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Showing results for tags 'st challenges'.
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st challenges When are the challenges coming back?
MisterBlueStar4 posted a topic in Simtropolis Related
Hey so It's been a while since a showcase challenge was done on this website.I wonder when it will be returning?- 1 Reply
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Animation Challenge - Create an animated image from your city - Season 3 - Challenge #25 - Extended (25 days) - Results Announced Here! Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. So far, challenges have involved submitting static images from your cities. While there's been many creative and lifelike scenes, a picture is just a snapshot of a single moment in time. But when you take multiple snapshots and put them together, it adds a whole new dimension. Animation helps to reveal change, show action, and as we've seen from the many films, can build emotional appeal. Alongside City Showcase, the final challenge of Season 3 involves creating an animated image, presenting an urban or rural scene. Aim to make it concise but also interesting and memorable. It could even be something humorous. It's your choice what direction you'd like to take, and how the animation is composed. The sequence could represent action in real time, or as a sped up timelapse. It should run for around 5-20 seconds -- we're not asking for a short film here! There are a number of ways to create the animation. Some video capture tools allow a recording to be exported as an animated image. If using SimCity 4, you could use the 'recorder' function to capture and extract the frames. Then a software package could be used for the final composition. See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is an Extended challenge running for 25 days. Submission Requirements Your image is animated (e.g. GIF), and portrays a rural or urban scene. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. Your image must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: A timelapse, showing a dramatic change in the landscape / terrain (e.g coastal erosion) Construction of buildings Urban development over time Trees growing or receding (deforestation) People or vehicles moving around A common scene (e.g city street, local community) An rare or unusual scene (e.g. riot, car chase) A recreational or sporting activity Day to night transition Fireworks display An activity in the countryside A fire spreading Fire plane extinguishing a forest fire A rescue attempt An extreme natural event Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Extended challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images after a 6 day voting period. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Extended challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck everyone!
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Celebrations! - How did your city celebrate the New Year? - Season 3 - Challenge #24 - Weekly (7 days) - Results Announced Here! Thanks to @CloneBoom for the challenge idea. Streets are lined with dazzling lights, while crowds gather to watch fireworks to the tune of a concert... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy new year everyone! To celebrate the start of 2017, it's time to show the dramatic and dynamic ways your city welcomes the New Year. Each place in the world has its own style of doing so. From the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Big Ben, the varied locations set unique backdrops, adding to the excitement and celebrations. There are some who even venture out early before dawn, to reserve the perfect view. Then when the clock finally strikes midnight, it's time to party! We're looking for your finest image showing the style and grandeur in which your city celebrates. It doesn't necessarily have to be at night either -- it's up to you. Just make sure it's big, bold and dramatic. As usual for enhancement, you may use custom content and/or image editing. This is a Weekly challenge running for 7 days. Submission Requirements Your image features a celebratory scene for New Year. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. Your image must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Weekly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Weekly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck all, let's see those sparks fly!
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City Showcase - Show the best scenes from your city - Season 3 - Challenge #23 - Monthly (47 days) - Results Announced Here! Thanks to @MushyMushy for the challenge idea. The previous challenges have all been focused around specific themes. We've visited urban, rural and night shots, amongst waterfronts, railroads and bridges. There have been a multitude of magnificent creations from many magnanimous mayors! But this time, in the final Monthly challenge of the season, we're throwing the doors open, giving you freedom to present any of your finest city-building scenes. You may enter up to 3 images you've created from your cities, towns or villages. The image(s) can be anything you'd like, not necessarily depicting high density and skyscrapers -- it could even be a more rural or desolate location. Basically anywhere big or small where your citizens reside. As usual, you may also use custom content and/or image editing to enhance the appearance. This is all about providing an empty canvas (or 3) for you to express your unique city-building creativity. This is a Monthly challenge running for a mammoth 47 days. Submission Requirements The submitted image(s) must include a form of human settlement (e.g. city, town or village). You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. You may submit a maximum of 3 images into the challenge album. These can be from the same or different locations. a. All your entered images will be eligible for voting, however only your highest rated image will be used in the final ranking. So basically there are 3 opportunities to gain a place in the results, with no downside to submitting more than one. b. In the event of images having an identical rating and votes, the earlier submitted image will be selected. For each submission, you may link a larger version in the description, or post inside the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check a full title & description are included on your image(s). Your image(s) must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image(s) are uploaded to the submissions category, and comply with these requirements. Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Monthly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images after a 10 day voting period. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Monthly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 5 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Good luck everyone, let's finish Season 3 in grand style.
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How to Do It - Explain the steps to do something relating to a city-building game Season 3 - Challenge #22 - Extended (27 days) - Results Announced Here! Thanks to @CorinaMarie for the challenge idea. Make no mistake, there are many incredible contributions shared daily amongst our community. Files on the STEX, images in City Journals, and guides in the Forums and Omnibus, just to name a few. But whatever the format, there is always a process to follow. The road to reach an end product can greatly vary in complexity. From a simple custom interchange, some intricate MMP work, or a complex BAT with dazzling night lighting, along with all the bells and whistles! However quite often, particularly in the case of images, the exact creative process remains undocumented. We only see the end product, not the steps the author took to achieve the finished creation. As you've probably already guessed, this challenge is rather different than usual. Instead of (simply) creating an image or content item, we're asking you to produce a tutorial explaining the process. How do you get from A to B? Aim to make your tutorial detailed enough to include all necessary steps, while still being easy enough for other people to accurately follow. By doing so, it should be possible to reproduce the desired result, at least to a satisfactory standard. Specifications Your tutorial must be posted inside the Omnibus: https://community.simtropolis.com/omnibus/ Difficulty: It can be simple, complex, or something in the middle. If you like, you may base the tutorial around one of your own entries (image or content), produced from a current or previous Simtropolis Challenge. Include objectives at the start. What is the end goal? The tutorial should flow in a step by step format. It may be composed using a selection of text, pictures, diagrams or videos. Multiple parts (articles) may be posted if needed. Check formatting is suitable. Check spelling and grammar for accuracy. See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is an Extended challenge running for 27 days. Submission Requirements Your tutorial explains how to follow a process, and achieve a desired end result incorporating a city-building game. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. For the purpose of voting, please check your tutorial has an appropriate title. Your tutorial must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. As well as the text, this also applies to any included media (e.g. images, diagrams and/or video). You may NOT enter a tutorial you've previously posted before the start of this challenge (16th December 2016). You may continue editing or adding to your tutorial, up until the start of voting. To qualify for entry, please ensure your tutorial is posted in the Omnibus, and complies with these requirements. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: How to: Create an in-game image, including any editing. Create an item of custom content (e.g. building, lot, mod or map). Execute an in-game strategy (e.g. zoning, funding). Use an in-game function (e.g. MMPs for SimCity 4). Use an item of custom content. Use a custom content tool, or other program related to the chosen game. Install or manage custom content (e.g. plugins folder organisation). Perform a technical task related to the chosen game (e.g. graphics, command line parameters, optimisation). Play the chosen game. (Just the basics!) Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Extended challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winner will be the top ranked entry. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Extended challenge, rep prizes will be given for both entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. It'll be really interesting to see how this unique challenge pans out. Good luck!
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Winter Wonderland - Show scenes with a winter theme - Season 3 - Challenge #21 - Monthly (31 days) - Results Announced Here! Thanks to @Mymyjp for the challenge idea. The ground is frozen by ice and snow, Falling from above, it's quite the photo. The sun a subtle golden glow, Shining o'er the mistletoe. For the winter warmth is here, People celebrate with festive cheer. The smell, sound and sight, Of the eternal winter light. Yes, this challenge involves creating scenes to celebrate this special time of year (at least as current in the Northern Hemisphere). You may enter up to 3 images including anything that is associated with winter as a season. From snow to Santa, it's completely up to you. What brings the sense of atmosphere and warmth to these cold winter months? Also, the scene doesn't necessarily have to be a rural landscape -- of course, it can snow on the roads and cities as well. You could really apply this theme to any desired location -- be creative! As usual, although not part of the requirements, image editing or use of custom content may be used for enhancement. Suggestion In SimCity 4, one possibility is to enable a basic winter effect using the "Snow" command in the Extra Cheats DLL. Or as explained here, you can just wait until Dec 25, and the game will do this automatically for the entire day. See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is a Monthly challenge running for 31 days. Submission Requirements The submitted image(s) must incorporate the theme of winter in some form. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. You may submit a maximum of 3 images into the challenge album. a. All your entered images will be eligible for voting, however only your highest rated image will be used in the final ranking. So basically there are 3 opportunities to gain a place in the results, with no downside to submitting more than one. b. In the event of images having an identical rating and votes, the earlier submitted image will be selected. For each submission, you may link a larger version in the description, or post inside the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check a full title & description are included on your image(s). Your image(s) must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image(s) are uploaded to the submissions category, and comply with these requirements. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: Snow falling Snow anywhere! Christmas theme (e.g. trees) Festive lighting/decorations An atmospheric street An industrial area in wintry conditions People playing in the snow Sledding Frozen lake/river Ski resort A winter storm Whiteout/blizzard North/South pole Reindeer Santa Claus Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Monthly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Monthly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 5 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Good luck to all competitors!
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Content Creation BATs, Lots, Mods or Maps. No rules except build anything! Season 3 - Challenge #20 - Custom Content (47 days) Results Announced Here! Thanks to @MushyMushy for the challenge idea. In the world of SimCity 4, the huge library of content is the main reason for the game's longevity. It continues to push the limits to what is possible, and allows the creation of more realistic and diverse structures & landscapes. Yes, it's time for the ultimate test of creativity! In the final Content challenge of the season, we're basically throwing away the rule books... For this challenge, you may create any SC4 content you can imagine, not just limited to lots. Maybe an elaborate map, an intricate mod, or a magnificent BAT -- even a combination of these things. Because for the first time, up to 3 separate items of content may be entered if you'd like. You choose the item(s) you'd like to create, along with the method and techniques to get there. With Trixie nominations just around the corner, an open canvas awaits! Once completed, a screenshot should be taken showing the content functionally present in the game. Daytime is preferable for this, unless the item contains dominant night lighting effects that you'd like to present. Specifications Anything! This is a Custom Content challenge running for 47 days. Requirements To qualify, please make sure each entry complies with the following requirements: This challenge is only open to SimCity 4 Deluxe / Rush Hour. The content must be an original item (created by yourself), and not previously released on the STEX or other public exchange. You may submit a maximum of 3 content items, each following the below Submissions process. a. All your entered items will be eligible for voting, however only your highest rated item will be used in the final ranking. So basically there are 3 opportunities to gain a place in the results, with no downside to submitting more than one. b. In the event of items having an identical rating and votes, the earlier submitted item will be selected. Submissions As this challenge involves creating content, submitting entries is slightly different than a regular event. For each item, there is a two-step submission process; using the STEX for uploading and the Gallery for voting: On the STEX The content uploaded in the STEX Challenges category below. The upload has a full title. A description with basic information, including any dependencies used. At least one in game screenshot of the content. Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Custom Content challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. As usual for this Custom Content challenge, rep prizes will be distributed slightly differently. The top 5 placed entries will earn reputation, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. As this is a longer challenge, the amount of rep and points will be greater (depending on the number of entries). After the challenge has concluded and the winners announced, all submissions will be kept available for the community to enjoy. Good luck everyone, let's make this an epic showdown!
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Nature Scenes Create an image featuring the natural environment Season 3 - Challenge #19 - Extended (14 days) Results Announced Here! Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. Even though we continue to develop cities and towns, nature remains all around us. Away from bustling urban life and technology, the diverse beauty of the natural environment lays waiting. From the dry, desolate expanses of the Sahara, to the rich and complex ecosystem of the Amazon. Far from the concrete jungle, there are so many places where nature abundantly thrives, and plays an essential role to the world we live in. Water sustains life, trees release oxygen, and plants provide vital food & resources to living things. This challenge simply involves creating a scene from the natural environment. It can be of whatever you'd like, but if any, you may only add limited man-made aspects. For example, a mountain range may include a small shelter or summit point if you'd like. However, the natural features must be the clear dominant focus of your image. No urban areas, buildings or skyscrapers! (Roof gardens or backyards don't count!) Preferably, try to make your image as natural as possible. As usual, although not required, image editing and custom content is allowed to enhance the appearance. See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is an Extended challenge running for 14 days. Submission Requirements Your image must include at least one feature from the natural landscape, without prominent man-made aspects. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. Your image must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: Waterfall Rainforest/forest Swamp/wetland Desert/dunes The wilderness Savannah Plains/grassland Hills Mountain range Valley Lake/pond River/stream Canyon Cliffs The ocean Natural beach Coral reef Deserted tropical island Volcano Natural crater Fault line Glacier Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Extended challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the standings will be available in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Extended challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck everyone!
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Classic Model, New Lot Create a new Lot for a previously released BAT Season 3 - Challenge #18 - Custom Content (31 days) Results Announced Here! Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. Throughout the years of SC4 content, thousands of wide and wonderful BATs have made the light of day. On the various exchanges, they've come in all shapes and sizes, and continue to do so. Real world buildings and structures, or generic/fantasy variations. One thing in common with all, is that to be functional in the game, a model requires a lot. Whether growable or ploppable, it's the lot which lays the foundations and provides the canvas for accompanying details: A university with its grounds, a shopping centre with a car park, or an industrial unit with stock and supplies -- just to name a few. All these details serve to enhance the authenticity, and without them, the model can only stand alone. For this challenge, we'd like you to select any previously released model (BAT), and showcase it with a brand new lot. Sometimes a BAT can be technically brilliant, with the modelling, night lighting and textures, etc. However, the actual lot may not always live up to the same standard. That's where you come in! Perhaps you feel you could add additional details or refinements, bringing it more to life. Today with new props & textures, along with knowledge gained through the community, there may be a wider range of options available to achieve the desired result. Of course, the obvious tool of choice would be the Lot Editor by Maxis. However, an alternative would be to use the PIM-X, which includes its own advanced editor for creating lots. This can be downloaded from the LEX, and there's also a user guide linked in the description. As usual with a lotting challenge, the choice is yours. There are numerous ways to go about it, and it's really what you feel most comfortable with using. Once completed, a screenshot should be taken showing the Lot built in the game. Daytime is preferable for this, unless your Lot contains dominant night lighting effects that you'd like to present. Please Note: As per site policy on sharing content, the actual upload containing the model must be linked as a dependency, not bundled with your submission! Specifications The Lot can be of any type, size or style (even different than what the model was originally intended for). The chosen model is the centrepiece of the Lot. Dependencies (props / textures) are highly recommended to enhance the detail. Any number of dependencies can be used, which are available to download from a public exchange (e.g. STEX, LEX). This is a Custom Content challenge running for 31 days. Requirements To qualify for entry, please ensure your entry complies with the following requirements: This challenge is only open to SimCity 4 Deluxe / Rush Hour. Your submitted Lot must be an original piece of content (created by yourself), and not previously released on the STEX or other public exchange. The Lot visibly incorporates at least one rendered model (BAT), which as of 1st November 2016, is available to download on the STEX or other public exchange. The chosen model is linked in the description as a dependency. Only a single, standalone Lot is submitted. The Lot is created using the Lot Editor or SC4 PIM (X-Tool). The Lot functions in game (i.e. it works!) Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Custom Content challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. As usual for this Custom Content challenge, rep prizes will be distributed slightly differently. The top 5 placed entries will earn reputation, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. As this is a longer challenge, the amount of rep and points will be greater (depending on the number of entries). After the challenge has concluded and the winners announced, all submissions will be made available for the community to enjoy. Please post below if you have any questions. Should be an interesting challenge, good luck to those who give this a go!
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Results Catchup Yes, at last! Here are the results you've all been waiting for... See the posts below to view the rankings from the previous 6 challenges: Realistic Recreation Monthly Facelift Custom Content City Overview Weekly Night Scenes Extended Railroads Weekly Parks and Plazas Custom Content Thank you everyone for your patience, and really sorry again for the delay. We must improve! All images have been unhidden in the albums. The full updated challenge data can be viewed at the following link: Season 3 - Challenges Data (Excel spreadsheet shared on OneDrive) There will be a full update to the Leaderboards early next week: Thanks! ~The Challenges Team
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Results Announced Here! Waterside Where there's water, there's a way! Season 3 - Challenge #17 - Weekly (12 days) Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. Approximately 70% of the Earth's surface is water. So it's no surprise that most locations around the world incorporate it in some form. Apart from being essential to life, water has many prominent uses. It helps provide a means of transport, recreation, or simply serves to make the landscape more visually attractive. In a rural or urban setting, human development has incorporated water in many different and useful ways. A port connects land with sea, welcoming ships and cargo from many continents. Canals allow small vessels to move in networks around a city or region. Or take a trip down the boardwalk overlooking the beach and ocean views. This challenge involves creating an image featuring any transition between land and water. It can be man-made or natural, as long as the image shows land connecting with water. The obvious choice is something along the coastline. But it could also be inland, such as a river, lake or reservoir. Also as usual, custom content or photo editing may be used to enhance the scene. See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is a Weekly challenge running for 12 days. Submission Requirements Your image contains both land and water. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. Your image must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: Harbour area Port/docks Docklands or maritime area Marina Boardwalk Pier Canal or artificial waterway Stream River Lake Reservoir Reclaimed land Beach/dunes Coastal sea defences Lighthouse Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Weekly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Weekly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck everyone!
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Results Announced Here! Railroads Show a railroad scene featuring a train Season 3 - Challenge #16 - Weekly (7 days) Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. "Platform 1, for the 23:31 Simtropolis Express service to Long Shore. Calling at: Fairview, Timbuktu, Green Plains, Cabbageville, Maxisland and Long Shore. This train is formed of 12 coaches." Over the years, even with advancements in technology, trains and railroads have principally remained the same since their invention in the 19th century. Two parallel bars are joined and connected, spanning miles across cities and regions, escaping the traffic (or in those days, horses and wagons ). Today, from commuting people at high speed, to hauling tons of freight around, railroads still play an integral part in getting people and resources from A to B. For this challenge, we'd simply like you to show an image of a chosen railroad in your city containing a train. It can be any type, with any number of tracks or trains, Maybe a bustling central terminal, a long fast straight, or a mountainous pass. Although not required, any combination of custom content or photo editing may be used for enhancement. As usual, there are many options here -- be creative! This is a Weekly challenge running for 7 days. Submission Requirements Your image contains one or more railroads, with at least one train. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. Your image must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Weekly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Weekly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck, can't wait to see them!
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Results Announced Here! Modular Complexes An interactive jigsaw puzzle with no correct answer Season 3 - Challenge #15 - Custom Content (42 days) Thanks to @kingofsimcity for the challenge idea. Real world complexes are often made up of similar buildings and items, but are modulated to fit their environment or location. What makes these complexes successful are how each part fits together, with emphasis on how the edge conditions of parcels, or in our case Lots, will work with the other pieces at their disposal. What we are tasking you with here is to arrange some props or buildings on a number of Lots, which can work in tandem to create a vast array of different design outcomes. Like a jigsaw puzzle, except our jigsaw has no correct answer! There are numerous ways this can be achieved, and we suggest looking at other modular Lots on the STEX before starting to get some inspiration. For example, you could create a modular set of Lots for a modular park, an army base, construction site, or an educational campus like a university. Really anything you can put your mind to which would need some modularity in how it is placed in your city. Remember that people want modularity when the space they are filling is rather large, and its limit is determined by factors in their city like road layout or topography. Be creative, but come up with a set of Lots which will all fit together, to form many different combinations. You can create your own buildings, although that is not necessary for this challenge. It might be easier to use other people's models (as dependencies) and develop your own Lots using them. Of course, the obvious tool of choice would be the Lot Editor by Maxis. However, an alternative would be to use the PIM-X, which includes its own advanced editor for creating Lots. This can be downloaded from the LEX, and there's also a user guide linked in the description. The choice is yours, and it's really what you feel most comfortable with. Once completed, a screenshot should be taken showing the Lots built in the game. Daytime is preferable for this, unless your Lot contains dominant night lighting effects that you'd like to present. Specifications The more Lots you include, the more flexible your modular complex will be. The Lots can be of any type, size or style. When combined, the edges between Lots should blend together, ideally with no visible seams. Dependencies (props / textures) are highly recommended to enhance the detail. Any number of dependencies can be used, which are available to download from a public exchange (e.g. STEX, LEX). See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is a Custom Content challenge running for 42 days. Requirements To qualify for entry, please ensure your entry complies with the following requirements: This challenge is only open to SimCity 4 Deluxe / Rush Hour. The Lots must be an original piece of content (created by yourself), and not previously released on the STEX or other public exchange. Your entry includes a set of modular Lots, which when combined, create a larger complex, area or structure. The entry is comprised of at least 4 different Lots. However the more Lots you include, the better the modularity of your creation. The Lots are created using the Lot Editor or SC4 PIM (X-Tool). Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note:The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: A series of different park pathways A port or shipping container yard Railway station/yard Industrial facility Commercial shopping area Modular apartment blocks An airport or part of one Sports facilities with surrounding car parking Golf course A university campus and its grounds Construction site Graveyard Parking lot An army base A space centre Government buildings Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Custom Content challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. As usual for this Custom Content challenge, rep prizes will be distributed slightly differently. The top 5 placed entries will earn reputation, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. As this is a longer challenge, the amount of rep and points will be greater (depending on the number of entries). After the challenge has concluded and the winners announced, all submissions will be made available for the community to enjoy. Please post below if you have any questions. This thread can also be used as a way to showcase the development of your creations. Good luck to all contestants, we are excited to see what you come up with!
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Results Announced Here! Ancient Civilizations Build a city scene from a previous era Season 3 - Challenge #14 - Monthly (44 days) Thanks to @Mymyjp for the challenge idea. Over time, there have been many prominent civilizations. From the Greeks to the Romans and everything in between, each period has been unique. Not only changing society, but leaving behind defining buildings, monuments and structures. Some of these are now inhabitable, while others have been restored as heritage sites for all to witness and relive today in the 21st century. However, for this challenge, we're going back in time, long before drones, smartphones and the internet. In its former glory, we'd like you to create and showcase a scene from an ancient civilization, all those years ago. Like with the previous Monthly challenge, we welcome up to 3 submissions. These can be from the same scene presenting a different angle, or a completely different location/period. You may base your image(s) on any past civilization, and the goal should be to match the authenticity of this bygone era. What were the traditions and ways of life? Maybe do some research into the chosen civilization. It doesn't have to be a perfect recreation either visually or geographically, but try to capture the mood and atmosphere during this time. Be inventive! Also while not required, we actively encourage the use of image editing. Even something simple like changing the colour balance has a big impact on the overall mood. There are limitations in available BATs/lots from these ages, so creativity will obviously play a key role here. Also image(s) don't necessarily have to be totally accurate. Realism and detail always helps, but a big part is to visually produce an image that is overall unique and interesting. See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is a Monthly challenge running for 44 days. Submission Requirements The submitted image(s) must be based on a time period in ancient history (view timeline). You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. You may submit a maximum of 3 images into the challenge album. a. All your entered images will be eligible for voting, however only your highest rated image will be used in the final ranking. So basically there are 3 opportunities to gain a place in the results, with no downside to submitting more than one. b. In the event of image(s) having an identical rating and votes, the earlier submitted image will be selected. For each submission, you may link a larger version in the description, or post inside the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check a full title & description are included on your image(s). Your image(s) must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image(s) are uploaded to the submissions category, and comply with these requirements. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: Busy market street Fishing harbour (for example) Original forms of transport People riding horses Native tribes Construction of something Wild West town A battle or conflict Now famous landmarks Pyramids A small settlement in the desert A historically significant event Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Monthly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Monthly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 5 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Good luck everyone, this will be one for the ages...
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Results Announced Here! City Overview Show a city from a wide perspective Season 3 - Challenge #13 - Weekly (12 days) Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. All cities span vast areas of land -- some multiple miles. Just by close view scenes, you can never fully grasp the sense of scale that a city covers, including the measure of urban sprawl. But from a wider angle, you can clearly see the changes in density, and the transition from rural to the suburbs, and the suburbs to the CBD. Such changes are noticeable not only with the types of buildings or transport networks, but how they interact with the general landscape. For this challenge, it's time to dust down those wide angle lenses! We're looking to see your city shown over a large area. If planning to use SimCity 4, this could be from one of the lower zoom levels, or even zoomed right out to show the entire city tile. For Cities: Skylines or other 3D game, you could use a bird's eye camera to take the shot. Although not required, this may be a good opportunity to create a mosaic image. To enhance the sense of realism, you may decide not to show the city's borders, or use techniques to conceal them (for example). But there are multiple possibilities with this challenge, and it's what you feel is the right balance between scale, while keeping a suitable amount of detail. This is a Weekly challenge running for 12 days. Submission Requirements Your image shows a city scene from a wide point of view. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. Your image must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Weekly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Weekly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck, let's see those skylines!
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Results Announced Here! Night Scenes Create an image taken at night Season 3 - Challenge #12 - Extended (20 days) Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. All cities have a unique atmosphere during the day, But once the sun goes down, it's the perfect time to visit Chinatown! At 7 o'clock, people hop from block to block, Buildings that appear dormant awaken, Sparkling bright and shimmering under the moonlight, There are many colours, smells and sights, Towering from amazing heights, cars can be seen moving in streams of white and red, Long before it's time for bed. Yes for this challenge, we're simply looking to see your cities alive and active at night. Show everyone your best scene, which is brought to life during this time. Obviously skyscrapers play a big role in lighting a city skyline, but you can depict any night scene within an urban (or even rural) environment. Although not required, you may decide to enhance the image using an editing tool, or add additional effects/details. As usual, it's your choice what image you submit and how to present it. This is an Extended challenge running for 20 days. Submission Requirements Your image must present a scene at night. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. Your image must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Extended challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Extended challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck, let those lights shine!
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Results Announced Here! Parks and Plazas Create a custom park or plaza Lot Season 3 - Challenge #11 - Custom Content (44 days) Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. Following tourism, roundabouts and congestion, finally, a challenge the environmental advisor would approve of! Amongst the bustling nature of city life, places are created where people can play, relax, or enjoy an ice cream (or two). Recreational areas perform a key role when considering city planning. How do they blend in with the surroundings, or interact with the culture and environment? They are vital to the look and feel of an urban centre, including less dense areas in the suburbs. Of all types, shapes and sizes, there are many famous examples in real world cities. This challenge involves producing a single recreational area Lot, such as a park or plaza. You may create any lot that functions as a ploppable park, and along with lotting techniques, use any range of custom props and textures to enhance the appearance. Of course, the obvious tool of choice would be the Lot Editor by Maxis. However, an alternative would be to use the PIM-X, which includes its own advanced editor for creating lots. This can be downloaded from the LEX, and there's also a user guide linked in the description. As usual with a lotting challenge, the choice is yours. There are lots of ways to go about it, and it's really what you feel most comfortable with using. Once completed, a screenshot should be taken showing the Lot built in the game. Daytime is preferable for this, unless your Lot contains dominant night lighting effects that you'd like to present. Specifications The Lot can be of any size or park style, although a larger area will allow more detail to be added. Dependencies (props / textures) are highly recommended to enhance the detail. Any number of dependencies can be used, which are available to download from a public exchange (e.g. STEX, LEX). See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is a Custom Content challenge running for 44 days. Requirements To qualify for entry, please ensure your entry complies with the following requirements: This challenge is only open to SimCity 4 Deluxe / Rush Hour. The Lot must be an original piece of content (created by yourself), and not previously released on the STEX or other public exchange. Only a single, standalone Lot is submitted. The Lot is created using the Lot Editor or SC4 PIM (X-Tool). The Lot appears and functions as a ploppable park. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: A type of garden (example list) City square (example list) Planted grass area Fountains Ornaments Monument or memorial area Pond or small water feature Arrangement of exotic plants Community garden area Flower garden Model village Paved seating area BBQ or picnic area Playing field or casual sports area Kids playground Tennis courts Mini golf Maze Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Custom Content challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Custom Content challenge, rep prizes will be distributed slightly differently. This time the top 5 placed entries will earn reputation, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. As this is a longer challenge, the amount of rep and points will be greater. After the challenge has concluded and the winners announced, all submissions will be made available for the community to enjoy. Please post below if you have any questions. This thread can also be used as a way to showcase the development of your creations. Good luck to all competitors!
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Results Catchup Finally, it's time to bring the results up to date! See the posts below to view the rankings from the previous 3 challenges: Photoshop Challenge Extended Bridge Bonanza Weekly Lotting Challenge Custom Content Again apologies for the delay in getting these out. They will be revealed much quicker in future, along with the leaderboard updates... The full challenge data can be viewed at the following link: Season 3 - Challenges Data (Excel spreadsheet shared on OneDrive) The latest Leaderboards will be updated shortly (hopefully tomorrow) in the following topic: Even if you didn't make prize ranks, any points gained are still valuable to the standings. Thanks everyone, it's taking part that counts! ~The Challenges Team
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Results Announced Here! Facelift Enhance a vanilla building with a new Lot Season 3 - Challenge #10 - Custom Content (31 days) Thanks to @kingofsimcity for the challenge idea. The 552 original Maxis RCI buildings paved the way for custom content as we know it. They helped to inspire new creations, in many shapes and sizes. But even though vanilla buildings laid the foundations, one thing lacking is the detail in the lotting. Back in the day, lotting was more of an afterthought, where now it has become an individual work of art. For this challenge, we'd like you to restore a vanilla Maxis RCI building to modern standards, by creating a re-lot. The advancement in props & textures has opened up endless new possibilities. So we'd like you to use these, along with lotting techniques, to enhance and improve an original lot. You may choose any vanilla growable lot, and this can either be a replacement (override), or a brand new instance. The key requirement is for the same lot specifications to be used, and that the building (model) remains the centrepiece / focal point. For example, if working on a CS$$ 3x4 lot, your enhanced version should also be a growable CS$$ 3x4. Custom props & textures can be mixed with the original ones, or you could start again with a clean state, then adding your own. Of course, the obvious tool of choice would be the Lot Editor by Maxis. However, an alternative would be to use the PIM-X, which includes its own advanced editor for creating lots. This can be downloaded from the LEX, and there's also a user guide linked in the description. The choice is yours, and it's really what you feel most comfortable with. Once completed, a screenshot should be taken showing the Lot built in the game. Daytime is preferable for this, unless your Lot contains dominant night lighting effects that you'd like to present. Specifications The Lot must retain the original dimensions, although overhanging props may be used. The Lot keeps the original developer type. Dependencies (props / textures) are highly recommended to enhance the detail. Any number of dependencies can be used, which are available to download from a public exchange (e.g. STEX, LEX). This is a Custom Content challenge running for 31 days. Requirements To qualify for entry, please ensure your entry complies with the following requirements: This challenge is only open to SimCity 4 Deluxe / Rush Hour. The Lot must be an original piece of content (created by yourself), and not previously released on the STEX or other public exchange. The Lot must be a re-lot of an original Maxis RCI growable, keeping the same lot dimensions, building and developer type (i.e. residential, commercial or industrial). In your description, there is reference to the original building name (for comparison purposes). The Lot is created using the Lot Editor or SC4 PIM (X-Tool). Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Custom Content challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. In this Custom Content challenge, rep prizes will be distributed slightly differently. This time the top 5 placed entries will earn reputation, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. As this is a longer challenge, the amount of rep and points will be greater. After the challenge has concluded and the winners announced, all submissions will be made available for the community to enjoy. Please post below if you have any questions. This thread can also be used as a way to showcase the development of your creations. We'd love to see your progress! 3, 2, 1... lift off! Good luck all!
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Results Announced Here! Thrilling Traffic The Rush Hour is close at hand, cars crawl in search of homes, to terrorise y'awl's mayoralty Season 3 - Challenge #09 - Weekly (12 days) Thanks to @airman15 for the challenge idea. Traffic falls across the city The Rush Hour is close at hand Cars crawl in search of homes to terrorise y'awl's mayoralty And Whosoever shall be left without a train for leaving down town must stand and face the traffic from hell and rot inside a cars shell. The foulest pollution is in the air the funk of forty thousand cars and gas guzzling cars from every where are closing in to clog your roads and though you fight to reduce the traffic your body starts to shiver for no mere mayor can resist the evil of the traffic. For this challenge, show off the traffic in your city! The worse the traffic the better the image! Any type of scene can be used, so long as there is lots of traffic on your roads. This is a Weekly challenge running for 12 days. Submission Requirements Your image must include traffic, on at least one type of transport network. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Weekly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Weekly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Don't let traffic scare you. In this challenge, poor planning is your friend! Good Luck!
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Results Announced Here! Realistic Recreation In a virtual world, the hardest test for any builder is to realistically recreate a location Season 3 - Challenge #08 - Monthly (45 days) Thanks to @heartless for the challenge idea. City builders value their ability to create realistic images, but how realistic are these scenes? With the improvements BATers and modders have made to the game, and how realistic their creations are, can our builders create scenes which are indistinguishable from real life? Welcome to the 1st of 4 Monthly challenges this season! We want you to submit an image based off of a real world location. Create this image so that it is as realistic as possible, and include a link to the real world site, or an image which you based this location off. Remembering that real life is not as clean and shiny as it is in our imagination, it's dirty, irregular and exciting! Don't forget the small details which make-up the real world, but also don't be afraid to use your imagination to show how people may be using this area in-game. Even though this is about realism, creativity can still play a big part. This location doesn't have to be as famous as Buckingham Palace, or the Hollywood Hills, it could be as simple as a river bed you went to last summer, your local sports stadium, or shopping mall. Just remember to base it off of a real world location. See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is a Monthly challenge running for 45 days. Submission Requirements The submitted image(s) must be based off of a real world location. For comparison purposes, the real world site must be referenced in the description. This may be text, an external image, link to a web page, (e.g. Wikipedia article), or identified using a mapping service (e.g. Google Maps / Street View). You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. For this monthly challenge, you may submit a maximum of 3 images into the challenge album. a. All your entered images will be eligible for voting, however only your highest rated image will be used in the final ranking. So basically there are 3 opportunities to gain a place in the results, with no downside to submitting more than one. b. In the event of image(s) having an identical rating and votes, the earlier submitted image will be selected. For each submission, you may link a larger version in the description, or post inside the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check a full title & description are included on your image(s). Your image(s) must be created solely by yourself, without any assistance from anyone else. Be sensible with the location data which you give out -- please do not recreate your own street! A famous, or more generic real world location will do just fine (that's why an comparison image will suffice instead of a link to a map). To qualify for entry, please ensure your image(s) are uploaded to the submissions category, and comply with these requirements. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: Times Square Lower Manhattan Hollywood Hills Sydney Harbour Oxford Street Your local shopping mall A campsite you visited last summer A real sports stadium Some famous beach That beach you saw in the movie that one time at Daves' cousins house Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Monthly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: It will be updated soon, promise! The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. In this Monthly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 5 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. It will be incredible to see what you all have come up with. Good luck contestants
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Results Announced Here! Bridge Bonanza Build bridges, and lots of them! Season 3 - Challenge #07 - Weekly (7 days) Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. From the beginning of time, people have looked at the river and tried to cross it. Many failed, until the invention of the Bridge. Through time some of these humble bridges have evolved to be behemoths of the city scape, or have been left alone to be forgotten in the wilderness. Let's celebrate the increased mobility that this infrastructural wonder has given us! The world has become a Bridge Bonanza, so lets explore how bridges have given your citizens an unprecedented amount of freedom! From suspension to stone, for this challenge we're looking for your best bridges. The more the merrier, why stop at one, why not ten? As usual, there are numerous ways to go about this. It could be a feature bridge leading into your city, a small bridge in the woods, a pedestrian bridge over a large highway, or something more obscure. It doesn't necessarily have to cross over water. You could even give a brief background in the description, explaining the history behind the bridge or bridges. Use your imagination. Again the choice is yours what image you submit and how you choose to present it. See the Possible Ideas section below for a few examples. This is a Weekly challenge running for 7 days. Submission Requirements Your image must feature one or more bridges. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: Example bridge types A landmark bridge through, into or over your city A road or rail bridge A bridge over another transport network, or urban area A small rural bridge A bridge in the mountains An old, broken and forgotten bridge A large or small pedestrian bridge A single rail bridge over farmland Bridges through trees Bungee jumping bridge A bridge over a bridge while you bridge... (You can combine multiple types of bridges in your image, and not just limited to this list) Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Weekly challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Weekly challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck to all contestants!
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See the statement here for the final declaration. As discussed in this topic, we're holding a referendum to decide the future of reputation prizes in Simtropolis Challenges. It has been concluded that the amount of reputation given is too much, and not proportional to other areas of the site. There are two questions: Question 1 - How should reputation prizes be awarded for Simtropolis Challenges? The first question involves selecting the method for reputation prizes. Below there are 4 Options, representing how reputation could be given to challenge authors. The multipliers control how much reputation is given per place. Then in each spoiler, the sample data shows how this would convert into the actual reputation prizes. As the results system is dynamic, these values would change depending on number of entries, and the overall average rating. In addition, to help with your decision, data from the Urban Features challenge has been used with the options here. Please read through and decide which option you think would be most suitable. Consider what you believe would be a fair reward, and also how this balances with other ways to gain reputation (e.g. forums, STEX, CJs). After this poll closes, the leading option will be used for the previous two challenges, and all ones to follow. Question 2 - Should reputation prizes be reallocated for existing challenges this season? The second question asks whether the new method (decided in Q1 above) should be used retrospectively on the previous 2 challenges this season. This would mean the old prizes would be wiped out, and the news ones given to the challenge winners. Please vote Yes / No, to decide if you think this should happen or not. Regardless of the outcome of this question, the results will be recalculated for the purpose of the Leaderboards (not affecting the given reputation). Polling closed at 21:00 GMT / 17:00 EDT, on Saturday 23rd July, 2016. Option 1 - Rep Multipliers Weekly = 2 Extended = 4 Monthly = 8 Custom Content = 16 Open spoiler to view the sample data: Option 2 - Rep Multipliers Weekly = 3 Extended = 6 Monthly = 12 Custom Content = 24 Open spoiler to view the sample data: Option 3 - Rep Multipliers Weekly = 4 Extended = 8 Monthly = 16 Custom Content = 32 Open spoiler to view the sample data: Option 4 - Rep Multipliers Weekly = 5 Extended = 10 Monthly = 20 Custom Content = 40 Open spoiler to view the sample data: A few things to note: Rep distribution for Weekly and Extended challenges (top 3): 50%, 30%, 20% Rep distribution for Monthly and CC challenges (top 5): 40%, 24%, 16%, 12%, 8% The bonus rep calculation (entries and average rating) has been modified, to reduce the amount given. For comparison, the sample data is the same for each challenge type. Votes are irrelevant, and only influence the actual ranking. That's why they're not shown. The rep amounts shown above would obviously change depending on the # of entries, and the voting patterns. E.g. More entries = more rep, and vice versa. For Extended challenges, the rep multiplier is double that of Weekly. This is because they are twice as long. The same applies to Monthly challenges, which are 4x the length of Weekly. The idea of having a higher multiplier for CC challenges is to reward content, and since they are more demanding. Also as they will almost certainly receive less entries, it makes the rep more proportional to other challenge types. On the "Popular Contributors" sidebar on the forum index, the current max rep points (for all site areas) are: Per Week = 80 Rep Per Month = 251 Rep By this logic, 2 weeks (Extended challenge) = ~143 Rep Thanks for voting! (This topic is a poll only. If you've any questions or comments, please post in the General Discussion thread)
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Results Announced Here! Roundabout Filler Create a Lot designed to accompany a roundabout Season 3 - Challenge #06 - Custom Content (31 days) Thanks to @kingofsimcity for the challenge idea. The Lotting Challenge is half way completed, and it's already time to introduce the next Custom Content Challenge... Roundabouts are primarily designed with functionality in mind. They're supposed to help the flow of traffic, improve safety, and reduce congestion compared to a normal road intersection. In SimCity 4, roundabouts have been made possible thanks to the NAM. It's a simple case of plop, connect and drive your Sims into a spin! However, there is also an aesthetic element to roundabouts. Fillers can occupy the empty space in the middle, and greatly enhance the otherwise boring appearance. This filler could be anything really -- from a simple plantation of trees, to a monument surrounded by fountains. For this challenge, we're looking for you to create a 2x2 Lot, which functions as an avenue roundabout filler. Of course, the obvious tool of choice would be the Lot Editor by Maxis. However, an alternative would be to use the PIM-X, which includes its own advanced editor for creating lots. This can be downloaded from the LEX, and there's also a user guide linked in the description. The choice is yours, and it's really what you feel most comfortable with. You may use any combination of models, props, textures or techniques to produce the desired result. If you'd like, you may also create your own dependencies, or even a specially made BAT to be used as the filler. This however is strictly optional, and not the focus of this challenge. Once completed, a screenshot should be taken showing the Lot built in the game. Daytime is preferable for this, unless your Lot contains dominant night lighting effects that you'd like to present. Specifications The Lot must be 2x2 in size, allowing it to fit in the middle of a roundabout. Overhanging props or similar techniques may be used to fill the gaps (since the Lot is square). Or if you'd like, a building (BAT) can be used to fill the entire lot on its own. Dependencies (buildings, textures, props) are not a requirement, but are highly recommended to give added detail. Any number of dependencies can be used, which are available to download from a public exchange (e.g. STEX, LEX). See the Possible Ideas section below for a few possible examples of roundabout fillers. This Custom Content challenge will run for 31 days. Requirements To qualify for entry, please ensure your entry complies with the following requirements: This challenge is only open to SimCity 4 Deluxe / Rush Hour. The Lot must be an original piece of content (created by yourself), and not previously released on the STEX or other public exchange. You must create a single, standalone 2x2 Lot. OR Separate lots which add up to the total area of 2x2 (i.e. they are modular). For example, two 1x2 Lots, or four 1x1 Lots. The Lot is created using the Lot Editor or SC4 PIM (X-Tool). The Lot is ploppable (a growable version may be included, but this isn't a requirement). Possible Ideas Here are a few ideas to get you started, just giving examples of ways to go about this challenge: Note: The following is not a complete list, or a requirement: Flower garden / display Plantation of trees or any flora Monument / memorial Sculpture / statue Flag display Model display (e.g. vehicle, aircraft) Fountain or other water feature Artwork / graffiti Billboard / advertising display Construction zone Walls or fences Pedestrian function (island, bridge, tunnel?) Subway / transit access point A utility building (e.g. power, water) A disused or derelict structure Something amusing... Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Custom Content challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Custom Content challenge, rep prizes will be distributed slightly differently. This time the top 5 placed entries will earn reputation, along with points for the "Overall" and "Monthly & Custom Content" leaderboards. As this is a longer challenge, the amount of rep and points will be greater. After the challenge has concluded and the winners announced, all submissions will be made available for the community to enjoy. Please post below if you have any questions. This thread can also be used as a way to showcase the development of your creations. Good luck to all, let the filling begin!
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Results Announced Here! Photoshop Challenge Enhance any image using software editing tools Season 3 - Challenge #05 - Extended (14 days) Thanks to @philforhockey51 for the challenge idea. Without doubt, the most influential tool in our city-building games is custom content. But outside from the games, Photoshop has an equally powerful role. It helps to create even more eye-catching, authentic and visually interesting images. City journalling would never be the same without it. Like most image software, the tools within Photoshop have a strong learning curve. You can add, take away, or dive into the ever expanding tools and effects library. There's always something else to discover, and endless ways to transform an image into something great. It truly is a digital form of art. This challenge is all about enhancing any scene from your cities. It can be anything from advanced compositing, to simple retouching or changing colour balance. It's really up to you, and you don't have to be an expert. Obviously the industry standard tool is Photoshop. However, since the word generally refers to all types of image editing, you can use any software of your choice. A couple of free alternatives include GIMP or Paint.NET, both which can be expanded using effects plugins. There's quite a good list of other suggestions here. If you don't want to install anything, you could even use an online based tool like Pixlr. However, even though it's technically an option, MS Paint is not recommended! This is an Extended challenge running for 14 days. Submission Requirements Your image must be enhanced using at least one image editing technique, from any image editing software. If only making minor enhancements (e.g. blur / sharpen), please state this in the description to confirm. You may use any city-building game -- including SimCity 4, Cities: Skylines, SimCity (2013), and CitiesXL / XXL. Please submit only one image for this challenge. This applies to all parts of the entry (e.g. comments). However, you may link a larger version of the same image in the description, or post in the comments section. Please see this post for clarification. For the purpose of voting, please check your image has a full title & description. To qualify for entry, please ensure your image is uploaded to the submissions category, and complies with these requirements. Leaderboard Rankings A new leaderboard system is currently running for this season. This has been designed to incorporate all challenges, linking with each set of results. Each place in a challenge has points on offer -- the higher you finish, the more points you gain. Then at the end of the season, prizes will be given out to the top 10 in the final standings, with the winner being crowned the Grand Champion! This Extended challenge is eligible for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Full details and the current standings can be viewed in the following topic: The winners will be the top 3 ranked images. Reputation prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries, and the overall average rating. See this topic for more info. For this Extended challenge, rep prizes will be given for the top 3 placed entries, along with points for the "Overall" and "Weekly & Extended" leaderboards. Good luck everyone, happy editing!
