What would you compete in?

[jzimmerman4]

Hey so it seems like a lot of players enjoy competing to create the coolest or most efficient ships/stations. I have seen tons of competitions but hardly any of them ever get fully judged as the creator disappears or looses interest. I have been around for the last few years and I aint going nowhere so id like to hold a competition series but first I need to know what you guys want to compete in! I made a poll with a few ideas but if you have something else feel free to leave a comment below explaining your idea!

Spoiler: More on the competition series

My plan as of now is to do monthly or bi monthly competitions non stop so as soon as the results from the first competition are announced boom the next one is here. My idea behind this is to allow non stop challenges to be available and also for if you happen to miss one there will always be another one coming up around the corner.
Time and hardware dependent I might also be able to do a video series on all the ships but if any one else would like to help out with that part feel free to send me a PM!

Pirate Fleet Competition

 

[BJammin]

You should also have some challenges involving engineering listed. For instance, who can make the fastest ship (most acceleration), who can build the most impressive perma-cloak/jam ship (that would be more of a hybrid design/engineering challenge), who can design the most creative/unique weapon setup (possibly involving logic), and maybe even a challenge to see who can build the best overall turret (size, design, ease of use, and performance are all factors). Or most impressive of all, maybe a challenge to see who can build a ship capable of one-hit-killing ships from various classes (that could be really difficult, and we would need to set some kind of standard for targets, but it's something I think would be really cool for players to explore).

I'm interested to see what you'll come up with!

 

[jzimmerman4]

You should also have some challenges involving engineering listed. For instance, who can make the fastest ship (most acceleration), who can build the most impressive perma-cloak/jam ship (that would be more of a hybrid design/engineering challenge), who can design the most creative/unique weapon setup (possibly involving logic), and maybe even a challenge to see who can build the best overall turret (size, design, ease of use, and performance are all factors). Or most impressive of all, maybe a challenge to see who can build a ship capable of one-hit-killing ships from various classes (that could be really difficult, and we would need to set some kind of standard for targets, but it's something I think would be really cool for players to explore).

I'm interested to see what you'll come up with!

Yea great ideas!! I was thinking of having some kind of smaller challenges during some of the longer competitions so that you wont have to wait a month or so after you submit your design and instead can stay active!

 

[Megacrafter127]

It kind of falls into the 'Logic' department but what about rail creations?

 

[jzimmerman4]

It kind of falls into the 'Logic' department but what about rail creations?

Yea thats what I meant by that! lol What I was thinking is who ever can create a ship or whatever that has the coolest logic (and rail) features.

 

[kiraen]

Stations/Shipyards/Shops should be categories too.

 

[Lecic]

I'd hope we'll be seeing an official trade guild/pirate/any other future AI factions in the future, but I'd love to see an unofficial one right now. I'd imagine pirates would mainly use modified trade guild ships or ships slapped together from parts from trade and civilian ships.

 

[Nauvran]

Proper video reviews of the entries? Now that would be amazing.
I got about 30 unredeemed keys on humble bundle if you need any prizes to give out, and I probably wouldn't mind purchasing a few extra bundles to give out now and then.

 

[Criss]

I'd hope we'll be seeing an official trade guild/pirate/any other future AI factions in the future, but I'd love to see an unofficial one right now. I'd imagine pirates would mainly use modified trade guild ships or ships slapped together from parts from trade and civilian ships.

There are plans.... Oh are there plans....

 

[Nauvran]

There are plans.... Oh are there plans....

guess it's time to refit the Salvagers

 

[Blaza612]

I would first do pirates, since I have some ideas for my own pirate faction. When will the first compo be held? And I assume that it'll be pirates based on the poll. :P

 

[kiraen]

There are plans.... Oh are there plans....

Evil people. Damn teasers.

 

[jzimmerman4]

Proper video reviews of the entries? Now that would be amazing.
I got about 30 unredeemed keys on humble bundle if you need any prizes to give out, and I probably wouldn't mind purchasing a few extra bundles to give out now and then.

Yes that would be awesome to have some prizes! Thank you!
And Yes I want to do videos of the entries but I am unsure if my laptop can support it so I will have to test that out.

I would first do pirates, since I have some ideas for my own pirate faction. When will the first compo be held? And I assume that it'll be pirates based on the poll. :p

I will give the poll a few more days and then set up the competition, but yes it is looking like pirates will be first! I will aim for next saturday at the latest for the competition to open so prepare your selfs!!

 

[Panpiper]

I've already started my pirate 'fleet' less than a week ago. My server admin asked me to create just such a thing to toughen up the opposition. Sadly, while I can build very effective ships, my genius for coming up with innovative looks for them is quite lacking. My look usually winds up flowing to a great degree from the build of it's function. And so I doubt my ability to do a significantly different cosmetic from what I have already started.

Would it be allowable for me to submit the two ships I have already created just in the last week, along with any others that need be created? This would certainly be the goad to clean up the substandard engines on my Corsair.

 

[jzimmerman4]

I've already started my pirate 'fleet' less than a week ago. My server admin asked me to create just such a thing to toughen up the opposition. Sadly, while I can build very effective ships, my genius for coming up with innovative looks for them is quite lacking. My look usually winds up flowing to a great degree from the build of it's function. And so I doubt my ability to do a significantly different cosmetic from what I have already started.

Would it be allowable for me to submit the two ships I have already created just in the last week, along with any others that need be created? This would certainly be the goad to clean up the substandard engines on my Corsair.

As long as they fit with in the regulations (TBD) then of course! I imagine players who have submitted ships for other competitions will use theirs in mine and I am completely okay with that.
And on a side note I plan on judging the entries based on cosmetics and effectiveness so if it aint the prettiest thang there still is a chance of it placing!

 

[Panpiper]

And on a side note I plan on judging the entries based on cosmetics and effectiveness so if it aint the prettiest thang there still is a chance of it placing!

Effectiveness will certainly be where my ships shine. I've had reports of ships ten times the mass, fleeing from fights. But other than little to no RP space, I don't think my ships look bad. It's just that once their functional architecture is defined, usually by their power systems, the rest of the shape pretty much 'has to' flow from there, unless I want to pile on a whole mess of otherwise useless blocks just to give it a different shape. Larger ships have less of this problem, but pirates need to be small, or the game won't spawn them in. Or am I missing something?

The two I've built already:

Spoiler

Marauder

Corsair

My biggest weakness in this sort of thing I think is my propensity to ignore RP space. Given the intent to make these things as combat worthy as possible to give the game some actual challenge, RP space feels almost superfluous to me. The only time people will be exposed to such space is after it's been blown all to hell and they are salvaging the wreck with salvage beams.

 

[alterintel]

You should also have some challenges involving engineering listed. For instance, who can make the fastest ship (most acceleration), who can build the most impressive perma-cloak/jam ship (that would be more of a hybrid design/engineering challenge), who can design the most creative/unique weapon setup (possibly involving logic), and maybe even a challenge to see who can build the best overall turret (size, design, ease of use, and performance are all factors). Or most impressive of all, maybe a challenge to see who can build a ship capable of one-hit-killing ships from various classes (that could be really difficult, and we would need to set some kind of standard for targets, but it's something I think would be really cool for players to explore).

I'm interested to see what you'll come up with!

This is the best idea yet. I too appreciate function over aesthetics but only slightly. (As an engineer by trade, I long ago learned that it could be the most functional and maintenance free system around, but none of that matters if it doesn't look pretty and nobody wants it.)

I would very much appreciate a perma-cloak, or speed challenge. But...

How about a ship shell challenge:
present a shell of a ship and see who can make the most functional ship from it with different prizes for different categories:
1) DPS
2) Offensive score
3) Defensive score
3) Lore appropriate (if star trek, star wars, video game, etc..)
4) esthetics (external = greeble, curves(wedges, tetras), Internal RP spaces)
5) best overall

 

[Visitor]

Only tangentially related to what OP hopes for, but once we'll have majority of the final mechanics and blocks that are meant to be in the final game, I'd like to see another default trade, pirate, neutral and [whatever other default faction that may make it into the game - I hope there would be a few territorial organizations/nations] stations, ships and planetside installations/colonies - with, in case of those belonging to specific organization, a bit more detailed aesthetics guideline than 'add lots of certain color' so visually similar constructions can be seen.

I'd like to have such using all the features that are currently and would be in, including possibly things like functional medbays, life support systems, rails and actual furniture. Would love to see both military ships with only some interior for boarding but mostly decent enough to fight even average player's creation and some civilian transporters, haulers, shuttles - with actual NPC and crew quarters. Research stations, military bunkers, small villages with apartment complex or two.

I realize that it may be a long time before we'll get to that point. Years, possibly. Still, that's what I'd hope to see. Actual constructions, hubs of living and commerce - a living world with civilisation.

In the meantime? I could possibly - if I'd have time which currently isn't granted - take part and surely take interest in contest about designing an RPishisly/immersively realistic ship or station, by which I mean ones made with all the facilities a person would require to survive and perform their duties - from workrooms, laboratories, engineering compartments through kitchen, lavatory, medbay, mess hall, private crew quarters to small duct tapes and cycled, dockable airlocks.

 

[Blaza612]

Yes that would be awesome to have some prizes! Thank you!
And Yes I want to do videos of the entries but I am unsure if my laptop can support it so I will have to test that out.


I will give the poll a few more days and then set up the competition, but yes it is looking like pirates will be first! I will aim for next saturday at the latest for the competition to open so prepare your selfs!!

When you say next Saturday, do you mean the 12th or 19th? And how long will the comp go far?

 

[Trekkerjoe]

Robotics. That is my favorite kind of competition, one that has robotic elements. The perfect fusion of logic and rails. I am also a bit interested in making pirate and trading guild fleets that are distinctive from each other. The new Wave Management option should really help with that.

Also, why don't you have station as an option?

EDIT: added a much-needed transition.