seriously considered will excel exponentially.

NOTE TO SOMINATOR (and Cryptic Devs who participate in the voting) - as a Foundry Quest player, I'd really appreciate if you considered Foundry quests with the *FEWEST* plays that also happen to be quite good. The more plays a quest has, the more likely many of us have seen it before. I always thought Featured Quest/Mission was to highlight the good stuff that is falling through the "play count" cracks because of how nightmarish it is to actually find stuff you (people in general) like (whatever genre of style it is that they like).

Yeah, you are confused about the winners of the Blacklake contest.
Also, one of the early featured quests was @Tilt42's "A Hidden Blade". It is super heavy dialog and prefab maps with meaningful combat.

lolsorhand · July 2013

Ah nevermind, you can delete this post. Missed the Tower District prompt (had just woken up).

casekuk · July 2013

I feel the need to have my say on this thread too...

I spent over a week on a foundry quest about 3 or 4 weeks ago now. I published it, submitted it for 'featured' and waited...

I play with 4 friends, we do everything together, we have no need of a large guild because the group size is 5... But this causes problems when you want a Foundry quest to be played!

Since publishing... I have bug reported that my quest suffers from a disappearing bug TWICE, and I have received no reply back whatsoever.

I have RE-published my foundry quest, because for some reason it keeps being UN-published! (three times now) I also bug reported this, but no reply.

Add to that, that the only way of getting your quests played is by friends who know what they are looking for, and this contest becomes a complete sham in every way!

The foundry is broken, badly broken and needs fixing.

The system is even worse! My foundry quest STILL only has 4 plays from friends... You would think that with all the folks playing at least ONE 'other' person would have stumbled upon it by now?? But no.. not the case.

Your bug reports are ignored... (I know, I know they are busy, but I have never had one report recognised - foundry AND non foundry since I started playing - it feels like i'm being ignored)

All in all this contest seems great.. But the 'casual' player like myself, stands absolutely no chance whatsoever in getting a foundry quest recognised no matter how good it may be!

So my 2 cents, there is no point whatsoever in entering this contest unless you are in a big guild with lots of potential players.

Art

redneckronin · July 2013

casekuk wrote: »

Add to that, that the only way of getting your quests played is by friends who know what they are looking for, and this contest becomes a complete sham in every way!

The foundry is broken, badly broken and needs fixing.

The system is even worse! My foundry quest STILL only has 4 plays from friends... You would think that with all the folks playing at least ONE 'other' person would have stumbled upon it by now?? But no.. not the case.

Post a thread asking for, or offering to trade, reviews.

Include, title, short code, estimated run time and brief description (a screenshot or two is nice too), and sit back and relax.

I've done that twice, both of mine now have over 100 plays and are daily eligible.

I am sure many, many other Authors have done the same.

Several Authors, myself included, have put up threads asking for Quests to play/review just to help get them out of the "beta hell" phase of only being searchable by short-code.

Heck, send me a PM with the short-code and I'll play it within the next 24 hours.

All The Best

casekuk · July 2013

Thanks for that Redneckronin, I will indeed send you a PM with the short-code, please be honest in your review I am not looking for falseties.

It is my first Foundry quest however, so don't be too brutal

Your kindness doesn't however change PW' broken foundry, and silence to bug reports.

The foundry so badly needs a search system that they say they are working on... What boggles my mind is that it wasn't implimented when the game released..

I thank you again, I will PM that info later today and I will also start a thread, which I will link to you.

Art.

redneckronin · July 2013

casekuk wrote: »

Thanks for that Redneckronin, I will indeed send you a PM with the short-code, please be honest in your review I am not looking for falseties.

It is my first Foundry quest however, so don't be too brutal

I'm never too brutal in my honesty, except with myself.

casekuk wrote: »

Your kindness doesn't however change PW' broken foundry, and silence to bug reports.

The foundry so badly needs a search system that they say they are working on... What boggles my mind is that it wasn't implimented when the game released..

On this we are in 100% agreement. All we can do is keep banging-the-drum and hope they hear us.

casekuk wrote: »

I thank you again, I will PM that info later today and I will also start a thread, which I will link to you.

Art.

No problem, glad to help out other Authors.

All The Best

ash4ll · July 2013

I wouldn't make a thread asking for reviews, if there was one consolidated with many people willing to trade.
Oh well, I made one. And it's sticky. Go forth and enjoy!

redneckronin · July 2013

ash4ll wrote: »

I wouldn't make a thread asking for reviews, if there was one consolidated with many people willing to trade.
Oh well, I made one. And it's sticky. Go forth and enjoy!

Nice idea, but requires use of google-docs, and user input from you.

Starting a thread keeps it all here, and all automatic.

All The Best

ash4ll · July 2013

redneckronin wrote: »

Nice idea, but requires use of google-docs

Terrible!

Comparing it to other threads you have no guarantee that someone will reply to your thread which will lead your thread into the abyss. Also you already get a lot of quests you can already review.

The only disadvantage of my thread is that you have to review to get reviews.

redneckronin · July 2013

Ah well, whatever.

I'll leave it at that. Don't want to bruise any egos.

All The Best

hawthornberry · July 2013

It does seem like a shame that the contest will be judged by "how many friends you can get to vote for your quest" at least as much as, if not more than, by anything about its quality. But that's kind of the Foundry in a nutshell, too. So it's also quite appropriate.

mosby1 · July 2013

While I like the idea of a theme, 2 weeks is way too short to develop a good foundry quest. I spend way more than that developing mine (in real time; some of us have to work for a living). Please either give us advance notice, or make the theme something which could be easily worked into any quest. Thank you.

sourcreamking · July 2013

Quest Name: Devout Orcs
@yourname: @sourcreamking
Short Code: NW-DQPVUECC7
Quest Type: Lore, RP
Average Duration: N/A
Amount of Combat: Light to medium
Starts at: Blacklake District
Mission Summary: You get word that Gruumsh is in Tower District.
Author tips/hints:
Screenshots/attachments:

LINK

visceralrevolt · July 2013

As it happens, my quest takes place in the Tower District, in the Wobbly Leg Tavern, a more up-market establishment for those not wishing to slum it in the Fallen Tower.

Quest Name: DD Part 1: The Wobbly Leg
@yourname: @revolting
Short Code: NW-DTNZTFYDS
Quest Type: Story/combat
Average Duration: 38 minutes
Amount of Combat: Average density, with some easy fights and some tougher ones.
Starts at: Tower District Outskirts
Mission Summary: You feel like stretching your legs, but yearn for a change of scenery from the hustle and bustle of Protector's Enclave. Why not go for a stroll in Tower District? There are taverns there you have not yet sampled...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Part One of the Dwarven Dilemma campaign, which starts from humble beginnings, to expand to an epic scale as new chapters are released. Custom npc costumes, hand crafted zones, skill-based interactables and dynamic delights await your perusal.
Author tips/hints: Intended for Solo play, but you'll want to take a healthy supply of potions.
Screenshots/attachments:

High-res image here.

There is one room that some have labeled "inappropriate". However, nothing explicit actually happens in there, it's entirely left to the imagination. They're just sleeping, honest.

lolsorhand · July 2013

casekuk wrote: »

Text

Well, this is basicly all true. And it kind of sucks but what can we do about it really? not much

Except all go on strike.

sominator · July 2013

Keep 'em coming!

delthanin · July 2013

Not sure if I'll have this done by the deadline, but I'm trying.

celantra · July 2013

With the foundry down times this week, could you look to extend the deadline. Those of us that are actually building quests from scratch, within the two week period, have lost many potential development hours.

delthanin · July 2013

celantra wrote: »

With the foundry down times this week, could you look to extend the deadline.

This would be great.

sominator · July 2013

Done! Thanks!

celantra wrote: »

With the foundry down times this week, could you look to extend the deadline. Those of us that are actually building quests from scratch, within the two week period, have lost many potential development hours.

delthanin · July 2013

Awesome. Thanks!

celantra · July 2013

Thanks greatly. Again, you prove that you guys listen and actually respond to the community in a realistic manner whenever it is possible. I can only speak for myself, but I have found you guys to be most responsive of any game development team that I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

izatar · July 2013

sominator wrote: »

The contest runs from TODAY, July 2, to 11:59PM PDT Monday, July 29

Wow, that is quite an extension! I think this will give people a chance to make more quality quests. Also to sleeps.

wininoid · July 2013

Awesome! Thanks for the extension!

[!Foundry Contest!] Tower District - WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

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