MrGenie
07-02-2005, 08:07 PM
I have been thinking about an idea for a new VMK game for a few weeks to give you all something else to do in VMK. When the much anticipated new content didn't come out on Monday (except for the Day 1 badges and the new magic spells), I decided to definitely try to make this happen. It's taken me all week to put the finishing touches on this, but I'm proud to announce a brand new contest...VMK Triple Play! (I have another idea for a mini-contest along these same lines, but in the interest of keeping this less confusing I've decided to hold off on that for a while).
I'll explain the VMK Triple Play rules in this post, and then the next post will contain a high scores list that I will update at least once a day. This contest will run through Tuesday, July 5th. I will announce the winners on Wednesday night after you all update your scores one last time.
Overview:
The inspiration for the Triple Play contest is my own realization that even though I've been on the top ten list in Fireworks, I almost never play Pirates anymore and have only played Jungle Cruise a few times. Similarly, I think a lot of you specialize in your favorite game and only dabble in the others. Well, this contest is a way to give you an incentive to try out all three games again and record your best scores in each. We're trying to find the best all-around athelete in VMK...it's a Triple Play!
Here's how the VMK Triple Play contest will work: during the time period of this contest, make screenshots of your best scores in Fireworks, Pirates, and Jungle Cruise. Some of you may have set high scores in the past and/or taken screenshots of your best efforts, but I'd ask that you start from scratch for this contest so we're all on the same playing field (game engines have been tweaked over time, and we need to have exact scores...not "well I think I scored around 270,000 in fireworks once...").
Scoring Instructions:
For Fireworks and Jungle Cruise, you can just play a normal game. For Pirates, to keep this consistent and because it is a solo event, you can play on any difficulty level you like, but limit your game type to 2-on-2 and only against computer opponents. Also, the score to record in pirates is your individual score at the end of the game, NOT the team score and not the score that appears in the VMK homepage list (has anyone figure out how these are even calculated yet?).
Because each of the three games produces a different range of scores, I have come up with a forumla to combine the scores that will hopefully make it more balanced (otherwise, someone who is good in Fireworks could dominate the competition because the range of scores in Fireworks between good and great scores is much wider than the other two games). Once you have your best scores from all three games, here is the forumla to get your overall score that will be used in the contest high score list:
Fireworks Score + 5x Jungle Cruise Score + 10x Pirates Score = Total Score
Here's an example:
Best Fireworks Score: 235,628
Best Jungle Cruise Score: 46,342
Best Pirates Score: 22,980
Total Score = 235,628 + 5x(46,342) + 10x(22,980)
= 235,628 + 231,710 + 229,800
= 697,138
This probably looks more complicated than it really is (especially if you hate math!). It will save me time if you all calculate your own total scores, but if you'd rather not calculate this yourself, you can just post your best scores and I will edit your post and calculate it for you. :)
High Scores List, Screenshots, and Prizes:
At least once a day, I will update the high scores list with the top scorers. To help me out with this, please post your scores in the separate high scores thread (http://www.vmkforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1444) (originally I was just going to have you post them to this thread, but let's save this thread for general discussion on the contest). Also, it is very important that each of you only make a single post with your scores. If your scores keep improving, please EDIT your original high score post rather than making a new post. From the date/time stamp on your edits I'll be able to tell whose scores have changed.
For verification purposes, I'll need the eventual winners to send me screenshots of their best scores. Also, if I have reason to doubt your scores for some reason, I may send you a PM and ask you to send me a screenshot. I realize you can fake a screenshot, but I think I'll have a pretty good idea if your scores are realistic or not. If you are new to taking screenshots, I'd recommend this guide (http://www.vmkforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=442).
Here are some sample screenshots that I put together showing you which screen you should grab for each game:
http://img107.**************/img107/3104/fireworksex26vg.jpg
http://img247.**************/img247/4247/jungleex2cp.jpg
http://img274.**************/img274/4659/pirateex22yg.jpg
As for prizes, I am pretty broke right now after helping to set up the VMK Fan Site Network of guest rooms, but I'll come up with something nice for the winners and update this thread with prize information when I know more. For now, I hope you are motivated by the fame and glory of being crowned the first VMK Triple Play winner. :) If you have any prizes you would like to donate, please let me know (stuff that is not currently for sale in the shops, or really expensive stuff preferred :D). RoyalHighness has already donated several Quest prizes...thanks so much!
Most of all, have fun!
Last but not least, I want to give credit to MisterToad for letting me bounce some ideas off him for this contest and giving me some helpful suggestions. Given MisterToad's recent departure from the game, I'm making this first VMK Triple Play event the "MisterToad Classic". :) Who knows though...maybe this contest will even lure him back to VMK! ;)
I'll explain the VMK Triple Play rules in this post, and then the next post will contain a high scores list that I will update at least once a day. This contest will run through Tuesday, July 5th. I will announce the winners on Wednesday night after you all update your scores one last time.
Overview:
The inspiration for the Triple Play contest is my own realization that even though I've been on the top ten list in Fireworks, I almost never play Pirates anymore and have only played Jungle Cruise a few times. Similarly, I think a lot of you specialize in your favorite game and only dabble in the others. Well, this contest is a way to give you an incentive to try out all three games again and record your best scores in each. We're trying to find the best all-around athelete in VMK...it's a Triple Play!
Here's how the VMK Triple Play contest will work: during the time period of this contest, make screenshots of your best scores in Fireworks, Pirates, and Jungle Cruise. Some of you may have set high scores in the past and/or taken screenshots of your best efforts, but I'd ask that you start from scratch for this contest so we're all on the same playing field (game engines have been tweaked over time, and we need to have exact scores...not "well I think I scored around 270,000 in fireworks once...").
Scoring Instructions:
For Fireworks and Jungle Cruise, you can just play a normal game. For Pirates, to keep this consistent and because it is a solo event, you can play on any difficulty level you like, but limit your game type to 2-on-2 and only against computer opponents. Also, the score to record in pirates is your individual score at the end of the game, NOT the team score and not the score that appears in the VMK homepage list (has anyone figure out how these are even calculated yet?).
Because each of the three games produces a different range of scores, I have come up with a forumla to combine the scores that will hopefully make it more balanced (otherwise, someone who is good in Fireworks could dominate the competition because the range of scores in Fireworks between good and great scores is much wider than the other two games). Once you have your best scores from all three games, here is the forumla to get your overall score that will be used in the contest high score list:
Fireworks Score + 5x Jungle Cruise Score + 10x Pirates Score = Total Score
Here's an example:
Best Fireworks Score: 235,628
Best Jungle Cruise Score: 46,342
Best Pirates Score: 22,980
Total Score = 235,628 + 5x(46,342) + 10x(22,980)
= 235,628 + 231,710 + 229,800
= 697,138
This probably looks more complicated than it really is (especially if you hate math!). It will save me time if you all calculate your own total scores, but if you'd rather not calculate this yourself, you can just post your best scores and I will edit your post and calculate it for you. :)
High Scores List, Screenshots, and Prizes:
At least once a day, I will update the high scores list with the top scorers. To help me out with this, please post your scores in the separate high scores thread (http://www.vmkforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1444) (originally I was just going to have you post them to this thread, but let's save this thread for general discussion on the contest). Also, it is very important that each of you only make a single post with your scores. If your scores keep improving, please EDIT your original high score post rather than making a new post. From the date/time stamp on your edits I'll be able to tell whose scores have changed.
For verification purposes, I'll need the eventual winners to send me screenshots of their best scores. Also, if I have reason to doubt your scores for some reason, I may send you a PM and ask you to send me a screenshot. I realize you can fake a screenshot, but I think I'll have a pretty good idea if your scores are realistic or not. If you are new to taking screenshots, I'd recommend this guide (http://www.vmkforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=442).
Here are some sample screenshots that I put together showing you which screen you should grab for each game:
http://img107.**************/img107/3104/fireworksex26vg.jpg
http://img247.**************/img247/4247/jungleex2cp.jpg
http://img274.**************/img274/4659/pirateex22yg.jpg
As for prizes, I am pretty broke right now after helping to set up the VMK Fan Site Network of guest rooms, but I'll come up with something nice for the winners and update this thread with prize information when I know more. For now, I hope you are motivated by the fame and glory of being crowned the first VMK Triple Play winner. :) If you have any prizes you would like to donate, please let me know (stuff that is not currently for sale in the shops, or really expensive stuff preferred :D). RoyalHighness has already donated several Quest prizes...thanks so much!
Most of all, have fun!
Last but not least, I want to give credit to MisterToad for letting me bounce some ideas off him for this contest and giving me some helpful suggestions. Given MisterToad's recent departure from the game, I'm making this first VMK Triple Play event the "MisterToad Classic". :) Who knows though...maybe this contest will even lure him back to VMK! ;)