st challenges Best Picture Competition

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

I understand it is a "Best Picture Competition" but how far do we take that is my question? Would it be okay to take screenshots from GTA 5 or Skyrim? Personally, I don't think so. This is a competition on a site dedicated to city-sims. I think it is important to show off the design of the city itself rather than just being able to place a camera and take a picture. I want to see the skill and technique of the builder not just the talent of the photographer. Ultimately it is up to the rest of the judges, just my opinion.

 

In Simcity 4 all one can do is show off the design of the city with marginal picture taking aesthetics. In CS one can do both or even both at the same time; great city design with amazing picture aesthetics- camera angles, colour filters and graphical wizardry. That blunt contrast between uber city design of SC4 and pure art from CS will make for interesting competitions.

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

 

In Simcity 4 all one can do is show off the design of the city with marginal picture taking aesthetics. In CS one can do both or even both at the same time; great city design with amazing picture aesthetics- camera angles, colour filters and graphical wizardry. That blunt contrast between uber city design of SC4 and pure art from CS will make for interesting competitions.

 

Yup, and that's why I'm encouraging people who take Skylines pics to show off the design of their cities rather than focus on buildings and simply placing the camera. I think it's much more impressive and I will vote for a pic that shows of city building skill over photography skill any day. That you built it yourself is an important component in this competition, otherwise we might as well just start posting screenshots of other non-city building games.

 

With a pic like Balthoraz's for example, as beautiful as it is, I can't really tell what's he's done. Ultimately it is more a showcase of the graphics of the game than his ability to work within it.

 

Bringing the pics over so that we don't lose focus.

 

Ultimate727 - Skylines

 

Vs

 

 

Balthoraz - Angel Pine Church

 

Current score:

 

Balthoraz -- 6

 

Ultimate727 -- 0

[SimCoug 5,977]

Balthoraz -- 7

Ultimate727 -- 0

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Yup, and that's why I'm encouraging people who take Skylines pics to show off the design of their cities rather than focus on buildings and simply placing the camera. I think it's much more impressive and I will vote for a pic that shows of city building skill over photography skill any day. That you built it yourself is an important component in this competition, otherwise we might as well just start posting screenshots of other non-city building games.

 

With a pic like Balthoraz's for example, as beautiful as it is, I can't really tell what's he's done. Ultimately it is more a showcase of the graphics of the game than his ability to work within it.

 

The picture you had during the recent competition, which won, well... I could not tell what you have done with the whole city- for all I know you just focused on one area in a close zoom and the rest is empty land. Now if you could take camera angles like that in SC4 you would be taking the best possible shot which would most likely not be isometric. I don't need to know what Balthoraz has done to his entire city in this picture simply because a picture tells a thousand words. Same with every other CS picture that has been submitted in this competition; there artistic quality varies but they all show a slice of the city just like SC4 pictures do.

 

This is a best picture competition for city simulators. The competition concerns strictly artistic qualities with city design playing only one small part in the whole package. You just don't seem to get that. This is ultimately an art competition of ingame pictures, that's what makes SC4 vs CS picture competitions so interesting. They highlight different appealing properties.

[Balthoraz 178]

 

 

I think Skylines pics would be much better if people shot them isometrically or from a top down perspective. I know it is tempting to put the camera street level because it's something you can't do in SC4, but I can't really see the work you put in to creating and designing a city. Both pics, although beautiful, could be from anywhere, any game. Might as well just go and take artistic screenshots of buildings from the PC version of GTA 5 and put them in this competition. Who says we can't?

 

I'm not saying this to disparage anyone's work, like I said I think the pics are aesthetically pleasing, especially Bathoraz's which I will vote for. I just wish they showed off city building skill rather than simply the eye of the photographer and the graphics of the game.

 

 

Balthoraz -- 4

 

Ultimate727 -- 0

 

In part I'm agree with you. The problem is that is 'the best picture' not the best city planning as michae95l said. So, not sure about the importance of the isometric view of the city planning, because is not what we are showing on this competition.

As I seen on the Hall of Fame, I seen screenshots of Mass Effect and other games. So, no one say you can't

 

 

There are no Mass Effect screenshots in the Hall of Fame. The only screenshots that are in the Hall of Fame are from SC4. There should be 1 or 2 Skylines pic but those haven't been added yet.

 

I understand it is a "Best Picture Competition" but how far do we take that is my question? Would it be okay to take screenshots from GTA 5 or Skyrim? Personally, I don't think so. This is a competition on a site dedicated to city-sims. I think it is important to show off the design of the city itself rather than just being able to place a camera and take a picture. I want to see the skill and technique of the builder not just the talent of the photographer. Ultimately it is up to the rest of the judges, just my opinion.

 

 

 

I seen the screenshot is from SC4 based on Mass Effect... Well, maybe too much Photoshop? NVM.

 

Well, this is the best picture of City planning games, but says best picture, and this include 'photography mode' then. You can see it as photographer, or just a close shot showing good details of your city unapreciated on isometric views. But well, is up to each one to see what they consider better on the screenshot and vote for it.

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

 

Yup, and that's why I'm encouraging people who take Skylines pics to show off the design of their cities rather than focus on buildings and simply placing the camera. I think it's much more impressive and I will vote for a pic that shows of city building skill over photography skill any day. That you built it yourself is an important component in this competition, otherwise we might as well just start posting screenshots of other non-city building games.

 

With a pic like Balthoraz's for example, as beautiful as it is, I can't really tell what's he's done. Ultimately it is more a showcase of the graphics of the game than his ability to work within it.

 

The picture you had during the recent competition, which won, well... I could not tell what you have done with the whole city- for all I know you just focused on one area in a close zoom and the rest is empty land. Now if you could take camera angles like that in SC4 you would be taking the best possible shot which would most likely not be isometric. I don't need to know what Balthoraz has done to his entire city in this picture simply because a picture tells a thousand words. Same with every other CS picture that has been submitted in this competition; there artistic quality varies but they all show a slice of the city just like SC4 pictures do.

 

Whether or not I built a full city is irrelevant. I'm not advocating for isometric shots only and I'm not saying I need to see the whole city. I just want to see the hand of the designer/builder at work. It doesn't matter if there is some smoke and mirrors going on "behind the scenes".

 

When you look at my pic you can see how I've placed roads, parks, sea walls, mmps, and landmarks. It was painstakingly and intricately designed. Even if it is only a slice of a whole tile there can be no doubt it took a certain amount of skill to create. No one could reproduce it without a considerable amount of effort. Does that inherently make something artistically better, valuable, or more valid? No, but the pic shows off the skills of the player just as much as it does the beauty of the BATs and mods being using. It wouldn't be anywhere near as impressive if I just brought the camera down and took a picture of the temple in the same way Bathoraz took a picture of the church because all I'd really be showing off is the skill of the BATer rather than how I decided to use it. We all have the same tools at our disposal. Anyone can download the BATs in my pic, but it's about how you use and combine them that makes it unique and interesting.

 

A picture like Balthoraz's shows off the tools, but it doesn't really show how he's used the tools. It shows off the graphics of the game much more than how he's played the game. If he built or modeled that church himself it would be extremely impressive, but I don't think he did. It might as well be the screenshot of any other game. Again, sorry to beat up on your pic Bathoraz. It's good, I just think it shows off your abilities as a photographer more than it does your abilities to build and create stuff.

 

I'm merely suggesting that people try to show off the design of their cities rather than buildings in those cities. Anyone can just plop a few buildings down and go into photography mode, get some interesting lighting, maybe some depth of field, but in the end that doesn't show city building skill, it just shows photography skill. I understand this competition isn't solely about city building and planning, but I think it is a huge component. Like I said, it's ultimately up for other people to decide, I'm not saying it has to be this way. I'm not a moderator and I hold no power over this competition. I just think it would make for more impressive pictures.

[gviper 922]

Hey, Balthoraz, might you be willing to post some more expansive shots of the image you submitted elsewhere on the forums? I love the picture and would like to see what a wider shot looks like...

[Balthoraz 178]

Hey, Balthoraz, might you be willing to post some more expansive shots of the image you submitted elsewhere on the forums? I love the picture and would like to see what a wider shot looks like...

 

 

The shot is taken from my old City Journal Angel Pine. Actually is no longer updated and I'm working on another City Journal.

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

When you look at my pic you can see how I've placed roads, parks, sea walls, mmps, and landmarks. It was painstakingly and intricately designed. Even if it is only a slice of a whole tile there can be no doubt it took a certain amount of skill to create. No one could reproduce it without a considerable amount of effort. Does that inherently make something artistically better, valuable, or more valid? No, but the pic shows off the skills of the player just as much as it does the beauty of the BATs and mods being using. It wouldn't be anywhere near as impressive if I just brought the camera down and took a picture of the temple in the same way Bathoraz took a picture of the church because all I'd really be showing off is the skill of the BATer rather than how I decided to use it. We all have the same tools at our disposal. Anyone can download the BATs in my pic, but it's about how you use and combine them that makes it unique and interesting.

 

One can do great city design in CS, it's simpler at the moment but just as valid. You're only saying this because you wish SC4 was 3D and you could take amazing camera angles of your creations. Besides most SC4 best pictures entries are taken from zoom 4 to 5 where the game looks best, if city planning was that important there would far more pictures taking from zoom 2 to 3. Best pictures aspire to be paintings not just mere overhead shots.

[gviper 922]

 

Hey, Balthoraz, might you be willing to post some more expansive shots of the image you submitted elsewhere on the forums? I love the picture and would like to see what a wider shot looks like...

 

 

The shot is taken from my old City Journal Angel Pine. Actually is no longer updated and I'm working on another City Journal.

 

oh ok.

[TakemeThere 5,834]

Balthoraz -- 7

Ultimate727 -- 1

[TakemeThere 5,834]

Next round;

 

Transformers? Or just robots in disguise...

[RipRap 4,400]

Aye.

 

Balthoraz - Angel Pine Church

 

vs.

 

takemethere - Transformers... Or just robots in disguise

[MushyMushy 3,618]

Takemethere - 1

Balthoraz - 0

 

Pretty neat and detailed creation there!

[gviper 922]

Balthoraz -- 1

Takemethere -- 1

[_Michael 2,681]

Balthoraz -- 2

Takemethere -- 1

[Dazzyls 576]

This is soooooo hard to decide, but I'll go for takemethere's picture.

 

Balthoraz - 2

 

takemethere - 2

[TekindusT 3,809]

Balthoraz - 2

takemethere - 3

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

Not the most aesthetically pleasing pic but it is an interestingly detailed creation.

 

takemethere - 4

Balthoraz - 2

[tonyr 926]

takemethere - 4

Balthoraz - 2

[SimCoug 5,977]

I'm going to assume that tonyr just forgot to tally up his vote...

 

 

takemethere - 6

Balthoraz - 2

 

 

I like the use of custom content and the fact that the electric grid is not usually something we see in this competition...

[TakemeThere 5,834]

^thanks for the regards

As for the votes though time is actually up, now looking for a challenger.

 

 

Not the most aesthetically pleasing pic but it is an interestingly detailed creation.

 

Thanks, I think?  jk jk

I realize that most people probably don't think of a transformer station as being aesthetically pleasing, but my interests are a little bit different than most

[Neto Dari 220]

takemethere - 6

Balthoraz - 3

[kingofsimcity 5,740]

I'll take a stab!

 

kingofsimcity - Downtown Highway

 

 

vs.

 

takemethere - Transformers... Or just robots in disguise...

 

[Balthoraz 178]

kingofsimcity 1

 

 

takemethere - Transformers... Or just robots in disguise... 0

[Dazzyls 576]

Kingofsimcity - 2

takemethere - 0

[_Michael 2,681]

Kingofsimcity - 3

takemethere - 0

[gviper 922]

KingofSimcity -- 4

Takemethere -- 0

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

KingofSimcity -- 5

Takemethere -- 0

[SimCoug 5,977]

KingofSimcity -- 6

Takemethere -- 0