Fantasy Scenario Contest

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Hello all, and welcome to AoKH’s Fantasy Scenario Contest! The theme of this contest is Fantasy (shocking!), but that might take in more than you expect. Historical fiction with a slice fantastical, mythologies, legends, low fantasy, high fantasy, book adaptations, original stories, all are fair game! If you are interested and considering entering, please be sure to read all of the rules below before committing your name in a reply.

Submit all entries to the Single Player Scenarios category in the Blacksmith, then post here to let us know the scenario is to be considered an entry. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST, November 30th. It must meet the requirements listed below to be eligible for judging. Otherwise, you will face disqualification. As an added note, we will be approving the files in the Blacksmith as they appear, so don’t worry about the long deadline. Our goal is to run the contests this year simultaneously with long deadlines, hopefully encouraging people to enter whatever they feel like and plan their designing hours accordingly.

In addition, please keep in mind that this contest is a newer addition to AoKH’s lineup, and as such we encourage you to voice any concerns you have with the rules or format.

Rules
1. Cut-scenes are allowed, but must be contained within the scenario. Scenarios must include at least some playable portions.
2. One entry per person or per team only. Yes, team designs are allowed
3. The use of Userpatch and AOK:HD are allowed.
4. The Use of The Forgotten Expansion, African Kingdoms, and Rise of the Rajas is permitted.
5. Graphical or data mods are allowed. If your scenario uses an original modification, include it in the download file. If your scenario uses an existing mod (eg. Age of Chivalry or Tales of Middle Earth, please include a link in the file description to the download).
6. There is no trigger limit. However, the use of extra triggers will not necessarily warrant a higher score.
7. The use of custom soundtracks and sound effects is permitted and encouraged. If using custom sound files, please specify somewhere on which speed the scenario is to be played, as otherwise the soundtracks might overlap if the scenario is played on a speed other than what the designer intended, which will cause points to be deducted.
9. Please submit your scenario in campaign (.cpx) format.

Fantasy Theme
As noted, the scenario must be considered to contain some fantasy element. If you are having trouble deciding if your scenario qualifies, consider the following examples:

Scenarios that would be allowed:
1. A LOTR or Game of Thrones adaptation
2. A scenario based around Norse, Egyption, Chinese, Aztec, or Greek Mythology (among others)
3. A Robin Hood or King Arthur scenario
4. Ulio or The Kings Best Men (or I should say something like these, please no plagiarism)
5. Historical Fantasy, such as a Merlin based England scenario

Scenarios that wouldn’t really qualify:
1. A highly historical version of Badon Hill
2. Religious scenarios
3. Historical fiction with no real fantastical elements. A Trojan War scenario which features the Greek gods would be allowed, for example, while something like the movie ‘Troy’ is mostly just pseudo-historical fiction.

Judging
All entries will be judged based on categories slightly altered from the review guidelines, as follows:

Enjoyment (15) – Simply, how much fun is the scenario to play?
Balance (5) – When played on the suggested settings, is the scenario well balanced? If there is more than one difficulty setting, do the levels scale appropriately? An easy or terribly hard scenario may still score full marks, if the judge feels his enjoyment was not hindered by lack of challenge or multiple saves/reloads.
Creativity (5) – Covers the creative elements you incorporate into your map, story, gameplay, and design. Creativity should be judged roughly as it is scored in a blacksmith review.
Scenario Design (15) – Covers your map design skills, your soundtrack, your bitmap, your presentation, the flow, the polishing…simply put, it’s the skill on display at making scenarios!
Story (10) – Similar to the blacksmith, but with particular focus on how the fantasy elements of the story were implemented, or how the original story was adapted, the legend was re-imagined, etc.

(total of 50 possible points)

Some fantasy scenarios for inspiration:
Ulio
The Relics of Athalën
The Fury of Rastulf
Attack at Dawn
The Quiet Dawn
The Coming of the Unborn King: A Pendragon Saga

RESULTS

And the results are in! Thanks to all the judges for judging.

1st iLikeHell – Dwarves, Goblins and Wizards
Popeychops: 8 + 1 + 4 + 10 + 4 = 27/50
Devious Dev: 10 + 3 + 3 + 8 + 4 = 28/50
Lord Basse: 6 + 2 + 4 + 7 + 3 = 22/50

Enjoyment: 24/45
Balance: 6/15
Creativity: 11/15
Scenario Design: 25/45
Story: 11/30
Total: 77/150

2nd HellKnight61 – Robin Hood’s DOOM
Popeychops: 3 + 2 + 4 + 6 + 2 = 17/50
Devious Dev: 8 + 2 + 3 + 6 + 2 = 21/50
Lord Basse: 4 + 2 + 5 + 5 + 3 = 19/50

Enjoyment: 15/45
Balance: 6/15
Creativity: 12/15
Scenario Design: 17/45
Story: 7/30
Total: 57/150

Congrats to iLikeHell!