What is ModJam?
Modjam is a Minecraft modding event all about creating a project from scratch in a very limited amount of time. Each participant creates their project within 96 hours.
ModJam was invented by Searge in early 2013. Since then, each ModJam event has shown significant leaps in creativity, skill, dedication and achievement. Its amazing to see what people can create in such a small amount of time.
The prize: Modification Category 1st Place:
The top 3 submissions getting spotlights from Direwolf20. The top spot will have their submission included on the, ever famous, ForgeCraft and in the upcoming official ForgeCraft mod pack!
1st Place Resource Pack Category
Authors & Creation will be promoted by @Pahimar
1st Place Map Creation Category
Authors & Creation will be promoted by @Pahimar
2nd and 3rd Place all Categories
Wins a choice of one game:
The Stanley Parable
Antichamber
The Swapper
FTL (nonsteam)
Papers, Please
Surgeon Simulator 2013
Registration and More Info:
The rules for each category will soon be released, until then please follow us on Twitter @ModJamTeam for updates as they come!
Please do not PM me on the MinecraftForums regarding ModJam as I am not the face of ModJam nor will I be checking, (you're likely to be buried anyway). Instead, please use IRC or Twitter.
Just out of curiosity, was there anyone competing for the last two mod jams (if there were resource packs included back then), because I can hardly imagine there will be an actual contest about textures with such a small time limit AND the necessity of streaming. I know you don´t have to make a full pack, since this would be utter madness, but still I don´t see much motivation especially with such a first price. Promotion for the earliest state of a texture pack, months before its completion? You might want to reconsider this.
There was a previous one that included a texture pack category. The rules required a full, 100% complete pack, and even included bonuses for going beyond that. The thread was full of loads of people complaining about the impossible time restriction (it was originally one day), and loads more people complaining about the people who were complaining about the time restriction. Only one "completed" pack was posted in the thread... and it was worse than garbage. If any other packs came out of the competition, nobody bothered to post them.
What I wish is that we were given a little more heads up for this. It'd actually be fun to try in teams, but just a few days to pull people together and come up with a plan is crazy difficult. Doing it alone and expecting any sort of quality is bordering on impossible. Yes, I stand by my statements from last time.
And hey, we don't even have rules yet so I can't even tell if I should be looking for partners. I'll just note that I'll probably be available if teams are allowed, if anyone wants to join me, and most importantly if streaming isn't required because I don't have an internet connection fast enough to stream video at anything above potato quality.
There was a previous one that included a texture pack category. The rules required a full, 100% complete pack, and even included bonuses for going beyond that. The thread was full of loads of people complaining about the impossible time restriction (it was originally one day), and loads more people complaining about the people who were complaining about the time restriction. Only one "completed" pack was posted in the thread... and it was worse than garbage. If any other packs came out of the competition, nobody bothered to post them.
What I wish is that we were given a little more heads up for this. It'd actually be fun to try in teams, but just a few days to pull people together and come up with a plan is crazy difficult. Doing it alone and expecting any sort of quality is bordering on impossible. Yes, I stand my my statements from last time.
Prime example of how many people have no clue what so ever how long it takes to make a decent texture pack. One day? Geez, by my standards if I worked non-stop and didn't eat or sleep, I might finish 10~ block textures in one day (without my trademarked overuse of CTM, I'm just talking one single texture per block)
Prime example of how many people have no clue what so ever how long it takes to make a decent texture pack. One day? Geez, by my standards if I worked non-stop and didn't eat or sleep, I might finish 10~ block textures in one day (without my trademarked overuse of CTM, I'm just talking one single texture per block)
Well at least we're certain to get three days this time.
I dunno, it might be possible to make a nearly decent pack in one day, at least if you ignore mobs and items...
But this topic... What even? Also, does first place not win any games? Cause it seems like 2nd & 3rd have better prizes than 1st...
This seems like a badly planned challenge, probably because it's not inherently meant for resource packs. Even then, though, it's a bit bad. Are there even any rules other than the time restraint?
It seems kind of bad for map makers, too.
I'm no map maker, but I'm pretty sure it takes more than 3 days to make a good, well planned map.
Depends on the scale, I'd think. You could make a single town in 3 days, probably not a city, and you couldn't go too in detail. Resource packs don't really have the luxury of scale, though, at least not with vanilla. Even then they can only get bigger.
But this topic... What even? Also, does first place not win any games? Cause it seems like 2nd & 3rd have better prizes than 1st...
Well... it does say "Authors and Pack" get promoted. I dunno. Having DireWolf20 talk about your work should generate at least enough traffic to your existing packs to allow you to buy your own game if you have any sort of revenue stream going. It might be worth it.
This seems like a badly planned challenge, probably because it's not inherently meant for resource packs. Even then, though, it's a bit bad.
Yea. If it were the other way around it'd be like "Programmers: make a functioning Operating System from scratch. Artists: Create a nice painting in the medium of your choice." Yea, it's a bit lopsided and not at all in our favor.
Are there even any rules other than the time restraint?
We'll see. Last time there were. I don't think they've planned that far just yet, though.
Which actually kinda backs your statement about it being poorly planned. If it's three days until go time and we're still waiting on the rules I can't hold out a lot of hope that this is going to be all that great.
Depends on the rules. Last time that would have been a DQ since the pack wasn't "finished". We'll see what the rules are this time.
Then that's some amazing expectations, I can't even see a bucketfill pack with items and all being done in one day, at least not without the person behind it having absolutely no responsibilities...
Well... it does say "Authors and Pack" get promoted. I dunno. Having DireWolf20 talk about your work should generate at least enough traffic to your existing packs to allow you to buy your own game if you have any sort of revenue stream going. It might be worth it.
Yeah, but it's a difference between you might get some money, and you will get some money. The higher prize should be more certain.
Yea. If it were the other way around it'd be like "Programmers: make a functioning Operating System from scratch. Artists: Create a nice painting in the medium of your choice." Yea, it's a bit lopsided and not at all in our favor.
To be fair, creating an operating system requires binary knowledge, or... something to that extent, since there's no basis below what constitutes a digital computer. It would be more like making a pack with only MSPaint, so programmers can't use java, C++, and artists can't use Paint.NET, GIMP...
We'll see. Last time there were. I don't think they've planned that far just yet, though.
Which actually kinda backs your statement about it being poorly planned. If it's three days until go time and we're still waiting on the rules I can't hold out a lot of hope that this is going to be all that great.
Seriously, I don't want to start challenges cause I don't have prizes, who starts them without even having rules?
It doesn't even seem aimed at getting people to participate, honestly. It seems more like a,"Hey, this exists guys!" kind of thing.
To be fair, creating an operating system requires binary knowledge, or... something to that extent, since there's no basis below what constitutes a digital computer. It would be more like making a pack with only MSPaint, so programmers can't use java, C++, and artists can't use Paint.NET, GIMP...
I was talking about how lop-sided the requirements between the two groups are (and possibly dipping into hyperbole a little bit), but I understand what you're saying.
I was talking about how lop-sided the requirements between the two groups are (and possibly dipping into hyperbole a little bit), but I understand what you're saying.
Just doing my part to help make an understanding between programmers and artists. The lop-sided view goes both ways, dontchaknow.
Anyways, I know iPixeli said they wouldn't answer PMs, but I figure they'd have some people around to clear up confusion like this... At least the one that started the topic, right?
Well... it does say "Authors and Pack" get promoted. I dunno. Having DireWolf20 talk about your work should generate at least enough traffic to your existing packs to allow you to buy your own game if you have any sort of revenue stream going. It might be worth it.
That's only for mods. If you win the Resource packs or maps section, "Authors & Creation will be promoted by @Pahimar". I have never heard of @Pahimar.
Just doing my part to help make an understanding between programmers and artists. The lop-sided view goes both ways, dontchaknow.
Anyways, I know iPixeli said they wouldn't answer PMs, but I figure they'd have some people around to clear up confusion like this... At least the one that started the topic, right?
That's only for mods. If you win the Resource packs or maps section, "Authors & Creation will be promoted by @Pahimar". I have never heard of @Pahimar.
EDIT: I retract this statement, as I obviously have no clue what I'm talking about. I just made bias assumptions because of the 1,000 other people who tried this.
Honestly, I'd say this is a case of a bunch of people who think they're bigger than they actually are. "Won't answer PMs" (Like they think they're important) and "Will be promoted" (By people we've never heard of) is 2 big red flags.
Another one would be what I actually think; They're nobodies trying to do this challenge to gain promotion/attention to become somebodies. If they were somebodies they would already have seen all the blindingly obvious flaws we all pointed out almost instantly. They only know this one popular channel guy, and are using his exposure for their own gain. Oddly enough, I've never heard of direwolf20 either... but he does have subs, I suspect he's just friends with someone here and agreed to help out. That's why they can't extend the offer to pack makers as well. If he was more involved and actually part of this, everyone would get to share in that prize.
@Pahimar is the creator/maintainer of the Equivalent Exchange mod, just so y'all are aware. Both he and direwolf20 were on the modding panel at Minecon a few weeks ago. But how they both relate to resource packs, and how their promotion would help a pack designer, is beyond me. Most of their fanbase doesn't use resource packs at all; they get all the customization they need from mods.
And 96 hours is 4 days, not 3.
The requirements may seem a little lopsided in favor of modders, but I happen to know a few of those, and it seems to take them just as long to make their stuff as it does us. Sure, they can pump out a boring old Modloader mod that adds a few items or blocks in 45 minutes, probably even with their eyes closed if they wanted, but if they want to make anything complex or original, it can take them a long time. See below.
EDIT: I've been looking at #ModJam on twitter, and apparently there are already more than 150 people signed up. Modders and mapmakers all, and they all seem to be working in teams. It seems to me that most of us would be working alone, unless we can find a partner who could match our style enough, or whose style we could match.
EDIT #2: That stat was old. There are now almost 200 people signed up, some on teams and some not. None of them are texture artists, or at least not ones that I know.
EDIT #3: Why did you wait a week after announcing this in the Mods Discussion to announce it here? It starts on Friday! We have less than two days to prepare!
Also, I looked at some of the past winners from Modjam, and they all seem perfectly reasonable for a 4-day competition. None of them are anywhere close to the scale I was imagining.
That's only for mods. If you win the Resource packs or maps section, "Authors & Creation will be promoted by @Pahimar". I have never heard of @Pahimar.
Oh... well... then I couldn't care less. A youtube celebrity is one thing for getting publicity. A mod maker, even a high-profile one, not so much.
EDIT #3: Why did you wait a week after announcing this in the Mods Discussion to announce it here? It starts on Friday! We have less than two days to prepare!
It really feels like the resource pack competition was an afterthought. Like "Oh, yea, they're part of this community too. We should probably include them. We'll figure out how that's going to work later."
That's how it feels, at least.
So... anyone interested in forming a team? Anyone? At all?
You are probably right. But I'm pretty sure that nobody is going to help all these nobodies to get the attention they are seeking.
Not sure if Searge is showing that he has a good sense of humor regarding Rayvolution's lack of knowledge regarding the big names of the modding community... of if he's actually upset about it...
The resource pack competition has existed since ModJam2. It's been brought back for this go around. The entire competition was announced just over a week ago itself.
We're hoping for some submissions this time around to get resource packs out to a user base that do not normally use them. If this sort of thing isn't desired/appreciated we can just simply not include resource packs as part of the competition in the future.
We can make improvements/accommodations next time around, but hopefully there will be a better response than just to criticize it because you don't know who is running it.
Edit: Regarding PMs/questions/feedback/critique. You are all welcome to contact me. Twitter is the fastest place to get a response from me, but I do check my MCF PMs as well.
SeargeDP - Works on Minecraft for Mojang (will move to stockholm, sweden to be with the rest) ProfMobius - Ever hear of MCP? Searge and Mobius made it. (MCP makes mods possiable - these two really helped the community grow perpetually) Pahimar - Owner of the most famous modded server. Lots of modders and streamers play on there and the people who don't are starry-eyed Direwolf20 - You were right when you mentioned he was on a few panels at Minecon. Theres a reason for that. Sacheverell - You have seen the MinecraftForum's news section, yes? The list goes on...
I've been thinking... I think the main issue with the resource category is not the short notice, as we announced everything on twitter and uploaded a trailer video, but that the resource section of the community isn't as interconnected as we had though.
You see the modding and streaming community tends to hang out on IRC, twitter, the FTB Teamspeak, and even livestream on Twitch. Despite being programmers, (people would assume we're antisocial or something), We talk A LOT.
Honestly, the forums aren't really a fantastic way to reach people. Because the users need to be online and looking at a specific page at a specific time to even see your topic listed. Then they need to click on it, read it, and so forth...
Outside of the random threads on the forums, I don't see much of the resource community anywhere. Like ever :|
The resource pack competition has existed since ModJam2. It's been brought back for this go around. The entire competition was announced just over a week ago itself.
We're hoping for some submissions this time around to get resource packs out to a user base that do not normally use them. If this sort of thing isn't desired/appreciated we can just simply not include resource packs as part of the competition in the future.
We can make improvements/accommodations next time around, but hopefully there will be a better response than just to criticize it because you don't know who is running it.
Edit: Regarding PMs/questions/feedback/critique. You are all welcome to contact me. Twitter is the fastest place to get a response from me, but I do check my MCF PMs as well.
Thanks to Pahimar for a lot of things, actually.
The reason why I state not to PM me, is because I never check them, and you'd be buried. Twitter, is fine for me though
What is ModJam?
Modjam is a Minecraft modding event all about creating a project from scratch in a very limited amount of time. Each participant creates their project within 96 hours.
ModJam was invented by Searge in early 2013. Since then, each ModJam event has shown significant leaps in creativity, skill, dedication and achievement. Its amazing to see what people can create in such a small amount of time.
Participation Categories:
Multiple categories of creative competition-ey goodness!
• Modification
• Resource Pack
• Map creation!
The prize:
Modification Category 1st Place:
The top 3 submissions getting spotlights from Direwolf20. The top spot will have their submission included on the, ever famous, ForgeCraft and in the upcoming official ForgeCraft mod pack!
1st Place Resource Pack Category
Authors & Creation will be promoted by @Pahimar
1st Place Map Creation Category
Authors & Creation will be promoted by @Pahimar
2nd and 3rd Place all Categories
Wins a choice of one game:
The Stanley Parable
Antichamber
The Swapper
FTL (nonsteam)
Papers, Please
Surgeon Simulator 2013
Registration and More Info:
The rules for each category will soon be released, until then please follow us on Twitter @ModJamTeam for updates as they come!
Please do not PM me on the MinecraftForums regarding ModJam as I am not the face of ModJam nor will I be checking, (you're likely to be buried anyway). Instead, please use IRC or Twitter.
Signature:
Twitter: @iPixeliMC
What I wish is that we were given a little more heads up for this. It'd actually be fun to try in teams, but just a few days to pull people together and come up with a plan is crazy difficult. Doing it alone and expecting any sort of quality is bordering on impossible. Yes, I stand by my statements from last time.
And hey, we don't even have rules yet so I can't even tell if I should be looking for partners. I'll just note that I'll probably be available if teams are allowed, if anyone wants to join me, and most importantly if streaming isn't required because I don't have an internet connection fast enough to stream video at anything above potato quality.
Prime example of how many people have no clue what so ever how long it takes to make a decent texture pack. One day? Geez, by my standards if I worked non-stop and didn't eat or sleep, I might finish 10~ block textures in one day (without my trademarked overuse of CTM, I'm just talking one single texture per block)
But this topic... What even? Also, does first place not win any games? Cause it seems like 2nd & 3rd have better prizes than 1st...
This seems like a badly planned challenge, probably because it's not inherently meant for resource packs. Even then, though, it's a bit bad. Are there even any rules other than the time restraint?
I'm no map maker, but I'm pretty sure it takes more than 3 days to make a good, well planned map.
Depends on the scale, I'd think. You could make a single town in 3 days, probably not a city, and you couldn't go too in detail. Resource packs don't really have the luxury of scale, though, at least not with vanilla. Even then they can only get bigger.
Well... it does say "Authors and Pack" get promoted. I dunno. Having DireWolf20 talk about your work should generate at least enough traffic to your existing packs to allow you to buy your own game if you have any sort of revenue stream going. It might be worth it.
Yea. If it were the other way around it'd be like "Programmers: make a functioning Operating System from scratch. Artists: Create a nice painting in the medium of your choice." Yea, it's a bit lopsided and not at all in our favor.
We'll see. Last time there were. I don't think they've planned that far just yet, though.
Which actually kinda backs your statement about it being poorly planned. If it's three days until go time and we're still waiting on the rules I can't hold out a lot of hope that this is going to be all that great.
This seems heavily dependent on the motivations and time availabilities of the creators...
Then that's some amazing expectations, I can't even see a bucketfill pack with items and all being done in one day, at least not without the person behind it having absolutely no responsibilities...
Yeah, but it's a difference between you might get some money, and you will get some money. The higher prize should be more certain.
To be fair, creating an operating system requires binary knowledge, or... something to that extent, since there's no basis below what constitutes a digital computer. It would be more like making a pack with only MSPaint, so programmers can't use java, C++, and artists can't use Paint.NET, GIMP...
Seriously, I don't want to start challenges cause I don't have prizes, who starts them without even having rules?
It doesn't even seem aimed at getting people to participate, honestly. It seems more like a,"Hey, this exists guys!" kind of thing.
Yep, seems like the stereotypical basement dweller has an advantage.
Just doing my part to help make an understanding between programmers and artists. The lop-sided view goes both ways, dontchaknow.
Anyways, I know iPixeli said they wouldn't answer PMs, but I figure they'd have some people around to clear up confusion like this... At least the one that started the topic, right?
EDIT: I retract this statement, as I obviously have no clue what I'm talking about. I just made bias assumptions because of the 1,000 other people who tried this.
Honestly, I'd say this is a case of a bunch of people who think they're bigger than they actually are. "Won't answer PMs" (Like they think they're important) and "Will be promoted" (By people we've never heard of) is 2 big red flags.
Another one would be what I actually think; They're nobodies trying to do this challenge to gain promotion/attention to become somebodies. If they were somebodies they would already have seen all the blindingly obvious flaws we all pointed out almost instantly. They only know this one popular channel guy, and are using his exposure for their own gain. Oddly enough, I've never heard of direwolf20 either... but he does have subs, I suspect he's just friends with someone here and agreed to help out. That's why they can't extend the offer to pack makers as well. If he was more involved and actually part of this, everyone would get to share in that prize.
Just my 2 cents (at 3AM, half awake, mind you).
And 96 hours is 4 days, not 3.
The requirements may seem a little lopsided in favor of modders, but I happen to know a few of those, and it seems to take them just as long to make their stuff as it does us. Sure, they can pump out a boring old Modloader mod that adds a few items or blocks in 45 minutes, probably even with their eyes closed if they wanted, but if they want to make anything complex or original, it can take them a long time.See below.EDIT: I've been looking at #ModJam on twitter, and apparently there are already more than 150 people signed up. Modders and mapmakers all, and they all seem to be working in teams. It seems to me that most of us would be working alone, unless we can find a partner who could match our style enough, or whose style we could match.
EDIT #2: That stat was old. There are now almost 200 people signed up, some on teams and some not. None of them are texture artists, or at least not ones that I know.
EDIT #3: Why did you wait a week after announcing this in the Mods Discussion to announce it here? It starts on Friday! We have less than two days to prepare!
Also, I looked at some of the past winners from Modjam, and they all seem perfectly reasonable for a 4-day competition. None of them are anywhere close to the scale I was imagining.
We won't know until they actually release the rules. Hopefully they can be bothered to post them at some point before the competition begins.
It really feels like the resource pack competition was an afterthought. Like "Oh, yea, they're part of this community too. We should probably include them. We'll figure out how that's going to work later."
That's how it feels, at least.
So... anyone interested in forming a team? Anyone? At all?
We're hoping for some submissions this time around to get resource packs out to a user base that do not normally use them. If this sort of thing isn't desired/appreciated we can just simply not include resource packs as part of the competition in the future.
We can make improvements/accommodations next time around, but hopefully there will be a better response than just to criticize it because you don't know who is running it.
Edit: Regarding PMs/questions/feedback/critique. You are all welcome to contact me. Twitter is the fastest place to get a response from me, but I do check my MCF PMs as well.
ProfMobius - Ever hear of MCP? Searge and Mobius made it. (MCP makes mods possiable - these two really helped the community grow perpetually)
Pahimar - Owner of the most famous modded server. Lots of modders and streamers play on there and the people who don't are starry-eyed
Direwolf20 - You were right when you mentioned he was on a few panels at Minecon. Theres a reason for that.
Sacheverell - You have seen the MinecraftForum's news section, yes?
The list goes on...
I've been thinking... I think the main issue with the resource category is not the short notice, as we announced everything on twitter and uploaded a trailer video, but that the resource section of the community isn't as interconnected as we had though.
You see the modding and streaming community tends to hang out on IRC, twitter, the FTB Teamspeak, and even livestream on Twitch. Despite being programmers, (people would assume we're antisocial or something), We talk A LOT.
Honestly, the forums aren't really a fantastic way to reach people. Because the users need to be online and looking at a specific page at a specific time to even see your topic listed. Then they need to click on it, read it, and so forth...
Outside of the random threads on the forums, I don't see much of the resource community anywhere. Like ever :|
Thanks to Pahimar for a lot of things, actually.
The reason why I state not to PM me, is because I never check them, and you'd be buried. Twitter, is fine for me though
Twitter: @iPixeliMC