The Dink Network

Ok, the Dink Network funds are quite plentiful, and I think its about time we had another D-Mod contest with a prize.

And I had a really grand idea for such a contest, but it seems to have been so grand it decided to jump out of my brain and get away from my iron grip of destiny.

So, um, yeah. I need ideas for a D-Mod contest. The general guidelines are:

1) Simplicity. Look at the previous contests with the themes of Alternative Heroes and Evil Heroes. Try to suggest something that allows quite a bit of creative freedom as well. The limitation doesn't have to be focused on a 'hero' either.

2) Try to think of an idea that generally isn't done in D-Mods, so somebody can't take a D-Mod they've been working on for months and submit it for the contest.

And that's about it. So get thinking!

How about a multi-hero d-mod contest? I enjoyed COE, and how story oriented it was.

I was going to suggest a DMOD contents using graphics no-one has used before... Originally using the moogle based creature I did for Mythago Woods, and then for Belgotha... but since those two are in planning... I have some graphics I did for Iceman/Morpheus, a spiked haired evil priest dude who has walk, idle, normal hit, magic hit, crawl, push, die graphics. So... do a DMOD with this character as the hero or villian... one or the other. Assuming Jamie has stopped work on the Spike DMOD - of course

The problem with that Simonk, is that many are not proficient in making new graphics for cool new heroes, and only a few people could enter.
And as for those SPIKE graphics, Jamie sent them to me, and they are pretty slick. I prefer the Mog ones though... they are sensational!

My suggestion would be a multi-character d-mod, as it was done well in COE, and I've always wanted to do one.
Perhaps best "action" d-mod. With lot's of fighting. <GRIN>
That's just an excuse to start AKT3 though... ho hum.

what about a contest to see who can come up with the best contest idea?

this may be risky, but how about the best dmod without using weapons or damaging spells? Just using mazes and puzzles and such?
*edit*
Hey, how about a dmod in which all main characters are animals! Dink the pig averts a war with the ducks of Bugpond..........

Just to clarify... I'm not suggesting everyone has to make new graphics.

But everyone has to use the Spike graphics as either the main hero or main villain in the DMOD (ie the character the player moves around)

That way I get to see my graphics in use many times (or at least 3 times as that seems to be the average number of entries for these things)

Hey, I like that. Puzzles, mazes, dink solving stuff and helping people w/o killing. He could still have some spells but couldn't use them for violent purposes. Or maybe no spells at all? Interesting.

Sorry, but that's just lame

nice one

Well I dunno, good question. A quest using the Dink interface isn't exactly the best thing, and various keys should be used, not only USE. Well, of course nbody can create a Grim Fandango or a Monkey Island, but the idea is nice.

My idea?? How about a remake for a game, using the Dink graphics or new graphics?? I mean,...nah, I'm not givin away ideas this easy.
Yeah, like a Lord of the Rongs remake or something like that?? Nah. Forget it.

I like the idea of a multihero quest as well. Should be interesting to see how people can handle such a storyline. And it has only been done twice I believe. I don't think anyone is working on something similar either.

A d-mod without fighting may sound cool, but it requires a lot of work and scripting knowledge to do. Just think about Simeon's puzzles in WoDC. Taking this as the contest topic will surely rule out the less experienced authors.

Umm...what does a multihero game actually mean? A game with more alternative horoes or a game with a party? Cause these are two really different things. For example, Four Seasons is a multihero thing??
And about those funds.... how big will the prize be??

Oh well, just a suggestion, Christiaan. One way to create a new character in the Dinkiverse I thought - and since the graphics are just sitting around not being used.. mind you the character would have a different personality in each DMOD.

If it has a different personality in each d-mod it wouldn't actually create a new character in the Dinkiverse.

And I assume Multi-hero could be party based or not. You could have a d-mod in which you travel with a party and you can choose which one to control or you could have multiple main characters whose stories somehow intertwine and who you control depends on a point in the story (like COE).

Multi-character is actually sorta difficult to implement if you're not experienced with D-Modding, either switching characters at certain parts in the storyline or a party-based adventure isn't very easy.

The prize would probably be equivalent to $50 USD, probably in the form of a game or other swag.

Why would that be difficult? It's the same as building a d-mod with an alternative hero. Only extra thing you need to do is store the experience, stats and maybe the inventory. But you can do all that with just a few globals.

Well, I guess a document on it would indeed help, like the alternative hero help documents. Sabre, get started

OK, maybe I should make a new Alternative Heroes package... sounds like fun!

I certainly like the idea of having many characters, or a d-mod with an adventuring party.
I got a cool script for party's I must release... though it was going to be saved for Scarab, that is taking WAAAY too long too finish, and I wanna use it now!

how about a sad dmod? attempt to make the player cry

As much as I love games that are able to make me cry, I don't think this is a possibility with Dink's graphics limitations. You can't add expressions or use touching music, at least not in midi.

that's not true. I can make everyone touching midis. my midis kick ass

yes, I like the idea of a Dink Mod in which he doesn't have to fight (although I don't like mazes that much) because that would be a nice change from the average kill, kill and kill some more DMOD. Won't enter though, because I'm already working on a no-fight dmod.

With source out, you could add support for mp3s if you want sad music.

Wow, I need to add a features page. TDP has already incorporated MP3, or at least, is currently doing so.

I suppose a modder could make a monk type character that fights well with his hands and feet, but we would need to pay more attention to giving exp for accomlishing deeds and discovering secrets and stuff like that.
I also thought of making a mod with a limited number of screens ( like about 10), but the scripting would be crazy, and this contest should welcome newbies to create too.
I still think no weapons or damage spells is better.

What about a game that will rate the player as you go along solving it? Something along the lines of : the player has had so & so alloted chances to solve a quest, puzzle, maze, whatever etc., and some clues from Dink as the game proceeds. However the player has missed vital clues, info, items, etc.
Dink could then rate the player. He could be humorous, sarcastic, pitying, sorrowful, helpful, threatening, etc.
The save bots could be at the end of each plot segment. That way the player knows when he's messed up and can load back to the beginning of that segment. We, the players could be our own heroes or our own flubbers. And the character completeing the actions at our direction doesn't necessarily have to be dink. The authors can use whoever they want or at the start of the game can give the player a choice of who we want to be. The game could have specific guidelines such as so many quests, so many puzzle segments, so many.. well you get the idea.
Then each game that is entered into the contest could be rated for entertainment value in turn by us, the players.

Just an idea.

Heres a sick idea, how bout Dmods that have no other characters in. Just Dink, and some monsters.

Heres a sick idea, how bout Dmods that have no other characters in. Just Dink, and some monsters.

*shudders*

Well.....how about a more creative idea! No D-mods involved. Like the DN awards for the most smartest dinker, or stupidest, or the most annoying and such! What do ya guyz think?
KEEP IT REAL!

Shut up Kory you fool.

How about a d-mod where you can have Dink (it is up to the author), but the main requisite is having multiple characters, or a "party" of some kind.
Essentially a multi-character d-mod, but 2 or more characters must be working together.
I think that would be fun,

Well SabreTrout YOU fool shut up! Didn't you here no D-mods

It could be an idea that the judge(s) think of a story, post it on the board or make it clear an other way. And then the authors must make a DMod of the story. There should be place for creativity, of course.

The most original wins.

Hmmm, that's also a pretty good idea.

I still like a party based d-mod (in any form, either active or passive) more, but if the king (Redink) thinks its too difficult then I think Magicman's proposal should be considered as well

A multiple character d-mod is surely not that difficult to make. You need to change litte, bar base_walk/idle and the attack sequence during a fade down.
I might have to enter this contest myself...

I have an idea that will bring new variety to the dinking community: a mutiplayer d-mod contest.I know i sound like an idiot, but it has been done before, and this will add new insentive to revoulutionize dinking. I has been done with Fairy Goodness.

it doesn't make you sound like an idiot, but think about it; then only the experts can enter, and that wouldn't be entirely fair(y goodness)* now would it?

*pun intended

Multiplayer on a larger scale than Fairy Goodness is virtually impossible right now. Even with the source code, it would require a total overhaul of all the code.

Why must it always be a dmod contest?? We do other things around here too!

>^..^<

Well, what do you suggest? Having an art contest rules out almost everyone, composing music is for the talented and writing stories takes time, LOTS of time. There are also many many utilities and tutorials that deal with d-mod creation and the main reason why everyone came to this place is for the d-mods.

I don't know, why would it be about d-mods....

Or how about dmods based on books?
Just hope we don't see too much
sp_size(&frodo_baggins,50);

lol

ROFL! That was funny.

I don't get it. I know who frodo baggins is but what was the rest? Duh

sp_size('sprite#',size%); changes the size of a sprite(first #) to the size set by the second #. It implies that modders will just take any sprite and shrink it to half size and call it Frodo in a LotR dmod. I just thought it was neat to say it in a way uniqely Dink.

So, if you want to resize something to 50% when you hit it, just put this to void hit:

sp_size(&current_sprite, 50);

oooh! got it. Funny.

I think those are the only ideas people are going to have before this topic sinks to the bottom of the page...

How about a "wierd" d-mod contest. In other words something that isn't an adventure game. like Dinkanoid or Dinkers.

Paul only replies when it's a well thought answer, and this time it's no different

YES!!

I think the weird d-mod contest idea sounds like a good choice.

Sounds good to me!

yeah but non rpg games rnt that fun...well mayb thats just me.

And out of the ordinary concepts take much more work and inginuity. I doubt any of the newcomers will be able to participate.

Very true. Only very good scripters would have a chance. I would prefer a "classic" rpg contest to be honest, more in the mould of the ones that have already been done.
And I would like the contest to be announced NOW!! I have a week long holiday starting from today, and there is no better time to get my d-mod going.
I still think a multi-character d-mod is the best suggestion.

I'm not sure. When I was a noobie (am I still?) I would have trees walking and doors that warped to odd places all the time (ya, I planned that... erm...). Wierd may work for all.

I'm currently developing a "different" sort of d-mod, without really having a complete understanding of DinkC. A weird d-mod could be something simple, a quiz maybe, or something harder for veteran Dinkers, possibly
some kind of arcade recreation. So, Weird d-mods have no definite skill levels needed.

You're not a newbie anymore Ric

I agree with Sabre, something more classical and preferably a multi-character d-mod.

I would have trees walking and doors that warped to odd places all the time

No one likes such thing, since the doors warping to nowhere weren't appreciated in Dry. And too weird isn't good either.

Perhaps a D-mod in wich you don't have to fight, or is that already mentioned?

I think somebody mentioned it, but I don't think it is a great idea. While fighting isn't the most important part of a d-mod (story and execution is IMHO), I feel that d-mos without it would suffer, and may become quite dull.

I'm pretty sure that multi-character is what most Dinkers want, judgin from this... so c'mon Redink, give us some guidelines so we can get going!

True. Someone establish what the whole thing is about and let's do it, no more blahblah-ing, allright?
Manifest: reDink1 set off the contest however you like it

let's have dmods about old ghosts coming back to haunt the dink community.

EDIT: And on All Hallow's Eve. Imagine that. +double +

Heh. Maybe if the contest had started a while back and ended today...It would give people something spooky to do on Halloween. Or something.

genius idea. dmod contest based on certain holidays.

We really SHOULD have a contest soon. This post started a little less than a month ago, and still nothing's up.

No, I'm not in a hurry.

I'm in no great hurry, but would like it to be announced as soon as possible, so I can get planning.

I agree with Sabre...I've been anxious to start a new DMOD. (Even though Iv'e never made one technically, I made half of one with Illusive)

How about a d-mod set in the time of the goblin Wars? Yu could be an acnestor of Dink, some knight protecting a village, or a goblin rampaging through human settlements.
It would be an interesting contest.

Hehe, yeah, check my profile.

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