Snow Globe

Personally, I see an "In Game DVD Edition Goodies Pack" as being more valueable to the game than this new valentines ingame pack. I think the valentines pack is about double of what it should cost. I also think that the DVD edtion goodies should be $9.99.

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[u]Enable server transfer outside of server selection[u]. Many who would have paid $10 to move a toon off of a locked server couldn't do so, because you had to log into the server first.

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This is a good idea.

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[u]An AFK time-out for toons in bases and on TFs[u]. No one has any valid reason to be AFK for more an hour (that I can think of). Make it an hour. Long enough to satisfy people who need to attend urgent RL tasks, but not too long that people can 'park' their toon indefinitely.

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Funny, I've been asking for this for well over a year now. People get mad at me every time for suggesting it.

Ok, Midterms done. (Self-judging, I did pretty well.)

Back to the discussion.

Ok, it seems to be the opinion in this thread that the following should be "right":

* This will not interfere with Juggertha's contest.
* The Challenge should be based on theme, not style.
* Bonus effort should be placed on style.
* Must be "G" to "Teen". No "Mature" content can be allowed. I don't make this rule, the Community Reps have given the Scoop this one.

What I can promise the winners:

* Inclusion in the scoop to show off your art to everyone that reads it.

* The top entry(s), as judged by Editors in Chief/Art Correspondents will be displayed on the front page.

* While I can't promise this, I would like to offer this. The top entry, if judged suitable, would be submitted to the Community Reps to be used as the background of the City Scoop announcement in the Updater. Be warned, that even the Community Reps have to get approval from the NCsoft art department to use art for the updater. This is a chance to have everyone who plays the game see your art.

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If they wanted professional and lucid, do you really think they'd let me write for them?

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Well, now that you mention it...

The base article will be back next week.

The dust is clearing on some of the internal changes taking place, and we have people returning from their real life complications. I hope everyone enjoys the scoop!

Just to let everyone know, I haven't given up on this. It is just that this is mid-terms week, and I'm going insane (I know, short trip) with projects due and tests...

Given the scoop's budget is nil, and I've yet to show what I can do artistically, I think I'll have to try "leading by example". If it doesn't pan out, at least I have some more work for my portfolio.

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As someone who has tried many a time to run contests on this forum - I wish you good luck Snow.

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Thanks, that means a lot!

As it is, I think I'll have to modify the idea.

I am seeing that some either don't have the time, inclination, or the background to do this.

I am hesitant to run a parallel "theme a month" just for the scoop because I don't want to take away from your contest. I think that would be rude.

So looking at the idea again, I am pretty sure that I could come up with an illustration on a monthly (or so) basis. So it might end up as "here is my take on X art style" and if people wanted to respond by posting theirs then those could be considered for inclusion in the Scoop.

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I believe I am guilty of starting this negative band wagon, I apologize to Snow (and have done so privately at length) for slapping him down, when all he was looking for was some enthusiasm...

Please forgive my haste, and my misinterpretation of your tone.

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Considering the mistakes I made in this thread, I would rather look ahead than to blame people for a misunderstanding. I understand why you said what you did, and I am totally willing to put this behind me.

I am sorry for people misunderstanding what I wrote, I never meant it to be insulting.

I would rather look forward to seeing if anyone can help me get this idea in shape. I still think could work, but I would love to have input from the people doing the art to help me understand what could be done to make it work.

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Marcian on the other hand, I will be drawing in a tutu...

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If not for several other projects, I'd be severely tempted to do this myself.

I am truly sorry for the tone that I have posted in, especially that "first year student" comment.

I had meant it as a challenge, not as condescension. I know this is first year student work because I am doing it currently. I wasn't expecting people to be a famous artist (unless you are, at which point no excuses ) or even having master quality work to show.

I wanted to show off art styles in the Scoop so that people could then look at the other (non style themed) issues and say "Hey this artist is being influenced by this art style! Maybe I should look into it more."

I love the art that is made by the people in this section and I wish to see what the artists are capable of making. I thought this would be a challenge for people, not an excessive burden, and maybe even a little fun to do.

I was looking for people's constructive ideas on this. I still am. I didn't want to make something in the Scoop that was dictated to by people outside the section, I was trying to give people a starting point to expand the art selection in the scoop from a pure "comic book" style and to show off people's range.

For those that don't like the idea, tell me [u]why[u]. I promise to look at those equally seriously as I would "pats on the back".

You know, I use phrases like:
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Here is what I am thinking of:

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To mean that I would like constructive feedback from the community that I am asking about the idea. I am saddened that this community is so opposed to the idea when they could be rising to the challenge.

Sadly, given the nearly complete antagonism I am receiving, I doubt that what I was attempting is worthwhile.

Thanks for your constructive post.

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Treat it like the big, extra-credit "nearly impossible math problem" some teachers put up - something thats intentionally going to be pretty difficult - but to the BOLD who try and succeed, go high honors. A guitar magazine used to run a monthly "betcha can't play THIS!" submitted by some GREAT players that was always really challenging (I could never manage to play them) - but for some people that kind of challenge is the very best kind of fun.

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That is the exact spirit that I made the initial post with.

On the other hand I don't want to discourage those that "don't feel up to it" from trying their hand at this.

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Its good to break out of the comfort zone now and again - its good to stretch. And I applaud your suggestion for exactly that.

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I thank you for your understanding.

By the way, a bit of info for the rest of you: I have to do this currently in school, 1-2 11x17 posters a week in a specific movement, in addition to all my other homework. I understand that you might not feel up to the challenge, but you would have a lot more time to come up with something than I do, and I am only a student atm.

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I would like the idea of tossing out a theme rather than a style. After all, an artists style is what it is. Maybe we can modify this to a theme or concept or a quote or something to inspire the piece.

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But don't you already have that in the monthly fan art contest already? I was trying to get something that was not going to step on those toes.

And shouldn't artists be flexable?

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Uhhhh yeeeah, I'm with LJ on this. A theme might be neat, but asking artists to take on a different style - and famously classical ones at that, seems like too much of an undertaking to me.

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Are you telling me that there is something that first year post-secondary arts students can do that this section can't?

Edit:
I am truly sorry for the tone in this post, however as it was quoted down thread I'll leave it here.

I had meant it as a challenge, not as condescension. I know this is first year student work because I am doing it currently.

I love the art that is made by the people in this section and I wish to see what the artists are capable of making. I thought this would be a challenge for people, not an excessive burden.

I was trying to get ideas flowing, and while somewhat different, I don't think it is extreme. I agree that a pointillist theme would be extreme, though.

On the other hand why not a Cubist theme, why not Art Nouveau, why not Pop Art or constructivist, or surrealist?

With all the russian themed heroes and villains out there a Constructivist theme would be entirely suited, for instance.

Wow. Just wow.

Great work Doug!

Hi all! I've been thinking of ways to improve the scoop, and I thought a challenge for everyone in the art community would help.

I don't want to overshadow the monthly "FArt Wars" (who came up with that contraction anyways? ), but I would like to expand the art selection/styles in the scoop.

Here is what I am thinking of:
Monthly the Scoop suggests an art movement (Art Nouveau, Cubism, Dada, Surrealist, Constructivist, Pop Art, Digital, Pointillist, etc), and people stretch their abilities to come up with work based on that style.

At the end of the month the scoop will then feature the submissions. This would be handled by the art editors (Currently Dirtwolf and Thor's Assassin).

Hopefully this will attract some newer artists as well as the frequent contributors in this group. ( I might even submit something from time to time myself )

To start things off, what can people come up with for an Art Nouveau theme?

Edits:
This post is meant to start a discussion on how to get some new/fresh art in the scoop. I wanted to get input from this section, rather than trying to dictate rules for a new contest. I thought that a challenge would get some interesting results.

Art Nouveau
Artist by Movement: Art Noveau (thanks LadyJudgement)
Art Noveau World Wide (thanks LadyJudgement)

Here is an example:
Sailor Moon

Ok 1/2 the image (Juggertha character), with link to the full image was in the Front page, Jan 11th scoop.

I think I can speak for the whole staff when I say it was a pleasure to be able to do so. (Your recipe is still scheduled for next issue).

In fact I wish there were more groups that would come to us with articles for their interesting events!

I'll fix that. I've had a lot to do this week, and little time to do it. ( I hate mid term projects. )

Edit:
Fixed, but a browser refresh might be needed to see it. (Control+F5 on most broswers).

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Here are a couple of Avatars for my characters that you might find easy to format and slip into an issue.

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We did those already. In the last month, if I remember correctly.

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Is is too late to ask that this analysis not clog up the official bug thread?
Besides, it's probably worth it's own sticky since it keeps coming up.
but again, not that it should matter, the current setup should be scrapped ASAP, the productive discussion would be what the system *should* do.

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Going to stop until I get official confirmation as to how the system currently works. If I am able to get permission to post the results, I will then start a new thread based on it for discussion.

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Would a screenie help?

Leader was Disapproved Toaster. Last on 16 days ago.
Teh Tick was next to get the star.

If the promotion were based solely on the "joined" date, it should have gone to Phantom Zero or Wylde Apache or any of the other toons that had seniority. BUT they had not logged in within the demotion timeframe.

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Actually, if Phantom Zero and Wyld Apache were auto-demoted (possible thanks to their "last on date") then it is unlikely that they would get promoted again. Except in the one case from my group (and that lasted 2 days, not the 45 for our autodemotion), no character has been re-promoted.

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Consider that if the star had gone to them, the system would just have to turn around and demote them per the 15 day demotion timeframe.

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Actually no it wouldn't. At every promotion in my group, the character's "last on" was reset.

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Hank Blaine has the star now because he is the next in seniority who has logged on within the 15 day time frame.... see first screenie.

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Still possible if the game checks seniority, then checks to see if that character or others from that account have been autodemoted in a time frame.

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Whatever your experience in the past, this seems to be the way it's working now.

First it looks at seniority, the earliest joined on. Second, it looks at last logged on. Third, compares last log on to demotion time frame. Loop.

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Given that there has been zero announcements about something changed as fundamental to groups as the autodemotion/promotion is, it is likely that nothing has changed. There might be other variables that are coming into play.

Also all the "compares last log on to demotion time frame" does is reset the "last on" for that character. This is so that there is no loop.

The exact criteria for promotion is still unknown. It will likely remain so unless a red name chooses to comment on it.

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LMAO, Snow. Wrong side of the globe-bed this morn?

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No, just hate having to repeat myself this much.

Seriously, I am getting sick and tired of people trying to tell me that I am imagining things, that what I describe as "wrong", or the implication that I am not being absolutely clear in my facts as presented.

I also am annoyed with people not actually reading what I post before telling me that I am wrong.

Edit:
I would suggest that the next person to try to say that I am wrong about promotions come up with a theory that fits the above post describing the promotions. So far, all attempts have failed.