Improvement Ideas?

[Aeorys Kirru]

To be honest, I felt rather disappointed when FES suddenly started focusing less on the spriting aspect of the site and began to focus more on the actual Fire Emblem half. FES originally drew me in because of the small, but eager spriting community. We weren't all great, but we all sort of grew up together and learned to develop ourselves, keeping us as a very closely-knit forum.

Maybe not as many people sprite as much or have as much time for it, but I've always felt that coming onto FES and seeing the new work was really something to look forward to every day. I'm not necessarily a hardcore spriter, but I do enjoy my hobby immensely and hope to share my work and my ideas with others who enjoy the same things I do. I'd really like to bring back our memberbase with spriting, but I haven't a clue what would pull more spriters in.

Here are a few ideas I have --

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CONTESTS
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Anybody have any ideas for possible contests you'd be interested in? This isn't restricted to just spriting - it could be art, writing, GFX, etc.

Would anybody be willing to partake in splicing competitions? They offer a more equal ground than the themed contests do, and most anyone can submit a decent splice despite their level of spriting skill. I'm pulling stuff off other sites at this time, but I'm pretty sure the reason why a lot of people dropped out of the later contests was because of the huge gaps between the veteran and newer spriters.

How about recolor contests? It sounds like a cheap idea, but again, we had these when FES first started out, and there were plenty of entries almost every time. It's basic, easy, and allows for a greater range of skill levels to enter and compete on a balanced scale.

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FADS
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I really do miss the fads we used to have on here. It's something that set us apart from most other FE forums and tightened us as a community. There were the agents, ninjas, pirate, closet raids, and military/army - the list goes on. It motivated people to hop on the bandwagon with everyone else and try to outdo each other while still conforming to the same social group.

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TUTORIALS
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Several high-level spriters either came from here or were here before. It would be understandable for new spriters to become daunted by their work. It's the fresh members that keep the spriting communities alive, and I keep feeling as if we're pushing away new spriters who haven't quite broken past their initial insecurities. Tutorials are always useful, and people actually reference them. I don't mean to say that every moderate+ spriter should make a tutorial, but it would be great if we could get some really good spriting references and tutorials for in- and upcoming spriters. I'm actually rather shocked at how few good tutorials there really are in the FE community.

[Merc]

You and I are working on Tutorials.

We should bring back old fads because I don't know how many Pirates I have out there in todays community.


We should compose a list of contests that are easy enough for any type of spriter to join.

Or we can invent a new type of contest. For example, The contest maker takes any mug that isn't official, purposely makes numerous errors in shading, outline, or color and whatever member can do the best fix up wins (according to what the other members think in a poll)

[Aeorys Kirru]

Now THAT sounds like a fun contest. Find the errors! Great practice stuff right thar.

Yes, fads. I want fads back. I miss them. D8 Plus, it'd give me a chance to overhaul AK's outfits again.

- Splicing
- Recoloring
- Error Quest

Speaking of finding errors, there's also just finding parts in general. I used to play 'find all the parts' with Morph. D8

[Spitfire]

Obviously making a FE hack and making a bunch of cool sprites, maps and animations for it would be best.

[Aeorys Kirru]

A collective hack would be fun, but I think we've tried that more than once. People lost interest after awhile.

[Denning Rosewater]

People are always going to lose interest, but the steps involved along the way are what makes it so much fun and it brings everyone close center.

Only real problem is, it's time consuming, and we've only done two: FFFES, and FEF. And Fake was the best, what with King Denning being able to use three weapons and promote twice if you knew how to correctly...

[Jeigan]

Fads pls, I was never part of them

I think splice contests would be nice to start and once they start growing we can move to more complex things. The error quest thing also sounds fun.

For tutorials, I'm not sure how we inferior spriters can help you two (AK and Merc), but I'd definitely be willing to help if something comes up.

Also, spriting projects where everyone can participate. Not necessarily hacks. I dunno, something like make GBA sprites of non GBA FE games (I have seen quite a few of those, mainly FE9/10) or some other videogame or anime or something that intterests the memberbase.

This post has been edited by Jeigan on Mar 25 2009, 04:10 PM

[Xenx-Zona]

I Still have all my fad sprites

Well, since i have alot of time now, some tourney ideas that are fun but generic: Classes, Funny(which looks funniest), we have a few GFXers so a small contest with that, and we can reuse some ideas from FEND.

I think we should try to revive some fads but at the same time start our own.

[Aeorys Kirru]

I was thinking about the themed contests, too, but that's slightly more restrictive on part for the non-custom (or non-heavy-custom/full-custom) spriters. I've heard a lot of complaints about us going too full custom.

[yoshi71089]

I say we start a new fad. Because that's how they get started, by forcing them. Alien mugs FTW?

[Aeorys Kirru]

Iono. You start one, and I'll get ideas. Go.

[Denning Rosewater]

I doubt a fad of any magnitude is really going to generate any amount of lasting activity, personally.

...On its own, anyway. The fad should be linked to something else if it's going to be thrown out there. I think something along the lines of an "FES Festival" would be the best thing. We should make it fun, instead of something low-key, and something anyone can get into; that's the problem with some fads/games.

[Jeigan]

Zombie fad, because we're returning from death >_>

[Denning Rosewater]

You know, that's...a pretty ingenious idea...

[Thirty7Dollars]

Brains?

Fad officially started. The masses will soon follow the trend.