Foundry Challenge #8 Discussion Thread

pwebranflakes · August 2013

Foundry Challenge #8 : Back to the Past

This is the comments thread for Foundry Challenge #8 : Back to the Past.
We also have an Index of previous challenges HERE.

Feel free to link directly to the entry you are commenting on. And please remember: we're not here to tear each other up. Do not troll your fellow Captains, give feedback! Let the others know what you liked and disliked.

Let's get those creative juices flowing! :cool:

kirksplat · August 2013

If anyone plans to participate in this challenge, you will need to know the workaround to the Foundry's current sate of dysfunctional nonsense.

Happy 3 month anniversary, long loading screens. On the day that we discover an entirely new thing with costumes that brings loading screens of doom...

pwebranflakes · August 2013

kirksplat wrote: »

If anyone plans to participate in this challenge, you will need to know the workaround to the Foundry's current sate of dysfunctional nonsense.

Happy 3 month anniversary, long loading screens. On the day that we discover an entirely new thing with costumes that brings loading screens of doom...

The team is investigating -- I'm hoping we'll be able to track this down soon!

Cheers,

Brandon =/\=

dalolorn · August 2013

Drat, already made my time travel mission 8 months ago. :P

drogyn1701 · August 2013

kirksplat wrote: »

Happy 3 month anniversary, long loading screens.

It's been even longer, I noticed it on Tribble when LoR went live there and Captain Revo made a bug post that got no response.

I question the wisdom of running an editing contest when editing is in this state.

hippiejon · August 2013

drogyn1701 wrote: »

I question the wisdom of running an editing contest when editing is in this state.

What he said, but here's to hoping for the best.

pwebranflakes · August 2013

As I mentioned, I'm hoping we'll be able to narrow down the slow previewing issue soon. You all know I'm very involved in the contest process and will extend dates as needed. Let's see where we are at in the next couple of weeks. I could have waited a couple weeks, but I'm okay extending the date and at least this will give time to authors to prep their story boards, scripts, mission flow, dialogue, etc.

Cheers,

Brandon =/\=

zorbane · August 2013

I'm gonna have to disagree with my author brethren, with the workaround I haven't really been having too hard of a time working in the Foundry...

thay8472 · August 2013

I'm in. Been wanting to do something with the Tos era mirror setting for awhile now. :P

I do have a few requests though....

Can we get the Tos/Mirror Tos badges working?

Maco,Omega,KHG visuals... please?

drogyn1701 · August 2013

zorbane wrote: »

I'm gonna have to disagree with my author brethren, with the workaround I haven't really been having too hard of a time working in the Foundry...

I'm not saying it's impossible to make missions, that would be mis-representing the situation. It certainly is possible, after all we've all been in the Foundry building stuff. But the Foundry has not fully recovered from the damage that LoR did. A workaround is not a fix. It's patching the leak yourself with duct tape when you really need the plumber to install a new pipe. And not everyone knows about the workaround, that makes it so authors are not on an even footing. We'd all like this to be a fair contest, right?

zorbane · August 2013

I know what you're saying, analogy included. Perhasp Bran could pass along the workaround somehow.

Maybe I just missed the Foundry challenge

...even though I never enter it

kirksplat · August 2013

I will say this about the challenge, and it's not meant to critique BF or the challenge as it's intended.

Right now, winning these contests earns us three things:

1. The ability for players to find and see our mission (when that has become really difficult for non-spotlights due to the recent changes to the lists, as well as the cluttering of exploits/grinders). Having a spotlight is about the only way (at this point) to get plays for a new mission, as well as other missions, if folks like our spotlight and do a custom search.
2. A bonus incentive to play the mission for dil, plus the tips that come from plays.
3. $12 worth of zen.

I submit that the prize #1 should not be a prize at all. It should be how the normal system works, as far as giving players the ability to see our new missions. Because it does not, then I feel like these challenges and the main prize they award (#1) showcase just how bad the situation has become. Since the only way to get any plays at this point is to win a contest, because the listings are essentially broken.

Let's compare shall we? A new contest winner now has 2000 reviews. A second place has 92, even when featured in a STO blog. What do you think it's like, then, for the non-contest missions out there? They are sometimes lucky to qualify for rewards after weeks and weeks.

1. should be the regular state of affairs.

I'll give you guys $12 to fix it. So would every other Foundry author who is basically wasting their time making missions for a game that doesn't give them the luxury of even adequately displaying the missions they make for the players who care to play them.

What is being dangled as a carrot is what should not be a carrot. That stinks.

thay8472 · August 2013

Can this be postponed until the Foundry is more "stable" took me 15 minutes just to get through the loading screen

Then can we have some map and uniform updates please

hippiejon · August 2013

On tonights recording of the Roundtable, I express what would make all the difference for me.
The point I am agreeing with the most is what Drogyn says here

"...And not everyone knows about the workaround, that makes it so authors are not on an even footing. We'd all like this to be a fair contest, right?"

The workaround for the slow preview load time as discovered by Kirkfat really does work for the slow down because of the right hand menu.

The newly discovered slow down from doing anything with costumes cam also be worked around, IF you know that after working on any costumes , once you are done with costumes, save the mission and exit , then reenter the editor, and your preview times will be okay.

basically, along with this challenge, There needs to be a stickied bit of information readily and boldly linked from everything to do with the challenge. The original announcement thread, the first post here in this thread, etc.

Basically, anyone entering should know that the problems can be worked around, and how to do it.

I still agree with Drogyn, that

"It's patching the leak yourself with duct tape when you really need the plumber to install a new pipe."

but so long as all potential entrants have access to the duct tape, then I'm a little more okay with the whole thing.

By the way I feel the workaround information should be information the Powers that be are putting out there for ALL authors to know. If the problem doesn't have a fix that is in the reasonable forseeable future, this community discovered workaround at least makes the tool useable.

Just my two slips of latinum

odyssey47 · August 2013

Today was the first day I had been in the foundry for a few weeks. I actually didn't experience any long loading screens.

isthisscience · August 2013

I personally haven't got the workaround to work properly on mine, and it seems a hassle to have to do it that particular anyway - trying to get it to work has been just as disruptive as the long waiting. And I agree with Kirk on the main incentive on this is visibility which ought not be a problem. StarbaseUGC was on a far better track by having a challenge just on story, acknowledging the state of the foundry. How is the average foundry author meant to come up with anything with a chance in hell of winning when getting the foundry to work has become an art form in itself?

markhawkman · August 2013

for more info on the loading bug: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=808041&page=3

It seems to have multiple causes. But saving, exiting, and reloading is actually faster than sitting through a 4min loading screen.

dogmaticus · August 2013

I am SO gonna play all of these missions

.

stoutes · August 2013

I am so wanting to create a mission using catstar's magnificent youtube movie

ocean1 · August 2013

Before I commit myself to this, I have a question. It's about this statement -

NOTE: Please do not publish your mission until the morning of Wednesday, October 2nd, as close to 10am PDT as possible, but not after***.

I leave the house by 4:30am PDT, for work. So posting the mission "as close to 10am PDT as possible, but not after" is impossible for me. Is 4:30am acceptable? Can it be changed to "Wednesday, October 2nd, between 12:01 - 10am PDT?"

If this is set in stone that's ok, I will most likely miss the deadline anyway. I just need to know before I spend a month making a mission. This one looks really good, can't wait to play these.

thay8472 · August 2013

ocean1 wrote: »

Before I commit myself to this, I have a question. It's about this statement -

I leave the house by 4:30am PDT, for work. So posting the mission "as close to 10am PDT as possible, but not after" is impossible for me. Is 4:30am acceptable? Can it be changed to "Wednesday, October 2nd, between 12:01 - 10am PDT?"

If this is set in stone that's ok, I will most likely miss the deadline anyway. I just need to know before I spend a month making a mission. This one looks really good, can't wait to play these.

Aslong as it's published and Branflakes can find it at said date and time you'll be fine.

ocean1 · August 2013

Ok, thanks.

zorbane · August 2013

stoutes wrote: »

I am so wanting to create a mission using catstar's magnificent youtube movie

Holy TRIBBLE catstar is awesome

rickysmith1 · August 2013

Wow this is frustrating... Just finishing the first part of a time-travelling series based around the time ships and the previous missions of my BTRW-series involved time travel... oh well, you got to go with the flow...

...now wheres my flux-capacitor?

nrobbiec · August 2013

I've never taken part in a Foundry challenge before, might give it a go this time

thay8472 · August 2013

rickysmith1 wrote: »

Wow this is frustrating... Just finishing the first part of a time-travelling series based around the time ships and the previous missions of my BTRW-series involved time travel... oh well, you got to go with the flow...

...now wheres my flux-capacitor?

Time travel is a hard one... first two ideas I had threw me into a loop of confusion.

However I think I have something now that goes along the lines of... A leads to B leads to C leads to A.

rickysmith1 · August 2013

thay8472 wrote: »

Time travel is a hard one... first two ideas I had threw me into a loop of confusion.

However I think I have something now that goes along the lines of... A leads to B leads to C leads to A.

But then a revelation that the B led to C only because of an alternate A-B-C-A event not previously known!

I have literally have a folder devoted to time travel ideas (brain storming for series), if any one wants inspiration then just send me a bell.

isthisscience · August 2013

Damn, I've just had a fantastic, mind-numbingly complex time travel idea to follow up to my first mission. Might take longer than the time for this though... plus I just threw a paddy about how it's too early... and I have to put my other stuff on hold... but it's reeeeeally awesome.... hmmm.... what do I do, what do I do!?

thay8472,
If it doesn't confuse you, then it is too predictable! Your best bet is to sketch out timelines on paper, like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bladewood/4745071483/lightbox/

stolu · August 2013

Since the focus will be on time travel, could someone come up with a scenario that "repairs" the mess that is the last episode of "Enterprise" titled "These are the Voyages.."?

Would that be against the rules? I'd be happy to tip lots of dilithium if it means closure and not having a major character die needlessly.

I have an idea for a story, but doubt that I have the Foundry skills to make it happen.

(I missed the series the when it came out and just finished it yesterday, so it's new for me.)

nrobbiec · August 2013

Just a quick question about the deadline for those of us in different time zones, if I have to upload in the morning my time or maybe even the night before which is like 8 hours ahead is that too. I'll be back at uni then which is unpredictable so that's an awkward time.

isthisscience · August 2013

stolu wrote: »

Since the focus will be on time travel, could someone come up with a scenario that "repairs" the mess that is the last episode of "Enterprise" titled "These are the Voyages.."?

Which part exactly did you mean? There is a lot of chaos created by Enterprise and that last episode given how rushed the series end was.

Foundry Challenge #8 Discussion Thread

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