I like that idea, are there any particular roles or theme to this contest? =)

A screenshot contest sounds like a great idea. But I have no idea how you would set that up.

wurm45 wrote:

A screenshot contest sounds like a great idea. But I have no idea how you would set that up.

Well we have a gallery on the forums, albeit a small one. We will probably use the voting feature to display the top pictures from any member who wants to participate. Then the winning picture will be enshrined forever in the gallery for aeons to come.

I don't think the prize really matters. I think the recognition should be sufficient.

Also, the community is the real winner

I would propose an open-ended contest of five pics. The content of the pics can be anything so long as it is an unedited in-game shot. The shots must be taken in the timeframe of the contest (no oldies!). They could be randoms, they could tell a story, they could be characters, landscapes, anything!

I would give the contest a two-week time limit. All pics submitted on due date.

Thoughts?

@maybenexttime

I'm aware of the voting features, with setup I meant something like rules, something like dragbody's ideas. I should have been clearer in my post.

Adding my opinion to the pot, actual "contests" can be fun, but they can also be frustrating for the folks that pour their entire heart into something and, when the dust settles, the message they come away with is that their best just isn't good enough.

Case in point, I participate in a group on flickr right now where users submit images and one member of the group has taken it upon themself to put together a collection of their favorite submissions of the week.  The selection seems to be rather subjective, "winners" seem to consistently be the same group of contributors (recognized for multiple entries in the same period) and tend to feature a very specific set of effects in the image.  I hold no illusions and realize that my own contributions are mediocre at best, but after being invited to participate in the group and encouraged to strive for that goal my attitude is now to simply say "**** you" and walk away from it.  I no longer contribute images to that group.

An alternative idea that might accomplish the same goal could be sort of like the banner voting project....  Give contributors each a gallery to submit shots that fulfill a specific theme or idea for them to post images to to vote on and then the "winner" of each user's gallery could be showcased in a thread or forum that even folks who don't participate could look at and see what's been voted as the best.  That way everyone who contributed is recognized and can feel like they've been a part of the project.

There could still be individual awards like best portrait or best landscape or whatever, but everyone would get their moment in the limelight and be acknowledged as part of the community and the project instead of feeling like a faceless peon.

Again, just my thoughts and ramblings.  This is a good community and my hope is to see everyone coming out feeling like a valued part of it.

Предлагаю пункт для конкурса - НЕ репостить свои скриншоты с Нексуса.

(Suggest a rule for competition - do NOT repost screens from Nexus.)

Major_Tumanov wrote:

Предлагаю пункт для конкурса - НЕ репостить свои скриншоты с Нексуса.

(Suggest a rule for competition - do NOT repost screens from Nexus.)

I don't think that's necessary. Drag already covered that as much as needed in saying the contribution needs to be shot within the period of the contest. Of all the criticism of the Nexus I've read here on VGU, the most common is their limitation of what can or can't be posted. The express freedom to share here is a lot of what makes this place special. Telling folks what they're not allowed to do with their own image sounds a lot like what folks are criticizing the Nexus for.

(manually placed here and removed from other thread)

DVAted wrote:

I believe he meant that, as a rule, you can't take one of the top 100 pics from Nexus (or just a pic you really really liked from somewhere else) and claim that it's yours

Gotcha, yeah, submissions should most certainly be the poster's original image.

Brigand -- I totally hear you on the issue I disappointing participants, but at the same time, that's the nature of competition. Having participated in over a dozen international jiu-jitsu tournaments, I know first-hand the difficulty that comes with pouring your heart and time into something only to feel inadequate. It's bitter, but it can also drive you to further greatness.

Screenshots are a little different though, to be sure. In a fight you have an objective winner. With art, judgment is necessarily subjective. Some attention to sensitivity is therefore reasonable. I would suggest some sort of recognition for all contestants as a consolation prize. Maybe access to an exclusive mod?

My suggestion and what would be for me the first rule (after posting an original pic and not someone's else, of course), is the subject.

It think the gallery should be intended as a showcase for the site and the mods.

The subject shouldn't be a face or the environment but the mod pieces.

So the goal would be to take a good looking screen exalting one of the works strictly available here.

Here some example taking a very quick look around of what I mean:

Spoiler:

So you see they are all excellent screens but the main focus is the used mod.

In this way it's a 3 times win I think, for the site showcasing the most nice works, for the winner users because of their skills would be recognized, and for the authors of the mods for their works to be showcased so nicely.

Just my thought about this and wanted to share, whatever you guys will decide, I'm sure that gallery will portray some very nice shots. No doubt about that. :-)

I like what you suggest, Olga, and for exactly the reasons you mention. As I'm more of a Fallout purist, I'm not likely to showcase a lot of what's available here (I know that makes me odd, I'm ok with that), but as part of a contest or to assignment I'd be a lot more likely to search for something I'd enjoy playing with for the sake of playing with it and shooting images of it.

This sounds like great idea. I enjoy making screenshots!
Will participate for fun and to show other people how awesome this modding community is

I'm going to disagree with the showcase suggestion for a few reasons.

1. There aren't enough mods on this site. What do we have here? Mostly some ported weapons and armor. This would become extremely limiting on what could otherwise be a very exciting joint venture.

2. There are such great mods elsewhere! I could easily imagine strong entries simply being combinations of visual mods that captures a great scene. I remember Rex's screen from long ago with the skeleton against the police car on the deserted road. Lots of ENB shots from guys like xilandro are fantastic. I would love to see a nice shot of something XRE related. You get the idea.

3. No need to showcase this site *on this site.* Where else would we put these pics? Just here I think. And we already know the website is here and awesome.

I personally would love to keep the entries totally open-ended. If you guys have seen my screens with the horses or the vehicles, you know I can take a creative screen. This would motivate me to put some real thought and effort into something very cool looking

I see why you say "No need to showcase this site *on this site.*", but why using that so-visible gallery for screenshots that could be posted in every screenshots thread or contest as well? I intended this more in the way of something focused on the site since it's one of the main voices in the menu, so I intended it as site-related.

You know, should be even useful for newcomers to see what kind of works are hosted here, having a sort of nice preview.

But mine is just a proposition as yours, I'm not even directly involved since I'll let others more skilled than me taking screens, just a thought about it. I'm sure whatever will be decided, it will be a good choice and we all will enjoy nice pictures. :-)

I think that one or two times in a year is too little, because it will be forgotten very fast. Something around one or two a month seems like a better idea in my opionion. Such a shorter timespan between the contests opens up more chances for the folks who participate in them.