83 replies to this topic

[Albert]

http://www.atariage....contests/Koffi/If you've been following the 5200 homebrew scene, you are probably well aware of Ron Lloyd's upcoming Koffi: Yellow Kopter where you play the roll of Koffi, a yellow kopter who must save the forest animals from the evil electrified stormcloud Pyro.  AtariAge and Ron Lloyd are sponsoring a contest where you can help design one of the animals that Koffi has to rescue in Koffi: Yellow Kopter. Two entries will be selected to appear in Koffi, and the first place winner will receive a free copy of the game.  For more details on how to enter the contest, please visit the Koffi: Kellow Kopter Kontest page.

[feo]

It sounds like a very interesting challenge. I have a few questions though. Is the idea to design just 1 character? or more than 1? can the character be anything? or does it have to be forest related?
there are two prizes, is that for first and second place? or what is the criteria?

[Albert]

You can design more than one character if you like.  Several people have already sent multiple entries.  I hope to put the first few online tonight.  They probably should be animals you'd find in the wild somewhere, although not necessary deep in a forest.  I think most land-based animals are probably game.  

As for selection of 1st and 2nd place, that is up to Ron.  I'm sure he'll pick his favorite as 1st place and second favorite as 2nd.  This is entirely up to him.

..Al

[Jeffy Arensmeyer]

 
Hey Albert, I noticed on the contest rules page that it now says none of the submissions will be posted until after the contest ends. 

Is this so people won't mooch ideas from other people?    Just curious.    It does seem like a good idea, however.  

Thanx,

ò¿ó            
 

[Albert]

Jeffy Arensmeyer said:

Is this so people won't mooch ideas from other people?    Just curious.    It does seem like a good idea, however.  

Well, that is one of the reasons, yes.  Since these designs are going to be very simple due to the nature of the contest, I don't feel comfortable posting the entries before the contest is over.  Not that I really expect people to cheat, but if someone did happen to submit an entry that's similar to an entry already submitted, I'd rather not have to worry about whether it was based on the previously submitted entry.  

This contest is pretty short in duration (only a week), so we'll only have to wait a few days before we get to see all the entries.  Also, given all the time I'm spending getting ready for CGE, if I can process all the entries in one batch that makes it easier for me as well.  

..Al

[cristiana]

I think it's a great idea to not show submissions untill the contest is over.  This might even be a good idea for any future design contests,  even though i havent heard any bickering on the boards about plagirism. This still might be a good idea, to stave off the possibilities of future conflict.

[Albert]

cristiana said:

I think it's a great idea to not show submissions untill the contest is over.  This might even be a good idea for any future design contests,  even though i havent heard any bickering on the boards about plagirism. This still might be a good idea, to stave off the possibilities of future conflict.

We've considered this and I think we've been fortunate so far that people have not borrowed heavily from other contestants.  It certainly doesn't seem fair to the people who get their entries in early that everyone else can learn from their work.  However, being able to see the entries as they roll in may inspire people to enter the contest who might otherwise have sat on the sidelines.  

..Al

[krisjohn]

Albert said:

It certainly doesn't seem fair to the people who get their entries in early that everyone else can learn from their work.

I tend to look at it from a different direction.  If two people independantly develop similar submissions, it's not fair to the second one who now looks like they've copied someone else's idea.  That's why, for competitions that do post entries before the finish, I post my entries to the messageboards as soon as possible.  (So I don't look like I've copied someone else, not so other people look like they've copied me.)

Jeez, even I can't follow that last bit, and I just wrote it

[calamari]

I played the 90% game on an emulator last night and discovered that the two frames of animation are not for the animal to walk left/right.  The frames are really used to have the animal dance to get your attention.

I also surfed around and found a free animated GIF program ImageMagick (it has a lot of other junk in there too), but it's all command line.  Does anyone know of a freeware animated GIF program that can show the results in a window, change speed, etc?

Thanks,
calamari

[Big_Mo]

calamari said:

Does anyone know of a freeware animated GIF program that can show the results in a window, change speed, etc?

Thanks,
calamari

I use Animation Shop 2, which came with the shareware PaintShop Pro program.  I use it at work all the time.

[Big_Mo]

...also, this reminds me, I was thinking of writing an article on designing graphics specifically for Atari systems, something on the order of the one I did for SIGgraph on the aborted ColecoVision title I was developing with Kevin Horton many moons ago.

http://www.siggraph..../molyneaux.html

If anyone would be interested in such a thing say the word.  I'd include a lot more figures than the article above.

[cristiana]

Albert said:

However, being able to see the entries as they roll in may inspire people to enter the contest who might otherwise have sat on the sidelines.

Well, you don't have to keep everyone completely in the dark, you could always post the number of entries received.  That should serve the same purpose.  
Also, i think showing the entries might actually prevent people from entering, because they see something that they think is great, and they feel that they cannot top that.
Just my ramblings, no need to pay much attention.

[Allan]

Big Mo wrote

Quote

...also, this reminds me, I was thinking of writing an article on designing graphics specifically for Atari systems, something on the order of the one I did for SIGgraph on the aborted ColecoVision title I was developing with Kevin Horton many moons ago.  

http://www.siggraph..../molyneaux.html  

If anyone would be interested in such a thing say the word. I'd include a lot more figures than the article above.

Go for it, Big Mo. I'd love to see an article on designing graphics for the Atari. This would be great. This should help anyone trying to write programs for 5200, 8-bit computers, or the 2600.

Allan

[Albert]

Big_Mo said:

http://www.siggraph..../molyneaux.html

If anyone would be interested in such a thing say the word.  I'd include a lot more figures than the article above.

Nice article, and well illustrated with the images.  What ever happened to the ColecoVision game?  Did you guys just lose interest in it or get sidetracked by other things in life?  It would be great to see a similar article for the Atari 2600 and/or Atari 5200.  

..Al

[Albert]

cristiana said:

Well, you don't have to keep everyone completely in the dark, you could always post the number of entries received.  That should serve the same purpose.  

True, I had considered doing that for this contest.  We've already had quite a few entries (over twenty, I think), so Ron Lloyd will have some tough decisions to make.    By posting the number of entries being received (I was considering listing someone's name and the number of entries they submitted, along with a total at the bottom) you could at least see that people were busy.  

Quote

Also, i think showing the entries might actually prevent people from entering, because they see something that they think is great, and they feel that they cannot top that.

This may be true for some people, certainly.   I know I could not match the artistic skill of most of the entries submitted for these contests, but it would still be fun to try my best and submit something.  I may not expect to win, but I would have tried, and most importantly, had fun at it.  

..Al

[Cafeman]

I'm back from my vacation, I haven't seen any of the entries yet though!

I hope you all could understand my hastily crafted explanation for making the animals / creatures and the Atari 5200 limitations & sprite building blocks.

If you have any questions, ask away, there is still a good day and a half left in the contest.

My original intentions for the contest were for the design of any animal or even a good-looking 'creature' that Koffi could rescue. Due to memory limits I've kept the animals at only two frames. For example, the rabbit I already did, it simply looks left & right. The bear looks a bit like it is walking (the bear was not my design actually, it was Raccoon Lad's who offered it to me before I thought up this contest).  The monkey just swings his arms and legs a bit.  

I'm very curious to see what the designs have been .. Al could you email me some kind of link or info? Thanks!


I will also say this about Koffi -- he will not be ready for CGE2k2. I bet a few of you already suspected that. I expect he'll be done about September 1, 2002. This gives me more time to add more, tweak some stuff, assemble the carts, make sure the label & any packaging looks good enough, etc.

[Big_Mo]

Albert said:

Nice article, and well illustrated with the images.  What ever happened to the ColecoVision game?  Did you guys just lose interest in it or get sidetracked by other things in life?  It would be great to see a similar article for the Atari 2600 and/or Atari 5200.  

..Al

Not too get too off-topic here, but, what happened was in 1997 I moved and took job at Psygnosis and during the first months or so after the move I had no time to look at the game.  Then Kevin Horton, the programmer, came to visit, but by that point he lost interest.

Too bad, because I think the game would have been a novelty in that it would have actually been funny.  Would still like to do the game, but it's a monster and was going to use a 256Kbank-switched cart of Kevin's design.  The game was going to have four completely different looking levels with varied play mechanics, a bonus round, and full screen reward and intro screens.  Alas!

The fun part was that it gave me an opportunity to excercise pixel-pushing skills I developed on my Atari 800XL.  I even investigated doing some games for the 5200, and did tests of sprites and backgrounds for several, including an Adventure sequel, a twisted game with a Warlords type play mehanic with a control scheme optimized for the 5200 sticks, amongst others.  Oh, and I also figured out a trick for moving graphics in sub-pixel increments in GTIA...but I'm sure no one wants to know how to do that.  

[Cafeman]

I have seen all of the entries submitted so far. There are some very good critters in there!  Everyone seems to have understood the rules of Atari 5200 graphics. Several people used the same kind of animal which I expected, now I must choose which looks the best.  I'm wondering if there will perhaps be several 2nd places, mmm?

Now we wait for Albert to post the Gifs for all to see, which I assume he won't do until after midnight tonight.

[calamari]

Did the contest already end or not until tonight?  I just sent in my entries.

calamari

[Cafeman]

I got your entries!  As I understand Albert's instructions, it should end at Midnight tonight. Which is really tomorrow.

[-^Cro§Bow^-]

Quote

I'm wondering if there will perhaps be several 2nd places, mmm?  

Does this mean you have already decided who is 1st?

[Albert]

Cafeman said:

Now we wait for Albert to post the Gifs for all to see, which I assume he won't do until after midnight tonight.

Correct, although sometime Friday (as opposed to right after midnight) is a better bet.    I have already received several more entries since I sent them to you, bringing the total to about 46 or so.  At this rate we'll have enough animals to populate a zoo!

..Al

[DEBRO]

I wanted to get in on this one Cafeman but the time got away from me I look forward to seeing the entries. Good luck everyone.

[krisjohn]

The forums just marked themeselves as read.  I assume midnight just rolled around over there.  Have fun with the judging -- I can't wait to see the entries all animated.  I'll even turn on gif animations on one of my browsers just for AA.

[feo]

Big_Mo that is a very good article. It would be great if would share your knowledge about how to do 5200 graphics with us.
I am very interested on participating in the future on 5200 projects. Right now I am in the process of putting together an 8-bit system just for that purpose.
Feo