Winners: Projects in Development

Congratiolations to the Projects who've won.


After hearing that Friendly Warlord won the second place, an interview was slowly coming up that was unavoidable.

Hello, Friendly Warlord.

What? Who's there?

Tell us, FriendlyWarlord, after knowing that another project was doing Metroid as well, what were your thoughts about that?

Well, since it was a mod rather than a map, and I had already started working on the map before I found out, I wasn't too concerned about conflict. The two projects were pretty seperate in terms of the concept, so neither project really had much of an affect on the other. I did, however offer to help if they needed me, since I needed to leech off their amazing modeling talent =P

Do you think it is good to have a rival while working on a project?

In some ways, yes: it encourages originality, as well as progress, to some extent. The biggest downside I can think of is less people and resources to go around (if you want to work on one project, you probably can't work on the other one too).

What are your own thoughts about your own project?

It'll be crazy-fun when it's done. Basically I'm trying to take the good things that work from the metroid game formula, and toss out the stuff that doesn't. What it makes is an intense adventure filled with exploration, items that expand your amount-of-places-you-can-go, a good story, and high replay value at the same time.

Can we expect any new update any day soon?

Aside from the new map I just released, probably not for a while. The next big update will be a playable trailer/demo that takes place immediately before the events in the finished version. But before that is started, I might release a new version of the current demo with extra models and bug fixes.

The demo had a lot of good feedback, does that motivate you to work more?

In a way, yes. But right now, I don't have a whole lot of time, and I'm glad to be finaly finished something really tangible. I might not start making the next version until after my exams.

Did you expect to be one of the Nominated Projects in the Project in Development?

Yes, since it was one of the few that was pretty active.

Did you think you have a chance of becoming a Finalist in Projects in Development?

First place finalist? No, not really. Since this is a just a multiplayer map currently with a one person team, first place was pretty much out of my league. Second place was higher than I expected though; I thought third place was very probable.

WoW was a hot favourite to win - what do you think about metroid's sudden victory

Hmmm, I dunno. I'm not really up to date with the current projects, I'll have to check them out sometime. But again, I thought that WoW was going to beat metroid's ranking.

What are your thoughts now that you've won the second prize of the Projects in Development?

I'm thinking of getting some models and skins finished next. With this attention, it should help get some new members.

Now to the Project.

Indeed... that's not a question, is it?

What kind of developments in features can we expect in the future?

Well, here's the plan, which I just made up right now:
1) get models and skins, fix bugs
2) start the demo
3) finish the demo
4) release/test the demo
5) start the final game
6) finish it, test it, refine it
5) get the models and skins again if they're not all done yet
8) add in the secrets for beating the game with certain stuff (well, they're not really secrets anymore...)
9) release it
10) try to take over the world

The people who are uninterested in Metroid in general, could they enjoy this game as well?

Definately. Even if you live in a giant bucket where nobody has ever heard of Metroid, the story is simple enough to understand. At the same time, it's still much deeper for those who already know the story, just as delails from Super Metroid are more interesting if you've played the original first. Interest or knowledge of the previous games won't affect gameplay at all though; all you need to do is understand simple instructions, and know how to use Warcraft III. And for those who might not like metroid games at all, the multiplayer aspect puts an interesting twist to it. And with 3 endings and a randomized map, there's no way to get completely "stuck", an unfortunate downside to the series.

How close is your project to completion?

I can't really say. I can guess, but it could be way off. To give an idea, I started physically mapping it about a year ago, at the same time the patch with the goblin tinker came out. The demo I can roughly estimate being finished in a few months.

What is currently unfinished? Do you need help?

I definately need some help. I mean, with the map, of course. Specifically:
- Models and model edits
- skins and interface textures
- making triggers more effecient and help fixing bugs

For the first question: Basically everything for the demo is finished, except for the models, skins, the final boss, and actually creating the map and terraining all of it. After that, there'll be a lot more boss-and-map-making before the full version is complete.

Do you have any comments about the project?

Yes.

Many people will see that Metroid got this far. Do you think it is worthy for that?

I've probably assured too many people that the project is going to get finished to stop now. I've only worked on two other maps for TFT (Pyramid Escape, and another map that never got finished), it's only a matter of time before it gets farther.

Which aspects do you feel are the most important for mapmaking?

Let's see... there's the three G's: Gumption, gum, like, "chew gum", and, ummm, garg...el. Minty gargle. Wait...

Making it in little bits at a time, "growing" the map. When I tried doing too much stuff at once, it just got really confusing. If you fix one or two things between each test, it's much easier than fixing five things at once, and then watching none of them work. Gumption is also important. (It's a real word!) And, ability to problem solve, thinking of different ways to trigger something; help is always good for this too. For most of the non-trigger stuff, creativity and patience is pretty much all you need. And a fast computer helps.

Would you sacrifice your creative vision for popularity?

To an extent. If there's some creative skins in the map I need to sacrifice for reducing the map file's size so it's playable on bnet, I would definately do it. As for using metroid as a tool for popularity: I think basing it on an existing game gives it more creative potential. If I was to make it a game that was similar to metroid, the entire story would have to be condensed into the intro, and it wouldn't sound very original at all. One creative sacrifice I have already made was the short intro; nobody like long intros on bnet, they're all like "gogogoggOGoGOGoGO!goGG!O1o!11!G!o1". So, hope that answers the question =)

Imarion RPG has won the first prize. What do you think of that?

Nice work! =) I haven't read much about it yet, but I'm sure it deserved it.

Any final thoughts?

OOOoh, yeah! Check out the first post of the MSfS thread, it has a lot of information about the project. And PM me if you want to help or see the newest version of the map. Thanks, Fladian! Now I'll go back to whatever it is I do.
____________________________________________________
As for the projects that didn't make it to the finals, or in at all. Better luck next month, is what I'd say. Don't be dissapointed, just try to have more luck next month. I have been looking around, and it is not hard to see what the projects that are not in are missing. Take a good look at the project, and try to improve it. If you can do that, report again next month to the Projects in Development.

As promised, the reviews regarding the project will follow shortly in THIS thread.
Once again. Congratiolations to the project leaders that won the award.

Thank you for your time.
-Fladian

what are the criterias for judging?

Everyone looks at a different aspect that is chosen by them selves.

what? OMG, honstely, arghhh must fight the urge to swear....

u did this to us on purpose didn't you?

Well I demand a recount! yeah that's right, only 3 out of the 5 judges were judging, and dorelian was taking santanas's place! dorelian couldn't tell a good project if it slapped him on the face i mean he rejected Ominous Horizons! and i havea suspicious feeling that slith didn't exactly put his best effort in describing UL, but wait mortals... UL shall rise, and then we'll see who's laughing.... oh sorry i forgot to take my pills lol

WHY AM I LAUGHING NOW?

I didn't do anything on purpose. I am nothing more than a jury member when it comes to the votes of that. I have no right to say anything else - NOTHING.

A recount? I won't change it. I thought I mentioned that, or did I only mention that before my browser crashed? Well, if I didn't say it before, I said it now.
Dorelian was here because Satanas and RightField were absent. I delayed the rating for a day as well because I had personal problems.

If you disagree with the result. Give a good reason.
The word goes now to Decadence. :P
-Fladian

No, we did this because your worthless project has NOTHING but your arrogance and those nice signatures. And quit with the "OMG U DROPPED OMANIUS HRIZONS" crap already, all admins agreed it wasn't half as good as everyone made it sound. Now how about you take your pills and quit being so stupid and arrogant ? at least get your facts straight next time.

Well, honstely [sic] I'm not sure about the rest, but one of my hidden criterion happened to be 'ego'. Your team got a 'megalomania' rating from me for that one . And it didn't help that you mucked up the title so horribly, too. The correct term would be 'Unsung Heroes'. Unsung Legends is a contradiction within a contradiction. By definition, a legend is "One that inspires legends or achieves legendary fame. " An unsung hero, on the other hand, is a behind-the-scenes person that contributes a great deal without receiving recognition (like the road sweepers and garbage collectors - see why I didn't think the title was fitting?) So an unsung legend would be a famous, but not famous person. Yep, that makes a lot of sense. Anyhow, I eventually went with my picks because I felt that they were superior aesthetically, and I tend to put a lot of emphasis on aesthetics and playability. So well. You'll see more of the rating system I used during the review of the two finalists, although I'm not sure if the other two judges will.

Dorelian happens to be very practical when it comes to project hosting, and while it might not garner popularity votes for him, it's the proper -and practical- thing to do. Too many projects have planned and planned and planned and ended up with a whole lot of nothing, or fallen way short of their original grandiose plan. People tend to be lazy and unreliable. If you want to put the blame on anything, human nature is what you're looking for. People are lazy. People are unreliable. 90% of the 'projects' don't make it past the planning phase. Dorelian is simply choosing to err on the safe side by making sure the projects actually prove themselves before giving them hosting, instead of wasting tons of good bandwidth and time. In fact, I think he's being wonderfully lenient as it is. I wouldn't even look at some of the projects he lets through. I won't deny that ominous horizons looked promising (although I'll admit I don't quite understand how horizons can be ominous), but then again, FMVH looked promising too, and look at all the good that did it.

Ah well. There's always next month's contest, when the other two judges will be back (and new judges possibly admitted). [yes, very unfortunately for you Dorelian is a permanent judge, not a stand-in. I think you'd better start groveling and eating your words and stuff =P]

sure everyone flames me...
now i have not read what slith sent you, but appranetly you seem to think that UL is just nice sigs, and Ego, now i must admit that i have enough of an Ego for the entire team, but don't get me confused, most of the other members are cool ppl to know, who don't have nearly as much of an ego as i do. well i did not make the title, and unsung heroes maybe a bit more appropriate, but far less catchy. and well in Unsung Legends, you will find several heroes not mentioned before arise, certain ppl will have larger roles in the storyline, and thus become Unsung. The player is also a 'legend' as the oracles have predicted his coming, yet he controls no armies, but his own will and power, and thus he is unsung and a legend

Well, appranetly [sic] you make almost completely no sense (I hate your sigs by the way : P). Haven't you heard of the shift key? It's uncanny, how the only words you bother to capitalise are 'Ego', 'Unsung' and 'Legends' *cough cough* (the isn't counted). Anyway, unsung legends is not 'catchier' than unsung heroes, and oh, there's that tiny fact that it's an absolute OXYMORON. The two words just do not work together. They make completely no sense together. The two are meaningless together. They mean nothing. Nothing. Null. Void. Zero. Zilch. Clear enough? And oracles? Could you get any more cliched =P. And why the hell does your title need to be catchy, anyhow? It's not like you're ABBA or something.

And I'd like to congratulate you on one last thing - you've actually managed to be egotistic about your ego. I didn't think that was actually possible =P.

egoistic about my ego? i'm sure if i knew what you trying to say i would feel very offended.

anywho, you also seem to think That UL makes no progress, and really i cannot say why you would think that at all, we make more progress than a lot of projects around here, and persoannly i think this is about how dorelian for example rejected war 3 wow, since UL is somewhat like war 3 wow, he must feel that there is no use for a project like UL, as he did for war 3 WoW

secondly, i capitalize random things, but it is rather annoying how u must take apart my post and pick at the details, you are missing the bigger picture, like you are picking at UL's title, and while i agree a title is important, you are missing UL asa whole, anyways whatever i say, you guys will just keep up this sharade, so i might as well go play the stockmarkte bye


well i must say that i took a fall for the team, i got three neg reps for my posts, and losts 25 points, but i think it was somewhat worth it, cause whats worth living if u don't stick up for what u believe in, only dorelian was man enough to put his name down, and i am quite shocked since i think that all of you would call urselves respected members and yet you are too cowardly to write your name down, and dorelian props thats the first time someone gave me neg rep and posted thier name

Slith has sent me (at least) the necessary information. I don't know what happened regarding Decadence, but Dorelian was forced to vote without any practical information. Because of Satanas sudden absence and RightField's non accurate choice and my personal problems, I had to point a new judge for the time being. Because of a lack of time, I picked Dorelian and now he has at least been the jury once, he might as well become there for the time being.
Dorelian and RightField were my first two choices, but both had a problem that made me reconsider. I have no contact with RightField outside of the forum, meaning that it is quite hard to explain him stuff but I still took him in. Dorelian on the other hand would make a problem because of his poor reputation among project leaders. I was afraid that I would doom Projects in Development instantly because of that.

Now then, learn what flaming actually is. Since Dorelian, Decadence and I aren't flaming. As a matter of fact, IF they would flame, they would get problems them selves.

Could be that most people from your team may be "cool" and the like, but one of my best friends is trying to introduce me to some of his "new" friends as well. Always mentioning, "they are cool" and "they are great" but also saying, "if you get to know them, they're great". My answer to that is easily and blunt that I don't care. In the case of that friend is that I don't want anything to do with them, and here on the forum in this case is saying easily and blunt, "I don't care". I only care for the mood of projects I am very interested in, (like Lord of the Clans some time ago) but I could not be bothered to check out every thread. UL may be a successful project, but I can't jump in every project to enjoy the mood. 8 Hours of my day I'm at work, at least 6-8 hours I'm sleeping, I take an hour outside from going to work, and home so I already lost so that's already 17 hours. When I'm home, I always write for about an hour making it 18 hours, from that I usually visit someone that ends up with 2 - 3 hours meaning that I already spend 20 hours at the maximum. At the very least, I play a game for about an hour giving me already 21 hours away. 2 Of the coming hours are always a mystery, nearly everday I have a visitor and I rarely visit the forum by then. And in total, an hour to get ready to leave, taking a shower and the like. Between all those times, I check the forums - all 8 of them. Don't expect me to jump in every thread.

Unsung Legends (UL), Unsung Heroes (Original) or Unsung Song (my own project of 2 years ago) it all ends up the same in name. That really doesn't matter Decadence, cut that subject off.

Darkhorde, I don't know what you are actually mentioning. But you are talking to Decadence here. Dorelian gave his opinion and so am I. I knew this would come, so I prepared a few subjects, har har :P
-Fladian

anyways i feel the need to repeat myself

well i must say that i took a fall for the team, i got three neg reps for my posts, and losts 25 points, but i think it was somewhat worth it, cause whats worth living if u don't stick up for what u believe in, only dorelian was man enough to put his name down, and i am quite shocked since i think that all of you would call urselves respected members and yet you are too cowardly to write your name down, and dorelian props thats the first time someone gave me neg rep and posted thier name

It's not like it really matters... rep doesn't mean anything anyway...

Ah, but the team also took a fall because of your ego :P

it is the priniciple of the thing, if you must flame someone and then go hide, then well you r a coward...