Reply to Re: Interface Contest
If you don't have an account, just leave the password field blank.
I certainly hope you weren't really expecting many entries. I mean, I have a hell of a time trying to eck 3 D-Mods out of this community for a contest with a real tangible prize, and when we had a sticker contest quite a while ago (simply e-mail me what you would do with a Dink Network Sticker if you won it), we only got like 5 or 6 entries over a month.
There were a few flaws in the contest itself...
1) Your first rule, "Must not be identical to the old interface. That was kinda icky." just started things off completely wrong. People have been staring at the old interface for many a day, and it is ingrained in many a monitor. To say its 'icky' is simply insulting.
2) The Dink Network has few, if any, people who have any motivation to create an interface. Of all of the D-Mods ever released, only a very few have even tried to create a new interface based on the old one, a relatively simple task when compared to creating a wholey new one.
3) Lack of requirements. Were we just supposed to supply a written description of the interface? Were we supposed to simply create all of the background, item, number, etc. graphics and zip them up and send them to you without really telling you where everything went? Or were we supposed to open up VB.net, create a 640x480 Windows Form, and put drop down boxes all over the place as a template for an interface design? And how are we supposed to know what is supported? What if I want a life indicator being several hearts on the bottom of the screen, ala Zelda. Nothing in your contest description says that is possible, or would be supported, and because everyone is lazy around here they really wouldn't be too motivated to ask.
Conclusion: in the future, try to gauge a response to a contest before announcing it. Post a message saying something like "Yo, is anyone interested in creating an interface for Windemere?". If you get no serious replies, a contest probably isn't a good idea. If someone can't even take the time to reply to a message, chances are they aren't going to spend time creating an interface.
Edit: Also, trying to make an interface when you can't really see it in use is frustrating and demoralizing. Maybe start the contest up again when some version of Windemere is released and the scripting support for the interface is in it, then we can actually see what can be implemented and try things out, see what works and see what doesn't.
There were a few flaws in the contest itself...
1) Your first rule, "Must not be identical to the old interface. That was kinda icky." just started things off completely wrong. People have been staring at the old interface for many a day, and it is ingrained in many a monitor. To say its 'icky' is simply insulting.
2) The Dink Network has few, if any, people who have any motivation to create an interface. Of all of the D-Mods ever released, only a very few have even tried to create a new interface based on the old one, a relatively simple task when compared to creating a wholey new one.
3) Lack of requirements. Were we just supposed to supply a written description of the interface? Were we supposed to simply create all of the background, item, number, etc. graphics and zip them up and send them to you without really telling you where everything went? Or were we supposed to open up VB.net, create a 640x480 Windows Form, and put drop down boxes all over the place as a template for an interface design? And how are we supposed to know what is supported? What if I want a life indicator being several hearts on the bottom of the screen, ala Zelda. Nothing in your contest description says that is possible, or would be supported, and because everyone is lazy around here they really wouldn't be too motivated to ask.
Conclusion: in the future, try to gauge a response to a contest before announcing it. Post a message saying something like "Yo, is anyone interested in creating an interface for Windemere?". If you get no serious replies, a contest probably isn't a good idea. If someone can't even take the time to reply to a message, chances are they aren't going to spend time creating an interface.
Edit: Also, trying to make an interface when you can't really see it in use is frustrating and demoralizing. Maybe start the contest up again when some version of Windemere is released and the scripting support for the interface is in it, then we can actually see what can be implemented and try things out, see what works and see what doesn't.
