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Preview: Community Foundry Contest - Docks District
eldarth
Member Posts: 4,494 Arc User
Preview: Community Foundry Contest
Okay all you Dock fanciers, I'm thinking since the "official" foundry contest is in full swing, it's time to resurrect/kick-off the first Community Foundry Contest. Take a look and let me know any feedback/suggestions and I'll post the official un-official notice soon.
Also, if anyone (non-entrant) wants to help determine "eligible" entries, feel free to volunteer!Background Lore
As for the original Docks District, that area of what is now Protector's Enclave simply no longer exists and is instead a sheer cliff down to the sea where the new Docks hug what is left of that area up to the Western Walls of Protector's Enclave. You can see this best when looking out to the West from the Moonstone Mask or its bridge area. The Original Docks area was rebuilt once but was destroyed again. Now it lingers as remnants of floating earthmotes that were once connected by rope bridges (akin to Pirates Skyhold's earthmotes).
The new Docks area now rests outside the City Walls to the West, both South and North of the Riverway. The only part of the old Docks area that remains is anywhere from 75 feet to 150 feet from the Western City Walls, down a steep cliff to the sea. The cliff itself is about half that distance, leaving just enough room for a road and wooden docks jutting into the see, with a few larger building in the areas that are just large enough for them.
Black-market trade does flow in from the Sea and some brave adventurers do still use the old earth-mote access ways. However, most of these black-market routes are underground routes that come in through access-ways in the side of the western cliff and usually travel through the sewers or other caverns and tunnels made during the Spellplague, Mt. Hotenow eruption, and beyond. Legal trade in the City, mostly flows in from the High Road through the main city Gates and from the Docks District into Protector's Enclave through the South City Gate by the Seven Suns Coster Market.
Contest Theme
While most rebuilding efforts have been focused on the docks on the south side of the river, Lord Neverember wants to begin sending architects and engineers down to the north side docks to beging evaluating and planning their rebuilding efforts. Unfortunately Sgt Knox and the Guards are busy keeping the new Cult of the Dragon cultists in check.
You have been asked to assess the situation down at the northern docks and "evict" anyone not authorized to be there.
Contest Requirements
Contest Eligibility Rules
Contest Judging
Contest Prizes
Interactive Map of Neverwinter
Neverwinter Mashupforge
*Note: This map has Dolphin Bridge and Sleeping Dragon Bridge reversed. Sleeping Dragon bridge is the westernmost bridge closest to the sea/docks.
Map of Neverwinter
[Thanks to and assuming Zeb's okay with inclusion]
Some "Current" Images of Sleeping Dragon bridge and North Docks area
(just for inspiration- no requirements to match)
Okay all you Dock fanciers, I'm thinking since the "official" foundry contest is in full swing, it's time to resurrect/kick-off the first Community Foundry Contest. Take a look and let me know any feedback/suggestions and I'll post the official un-official notice soon.
Also, if anyone (non-entrant) wants to help determine "eligible" entries, feel free to volunteer!Background Lore
As for the original Docks District, that area of what is now Protector's Enclave simply no longer exists and is instead a sheer cliff down to the sea where the new Docks hug what is left of that area up to the Western Walls of Protector's Enclave. You can see this best when looking out to the West from the Moonstone Mask or its bridge area. The Original Docks area was rebuilt once but was destroyed again. Now it lingers as remnants of floating earthmotes that were once connected by rope bridges (akin to Pirates Skyhold's earthmotes).
The new Docks area now rests outside the City Walls to the West, both South and North of the Riverway. The only part of the old Docks area that remains is anywhere from 75 feet to 150 feet from the Western City Walls, down a steep cliff to the sea. The cliff itself is about half that distance, leaving just enough room for a road and wooden docks jutting into the see, with a few larger building in the areas that are just large enough for them.
Black-market trade does flow in from the Sea and some brave adventurers do still use the old earth-mote access ways. However, most of these black-market routes are underground routes that come in through access-ways in the side of the western cliff and usually travel through the sewers or other caverns and tunnels made during the Spellplague, Mt. Hotenow eruption, and beyond. Legal trade in the City, mostly flows in from the High Road through the main city Gates and from the Docks District into Protector's Enclave through the South City Gate by the Seven Suns Coster Market.
Contest Theme
While most rebuilding efforts have been focused on the docks on the south side of the river, Lord Neverember wants to begin sending architects and engineers down to the north side docks to beging evaluating and planning their rebuilding efforts. Unfortunately Sgt Knox and the Guards are busy keeping the new Cult of the Dragon cultists in check.
You have been asked to assess the situation down at the northern docks and "evict" anyone not authorized to be there.
Contest Requirements
- Speak to Merchant's Guild Representative about cleaning up old dock district
- North Docks District - post Spellplague & Hotenow, pre-reconstruction or under construction
- Required Visual Elements
- Cliffs w/Protectors Enclave Walls
- Neverwinter River mouth
- Sea of Swords
- Some form of path from docks up to Sleeping Dragon Bridge
Contest Eligibility Rules
- Submit Entries by November 3rd
- Eligible Entries list will be posted November 10th
Contest Judging
- Contest Completion will be December 8th
- Average (actual average) Rating for entries will be calculated for eligible entries
- Highest Average rating will be declared the overall winner
- ALL eligible entries will be added to two forum polls:
- Best Visuals
- Best Story/Lore
Contest Prizes
- Overall Winner: 1,000,000ad
- Best Visuals: 400,000ad
- Best Story/Lore: 400,000ad
Interactive Map of Neverwinter
Neverwinter Mashupforge
*Note: This map has Dolphin Bridge and Sleeping Dragon Bridge reversed. Sleeping Dragon bridge is the westernmost bridge closest to the sea/docks.
Map of Neverwinter
[Thanks to and assuming Zeb's okay with inclusion]
Some "Current" Images of Sleeping Dragon bridge and North Docks area
(just for inspiration- no requirements to match)
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
Cool idea...
Also, I guarantee nobody wants me determining eligibility for the quest
Featured Foundry Quest: Whispers of an Ancient Evil [v3] - NW-DQ4WKW6ZG
Foundry Quest: Harper Chronicles: Blacklake - NW-DCPA4W2Q5
Out of curiosity, what's the thinking behind making those middle two criteria mandatory? I only ask because it seems like all the focus of the competition is loaded into the last bullet point. Even the nature of the assigned quest is focused on the destination, and while there are plenty of ways to keep the journey part from being tedious, it feels a bit like fat that could be trimmed.
Mind you, either way it sounds like loads of fun, and I hope I can muster up the dedication to put something together in time.
Other than that I like the idea a lot!
I was sort of thinking that requiring a bridge and path would pre-filter out some of those pre-fab/static encounter entries and make it more work than they want to contribute. And I figured a bridge/path really made sense immersion wise if you left through the sleeping dragon bridge gate. Also that since there already is some "large" ruins structures a bridge would be pretty easy to throw in.
I was also thinking the 1,000ad entry fee may have a similar effect although I'm thinking that may be more trouble to implement than is worth.
But -- totally open to other ideas for requirements -- even for less requirements.
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics
1) the blunt approach: "this is a previously unrepresented area of Neverwinter - no prefabs!"
2) the player's way of reaching the docks must be represented in some way. this can be as simple as a well placed detail or as complex as a whole second map, but it has to be clear the adventurers needed a way to get there that wasn't just "quick travel."
3) the location of the docks in relation to the rest of Neverwinter should be apparent. Again, as simple or elaborate as the author likes, but it must be clearly communicated.
4) A list of "must have" elements, but no specific direction on how to use them. The Sleeping Dragon Bridge can just be looming over the map if they like, but it has to be there in some fashion. Add however many items to this list as you think necessary.
Feel free to use any of those that catch your eye.
Those all sound pretty good. With the exception, somewhat of #1.
I think we could easily use prefabs of (detailed) coast/wilderness type areas with water planes, but still somehow encourage creativity.
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics
I took "no prefabs" to mean no complete maps premade. I think if a "detailed coast or wilderness area were used, but they added plenty of stuff to it to make it CLEARLY not just the stock map, then I think that would be fine.
That's exactly what I was going for - just bad phrasing on my part. I just meant to rule out any cases where someone just slaps the name "docks" on the default Blacklake map and calls it a day. Maybe rephrased to something along the lines of "do not submit unaltered pre-generated maps" or "must show clear effort to represent a unique setting" or something like that.
(Also dropped the 1,000ad entry fee -- too much hassle)
Contest Requirements
Also added another map:
Interactive Map of Neverwinter
Neverwinter Mashupforge
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics
Also, that map is awesome! Great find.
I agree with the new requirements.
According to the map you provided Sleeping Dragon Bridge is far away from northern docks. Dolphin Bridge is way closer. And we already have Sleeping Dragon Bridge in game - in tutorial and during lvl 60 artifact quest. Why would we want to go there?
And why speaking to Merchant's Guild Representative about cleaning up old dock district?
If the quest is supposed to happen in the docks what's the point of limiting the reason why players have to go there?
And community foundry quest is a great idea.
As much as I love the idea of this though, both the community contest and the docks specifically, I doubt I will be able to enter. Another contest would murder my productivity on the 3+ quests I already have in the works. I just got committed to finishing one of them before the others, and adding a NEW distraction (a timed one at that) would set me way back again.
Actually that map is wrong -- dolphin and sleeping dragon bridges are reversed - at least according to another map, and fitting in with cryptics map/storyline. Sleeping Dragon gate is just east of Hall of Justice -- and tutorial has undead streaming out of Castle Never which is just north of westernmost bridge.
Just a slight attempt to enforce a little immersion -- the Merchants Guild Rep is in the Hall of justice which makes the "closest" travel gate be the "Sleeping Dragon Gate." And, of course, the Merchants Guild would want the docks operational as soon as possible.
Encounter Matrix | Advanced Foundry Topics