don't click here

ITT TSC hosts a competition


    Print

Author Topic: ITT TSC hosts a competition  (Read 13638 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Rolken

ITT TSC hosts a competition
« on: November 15, 2005, 08:13:01 pm »
So here is my concept for the TSC Super Online Sonic Competition Extravaganza. Comments/criticism plz. Note that all this is tentative and drastic revisions can be offered.

The centerpiece of the competition will be the subsite on TSC, on which registrations will be entered, competition emu movies will be submitted, (importantly IMO) pre-competition notice emails will be sent, rankings pronounced, smack talked, etc. I'm thinking right now that all events will be offline and emu recorded, as online has homoqueer lag and pretty much shuts out most potential competitors in 2-player events.

First will be the registration and qualifying period, from roughly the time the competition is launched until 2 weeks or so later. Before this time, we will ideally have partnered with other Sonic sites (perhaps from the ranks of TSS, SClassic, SCD, whatever - though of course we know stadium and cult still can't play) to promote it; all else fails, I can splurge $10-15 for ads on a handful of popular sites, since they all seem hungry for $$. Those who want to join the competition will be able to either link their competition status to their existing TSC account, create one and link it simultaneously or just join the competition if they don't like us. After registering, before they are recognized as a competition member they will be required to qualify by submitting something trivial like a 32sec run of Green Hill just to prove that a) they know the ropes and b) they're relatively serious about actually playing.

After qualifying, they can create or, with an invitation from the creator, join teams. A team can also be recognized as the official team for a particular website community, for which a certain level of support should be self-evident from visiting it; a topic on their forum in which a team has congregated won't suffice. By way of comparison, SoaH's SO team this year would not be recognized as it was hardly possible to notice they existed, whereas TSS's would for having prominent support by the site administrators (ignoring the fact that nobody showed up). Teams are composed of 3-5 members at their discretion, and may choose who competes in which event at will, with a few restrictions: 3 player teams may not have any player compete in another event if he would exceed one other player's current event count by 2, 4 players if exceeding 2 players, 5 players if 3, and in no event may a player exceed another by 3 plays.  So a 3 player team may not have one person play the first two events, as he would then exceed other players' counts 2 to 0. (This I'm highly considering revising, as it's not the most intuitive rule.) Players also compete as individuals whether within a team or not.

Now for the meat of the competition. The general format of most events will be that each event has a theme, all of which will be known by the players, and may even take the form of a riddle or some other similarly obfuscated phrase but will give direction in what to practice. Perhaps "Yellow In Yellow". At a predetermined time, all the competitors are (ideally) ready to go and the exact objective is revealed - in this example, to get the most rings in Sandopolis 1 within 1:00. Competitors now have 10 minutes (or some other arbitrary amount of time) in which to work out the best route, execute it, record it, and submit it through the website for judging, after which some sort of points are awarded.

In the first round of competition, there will be eight events. Players may play as many or few of them as they like, likely on the basis of what they anticipate the event to be from the theme or simply which times work with their schedules. Each team must select three events to grant team points and each individual must select two to count toward individual points (or fewer, but with a corresponding loss of pointage). Playing additional events will appear on your record and can grant you event awards but not further influence your overall points. Conceivably there could be some (1-3?) events which do not require players to be present at a particular time, but are objectives which are made known from the beginning of the round in which players have until the end of the round to submit. Points will be awarded based on ranking in the event, with possibly the top getting 100 and bottom 0 and a constant increase in between. At the conclusion of the round, an arbitrary number of teams and individuals will be culled from the competition - maybe the top 1/4 continue, or top 5 teams and 15 individuals, or teams over 200 points and individuals over 150; I dunno. Depends on what kind of support we get, perhaps.

In the second round, there will be both team/individual and competitions. The latter will take the form of challenges: a pre-determined pool of objectives will be determined, and in the order of their final ranking in the first round, teams or individuals will be able to pick which one they want to complete. One might, for instance, require the team's players to each complete a different Act of Sonic Chaos in 15 seconds; they will receive 50 points minus 20 for each player who fails with a lower limit of 0. The former will be similar to the first round, except that for the teams, instead of simply adding the 0-100 points of the first round, the 1st place team player will receive 50 points for his team, 2nd 20, 3rd 10 and further nothing. There will be six events and two challenges, one of which will be for the whole team and one for an individual from each team and anyone who qualifies as an individual. From this, the top 3 teams and 5 individuals are culled.

The final round will be composed of flash events and SO-style marathons. In the flash events, competitors will be given an extraordinarily low amount of time to complete an objective - presumably by this time they're acquainted enough with the software to handle the mechanics of movie recording. One possibility could be 5 minutes to get into (and submit a run of) a Special Stage in Metropolis Zone, and the player with the most Rings at the end of the Special Stage wins. The marathons will be, well, marathons. Pure running skills. Maybe there'll be something to change it up, but I haven't thought of anything suitable yet (maybe score attack instead of time? iono). Each of the flash events gives a single point, and the marathons two; victors are declared at the end, with some sort of tiebreaker condition defined ideally based on something already present and judgable.

So what do you think of that tome? There's a few stumbling blocks I can foresee already, most prominently teams and being able to keep the competition balanced between those with different player counts, but perhaps just having finely-tuned challenges will even it out.
StH JJ1 WkS+ Sal++^i Rbk++i Knu- McS+++ P++ D[af]opw $++++ E03 A24 GM CoUT
What fun is it being cool if you can't wear a sombrero?

Offline sonicam

  • TSC's Most Easily Irritated Member
  • If I had a (ban)hammer
  • TSC Profile
  • win7 firefox
  • Posts: 666
    • View Profile
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2005, 09:11:34 pm »
Hey, this sounds pretty good and can destory my ping requirements for competitions (uploading the vids, perhaps not, unless it's only for SAdv and the classics where vids are about < 10 KB. :o). I'm interested in this. :o
Chaos Emeralds: Yellow, Red, Green, Blue and Purple.
Keys: Light Blue.


Click here to level up my card!

Offline Bilan

  • Broseidon
  • TSC: RPGnutter
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 3883
  • ZURA ZURA CHUUPA CHUUPA CHUU CHUU
    • View Profile
    • I'm suffering help me Garian
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2005, 03:15:27 am »
I'm in, you've said the magic words :D

To be a master, S~onic Master~
I will be tryin', to go run faster~

*shot*
Did you not think I had a mind?

Offline Spinballwizard

  • TSC Purist
  • Broseidon
  • TSC Profile
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 1293
  • That's enough of that.
    • View Profile
    • WSBW GameCenter
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2005, 11:26:00 am »
Quote
Hey, this sounds pretty good and can destory my ping requirements for competitions (uploading the vids, perhaps not, unless it's only for SAdv and the classics where vids are about < 10 KB. :o). I'm interested in this. :o
[snapback]7388[/snapback]
Sonicam, that isn't necessarily true. Just ask RPG, whose Mystic Cave 2 Knux vid is ~14 MB D:

Actually, a 10 KB vid would probably be of very shoddy quality IIRC.

I'd probably do individual, but I could form a team on one of the communities I'm on, but they probably wouldn't be able to play much better than TSS (who we all know can't play). But I'd be interested in individual compeitition, or just a random team of relatively good players. I'd just have to DL stuff.

The only thing I'm unsure of is the "exact time" thing. As you've probably figured out, my schedule is about as open as a locked and bolted door. Though from what you've been speculating on for events, it shouldn't be too hard to, say, lenghen the deadline and just make it a pure TA. (Not completely extending the deadline though, I'd say maybe 12 hours or something.) Don't you think that exact times could screw some potential players, ie mike89?

Also are teams required? Or do teams have to be site-based?
<Tails> also "GET BLUE SPHERES" on a black-and-white TV remains the best special stage of all time

<Achlys> wat ave you done!
<Spinballwizard> apparently killed your h key

Offline CosmicFalcon

ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2005, 12:09:11 pm »
I am pro:
- Organisation. Like, with a site and everything.
- Lots of people entering. However, omgwtf @ space for all their vids.
- Actual registrations with an actual database handling who has entered, what team they are in, what events they are playing, etc, complete with player and team profiles.
- Telling many people about this loooong in advance. 2 weeks in advance? Longer!
- No silly netplay, unless you want to do live TA and have them host their own servers. For live TA, you could always request a .giz where the start time is between x and x+y times, to give the effect of it being live. Or something.
- Designated judges who cannot and will not enter any events. They should also do things like mod the competition board, op the channel, whatnot.
- I would say hardcore prizes, but neh. Neh!
- Finding some way to write those rules in lamens terms, specifically for TSF members.
- Making a forums skin that is not white on black. OH EMM EFF GEE MY EYES.
"A graph of cf's coolness as age increases would be exponential." - Stefan [14:26, 2008/08/23]
"I now realise that CF is complete and utter win." - Cruizer [13:46, 2009/10/23]

Offline Tails47 2

ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2005, 03:03:53 pm »
This sounds fun, but I can't do it due to me being computer retarded and video dumb.

Offtopic, but Spinballwizard- I love your banner!

Offline sonicam

  • TSC's Most Easily Irritated Member
  • If I had a (ban)hammer
  • TSC Profile
  • win7 firefox
  • Posts: 666
    • View Profile
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2005, 04:07:04 pm »
Quote
Quote
Hey, this sounds pretty good and can destory my ping requirements for competitions (uploading the vids, perhaps not, unless it's only for SAdv and the classics where vids are about < 10 KB. :o). I'm interested in this. :o
[snapback]7388[/snapback]
Sonicam, that isn't necessarily true. Just ask RPG, whose Mystic Cave 2 Knux vid is ~14 MB D:

Actually, a 10 KB vid would probably be of very shoddy quality IIRC.

I'd probably do individual, but I could form a team on one of the communities I'm on, but they probably wouldn't be able to play much better than TSS (who we all know can't play). But I'd be interested in individual compeitition, or just a random team of relatively good players. I'd just have to DL stuff.

The only thing I'm unsure of is the "exact time" thing. As you've probably figured out, my schedule is about as open as a locked and bolted door. Though from what you've been speculating on for events, it shouldn't be too hard to, say, lenghen the deadline and just make it a pure TA. (Not completely extending the deadline though, I'd say maybe 12 hours or something.) Don't you think that exact times could screw some potential players, ie mike89?

Also are teams required? Or do teams have to be site-based?
[snapback]7403[/snapback]

Not if you use Gens+ or VBA. Have you seen mike's S2 marathon vid he submitted to the SO? That was really long and it was only about 10 KB. Also, VBA (Virtual Boy Advance, a GBA EMU) has the same ability, you can make vids under VBA format and they are relativily small, so we could use Sonic Advance for that. I'm sure RPG was using a computer screen capture program to capture the motion of what's going on screen on the computer, like Camtista or HyperCam, those are real movies and will obviously take up a lot more memory since they are a heavier format and is used by real players, .giz and .vmu/0 are only used for thier repective programs... why the fuck am I rambling on? I have no clue, but yeah...

Also is this team thing with us as TSC, or are all the communities coming together and we can move on from there (ie. TSC, TSS, SCD break up and individuals chose teams.). I'm actually confused on this one. D:
« Last Edit: November 16, 2005, 04:44:12 pm by SadisticMystic »
Chaos Emeralds: Yellow, Red, Green, Blue and Purple.
Keys: Light Blue.


Click here to level up my card!

Offline Bilan

  • Broseidon
  • TSC: RPGnutter
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 3883
  • ZURA ZURA CHUUPA CHUUPA CHUU CHUU
    • View Profile
    • I'm suffering help me Garian
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2005, 04:39:29 pm »
^^Not everyone has Gens+, and in anycase, mine is mashed and refuses to run in anything that isn't full screen, so I cant select any options anyway -_-
Did you not think I had a mind?

Offline Taco

  • If I had a (ban)hammer
  • TSC: NintenDan
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 821
    • View Profile
    • http://www.freewebs.com/nintendan
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2005, 05:17:10 pm »
Sonic Advance sucks big time when you have to play it on a keyboard

Offline Bilan

  • Broseidon
  • TSC: RPGnutter
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 3883
  • ZURA ZURA CHUUPA CHUUPA CHUU CHUU
    • View Profile
    • I'm suffering help me Garian
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2005, 06:06:30 pm »
^^I second that. Twice.
Did you not think I had a mind?

Offline sonicam

  • TSC's Most Easily Irritated Member
  • If I had a (ban)hammer
  • TSC Profile
  • win7 firefox
  • Posts: 666
    • View Profile
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2005, 07:51:59 pm »
Quote
Sonic Advance sucks big time when you have to play it on a keyboard
[snapback]7415[/snapback]

Sonic period sucks on a keyboard, but when it's required, then what are you gonna do. :o
Chaos Emeralds: Yellow, Red, Green, Blue and Purple.
Keys: Light Blue.


Click here to level up my card!

Offline Bilan

  • Broseidon
  • TSC: RPGnutter
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 3883
  • ZURA ZURA CHUUPA CHUUPA CHUU CHUU
    • View Profile
    • I'm suffering help me Garian
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2005, 05:45:25 am »
^^Advance and Sonic 3D are the only ones that are appaling to play on a keyboard, the rest aren't all that bad IMO
Did you not think I had a mind?

Offline CosmicFalcon

ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2005, 10:06:08 am »
I am also pro helping run this thing, as while I probably would compete otherwise, I wouldn't get too far, heh.
"A graph of cf's coolness as age increases would be exponential." - Stefan [14:26, 2008/08/23]
"I now realise that CF is complete and utter win." - Cruizer [13:46, 2009/10/23]

Offline Spinballwizard

  • TSC Purist
  • Broseidon
  • TSC Profile
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 1293
  • That's enough of that.
    • View Profile
    • WSBW GameCenter
ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #13 on: November 21, 2005, 11:59:43 am »
Quote
^^Not everyone has Gens+, and in anycase, mine is mashed and refuses to run in anything that isn't full screen, so I cant select any options anyway -_-
I don't even have any emulator. Though I'll probably have to get one if I mean to compete because I doubt I can find a good way to record directly from my Genesis which is hooked up to a really old TV without spending money I don't want to spend.

We also need to come up with a funky cool name for it. I'm pro "The Sonic Championship." That way TSC holds the TSC. *shot*
<Tails> also "GET BLUE SPHERES" on a black-and-white TV remains the best special stage of all time

<Achlys> wat ave you done!
<Spinballwizard> apparently killed your h key

Offline yse

  • Thrower of Gauntlets
  • Architect emeritus
  • TSC: mike89
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 1723
  • Constitutions written: 1 and counting
    • View Profile
Re: ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2008, 10:25:34 pm »
So I'm necromancing. Sue me. >_>

Anyway this topic came to mind when I was casting around for more ideas for the next tournament. SDA actually participated in a shmups tournament last year which was scored in an interesting way, and I wanted to find out more about it. While I still haven't figured out the exact mechanics of their scoring, I can reverse-engineer enough of it to work a tentative plan out.

The idea would be to search out communities who would be interested in playing (there's enough of them around, but we could expect TSS to suck cause they can't play). From initial scouting, ten teams would be composed. Each of these teams might have to have a regular TSCer as "captain" to maintain some level of evenness, or else it would end up being three or four TSC-based teams at the end, most likely.

Or, a player pool. Each TSCer designated as captain has a certain amount of "credits" with which he can purchase his team from all those who nominate to play. This could also allow for groups from certain communities who want to play in the same team, by bidding for that group together instead of the individual.

Anyway, into the competition itself. First, there'd be two team rounds and one individual round. One of the team rounds would be a "live" event, meaning that each team would nominate one player (and a backup, just in case) to be in the chat at a certain time to play their event, for which they would have one hour or some other arbitrary time limit, much like they went last time. The other would be open to everyone throughout the length of the round, and the top two or three (depending on how big the teams end up getting) results from each team would be chosen. The individual event would be similar but not count to the team score.

After that round finishes, two teams would be eliminated. Individuals from those teams who figure in the top half (or third, or similar figure) of the individual rankings, however, could keep competing as long as they stayed there.

This could continue in similar manner for a number of rounds, perhaps with bonus challenges as appropriate. When two teams remain, I would put an odd number of players from each team against each other as follows:
A1 vs B1
A2 vs B2
A3 vs B3
as determined by their standings on the individual list. They would face off in an agreed 2p game (Sonic 2 or 3), and the team with the most winners would be declared champions.

The main issue I'm seeing here is trying to maintain relatively even levels of participation. Having a TSCer as captain of all teams could mean that they shoulder an unfair portion of the burden (both to the other teams and to that player's own team), and I'm working on a way to sort that out.

<3 Thorn.

Offline P.P.A.

Re: ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #15 on: April 14, 2008, 05:43:03 am »
Sonic 2 and 3? Lame. How about Sonic R (PC version with online patch)?
THESE IMAGES CONFISCATED FOR EVIDENCE

My YouTube profile. Lots of Sonic speedruns~

Offline F-Man

Re: ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #16 on: April 14, 2008, 06:06:10 am »
Sonic 2 and 3? Lame. How about Sonic R (PC version with online patch)?
Patch works on XP now?

Offline P.P.A.

Re: ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #17 on: April 14, 2008, 06:43:02 am »
Sonic 2 and 3? Lame. How about Sonic R (PC version with online patch)?
Patch works on XP now?
Oh err, it doesn't? I never tested it anywhere so I just assumed it would. D:
Also how about Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, since the other Puyo Puyo games aren't really Sonic-related? :o
THESE IMAGES CONFISCATED FOR EVIDENCE

My YouTube profile. Lots of Sonic speedruns~

Offline yse

  • Thrower of Gauntlets
  • Architect emeritus
  • TSC: mike89
  • win10 chrome
  • Posts: 1723
  • Constitutions written: 1 and counting
    • View Profile
Re: ITT TSC hosts a competition
« Reply #18 on: April 14, 2008, 08:31:36 am »
I wasn't discriminating, those were honestly the only two that came to mind lol.

I suppose Knuckles Chaotix would be an option for the lulz.

<3 Thorn.

    Print
 

Hits: 146 | Hits This Month: 1 | DB Calls: 8 | Mem Usage: 1.18 MB | Time: 0.09s | Printable

The Sonic Center v3.9
Copyright 2003-2011 by The Sonic Center Team.