MagiStream

"Design A Creature" Contest
Thursday, September 10th, 2009 - Thursday, September 17th, 2009 @ Noon EST.

I'm delighted to announce a new contest. As you can probably guess from the title, the challenge is to create a unique creature. You can do so by presenting your idea with artwork, or in writing.

A unique creature can be something you have made up, or a mythical animal.

If you choose to write, here are the requirements:
Descriptions for:
~ general
~ egg
~ hatchling
~ adult

Keep in mind that these descriptions should be similar in tone to existing ones.

If you decide to do artwork, you can create sprites, or submit hand-drawn work. Pixels should be limited to 120x120. If you do a hand-drawn piece, win, and do not feel capable of spriting, a staff artist will bring your creation to life.

Now, on to the prizes:

We will be selecting one to three winners. These winners/winner will have their creatures become part of Magistream's species, receive ten shards, and a full set (two adults, two hatchlings, one egg) of the creatures they have created. There may be up to three winners chosen.

We're really looking forward to submissions, as we know how creative you guys are. Be sure to enter while you can - this first contest of autumn ends in a week, on September 17th. Noon EST.

~ The MagiStream Team

“Design A Creature” Contest Official Rules:

1. NO PLAGIARISM/ART THEFT WILL BE TOLERATED. If we catch you, you're going to be in BIG trouble.

2. ALL CONTENT MUST BE ORIGINAL TO YOU. This includes all descriptions and art. Creatures do not need to be your unique creation [i.e. mythical creatures, extinct animals, living animals etc. are acceptable submissions], but all content including the written description/concept art must be created by you.

3. ALL HALL OF THE ARTS RULES AND GUIDELINES AS WELL AS THE OFFICIAL MAGISTREAM RULES OF CONDUCT APPLY. If you are unfamiliar with them, please follow these links and read them thoroughly.

4. ALL WINNING ENTRIES IMMEDIATELY BECOME PROPERTY OF MAGISTREAM. By submitting your entry, you understand that if it is chosen as one of the winners, the content of your winning entry immediately becomes property of Magistream, and no longer available to be used off-site, for any reason under any circumstance.

5. MAGISTREAM STAFF/ARTISTS ARE ALLOWED TO EDIT YOUR ENTRY. This means that Magistream has the right to edit/change the content of your entry without your permission, including reworking and revamping written descriptions/artwork. We will ask, though, because we're nice that way. If you have done a sprite, and the concept in sound but the sprite does not meet Magistream's quality, site artists will rework it as we see fit.

6. COLLABORATIONS ARE ALLOWED, BUT NOT TO EXCEED TWO USERS. Collaborations of up to two users are allowed, but no more. If one of the winning entries is a collaboration, the shards will be split accordingly [5 and 5] and the collaborating users must choose one participant to receive the creature set. No exceptions.

7. MUST INCLUDE DETAILED PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION. If no concept art is submitted with your creature description, it must be replaced with a detailed, in-depth physical description of the creature's egg, hatchling, and adult forms. Including coloration, markings, unique features and all-around shape.

If you have any questions that are not answered in the rules and links above, feel free to post them and a staff member will gladly assist you.

Best of luck, everyone!

"Design A Creature" Contest Additional Rules:

IMPORTANT - ARTISTIC ABILITY WILL NOT BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN JUDGING, SINCE MOST LIKELY STAFF ARTISTS WILL BE CREATING THE FINAL VERSION OF THE WINNING SPRITES, ENTRIES WITH CONCEPT ART ARE NOT MORE LIKELY TO BE CHOSEN. Winners will be based on originality, creativity, and quality of writing. As long as a detailed physical description is post along with the creature descriptions, no favor will be given to those with art as opposed to those without.

- More than one person is allowed to enter the same creature. i.e. User A and User B both enter unique versions of a salamander. Entrants will be judged on originality/uniqueness of their individual entries, not the basic concept.
- References are allowed, but tracing is not advised. If your entry is chosen as a winner, the sprite will need to be redone.
- More than one entry is allowed per user, but only one thread. So you may enter as many times as you'd like, but to reduce clutter

If it were the case that a few people are suggesting something that's close to the same creature, but it is not a copy, would it still be counted as Plagiarism? [Original idea and all that.]

Because I only realised that there are more threads that suggested a Winged Serpent before I posted.

If it is a made up creature, then, does that mean all the people who entered regular animals will not count?

My sprite's a pixel over a photograph. That shouldn't count as plagiarism, but I want to make sure.

Are we able to enter more than one creature for the contest? Or are we limited to one entry?

Kriever: Yes, more than one person is allowed to enter the same creature. Entrants will be judged on originality/uniqueness of their individual entries, not the basic concept.

Chocobo: All creatures are eligible for entry, including real ones.

Umbreon97: This is a tricky one, references are allowed, but tracing is not advised. If your entry is chosen as a winner, the sprite will need to be redone.

Zulu: More than one entry is allowed per user, but only one thread. So you may enter as many times as you'd like, but to reduce clutter

When's the deadline???? I won't be able to submit for at least two weeks!

where do we post?

DelPel wrote:When's the deadline???? I won't be able to submit for at least two weeks!

Looks like you have around a week:

Niwer wrote: DO NOT MAKE IT SEEM LIKE I SAID SOMETHING I DID NOT.

Just throw something quick together.