Challenges feedback thread

[Carlosan]

Please post here any feedback or ideas you have regarding our Challenges.

 

We want these to become frequent and are still experimenting with the format, so let us know if you have suggestions.

 

Thanks!

[Malo]

Maybe the theme could be a big problem.

Someone like me like game models, other want highpoly models to render, the other more hardsurface, others organic.

We cant fit anybody needs for sure, but thats normal.

 

If you take a look at the challenges, you see, that every challenge have less competitors.

I hope i dont miss something but the first challenge have 7 final competitors and then its going down from 6->5->2->2 to 3.

You see it on the views, too. It getting less and less.

 

The frist challenge was hard surface, the next two was organic. The rest a mix or hardsurface.

You could think the last was organic and should raise the competitors and viewers, but it still was the lowest ever.

 

Maybe the people here wont do that for fun?

Or the rules are to tight for the most people, i am not sure.

 

Maybe the next challenge would show it what the future brings.

 

[GeneralAce55]

I would love to participate in more of these challenges but I have simply not had the skill, nor, due to exam schedule, any time Whatever this next one is I should finally be able to follow through, I know I've not been very good about that but I'm finally feeling like I have the skill-set necessary to at least complete the challenge

Also, in regards to changes, it's really hard to find this if no one is looking for it, maybe if there could be an advertisement on the front page of 3d-coat's website? Who knows, it might even bring more attention to 3d-coat if people saw there was an active community who created amazing works, such as you guys!

Edited May 26, 2014 by GeneralAce55

[artman]

the themes are fine imo.I don't know for others but for myself Im not participatiing because I simply dont have enough free time.

[Javis]

The themes are completely fine. It's time that is the issue for most.

 

 

IMHO, I don't feel this poll is necessary.

[Malo]

What did you suggest as a general deadline?

Maybe 8 weeks or waiting until 5 or more competitors have a final result or something different?

[Aleksey]

I think for most people it's time, but i like this last chimera theme idea.

 

also definitely more exposure. I wasn't even aware of the last 2 challenges. Last challlenge i saw was the winter games one. Maybe a banner at the top with this months challenge?

 

I vote "cute monsters" as the next theme

[Garagarape]

Same as Artman and other forum mates. Not enough time to participate.

But each time I think "That would be fun".

Giving free keys to unlock high level training video

as a reward could be another motivation to get involved.

 

In my former company we used a "word engine" to chose the thema of the comp.

That was kind of cadavre exquis like and quite fun.

[Carlosan]

can i ask how many... 2 -3 - 4 - ____ words ?

 

a website generator or someone specific ?

http://www.textfixer.com/tools/random-words.php

 

ty

[Garagarape]

Carlosan,

 

Sorry mate. That was about 10 years ago in a french company (We weren't very serious at this time even at work),

and I have no idea of what was the engine named.

 

We got this kind of funny sentences with the engine:

 

"My uncle vomit a clown in the forest at night"

 

With the one given in the link you mentioned, I don't get a sentence but just random words:

 

"undersea nomadic magnificent egg blunt alternate"

 

Rather poetic though Kind of Beatles song lyrics like

[Marc Wakefield]

I always 'want' to participate but time always seems to be an issue as there are also so many other things I want to do. Running two businesses, having a wife and two young sons means the only real time I have for personal / fun / diversions is from around 8pm in the evening onwards.

I was surprised at the falling numbers too but I think it is also that people are in similar situations. The theme doesn't matter too much as it is all good practice but I am more inclined to partake in organic / anatomy / monster / alien challenges cause they are the most fun. 

[Malo]

How should the deadline be set, that you could participate without much problems?

[GeneralAce55]

How should the deadline be set, that you could participate without much problems?

I personally think about two months would be good, but please take other's opinions over my own as I can probably be the most flexible as I am still in school and do not have all the responsibilities of you all! Seeing as I'm only 17 years old, I don't even have my "job" (school) for an entire 2 and 1/2 months which is certainly not the real world that many of the others on this amazing forum live in haha.

[Aleksey]

maybe make it s self imposed kinda deadline like. we have 1 or 2 months. But can only spend 2-3 hours on the sculpt. or maybe on each sculpt.

 

so then we feel like we can find 2-3 hours during the month and becomes and easier entry. Rather than the daunting possibility of spending long periods of time and not getting it to a nice result.

[chingchong]

We had the Winter Games Challenge, wich lasted nearly 2 months, but there still was not much action.

Which is quite enough for real Competitions out there (see the Substance "Titans" -Competition, it is also roughly 2 months)

But the rewards are really top notch!!!

IMO thats what someone is willing to spend his/her spare time for.

 

Personally i think, it would be nice to have  short weekends-challenges (speed sculpts, speed painting, speed texturing, speed everything else).

Limiting the required time to  aminimum.

I think , the weekends mostly are not loaded with work, unless your'e a freelancer, there is always time for training on some weekends in the year/ month.

 

Because for those monthly challenges it its hard to keep yourself motivated, maybe because no (physical) rewards in the end. I joined some competitions in the beginning, but lost motivation, even on my self chosen theme ^^

 

 

So my suggestion:

 

Limit the Competition to a single task, allowing also non generalists to join, because in the last challenges there were always more steps to cover. But you maybe have only time to finish a texture, or a model, so you are even not motivated to join:

 

Examples:

       - give them a base face/ Model to sculpt finest, sharp details to.

       - give them a model to texture.

       - give them a model to retopo/ UVing

       - give them a model to render within 3DCoat.

       - and so on

 

I think that would be possible for a weekend project or a  week project.

Edited May 29, 2014 by chingchong

[Javis]

How should the deadline be set, that you could participate without much problems?

 

I like your idea about a minimum number of participants. Combined with a time frame, it could be pretty easy to have a resolution.

 

For example, a deadline of 8 weeks, with a minimum participant level of 3. So if we hit 8 weeks, but only 2 people join in the fun, it would automatically end when the 3rd person submits their final.

[Malo]

Yes, that sound nice.

A mix of time and paticipants.

[The Candy-floss Kid]

Yes time.

Myself I think restricting to the interpretation of a singular word would be fun and for the work to be done in one evening.

I think play, interpretation, and experimentation would make for rich threads where people share tips and findings.

 

Also: tool limitation challenges -

sculpt in 2 hours just using the move tool

sculpt in 2 hours using just the grow tool ,

sculpt in 2 hours using the curves tools and splines

take a sphere only and paint a character with no sculpting etc etc

 

That way more of us will have time to join in the party and push the tools further.

[Cowtail]

I think it'd be best not to make it complicated with tool limitations and such. The primary reason for there not being much activity in the past challenges seems more due to a low community user base than anything else. It may be a while before this one builds up to a point where there'd be 5+ active participants in a challenge. Just a matter of patience, eh?

 

The previous challenges were fine, in my opinion. Keep the requirements simple enough so that the artist can choose how much work and detail to put into the entry, and leave the subject open enough for a fairly broad interpretation. Unless there are actual incentives, I doubt many of the participants would enter just to win anyway, so judging criteria can remain fairly broad and open as well.

 

If (we) as challenge participants would like to see more activity, then we also need to be proactive and give positive feedback to each other when posting WIPs, and in general promote the challenge (either obvious or subtle) in any other online communities we inhabit.

 

Granted, I just got here, but I do intend on participating in the next one if it's anything like the previous ones

[BeatKitano]

The primary reason for there not being much activity in the past challenges seems more due to a low community user base than anything else.

 

And why's that ?

[Cowtail]

And why's that ?

Are you asking why there's a low user base, or why it's a reason? I thought it was fairly obvious, but less users = less activity. It may seem like there's a lot of people here (well, compared to some other communities...), but the number of active contributors to the Galleries & Challenges subforums is too low to expect a lot of Challenge participants right off the bat, especially without added incentives. By adding restrictions to the Challenge requirements or narrowing down the subject matter, it just pares down the pool of potential participants even further.

 

I'm coming from the experience of a long-time hobbyist that moderated a forum for a 3D program (Anim8or) --much-- less popular than this one. Probably means squat to everyone but myself--but while the demographic here is different, a lot of the characteristics feel the same. For example, those who have the time, interest, and confidence to post their WIPs and Finished Works here are more likely to participate in the Challenges. This relationship is the backbone of my statement you quoted.

 

So...I'm thinking the best solution is to keep on goin' and let the momentum build. So long as 3D Coat stays relevant, accessible, and in development, our numbers will grow anyway.

[BeatKitano]

I know about Anim8or,didn't use it myself (nor metasequoia and the like).

 

My question was more about: Why was there a lot more of contestant in past contest and much less these days. I'm pushing for an answer but I just want to be sure I'm not the only one feeling it...

To me it's more about more and more people leaving the ship and turning to more polished products.

 

I mean, let's just hope the new dev member is going to help with the current weariness:

[Carlosan]

1st Challenge: Sculpt a King's Throne! - 3,290 views
2nd Challenge - Sculpt And Texture Alien Bust - 7,047 views
3rd Challenge - Sculpt and texture your hero/heroine - 8,425 views
4th Challenge - 3D Coat Winter Games - 2,432 views
5th Challenge - Melee Weapon - 1,155 views
6th Challenge - Chimera Bust - 1,092 views

[BeatKitano]

Tnx. My point (didn't even finish my entry for the third one because I got so many issue with the software I simply gave up).

 

As long as you can't use the software actively with pleasure, without encountering stupid issues, you won't have "killers". And without a handful of "killers" you won't create an emulation process to bring more crafty people. It's an oil motor, if you can't get the first explosion you won't make the engine run.

Right now we have a few killers here, the issue they can't express themselves fully as the software limit them in their creative process.

 

At least that's the way I see it.

[Malo]

Hm, i dont think that the killer be the point.

I participe in the last 3 contests and i dont have any killer that you told.

 

Sure i have founding some bugs, but nothing stops me and my project.

 

Anyway, what killer did you mean?

Edited June 2, 2014 by Malo

[Carlosan]

have sense

 

i duno if can be applied here at challenges

 

killers = outstanding artist working in heavy industry ?

[Cowtail]

Ah, I see. The number of views don't indicate anything. Topics with more replies will get more views over time. The replies are linked to the activity at the time, so are more relevant.

 

These challenges were only a few months apart, seems a little radical of a difference between them. Perhaps other factors are involved as well. The 4th challenge might have killed the momentum since it's entirely different and doesn't seem to have had much participation, the presentation and titling of the 5th and 6th challenges is a little bit less exciting. Probably other influences as well not directly related to the software.

 

Call me optimistic or even naive, but the last two challenges don't seem that bad in terms of activity, and don't really indicate that it's getting worse.

[Hammers]

Well, I hope the challenges keep going. I'm still getting my feet wet in 3d-coat, and mostly I've been too time poor to participate, but for the next little while I was hoping too as work has eased up somewhat.  

 

Personally I like the weekend challenge idea, even if only a couple of people submit, it encourages short bursts of concentrated practice, which may be a better learning experience that a larger project. More frequent and small, and hopefully build interest. But really for me, it's the challenge of responding creatively to a brief, while learning/practising.

[ajz3d]

I too like the idea of short weekend challenges.

Edited June 3, 2014 by ajz3d

[GeneralAce55]

I also like the idea of a short weekend challenge, we could have more of them more often as well!