[harkins2011]

Storyscape Showdown Building Competition

Everybody head on down to /warp build and get ready for Storyscape Showdown, the build competition where you can bring your stories to life! The prize pool is $2 million, with a 1st place prize of $1 million. Builds will be judged on four criteria: atmosphere, use of the given plot, details, and being on theme:

1. Atmosphere: utilize elements of the story (e.g. foliage, lighting, cinematics, weather, lines of sight) to convey a convincing mood.
   
2. Use of the given plot: make good and wise use of as much of the given plot space as possible.
   
3. Details: includes a large amount of relevant detail that adds to the overall ambience, but does not overcrowd spaces with mountains of unnecessary detail
   
4. On theme: it is not enough that it is an amazing build without a story; you want to transport the viewer forward through time, and make them feel like a bystander, or even a main character, in an active narrative.
   

A more detailed rubric can be seen here.
The competition begins on 1st August 2023 and ends on 31st August 2023 11:59PM PST. The prizes are reduced in half starting from $1 million for each place, i.e.

1st place: $1M            2nd place: $500k

3rd place: $250k        4th place: $125k

5th place: $62.5k           6th place: $31.25k

7th place: $15.625k     8th place: $7.81k

...

In general, n-th place: $(10^6)/[2^(n-1)]

The strategy is simple: build better than the next person and you will double your prize money.

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FAQ

Q: What kind of story should I build?
A: Any story from any setting and time period. It could be based on a true story, a popular series, or your own imagination. It is important to note that the plot of the story does not matter as much as your ability to convey and tell that story through your build (remember the four criteria)!

Q: I am unable to use containers (chests, dispensers, lecterns, etc.) in my plot, and I really need them!

A: Ask staff members for assistance with these; they may be able to place them for you or insert relevant items into them.

Q: Can I use schematics/litematica?
A: No. This should be your own original work. But if you have designed it in singleplayer or elsewhere and wish to rebuild it, then you may do so (by the way, it is not difficult to see if someone copied a schematic online).

Q: Can we team up?
A: No. This is an individual competition. We want to see everybody’s unique storyscaping skills and styles.

Q: Is it real money we are winning?
A: No. But you are winning real in-game money.

Q: Who are the judges?
A: Ragokyo, RusnCKaptn, pnutbutterzombie.

Q: Is it possible to win the grand prize for an average build?

A: Builds eligible for the grand prize must score at least 80 points according to the rubric. This is to prevent the rare case of entries winning $1M if they are the best out of average entries.

Q: Can I enter the competition but not build anything to get placement prizes?
A: No, there is a minimum score you need to obtain to qualify for placement prizes. Don’t worry, the minimum score is easy to achieve; you just have to put in effort!

Q: Are there participation prizes?
A: In addition to placement rewards, everyone, including those who did not obtain the minimum score, will get an item prize. Hint: it is not a /rename’d and /glow’d baked potato.

Q: Where can I go for a more comprehensive review of the rules?
A: Please visit this link for the full rubric.

Q: Do the prizes really add up to $2 million?
A: Yes, the prize distribution is a geometric series which converges to $2 million:

[LightSquid]

Wow!