| MarkRein[Epic] |
Welcome everyone. Thanks for coming to talk about
the $1,000,000 NVIDIA Make Something Unreal contest!! |
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We're going to start off with a moderated chat so
we can answer as many questions as possible and then later on we'll
unmoderate and just chat away. |
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First of all I'd like to thank the contest sponsors.
Nvidia has been absolutely instrumental in getting this contest
off the ground and making it as big as it is going to be. We have
Bill Rehbock and Karen Wilder from Nvidia here today. |
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So please direct your questions to Pezman[Atari] and
he'll pass them around to us |
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| TseTse |
CATEGORY QUESTION:
can maps that are parts of mods be submitted to the map category,
even if they require the mod to play? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
GO ahead Steve |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Yes they can - as long as the mod is also submitted (the map has
to be playable) |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Folks we're talking about the contest today, please hold your
UT2004 questions until we're done |
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| Oli[JungleWarfare] |
Question: How will bias
be addressed, surely different judged prefer different genres, etc.
and who will be on the judging panel from Epic? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
From Epic we'll have Steve Polge and Cliff Bleszinski |
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Steve--> can you comment on bias? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Well, just like any judge or reviewer might have bias. But we
have a number of well qualified judges from different companies.
I'm sure high quality mods will be well received. |
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| SageoHaze |
How is epic going to
handle the prize taxes on the game engine and other cash prizes?
the quote is All costs, taxes, fees and expenses associated with
entry into this Contest and any prizes received shall be the sole
responsibility of the entrants and winners." BUT the federal
income tax alone on the $350,000 Unreal Engine commercial license
would, according to the latest IRS tables, be $104.000 let alone
all the other pr |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Tim: can you answer the tax questions? |
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Folks: FYI we're not lawyers so if you have legal or tax questions
we'll try to answer them but you should consult a lawyer or accountant
with respect to those. |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
You want ME to answer the tax questions? :-) Ok, I'll try. |
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Contest winners are responsible for paying any taxes on prizes
that are earned. |
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What is taxed and what isn't varies with different countries.
It is our understanding that cash prizes are taxed as income in
most places. Because the engine license is a license and not a physical
item, my understanding is that we can provide it in a way that doesn't
incur any tax. |
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| SpamSaviour |
What are the specs of
the PC's that will be used for judging the entries? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
The mods which are submitted should play well on any machine that
plays UT2003 well. |
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That means that if you get 30 fps on your machine with UT2003
you should be aiming for 30 fps... |
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for your mod as well. We're going to judge the mods on the machines
we have which are a wide variety... |
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of computers from low-end test rigs to high-end GeForce FX 5900
equipped machines with fast processors... |
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so if people want to make something that they feel is going to
be well judged they should at least try for... |
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GeForce 4 ti type video cards and 2.4Ghz processors as their spec. |
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| CMD|Frog |
Is it allowed to take
part in all 3 phases of the contest? Even if you loose in the first
phase? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Of course you are. The whole idea of having multiple phases is
to allow people to make their mods BETTER over time... |
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so natually we hope people will enter phase 1, make improvements,
enter phase 2, make more improvements, etc... |
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People do not have to enter an earlier phase to be able to enter
a later phase. |
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| Grimfort |
Q: Will any more UDN
documents be available to good mods to help increase their knowledge
? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Steve? |
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Jason: could you comment on VTMs that you have planned? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
UDN continues to be improved. I'm not sure about specific new
documents that will be added. |
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Jason[3DBuzz] |
We are getting close to releasing: UnrealScript II and are already
working on Weapon and Vehicle Design VTMs |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Folks Jason Busby is here. He's from www.masteringunreal.com where
they have over 100 hours of Video Training Modules that can be downloaded
for FREE!!... |
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If you don't know how to make mods for UT2003 yet that's an awesome
place to start. Also check out the various fan sites... |
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for some great tutorials. |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Mod programmers are invited to join the ut2003mods mailing list.
To join, send an email to majordomo@epicgames.com and include the
words "subscribe ut2003mods" in the body of the message |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
There is always new UDN documentation in the works, so stay tuned. |
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Note that there is some UDN documentation only available on the
private (licensee) site, but all of the private docs relate to the
C++ interface, which isn't exposed to mods. So, currently, all documentation
that exists that is useful to mod authors is publically available. |
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| Spin |
In the model category,
if a mod were to have a number of worthy playermodels would that
be likely to count as highly as a single, but excellent plugin player
model? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Each player model would count as a separate entry. A single model
with multiple skins would count as a single entry. |
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| DOG-Mati |
With respect to judging,
how will technical/artistic quality be weighted versus simply how
much fun the mod is to play? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Fun is most important, especially for gametypes and mutators.
Fun and visual quality are both important for levels. |
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| Lilguy |
Hey everyone, just
want to say, thanks for hosting this great contest. My question
is as follows: for the best model category, do the models have to
be player models, or would something like an ai-only robot be accepted? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
A non player model with animations could also be entered. |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Steve: we're not specifically meaning "player models"
when we say models, right? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
A non-player model with animations could also be entered. |
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| EidolonVE |
Will there be a UT2003
or UT2004 GOTY edition or something similar that will include many
of the quality MODS produced for these games? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
There is nothing planned along that line. One thing I want to
stress is that Epic and the contest sponsors do NOT take any ownership
of... |
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submitted content. So we don't get commercial rights to what is
submitted except for the right... |
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for our sponsors, like Nvidia, to host submitted mods on their
web sites or submit them for... |
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magazine cover discs and promotions. |
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When we did the UT GOTY (Game of the Year) Edition we payed for
all |
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the mods we included, they were not mods we... |
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automatically got because they entered in the contest. We want
to create opportunities for... |
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mod makers who enter this contest, not take them away. |
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One thing people don't realize is that NVIDIA has been quietly
supporting up-and-coming game developers... |
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behind the scenes for years so this kind of thing is nothing new
to them... |
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Bill Rehbock--> perhaps you want to comment here on Nvidia's
involvement? |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
What Mark said is an important point: When you build a UT2003
mod and submit it to the contest, you still own your mod and all
commercial rights to it. So, if your team hopes to go commercial
with an ehhanced version of your mod in the future, you can do that. |
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Bill[NVIDIA] |
Sure Mark. Our intent is simply to promote more game content that
leverages next-generation graphics hardware... |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
Quick note, there is a massive thunderstorm here in Raleigh right
now, so it's conceivable we could lose power and be cut off. |
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Bill[NVIDIA] |
We want to see more interest in the different kinds of things
that can be done with the UT Engine and the talent that's in the
Unreal Mod community is amazing. |
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I also personally hope that having contests like this will raise
the awareness of PC gaming outside of the typical hardcore PC community. |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Yeah and I should add that we've got a few GeForce FX 5900 cards
here at Epic so you can count on the fact that the Epic and Nvidia
judges will be reviewing your entries on kickass systems :) (Bill
you should send some more to DE and Atari as well) :) |
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Bill[NVIDIA] |
Mark and I keep talking about it in terms of our "Project
Greenlight" (I'm Ben Affleck :-) |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Bill--> How true! |
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| AvACoRe |
Must mods submitted
to the contest be completed or are Alpha/Beta versions allowed? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
We don't care. You can submit them in whatever shape you want
to. |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Mods don't need to be complete. However, polish and lack of bugs
will be considered in judging mods. |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Obviously the more polished the better the chance of winning but
the idea behind the contest is that you can improve them over time. |
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| Godoftheworld |
What chances has a small
mapper in the relation of a complete Mod? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Well we have categories specifically for maps so I think the chances
are great that a really good map maker, small or not, could win
something if he/she submits and outstanding map. |
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In fact we have TWO categories for maps :) |
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| [HEL]Kubix |
Are the maps going
to be judged on Eyecandy/Looks or Playability/flow ?? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Let's let some of the judges answer that question. Judges... |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Both are looks and playability are important. A lot of community
mappers have already demonstrated they can put both in a single
map. |
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Pezman[ATARI] |
I have it broken down into 3 categories while judging... 40% looks,
40% playability (fun factor) 20% polish |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
(Pezman is a judge too) |
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| [RO]Original9 |
Will the engine license
allow the winners will access the full Unreal Warefare engine and
it's UDN documents? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes absolutely. The winner of the engine license... |
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once they meet a few important milestones (NDA, contract, security
check).. |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Yes, the engine license grand prize is the same license that we
provide to other game companies. |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
will have access to everything that a full licensee gets. |
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| [TO]Tatsu |
Will adult oriented
theme (Violent, Sexually Explicit, and/or Curse Words) be frowned
upon in the judging? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
NO entry should be so explicit in this area that having it in
a retail box would change the rating of this game (which is M) |
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People should check the ESRB guidelines for info about what constitutes
an M rating. |
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| hammcbride|3dbuzz |
I have been religiously
using the 3dbuzz online courses to get the most up to day training
but would like to know when the next vtms will be released so I
can take advantage of that in my contest entry |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Jason? |
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Jason[3DBuzz] |
Look for the next UnrealScript VTM by early next week |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Jason--> awesome! |
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| TossMonkey |
Is there a limit on
how many entries a person can submit for each category? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
NO limit. |
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| Whisper|Studios |
Question: are they any
limits on a modding "team" as how many people per mod
are allowed? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
No limit there either. |
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| |wm|hyde |
MAP QUESTION: Can maps
that have already been released before the announcement of this
contest be submitted for the contest? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes absolutely.. |
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One of the reasons for having the "early" prizes is
to reward mod makers for the existing awesome UT2003 mods that are
out there. |
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| ALIAS |
does the contest include
self written things like a new opengl renderer for the game?? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Tim? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
A new opengl renderer would fit into the "tools" category,
probably. Any cool new feature for UT2003/2004 is applicable. |
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| webby |
question. why is there
no catagory for vehicles |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes, there is Best Vehicle in phase 2 and phase 3 of the contest
each with $10,000 in total prize money per phase. |
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| MVP[3dbuzz] |
Does the Best use of
Physics map have to be bot capatable? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
It doesn't have to be bot capable, but if there are two close
entries, the bot compatible one would have an edge. If your map
is far beyond what anyone else does, you'd be OK. |
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Certainly, it's likely that you could do more interesting things
with physics without worrying about bot compatibility. |
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| e[N]eq |
What if I decided to
submit an FTP client written in unreal, would that be something
unreal? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
An FTP client would fit in the tools category. Of course, in judging,
we'd consider how useful this mod is for people playing UT. |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
Regarding non-traditional things (like an FTP client written in
UnrealScript), it would probably fit into the "tools"
category. Tools will be judged based on a combination of factors,
such as how useful it is to the community, quality, general coolness
factor. |
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In general, if I were trying to win the tools category, I would
submit something with more widespread appeal than an FTP client. |
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| yoDon |
Are there any kinds
of mods/characters/films that the sponsors would like to see? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Imaginative ones! |
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I'd love to see people do things that you wouldn't expect
to see in UT2003. I don't want to preface that with any examples.
Just surprise us! |
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| MaTriX- |
Does it matter if the
mod/map has been/will be released to the public before the prize
is given? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Your mod/map MUST be released to the public by the time it is
entered! |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Actually it is REQUIRED that the mod/map be released to
the public in order for it to be judged! |
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When you submit you're going to give us the URL where the public
can find it. If we think it's potentially worthy of a prize... |
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then we'll probably post that URL on the contest web site so people
know which mods are being... |
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considered for prizes. |
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There are lots of fan sites that will host your Unreal-related
mods/maps/files |
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| MarkRein[Epic] |
BTW, Tycho from UnrealOps informs me that they have
a bunch of great tutorials on their site. The URL is http://www.unrealops.com/tutorials-uedintro1.htm
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Also BeyondUnreal has a Wiki at http://wiki.beyondunreal.com/wiki
check it out. |
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| {RYTS}Toke |
Does the size or player
count of maps make any difference on how it will be judged? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
The size of a map isn't critical - it's how well it plays and
how good it looks with the recommended number of players. |
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| skycycle |
Are machinima movies
valid contest entries? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes, Machinima movies are valid contest entries! In fact we have
a whole category for them and are giving out over $70,000 in cash
plus several computers in that category over the entire contest! |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
We would love to see Machinima entries. With UT2003's "Matinee"
cinematic editor, you can do some very cool stuff in the engine
now. |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
I should also add that we did a really cool matinee machinima/intro
ourselves and Nvidia will be releasing it shortly as an example. |
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You could also check out the Machinima that plays when you start
a new single player game in UT2003. |
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| bonemonkey |
RE: model category:
one of my player model shaders requires two setups, one that works
with GeForce 1/2 cards, and one that works with GeForce 3/4 and
Radeon cards. This requires me to use different upl's, based on
whatever card the user. Any tips on how I could handle this regarding
the submission? I could possibly make an installer that asks the
user what video card they have. |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
You should be able to specify fallbacks in your shaders, so that
a single shader designed for high end cards can have a fallback
for lower end machines. The fallback material is a property of the
material, that you can change in UnrealEd. |
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| azmodai |
What kind of time period
are we looking at for the judging of each phase? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Good question. I guess that depends on how many entries we get. |
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I'm hoping we'll be able to judge phase 1 within two weeks but,
until we see how much gets submitted. again, we won't know for sure... |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
We certainly want to finish judging as quickly as possible. Our
motivation for this contest is to publicize the best mods for UT2003/2004. |
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| Kaoh |
some engine parts costs
a lot of processing power, like karma collisions, is that considered
when judging and it runs slowr then normal ut2003 due to using a
lot of this feature? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Certainly, mods that are more ambitious in their features may
run a bit slower than UT2003. Performance vs. coolness is an important
tradeoff here. Make sure the feature is worth the framerate impact,
and do what you can to minimize the performance impact. |
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A map or mod that is much cooler, at a performance cost, is in
good shape. |
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| Ramm|sleep |
Do you feel that you
are handicapping Unreal Engined mods by not giving them access to
the source code? Much of the content mod authors would like to edit
is hidden in the native code |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Tim: please answer that one. |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
Computing answer... |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
None of the mod authors have access to the native code, so everyone
is on an even footing. We can't provide source code access without
making cheating much easier. |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
We give out 100% of the game code, which is all in UnrealScript.
We're looking for mods at that level, not forks of the Unreal engine
that add new engine features. With regards to giving access to the
C++ headers, we tried that with the original UT, but it wasn't very
successful. |
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The Unreal engine is designed for two modes of development: gameplay
development in UnrealScript, where the interface and language are
designed to be very modular and easily modifyable. And hardcore
engine extension in C++. The C++ code is not designed to be modular
as a link library, so the headers we released in 1999 were of very
limited use. To do major low-level engine-level things in C++, you
need the full source. But that's beyond th |
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In case that was cut off: "But that's beyond the scope of
a mod contest. The goal with mods is to add lots of new stuff to
the game without forking it or breaking compatibility, and C++ source
mods wouldn't do that." |
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| LJoe |
What is our freedom
with regards to using Intellectual Properties (IP) from the Unreal
universe? For instance, using the Skaarj or Nali, etc or other familiar
elements to the unreal story/universe... can we bring these IP into
our projects? Thanks! ( I'm personally asking permission to be able
to have them in our project ) |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Good question. I'll let Tim Sweeney answer that one. |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
You can use Unreal universe IP in your mod contest entry. However,
you cannot use that IP in a commercial product. |
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So any Unreal universe IP (or UT2003/UT2004 content) in your mod
will have to be removed/replaced before it became a commercial product
(if that is your goal). |
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| bonemonkey |
For player models,
will judges base their choice on play in deathmatch, or will they
take a close look at all the taunt anims and such (either in ut2003
or UnrealEd)? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Player models don't have to have unique animations, but unique
animations are a big plus. We'll be judging them based on looks
vs. performance, how well they play, as well as their animations. |
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| RGODS|Mahdi |
If karma is used within
the final MOD entry for the engine license, would that also include
a karma license for the winner? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes Karma is included with the Unreal Engine. |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
Yes, the winner of the engine license gets access to Karma. Nowadays
we have been including Karma with all new Unreal engine licenses. |
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| kcolumb |
Best Level Using Original
Content: Does it matter how much original content is used? ie. If
someone were to submit a map that had maybe 1 new texture, how would
it be judged vs a map with new, textures, meshes, etc? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
The Best Level Using Original Content: it must predominantly use
original content (the majority of the static meshes and textures
should be original). |
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| eVOLVE |
Will the no. 1 winning
mod be selected because of it's potential for commercial release?
Unreal 4 Ever, the mod that won the previous contest was barely
ever mentioned afterwards. What if the winning mod can't realistically
use the license? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
NO, mods will not be judged on their commercial potential. If
the winner can't use the license we reserve the right to give it
another contestant. |
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I should add to that... |
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The winner does not have to use the engine license for the mod
they won with. They could create a completely new game... and use
the engine for that. |
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| MoBrain |
I work in the industry,
can I compete? Can my entire team here at work compete even though
we are "professionals"? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes, this contest is open to all except employees of the sponsors
and other companies listed specifically in the contest rules. |
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| Draxon |
Are there any different
rules or stipulations to engine licensees? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
The only thing we're really concerned about, with respect to the
engine license, is that our code is secure. |
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| DavidM |
How much/long will
the entries be tested? Will it be played in multiplayer or
with bots? |
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StevePolge[Epic] |
Entries will be played both in multiplayer and with bots if both |
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options are available. Any absolutely fantastic multiplayer only
mod |
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would beat a competent but not fantastic mod with both options,
but |
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having good bot play is a big plus for any mod. |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
But if you look at the economics of game development, I wouldn't |
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expect a company to formally enter a large-scale mod in the contest. |
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Their salaries would likely exceed the earnings.However, I wouldn't |
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However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if something like "a
couple |
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of guys" from a commercial company entered something. |
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| BlueFire`exe |
How vast is the Unreal
Scripting language? Does it handle APIs or is it limited to it's
own? |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
UnrealScript is a lot slower than C++ code for hardcore computational |
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tasks, but is plenty fast for the kind of event-driven gameplay |
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programming we do. |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
In general, the rule with UnrealScript is: Don't write code to
"do |
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something every frame" if you can avoid it. Instead, write
code that |
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reacts to gameplay events and messages and responds only when |
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needed. We were able to write 100% of the gameplay code using |
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UnrealScript by following this rule. |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
Note, UnrealScript doesn't have access to OS API's, because it's |
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platform independent. If you write a mod on the PC, it will very |
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likely work on Mac and Linux as well. UnrealScript has its own |
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internal set of API's which is pretty complete in terms of gameplay |
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programming functionality. |
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| MadNad |
Can a level that is
in a MOD win the map category even if it is not explicitly entered
into the map category? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes. |
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On the entry form (which you should see tomorrow on the contest
web |
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site) you will be able check... |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
off all of the categories you WANT to be judged in. We'll try
to |
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judge every mod in every categories we think that... |
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it should be eligible in but it doesn't hurt to remind us :) |
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TimSweeney[Epic] |
Right, when more than one person contribute to the development
of a |
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mod, it's important that they come to agreement on the distribution |
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of any prize money, because we will only be writing one award
check |
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per winning submission. And it's vastly easier to come to agreement |
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on this BEFORE you win, so teams should do this early. |
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| [ZombieHunter]Dks |
Model question : can
an model skinned by another guy enter the contest ? so the modeler
and the skinner will be rewarded ? |
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MarkRein[Epic] |
We only pay out prizes to ONE person. So one of you should enter
and |
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then pay the other if you win. Make sure you partner with someone |
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|
you trust :) |
| |
|
|
| Scilynt|3dbuzz |
Q: I've heard about
the "Buzz Tour", can you explain what exactly this will
be and if there is a schedule of the locations we can check out
now? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Aha, you heard about the SECRET BUZZ TOUR???? |
|
Jason[3DBuzz] |
It's on the Mastering Unreal front page :) coming sooooon |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Ok, well here's what we're planning (plans are not final yet) |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
We're hoping to send Jason and Logan to at least 10-15 major US |
|
|
cities (plug Siggraph and ECTS) to do live and in-person versions |
|
|
of...their Video Training Modules and answer your UT2003/4 mod-making
questions. |
|
|
We have not finalized the sites yet (other than Nvidia's booth
at |
|
|
Siggraph and ECTS) but when we do we will... |
|
|
announce it. The tour is being done in conjunction with Nvidia
and |
|
Alias|Wavefront |
It will happen this summer and possibly extend into September.
We're |
|
|
also hoping to have them visit... |
|
|
some major schools and Universities as well. |
| |
|
|
| [GR]punk129 |
Is there a minimal age
which the modmaker must have? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
The contest rules state that you must be over 18 or have signed
parental permission. |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
Entrants of all ages are eligible to participate. Contestants
who are |
|
|
minors, however, must have a parent/legal guardian submit written |
|
|
authorization. |
| |
|
|
| Zenny |
Is there a chance that
any of this content will be included in ut2k4? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
No, no chance. |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
The feature set of UT2004 is already nailed down so there is no |
|
|
chance that mod contest winners will ship with the retail release. |
|
|
Some sort of "game of the year" package is a possibility,
but we |
|
|
haven't begin to think about or plan that yet. |
| |
|
|
| Silvermyst |
Can you give any tips
for people new to the idea of modding? In terms of goals, standards,
etc? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Steve? |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
I'd suggest going to some of the popular Unreal web sites, and |
|
|
looking at the mods that are already in development. There's a
lot |
|
|
of really cool stuff being made, and most likely, they will be
your |
|
|
competitiong in the contest. |
| |
|
|
| Lalli-Oni[UnrealOps] |
When reentering something
from a previous phase with improvements will it be handled as a
new entry? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes it will. This is very much like having 3 contests. |
|
|
You have to enter three times if you want to be judged in three |
|
|
phases. |
|
|
And... you can't enter exactly the same thing three times. If
you |
|
|
enter phase 1 and... |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
Each phase is completely independent. Results from the previous
phase |
|
|
have no bearing on the next phase. The exception is that any entry |
|
|
from a previous phase must have significant improvements to be |
|
|
re-entered. |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
You want to enter the same mod in phase two then we want to make
sure |
|
|
you make significant improvements to it from phase to phase. |
| |
|
|
| [P]hektik> |
Does the winner of the
competition just receive money/prizes or will it go beyond that
like an opportunity for employment on this or future projects? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Well, that's a great question... |
|
|
Did you know that over HALF of the development team at Epic Games |
|
|
were previously mod makers? |
|
|
Making a great mod doesn't guarantee you a job in the industry... |
|
|
but it is a proven way of demonstrating your capabilities to |
|
|
potential employers! |
|
|
The guy who made the 2nd place mod for the previous mod contest
(Tac |
|
|
Ops) is now working... |
|
|
at Epic on UT2004! |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
There is a great demand for talented game developers. Making a
great |
|
|
mod is a great way to showcase your talents to the game development |
|
|
industry. |
|
Bill[NVIDIA] |
Speaking for NVIDIA, we're always looking for new talent. This |
|
|
contest is a great way to catch our attention. |
| |
|
|
| Whisper|Studios |
Question: When doing
a total conversion, would we have to submit individual categories,
or would the total conversion be taken into consideration for all
categories? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
We'll try to judge all entries in all categories but when you
enter |
|
|
you should check off... |
|
|
every category you think your mod should be judged in. |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
A TC will be considered in all appropriate categories, but as
Mark |
|
|
said, it can't hurt to check all the relevant categories on your |
|
|
entry form. |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
You aren't limited to only Epic/DE content either. That category
is |
|
|
for the absolute best maps, irrespective of where the content
came |
|
|
from. |
| |
|
|
| frijec |
Will the "make
a map with ut2003 content contest" also include bonus pack
content ? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes, you can use bonus pack content for this contest. |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
You can use any content, including bonuspack content. You aren |
| |
|
|
| Shadowlurke |
You should add a Fan
art/story section, so talented writers and photoshopers can contribute
even if that don't have enough time for a mod or map. Prehaps. O_o |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Shadow--> Talented "Photoshopers" should try their
hands at materials |
|
|
and helping make textures for map makers and mod teams who can
enter |
|
|
the contest. |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
oops, should have been Photoshoppers :) |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
A photoshop contest? Hey, this isn't SomethingAwful.com. :-) |
| |
|
|
| ToXicGreen_ |
MACHINIMA QUESTION:
what are the criterias for judging the movies? Do I have to push
on the technical or on the story side of the movie? (sorry for the
bad english) |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
Both the story and the visuals are important. Make a movie that
we |
|
|
really want to watch :). |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
I should that a question I get a lot is "how long should
the movie |
|
|
be?" |
|
|
I think the answer is "as long as it needs to be" but
we certainly |
|
|
don't want our judges to have... |
|
|
to sit through 20 five hours movies so we might reserve the right
to |
|
|
judge only the first x minutes if we get a lot of long ones. |
| |
|
|
| GHETTO27 |
If I made a really
good aimbot, could I win the tools category? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Hahahahahaha!!!!! |
|
|
I think that if you submit an aimbot we'll quickly neutralize
it so |
|
|
it couldn't be considered useful :) |
| |
|
|
| [RO]Jeremy |
Does a mod with a large
fanbase and community have an edge over a mod that isn't as popular? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
NO, this not a popularity contest. Quality is king here. |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
Having a large fanbase won't help directly in the contest, but
it |
|
|
will help you significantly in many other ways. For example, if |
|
|
you're ever looking for industry employment, or if your team hopes |
|
|
to transform into a pro game development shop. |
| |
|
|
| HyPer |
If licencees are able
to enter and they _do_ have access to the source code, dont you
think this gives them an unfair advantage and insight? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Hyper--> It was already stated that source code access is NOT
an |
|
|
advantage in this contest. |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
Having access to the C++ code will give someone knowledge that
will |
|
|
give them an advantage in the contest. Though it won't give them |
|
|
tools or capabilities that aren't publically available, remember, |
|
|
we're not accepting C++/DLL mod submissions. |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
BTW, I've posted game related source code in the past on the |
|
|
ut2003mods mailing list, when it helped someone figure out how |
|
|
something works. |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
Also, having artistic talent, programming experience, an engineering |
|
|
degree, buddies that have those talents, and money to buy Max
or |
|
|
Maya, will give you an advantage in the mod contest. |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
We're not against people having knowledge or skills that give
them an |
|
|
advantage in the contest. The contest rules only provide an equal |
|
|
medium to compete with (i.e. UnrealScript mods, UnrealEd maps,
etc). |
|
|
Knowledge and talent are inherently not going to be equal. |
| |
|
|
| Wormbo| ChaoticDreamsTeam |
Will compatibility with
other mods play an important role when mutators and/or gametypes
are judged? |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
It will certainly be important to be compatible with Epic's gametypes |
|
|
and mutators. Compatibliity with other mods is less important,
since |
|
|
we probably won't be able to test all the combinations. |
| |
|
|
| Painreliever |
For Characters: Are
you looking for characters that work well within the scope of the
game, such as soldiers that would use the weapons naturally, or
will more fanciful characters be judged equally that might look
strange using the weapons but would make for cool looking models
and animations? |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
Certainly we'd be interested in characters that are more creative
and |
|
|
fanciful, but the bar will be raised for them if they don't work |
|
|
well within the game. |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
I think if people are going to enter creative and fanciful characters |
|
|
then they'll like be in TC-style mods where they have their own |
|
|
weapons and environments where they appear to belong. There are |
|
|
already some cool mods like that and I think the reason we have
a |
|
|
best FPS mod and a best NON-FPS mod (and why they have the same |
|
|
prize potential) is to... |
|
|
encourage people to think outside the box :) |
|
|
As long as the mod doesn't use any copyright infringing materials |
|
|
there's no reason why it couldn't be entered. |
| |
|
|
| valtrain |
Are mods that already
exist for other games but are ported to ut2003 by the same team allowed?
Or do they have to be completely new? |
|
TimSweeney[Epic] |
Mods developed initially for other games, and ported to Unreal
are |
|
|
welcome. We'd love to see these kinds of submissions, in fact. |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
That applies to mods for Unreal 1, the original UT, other Unreal |
|
|
engine games, or even non-Unreal games. The more mods, the merrier. |
|
|
But you MUST NOT rip content out of other peoples' games. If you |
|
|
port your Quake mod to Unreal, you mustn't use any Quake content
or |
|
|
code in your submission! |
| |
|
|
| mad_hmpf |
What about small additions,
like a couple of special-effect-actors for mappers (or other mapping-related
stuff)? is there a category for something like that? |
|
TimSweeney[Epic] |
UsAaE33 asked whether submissions in the "tool" category
have to be |
|
|
UnrealScript. There is an exception there: A tool can be written
in |
|
|
any language, but can't link to Unreal's DLLs. In other words,
for |
|
|
example, you could make a Lightwave-To-Unreal converter that outputs |
|
|
.t3d files. But you can't submit a tool that links to the Unreal |
|
|
engine, because the general public doesn't have access to the |
|
|
headers necessary to do that. |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Steve: where would that fit? |
| |
|
|
| RGODS|Josh |
We are a fully registered
company (incorperated, etc.)... can we enter the contest under our
company name rather than the name of one person? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
I don't see any reason why you couldn't enter under a company
name. |
|
|
But we'd still need a spokesperson. |
| |
|
|
| phOny|3DBuzz |
Will the buzz tour
hit the uk? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Yes the Buzz Tour will be hitting the Nvidia stand at ECTS!!!
(and |
|
|
possibly other places too but there for sure) |
|
Jason[3DBuzz] |
Don't forget, we'll be there a week before the ECTS for the 3D
Buzz |
|
|
summer event - if you have questions, you can catch us there as
well |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Jason--> Oh, awesome! |
| |
|
|
| kNighthK |
Is the size of the mod
(or parts of it) of much concern? |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
A small addition like a special effects actor for a map wouldn't
be |
|
|
judged separately. The map would be judged - you could work |
|
|
something out with the map author, allowing him to use your actors |
|
|
in return for a portion of the prize money. |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Not really. |
| |
|
|
| ljames |
Mod authors may not
have access to the 2k3 source, but licensees do. Can a licensee
enter a mod using a native script package? |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
We won't accept mods that include DLL's linked to the Unreal engine. |
|
|
That wouldn't be fair, because we don't provide the headers |
|
|
necessary to do that to the general public. |
| |
|
|
| Rayncore |
Question : will be great
coding also considered by the judges ? |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
We don't care about the code under the covers. We care about how
fun |
|
|
the mod is. Great coding makes a difference if it makes your mod
run |
|
|
faster or have cooler features that make it more fun. |
| |
|
|
| creatovisguru |
I have created a level
for UT2003 using the UEd and I want to know is bot pathing expected
for submission? and also what extra documentation is expected with
the level that I submit |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
No documentation is necessary with level submissions. Bot pathing |
|
|
isn't absolutely required, but it would have a significant negative |
|
|
impact on the judging of your map (that would have to be overcome
by |
|
|
your map being absolutely amazing in some other way). |
| |
|
|
| mobrain |
Will Nvidia be showing
off any of the mods if they specialize in their tech? IE. The fairy,
etc. |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Sorry folks but Bill from Nvidia had to run. They're a great sponsor |
|
|
and I know they will be giving stage time at next year's Game |
|
|
Developer Conference to the grand prize finalists to show off
their |
|
|
entries and the award will be given on their stage. |
| |
|
|
| Ravv3n_ |
Question: Will there
ever be a DVD version of the Mastering Unreal Videos for 56kers? |
|
Jason[3DBuzz] |
Very possible |
| |
|
|
| amjac |
If I decide to make
a pseudo remake of a map from another game will I be disqualified? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
That would be awesome Jason! |
|
|
I think that remaking a map from another game could possibly qualify |
|
|
as copyright infringement. |
|
|
But I am not a lawyer :) |
|
|
My suggestion is to stay away from that. Of course you're welcome
to |
|
|
recreate any Unreal or UT maps if you want. |
| |
TimSweeney[Epic] |
You can only remake a map from another game if you made the original |
|
|
map and didn't sign the rights away to someone else. In general, |
|
|
don't submit a remake of someone else's map. |
| |
|
|
| Lalli-Oni[UnrealOps] |
MACHANISMA QUESTION:
can the movie be triggered or has it start automaticly? |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
A movie can be triggered or start automatically. The easier it
is to |
|
|
start, the better. |
| |
|
|
| Brad |
What would happen in
the event of a tie? |
|
Jason[3DBuzz] |
The Matinee VTM covers this in detail |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
In the event of a tie Tim Sweeney will cast the deciding vote. |
|
|
So be nice to Tim :) |
| |
|
|
| Scilynt|3dbuzz |
Q for all: What category
are you all most excited to see entries for? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
I'm looking forward to the best map with original content and
best |
|
|
non-FPS game mods myself. |
|
|
I'm also excited about the Machinima and best vehicle categories. |
|
StevePolge[Epic] |
I'm very interested in the non-FPS mod category. I think there's
some |
|
|
very creative and fun non-FPS games that could be made with the |
|
|
Unreal Engine. |
|
|
I am not a lawyer. If I were making a mod using "realistic"
weapons, |
|
|
I would probably look at what games like GTA3 or Splinter Cell
did |
|
|
to their weapons and use that as a guide (as long as these games |
|
|
aren't using actual weapons with permission). |
| |
|
|
| is0s2 |
Q : For all the realism
mods, how much do the guns in the mod have to vary from the real
things as not to infringe on copyrights? Can we get away with just
the logo's being taken off this skin? |
|
TimSweeney[Epic] |
For mod submissions, the mod should not depend on anything except |
|
|
itself, UT2003, and the officially released bonus pack. |
| |
|
|
| DocHogan |
Is dependence on 3d-party
frameworks dis-allowed? For example, a utility which depends on
the dotNet framework? |
|
TimSweeney[Epic] |
For tools submissions (and only tools submissions), if you're |
|
|
submitting some sort of executable (for example, a map conversion |
|
|
tool for a 3D modelling program), it is OK to depend on external |
|
|
things such as Windows, .NET, or a modelling program. |
|
TimSweeney[Epic] |
But in general, for tools, we will tend to favor tools that are
as |
|
|
applicable to a wider audience, so dependencies on arcane things
is |
|
|
discouraged. For example, if you submit a SoftImage importer,
we'll |
|
|
have to consider what percentage of the Unreal community owns |
|
|
Softimage when judging your entry. |
| |
|
|
| [RO]Original9 |
Can a Mod's intro movie
be submited as a normal Movie? |
|
MarkRein[Epic] |
Sure anything that qualifies as Machinima can be entered in that |
|
|
category. |
| |
|
|
| Pezman[ATARI] |
Ok guys, We are going to lift the chat moderation
so you can go and talk directly for a little bit. We'll
make a parsed log available on the website for you. |
| |
|
|
| MarkRein[Epic] |
Well before things go crazy I'd like to thank everyone
for the great questions. A lot of them will make it into the FAQ
which will be posted soon. |
| |
|
|
| Pezman[ATARI] |
More information about the contest will be available
on www.makesomethingunreal.com in the next 2 days. We will create
a FAQ to help you out. |
| |
|
|
| MarkRein[Epic] |
And thanks again to our sponsors! |
|
Good luck in the contest everyone!!! |
