Chocolate Contest 2021 Archive Thread

[Emral]

Welcome to the 2021 Chocolate Contest! The chocolate contest is our annual no-holds-barred level design free-for-all, in which you make the best level you can with all the tools the engine has at its disposal. Because as we all know: Chocolate is the opposite of vanilla.

The submission phase has begun. Please head over to the RULES AND QUESTIONS thread!

____________________________________________________________________________________

Old post about judge voting:

Spoiler: show

JUDGE VOTING

THE DEADLINE HAS ARRIVED. 76 DARING JUDGES HAVE GATHERED TO SHOW US THEIR MIGHT AND PROWESS.

WHAT'S NEXT?
For the next 4 days, until 6PM GMT on June 25th, you can use the form below to vote on the candidates you wish to see judging this contest.
Once the 4 days have passed, we will choose the top 3 that emerged from this free-for-all and fill out the roster with 2 people from the event management team, to round out the roster to a total of 5 judges (so we have plenty around in case something goes awry).

The judges have been made anonymous to level the playing field. Judge candidates, please don't reveal your identities.

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL THE REVIEWS AND MAKE UP YOUR MIND

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

See you soon!

Old post about judge auditions:

Spoiler: show

HOW DOES THIS WORK?
Similar to MAGLX3, anyone has a chance to join the judge roster through a public vote process. To apply, download the Audition Stage Set (6 levels) below and judge them in accordance with the judging rubric, using the most recent SMBX2 version. Then, send me a PM with your application. The reviews will be anonymously voted on shortly after the deadline on June 21st.

THE SCORING RUBRIC
In the spoiler below is a detailed explanation of our scoring rubric for this contest. Should you have any questions, please ask them in this thread.

30 points for Pacing
In this category, the overall structure of the level should be evaluated.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Does the level properly prepare you for the things it asks you to do?
- Is the ending satisfying?
- Are there any boring filler-spots that make the level drag on?
- Are there individual screens and sections in the level that work extremely well/badly?
- Is the checkpointing well done?

25 points for Fun
In this category, the degree to which you enjoyed the level should be evaluated. This is a wildcard category, and will reflect the way in which people's experiences may differ in a level. It may vastly differ from the other categories scores, if for example you don't vibe well with an otherwise good level.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Would I want to play this level again?
- Have I had a good time with this level?
- Is the level just not my cup of tea?

20 points for Presentation
In this category, the level's flavour, flourishes, visuals and sound design will be evaluated.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Were there any elements that felt "off" about the presentation?
- Did the level go for a certain emotional response, and did it achieve it?
- Do the level's audiovisual elements contribute to the experience in a positive manner?
- Does the level have well-done flourishes?

15 points for Concept
In this category, the level's general idea will be evaluated.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Was the level going for something ambitious or something fairly standard?
- Would I like to see more levels going for this kinda thing?
- How elaborate were the ideas put forth by the level?

10 points for Functionality
In this category, the level's structural integrity with regards to crashes, errors and lag will be evaluated. The functionality score should be 0 when a level is unplayable due to technical circumstances, and 10 if no technical issues were experienced.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Did I experience lag?
- Were there any lua errors? (Warnings do not count)

The maximum attainable score is 100 points (30/25/20/15/10 per category).

DOWNLOAD THE AUDITION STAGES

____________________________________________________________________________________

TIMELINE
The contest will undergo the following schedule:
May 23 - June 1st: Announcement phase. People can bookmark this and return at a later date, or leave a note specifying which later phase they wish to get pinged for.
June 1st - June 21st: Judge auditions. On June 1st, this thread will update with details for a public judge audition.
June 21st - June 25th: Judge auditions VOTING.
June 25th - July 2nd: Calm before the storm: We will internally finalize our judge roster in preparation for the submissions phase.
July 2nd - August 15th: Submissions phase: On July 2nd, the contest rules and submission guidelines will be published, giving everyone 6 weeks to create, test, and send in their submission.
August 15th - ???: Judging phase: The length of this phase depends on the volume of submissions, so it might take a while.
End of judging phase: The results and an episode featuring all levels will be released simultaneously.

STAY TUNED.

[SuperAlex]

Wow but what a great method to select the best judges. Question: And the results of Vanilla Contest 2021?

[Emral]

Wow but what a great method to select the best judges. Question: And the results of Vanilla Contest 2021?

The vanilla contest will conclude before the beginning of the submission period. Judging is coming along nicely.

[MECHDRAGON777]

I guess I can accept getting notified on each new phase.

[ElTipsta]

So glad to see this finally announced. Please ping me as well regarding when submissions open and the final rules are posted. I'm assuming they're similar to last years?

[PersonNamedUser]

Ay, it’s finally happening, been waiting for it to for awhile now. Thankfully, I’ve already been planning my submission this time around for about a week now and intend to continue doing such in the coming months.

Ping me daddy

Umm, yeah...

Added in 34 seconds:

Wow but what a great method to select the best judges. Question: And the results of Vanilla Contest 2021?

I’d presume we’re still waiting on them.
Edit:
I just realized this is for judging auditions even though I don’t actually intend to apply for them...

Eh, ping me anyway.

[Sux]

Count me in it

[Darkonius Mavakar]

oki i'm in

[Ness-Wednesday]

Some good stuff to come, I see. I'm in

[YourLocalHungarian]

count me in, party people

[Marioman2007]

IN
Ping me at every phase, especially at the Submissions Phase

[HeroLinik]

I'm doing this as well. I'd like a ping when submissions are open.

[SuperAlex]

IN
:O

[Chilly14]

I'm doing this.

[wyldstrykr]

ill try to join. at least qualify for the last place

[Emral]

JUDGE AUDITIONS
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
Similar to MAGLX3, anyone has a chance to join the judge roster through a public vote process. To apply, download the Audition Stage Set (6 levels) below and judge them in accordance with the judging rubric, using the most recent SMBX2 version. Then, send me a PM with your application. The reviews will be anonymously voted on shortly after the deadline on June 21st.

THE SCORING RUBRIC
In the spoiler below is a detailed explanation of our scoring rubric for this contest. Should you have any questions, please ask them in this thread.

Spoiler: show

30 points for Pacing
In this category, the overall structure of the level should be evaluated.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Does the level properly prepare you for the things it asks you to do?
- Is the ending satisfying?
- Are there any boring filler-spots that make the level drag on?
- Are there individual screens and sections in the level that work extremely well/badly?
- Is the checkpointing well done?

25 points for Fun
In this category, the degree to which you enjoyed the level should be evaluated. This is a wildcard category, and will reflect the way in which people's experiences may differ in a level. It may vastly differ from the other categories scores, if for example you don't vibe well with an otherwise good level.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Would I want to play this level again?
- Have I had a good time with this level?
- Is the level just not my cup of tea?

20 points for Presentation
In this category, the level's flavour, flourishes, visuals and sound design will be evaluated.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Were there any elements that felt "off" about the presentation?
- Did the level go for a certain emotional response, and did it achieve it?
- Do the level's audiovisual elements contribute to the experience in a positive manner?
- Does the level have well-done flourishes?

15 points for Concept
In this category, the level's general idea will be evaluated.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Was the level going for something ambitious or something fairly standard?
- Would I like to see more levels going for this kinda thing?
- How elaborate were the ideas put forth by the level?

10 points for Functionality
In this category, the level's structural integrity with regards to crashes, errors and lag will be evaluated. The functionality score should be 0 when a level is unplayable due to technical circumstances, and 10 if no technical issues were experienced.
Questions you might ask yourself in this category include:
- Did I experience lag?
- Were there any lua errors? (Warnings do not count)

The maximum attainable score is 100 points (30/25/20/15/10 per category).

DOWNLOAD THE AUDITION STAGES

Pings:

Spoiler: show

[SuperAlex]

Wow but what a great method to select the best judges. Question: And the results of Vanilla Contest 2021?

The vanilla contest will conclude before the beginning of the submission period. Judging is coming along nicely.

Enjl
Question: What means "application via PM" ?

[Emral]

Question: What means "application via PM" ?

It means, send me a Private Message on the forums with your judge application.

[MECHDRAGON777]

What does "Flourishes" mean?

[Emral]

What does "Flourishes" mean?

Decorative embellishments, small touches, attention to detail, nice little things that show extra effort and make the level more memorable in a positive manner.