Speedy Thoughts!

[requiem2d]

I've recently seen some posts questioning the Speed Competitions in general. Let me try and defuse some of your concerns and also expand on the thought-process behind the competitions. If I could choose a better name for these competitions, I'd call them Learning Experiences, and I'll tell you why. There are three major motivators for us hosting these events.

The first is working under pressure. You have a set theme and a deadline. These sort of restrictions will force you to search for smarter & more efficient ways of attaining the final product. If you never have time constraints while working, you'll never find the potential time savings that you're still losing day for day.

The second is developing yourself in themes you may feel uncomfortable with, or items you haven't tried before. If you model environments all day, taking on a small organic challenge which only takes an hour will benefit you greatly. The same can be said the other way around. It's all about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying to the best with whatever theme is on for the week.

Third, because we have no modeling or texturing restrictions with regards to size or limits, you are able to see how other people in the community have tackled the same theme with different results in mind. You will be able to analyze and ask about someone's high or low-poly workflow as well as someones realistic or abstract texture. This will broaden your horizon and hopefully get you thinking with a wider perspective once the next challenge comes around.

As conclusion, people need to stop thinking about these competitions as a me versus everyone else challenge. The underlying principle with which we designed the events is you versus yourself. It's about becoming a better artist week for week. If you choose to go over the designated time and still submit the piece, you're not lying to us but to yourself (you've actively chosen to put your learning process at a disadvantage). If you're uncomfortable because contestants are winning by doing high poly/high res pieces, don't be. A fundamental element of game art are limitations, those who embrace it will develop an understanding for it (which is all too crucial when you're being tasked to make art assets for handheld consoles). Those who feel they have a good foundation can extend their skills by stepping up their own expectations (high poly/high res).

In my book, everyone who competes, sticks to the time frame and strives to improve is a winner. Forget about the shiny medal for your profile This weeks speed modeling theme are hands, you have 60 minutes, go!

[Tiros]

Good thing someone finally decided to clear things out.. have been trying to explain it myself.. but only in short and in posts that doesn't seem to have been noticed

However..

Forget about the shiny medal for your profile

I like those!

But only cause I won them with a fair submission following the rules. But yea, it's as you say.. one shouldn't only be after the medals, but to learn.. Which would explain the highpoly models I've been doing lately, as my highpoly modeling really needs some improvement

So it's nothing wrong with going for highpoly or lowpoly, but even better doing those which you aren't very good at!

Cheers!

[sarge mat]

Well I spent 37 mins just now doing this week’s one. Its nowhere near as good as anyone else’s and I had to use a turbo smooth to make it looks better but I did learn something about modelling hands which is something I have been afraid off for some time.

[requiem2d]

Originally Posted by Tiros

I like those!

No worries What I meant to say is, forget about them, they will come naturally if you focus on the task at hand and try to improve from week to week...

[Saffronia]

Cheers for that Req,
As a newcomer I have found this weeks hand task inspiring and fun. I've done one 2 mornings in a row now to get me started for my day making boring things like stairs and windows and I may do another tomorrow. Like you said its about challenging yourself, trying new things out and also for me knowing when to stop. You can spend hours working on something and not learn from it because you were able to tweak your mistakes, but having a time limit without limiting your style, specs or process enables you to try new things and take a step back and analise something you have done.

Cheers

Saff

[Talon]

Hahah, easy on the "everyone's a winner" stuff, Noel. I'm half expecting someone to tell a bad family friendly joke causing the entire forum to start laughing just as the end credits roll at the same time the cheery, happy 80s theme song kicks in.

But yeah, the speed competitions are mainly about you besting yourself, and forcing yourself to learn the tools and methods you use in more efficient ways, new shortcuts gleaned from other people's workflow descriptions, develop the ability to accurately estimate how long something will take you, too (which is something that's really tough but really useful to know).

The medals and actual competition of it all should mostly be secondary, a little incentive to make you start something.

[HollowIchigoBanki]

I think these contest has been one of the most useful thing i have done in the last 3 months, as i have improve allot from doing the contest. as you never know what you have to model, i only enter contests of things i have never models before.

[Addi]

I'm not in it for the medals, I'm in it for you guys, I like this forum and I like contributing which is rare. I must visit 4 or 5 forums every few days but this is the only one I post on.

I have enough drama (was there drama this week?) as it is so a 10x19px 0.1kb icon is so meaningless in a network of.. 7 giga-trillion-pico-bytes of data :P

Regardless, thanks staff people for putting on the speed modelling challenges, they're always a highlight of my week

*OffTopic - Any update on T-shirts?

[heavyness]

at first, i thought the Speed Competitions where kinda useless. but now i see the point. i'm going to enter the next one.

should we maybe look into a name change or something? like "Tight Deadline Competition"or the "Get This Modeled by 5:00 or Your Fired Competition"...

[requiem2d]

Speed Modeling & Texturing are pretty much the given names and represent quite well the task at hand. Has become a standard across many 2d/3d communities out there.

T-Shirts I'll have to check with CGS with now, but shouldn't be an issue