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Survey: ROM hacking contests

  • 6,355
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    18
    Years
    • Seen Apr 16, 2020
    What are your thoughts on the current ROM hacking contests, Hack of the Month, Hack of the Year and the Hack-off?

    Are there any other contests or events you'd like to see in ROM Hacking?
     
    Well Hack of the Year is a classic event, and there's not really much to say about it. You've been running it pretty well this past year.

    Hack of the Month is okay, it's always been cool to watch over the years, but it doesn't seem to have as much attention as it did in the past. I'm not sure how this could really be improved... Is there some way for the event to be advertised more? Maybe a way to give it a bit more attention?

    The Hack off is a nice concept, but the problem most of the teams seem to be having is the lack of experienced participants and the number of users that become inactive once it gets going. I feel like something like the Hack off should be a way to get groups of members to work together, but the way it is now, it feels more a like a few core members are there to do the work while the rest are just along for the ride. I think, instead of making the Hack off a long, drawn out process, it would work better as a speed-hacking competition. Members would have one or two weeks to make as complete a hack as they can (which is fun in and of itself), and it would be quick enough to maintain the interest of the participants too.
     
    Weird asf, but I'd like to see scripting competitions like in WAH. Maybe like, game scripts, or miscellaneous scripts that would be available to the public after the contest.
     
    Weird asf, but I'd like to see scripting competitions like in WAH. Maybe like, game scripts, or miscellaneous scripts that would be available to the public after the contest.

    That's quite an interesting idea, maybe some sort of scripting golf contest? Like, trying to write a specific script with the same functionality in as few lines as possible.
     
    That's quite an interesting idea, maybe some sort of scripting golf contest? Like, trying to write a specific script with the same functionality in as few lines as possible.

    that works too XD anything related to scripting is fine by me lol
     
    That's quite an interesting idea, maybe some sort of scripting golf contest? Like, trying to write a specific script with the same functionality in as few lines as possible.
    Maybe just give a theme and let the creativity flow, not something like "best honey tree script".
     
    Hack-Off should really be a Speed-Hack like Competition.

    The problem with Hack-Off now is that too many of the hackers come into Hack-Off feeling that they are going to have a pseudo-team of inexperienced to experienced hackers to work on their idea for them. Once they figure out that isn't the case, most tend to go inactive. And as a team effort, this sort of thing tends to drown the moral of the team a bit.

    Like Lost Heart said, there will be a couple core members working whilst the others are hitching the ride. Since this was my first Hack-Off, I will say that it was pretty fun for a while. I got to know a few more hackers on my team, and it turns out, they are really cool people. But time zones and scheduling were a big problem in my team. Oftentimes, the core members of our team couldn't have the time to put in the work to brainstorm or hack. When a team loses their crutch for their hack to be made, it falls.

    And I will add that the method for team building is weird. Most of the time, hackers will say that they have experience in some field, but as it turns out, they don't have a clue. It ends up becoming lopesided if two "mappers" end up on a team with no mappers to begin with, but they really don't know how to map. Now that hypothetical team has no mappers. Am I making sense at all? I feel like I'm not.

    Speed-Hacking however is quick! One week to make the best hack that you can! Interest is strong from beginning to end. If it's a solo-effort, then it will filter the ones who just want to do nothing to the other hackers who want to actually hack something. When the week is over, judging happens, a victor is crowned, award some emblems! Then, if the hacker wants to, they can continue their hack and take it further.

    See?! It can be a platform for hackers to use to get their hack off the ground. Use themes to make sure we are all on the same page. Every Hack-Off has a different theme and it prevents some hackers from just editing the Pokemon Stats Table and typings, and call it a hack.

    Boddaboom. Boddabing. You have yourself an exciting competition that isn't slow and humdrum like the current method of Hack-Off. Not only is it engaging, but the crutch for being in a team is lost. If you are lazy, then you don't get a hack made for you. It's your hack, so you feel obligated to complete it. Eh? Eh?

    No. Fine. I'm going to cry now. :(
     
    Hack-Off should really be a Speed-Hack like Competition.

    The problem with Hack-Off now is that too many of the hackers come into Hack-Off feeling that they are going to have a pseudo-team of inexperienced to experienced hackers to work on their idea for them. Once they figure out that isn't the case, most tend to go inactive. And as a team effort, this sort of thing tends to drown the moral of the team a bit.

    Like Lost Heart said, there will be a couple core members working whilst the others are hitching the ride. Since this was my first Hack-Off, I will say that it was pretty fun for a while. I got to know a few more hackers on my team, and it turns out, they are really cool people. But time zones and scheduling were a big problem in my team. Oftentimes, the core members of our team couldn't have the time to put in the work to brainstorm or hack. When a team loses their crutch for their hack to be made, it falls.

    And I will add that the method for team building is weird. Most of the time, hackers will say that they have experience in some field, but as it turns out, they don't have a clue. It ends up becoming lopesided if two "mappers" end up on a team with no mappers to begin with, but they really don't know how to map. Now that hypothetical team has no mappers. Am I making sense at all? I feel like I'm not.

    Speed-Hacking however is quick! One week to make the best hack that you can! Interest is strong from beginning to end. If it's a solo-effort, then it will filter the ones who just want to do nothing to the other hackers who want to actually hack something. When the week is over, judging happens, a victor is crowned, award some emblems! Then, if the hacker wants to, they can continue their hack and take it further.

    See?! It can be a platform for hackers to use to get their hack off the ground. Use themes to make sure we are all on the same page. Every Hack-Off has a different theme and it prevents some hackers from just editing the Pokemon Stats Table and typings, and call it a hack.

    Boddaboom. Boddabing. You have yourself an exciting competition that isn't slow and humdrum like the current method of Hack-Off. Not only is it engaging, but the crutch for being in a team is lost. If you are lazy, then you don't get a hack made for you. It's your hack, so you feel obligated to complete it. Eh? Eh?

    No. Fine. I'm going to cry now. :(

    Speed hacks have been tried before and I don't think it ever worked out well. Honestly I don't think 1 week is enough for a hack, especially when there's not much motivation it just doesn't work.
     
    I feel like I would probably participate in the Hack Off if there were entry requirements for signing up in the form of a test or proof of work, otherwise you're left with the problem that slashtiki describes where people misrepresent their skills or just lie. Under the current system we have people claiming to know "2/10 ASM" when in fact they can't even say what ASM is short for, or mappers who are blind to tile errors, and so on.

    Also, where is our ASM-only hack off?
     
    I totally love the idea of a scripting competition! Or rather, an "event making" competition, where participants have to design a small (maybe up to a few minutes) event that could fit in a hack, such as a legendary Pokémon encounter, an extended dialog, a mini game, etc. It would kind of go along with that "theme" that Dionen mentioned, where the judges say something like "I want to see an evil gang's boss confrontation" and let it go from there.
     
    Actually yeah, i believe that the "event making" competition is the best thing to add.
    Totally agree with Lost Heart from above!
     
    A speed hacking thing sounds nice! Especially if there was some sort of challenge, like "Use X as a base" or "Have Y features" and maybe have like "a Z type of feeling to the hack". Also, what caught my eye in the scripting discussion, was the mention of a minigame. Maybe like a minigame hack off, or like a minigame speed hack thing. What I'd also like to see is an "experienced hacker" hack off.
     
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    Maybe a competition we can do where I don't have to make a hack? I'm no longer interested in making hacks, but I am interested in winning stuff :)
     
    Maybe a competition we can do where I don't have to make a hack? I'm no longer interested in making hacks, but I am interested in winning stuff :)

    Hmmm, maybe a sprite/tiles competition, is the only things that not require make a hack.

    Can I suggest a Scans competition?
     
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    Hmmm, maybe a sprite/tiles competition, is the only things that not require make a hack.

    Can I suggest a Scans competition?

    I mean like, not having to make something like we're doing for the hack offs. Making completed (2-3 gyms) hacks and working in groups to try and do it is a little hard. Making a community hack can be fun, but I feel like it should be a much much more long term thing :)

    we have people claiming to know "2/10 ASM" when in fact they can't even say what ASM is short for.

    Also, where is our ASM-only hack off?

    Oh come on, I said I was 2/10 ASM but I know it stood for Auto Simulation Magic. No need to poke fun at me you elitist.


    How about next time for the hack off, you guys give us like 5 stories to choose from? I think I'll be fun to see people's interpretations.
     
    The Hack off is a nice concept, but the problem most of the teams seem to be having is the lack of experienced participants and the number of users that become inactive once it gets going. I feel like something like the Hack off should be a way to get groups of members to work together, but the way it is now, it feels more a like a few core members are there to do the work while the rest are just along for the ride. I think, instead of making the Hack off a long, drawn out process, it would work better as a speed-hacking competition. Members would have one or two weeks to make as complete a hack as they can (which is fun in and of itself), and it would be quick enough to maintain the interest of the participants too.

    I feel like I would probably participate in the Hack Off if there were entry requirements for signing up in the form of a test or proof of work, otherwise you're left with the problem that slashtiki describes where people misrepresent their skills or just lie. Under the current system we have people claiming to know "2/10 ASM" when in fact they can't even say what ASM is short for, or mappers who are blind to tile errors, and so on.

    The Hack Off's original purpose was to put beginner ROM hackers in teams so they can work together, since what usually happens is people post in the Help Recruitment thread because they want help with their idea (or want the whole thing done for them) and then just do nothing. Teams rarely work well, but perhaps if a group of people agree on a hack idea and start working on it together, they could be motivated to get it done. Now, beginners did join and experienced ones as well to guide them, but a lot of people usually lose interest or disappear, and it comes down to a few people having to do the whole thing by themselves, usually the experienced ones.

    The Hack Off could work if only experienced hackers who frequent the ROM hacking sections, and I'm sure something nice would come in the end, even though this isn't what I was aiming for at all. There could be three teams, and experienced hackers can be encouraged to join so there's more in each team, and perhaps beginners can also join , who won't be expected to do much, and hopefully stay until the end.

    How about next time for the hack off, you guys give us like 5 stories to choose from? I think I'll be fun to see people's interpretations.

    I think the starting days that are used for brainstorming for the story and features help get the team together and know each other, and at the end you have a few different stories anyway. Perhaps only one story can be given, to see each team's interpretation of it, or a general setting or features.

    Hack-Off should really be a Speed-Hack like Competition.

    The problem with Hack-Off now is that too many of the hackers come into Hack-Off feeling that they are going to have a pseudo-team of inexperienced to experienced hackers to work on their idea for them. Once they figure out that isn't the case, most tend to go inactive. And as a team effort, this sort of thing tends to drown the moral of the team a bit.

    Like Lost Heart said, there will be a couple core members working whilst the others are hitching the ride. Since this was my first Hack-Off, I will say that it was pretty fun for a while. I got to know a few more hackers on my team, and it turns out, they are really cool people. But time zones and scheduling were a big problem in my team. Oftentimes, the core members of our team couldn't have the time to put in the work to brainstorm or hack. When a team loses their crutch for their hack to be made, it falls.

    And I will add that the method for team building is weird. Most of the time, hackers will say that they have experience in some field, but as it turns out, they don't have a clue. It ends up becoming lopesided if two "mappers" end up on a team with no mappers to begin with, but they really don't know how to map. Now that hypothetical team has no mappers. Am I making sense at all? I feel like I'm not.

    Speed-Hacking however is quick! One week to make the best hack that you can! Interest is strong from beginning to end. If it's a solo-effort, then it will filter the ones who just want to do nothing to the other hackers who want to actually hack something. When the week is over, judging happens, a victor is crowned, award some emblems! Then, if the hacker wants to, they can continue their hack and take it further.

    See?! It can be a platform for hackers to use to get their hack off the ground. Use themes to make sure we are all on the same page. Every Hack-Off has a different theme and it prevents some hackers from just editing the Pokemon Stats Table and typings, and call it a hack.

    Boddaboom. Boddabing. You have yourself an exciting competition that isn't slow and humdrum like the current method of Hack-Off. Not only is it engaging, but the crutch for being in a team is lost. If you are lazy, then you don't get a hack made for you. It's your hack, so you feel obligated to complete it. Eh? Eh?

    No. Fine. I'm going to cry now. :(

    I'm personally not a fan of speedhacking events, they aren't the kind of events that can keep running every few months, though I'm sure some people would be interested in only making small hacks. There wasn't one this year, but there used to be a speedhacking event for the Get-Together every year. I recall someone wanting to host one but it never happened, not sure why. ROM Hacking staff could host one every Get-Together if no other members wants to host it. We can try and host one this winter or spring break as well and see how it goes.

    Speedhacking is also better done solo usually, or perhaps with a team of people who could sign up together. It can't replace the Hack Off as it's much different, but if people show more interest for it I don't mind it being a regular thing.

    A speed hacking thing sounds nice! Especially if there was some sort of challenge, like "Use X as a base" or "Have Y features" and maybe have like "a Z type of feeling to the hack". Also, what caught my eye in the scripting discussion, was the mention of a minigame. Maybe like a minigame hack off, or like a minigame speed hack thing. What I'd also like to see is an "experienced hacker" hack off.

    A mini-game/scripting/ASM looks like the best suggestion yet, so we'll be planning one soon!

    Hmmm, maybe a sprite/tiles competition, is the only things that not require make a hack.

    Can I suggest a Scans competition?

    We can try one in the next months, which I'm guessing would work similarly to Map of the Month, and see how it goes. There used to be a Screenshot Showcase thread but was never really active. Perhaps the fact that it'll be a contest would get more people posting. But hackers on PC don't usually focus as much as Spanish hackers on the visuals and graphics, from what I've seen.

    I mean like, not having to make something like we're doing for the hack offs. Making completed (2-3 gyms) hacks and working in groups to try and do it is a little hard. Making a community hack can be fun, but I feel like it should be a much much more long term thing :)

    Anyone interested in managing a community hack, or any other event, is free to, as long as they get in contact with the ROM hacking staff first. I'd like to see a community hack here but it needs at least one or two dedicated people to keep it going.
     
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