Update: PBW mini banner contest winner!

[geoschmo]

Ok, Malfador's done an update of their website and it's pretty cool. I like the scrolling menu on the right with the mini banners linking to various SE related sites. Except, I'm less then impressed with the PBW mini banner.

http://www.malfador.com/images/FanSite008.gif

No offense to David intended mind you. It's one he threw together at the last minute because we didn't really have a suitable banner available. The effort was appreciated, but he's the first one to admit it's not his best work. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

So I'm announcing a contest to design the official PBW mini-banner for Malfador's links page. Submit your entries to me by email, or post them here if you prefer. Contest will run till I see one I like. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Prizes? Well my undying apppreciation for one. I think I have an SE4 mouse pad or two laying around. Maybe we can come up with something else. If we do I'll post it here.

Geoschmo

[TurinTurambar]

I'm sittin here wrackin my brain, trying to come up with even a concept that competes with what DEG did there. I mean, what is PBW? It's a way for people on different computers to connect to one game over the www. It's really hard to imagine a more logical image than what he came up with.

So, that being said, what do we do? Actually attempt to come up with something more clever, or just rework the existing concept with some better art? Does the size have to be the same? It's a very limiting factor.

Turin

[Captain Kwok]

I'll see what I can come up with tonight. Should we post them in this thread or submit them in secret?

[geoschmo]

Post them here, unless you prefer they remain secret. If you do email them to me.

Turin, the concept is up to you. I have the same problem, I can't come with anything. But yes, it has to be the same size as the pic David made.

[DeadZone]

I think I will have a crack at this

[Captain Kwok]

Here's one attempt I did this morning:
http://www.captainkwok.net/images/mini-pbwbanner.png

[DeadZone]

http://projectxstudios.com/images/pbw.gif
Heres one I quickly threw together

[geoschmo]

Ooooo, both of these are nice. Very nice.

[Possum]

Can we assume the banner has to be G-Rated?

No scantily clad space-cuties allowed, ala Barbarella?

[DeadZone]

Possum I guess not, but if you do make one, feel free to sent it too me... lol

Same banner, but without the stars
http://projectxstudios.com/images/pbw2.gif

Which do you think looks best?

[tesco samoa]

kwok is that a spider or a space ship... umm cannot remeber what race it is from....

[Captain Kwok]

tesco samoa said:
kwok is that a spider or a space ship... umm cannot remeber what race it is from....

Xi'Chung.

[Renegade 13]

Here's one I made, don't know if it's anything like what you're looking for.

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345401-Possible%20PBW%20mini-banner.gif

[Caduceus]

First attempt attached, not sure how to put it directly on the page. I like simple banners myself (and I just installed GIMP today http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif )

[DeadZone]

Simple, but effective, I like
Should try and make the writing alittle fanicer if you could though

[Captain Kwok]

Good start. I believe in this case though the image needs to be 170x42 pixels.

You won't be able to get that image to display through the image tags here since it's a .bmp file, you'll have to make it either a .gif, .jpf, or .png for it to work.

[Ragnarok-X]

my 2 suggestions. Maybe you wont notice, but the blue bits between the wormhole and the planets are supposed to be datastreams. Maybe they should be smaller more have a stronger color depth ? Suggestions ?



http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345440-Temp1.jpg

[David E. Gervais]

Ok, I had to at least make one to save face after making that 'quickie' for the web site.

...

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345459-PBWBanner01.gif

So, is my second attempt any better than the first? (btw I went with abstract symbolism.)

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[David E. Gervais]

Just because I like to toot,.. here is a larger version. (still reduced from the original I made which is 1024 wide)

...

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345465-PBWBanner02.jpg

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[DeadZone]

Bah, stop showing off, we know you are better than all of us http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Combat Wombat]

I like Kwoks and David yours is alittle strange.

[geoschmo]

Yah, that's cool David, but what's with the people in the cannisters? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[David E. Gervais]

geoschmo said:
Yah, that's cool David, but what's with the people in the cannisters? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif



I placed the 'players' in their own separate 'Modules'. They are actually all playing a PBW game as you see them, the 'Module' has a HUD projected on the inner surface of the glass window. That HUD is showing SE4:Gold in action.

Ok, so my immagination is still stronger than my artistic skills, but they are getting closer every day.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Slynky]

geoschmo said:
Yah, that's cool David, but what's with the people in the cannisters? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

ANd there I was thinking those cannisters were supposed to be the things at the banking drive-thrus that "shoot over and back" in the air tubes. I thought it was a pretty good idea for players submitting turns. My only suggestion would be to change the overall color scheme (too much yellow/gold for my personal taste).

[David E. Gervais]

PBW Banner Take 3.. (This is fun,.. somebody stop me I'm out of control! )

...

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345563-PBWBanner03.gif


Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[David E. Gervais]

..and of course I just have to post a larger one.. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345564-PBWBanner03.jpg

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[geoschmo]

Ok, here's what we have so far, starting with the original one in use now.

http://www.malfador.com/images/FanSite008.gif
http://www.captainkwok.net/images/mini-pbwbanner.png
http://projectxstudios.com/images/pbw.gif
http://projectxstudios.com/images/pbw2.gif
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345401-Possible%20PBW%20mini-banner.gif
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345459-PBWBanner01.gif
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345563-PBWBanner03.gif

Rag-X and Wilcard, if you guys could resize yours to 170x42 pixels, we'll get them included.

[DeadZone]

Im starting a vote to exclude David from any and all competitions involving graphics
So to give the rest of us a slight chance of winnng http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif lol

[Raging Deadstar]

DeadZoneMDx said:
Im starting a vote to exclude David from any and all competitions involving graphics
So to give the rest of us a slight chance of winnng http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif lol



No Need. So far I'm stuck between yours and Kwoks as the coolest http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif But the rest of them are bloody good too!

[David E. Gervais]

DeadZoneMDx said:
Im starting a vote to exclude David from any and all competitions involving graphics
So to give the rest of us a slight chance of winnng http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif lol



Actually if you click on the link for "Would you like your banner here" in the site listings you'll notice that making the banners for the MM site is my job, so technically I could pull rank, but I would never do that. besides this contest is fun. Geo, feel free to exclude me from the contest, but it won't necessarily stop me from having fun. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

So, don't feel intimidated by my artwork, I like all the banners submitted so far and would gladly use any one of them (except the original piece if cr*p I made in haste.)

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[DeadZone]

You know that I was kidding dont you?
Dont you?
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

You are still our idol for us graphic people

*All hail lord David E. Gervais*

[David E. Gervais]

I'm not a "Lord", perhaps a "PixelLord" or an "OverSeer" (ha! good pun that one if I do say so myself)

And kidding or not, my diplomatic instinct still makes me mediate my posts. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[DeadZone]

Ok, OverSeer it is http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Ragnarok-X]

Ok, here is my updated and resized version. Hope you enjoy, im pretty fine with how it worked out.


Edit: I was editing when you posted, Wombat http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif


http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345648-Temp3.jpg

[Combat Wombat]

Forgot to attach it

[David E. Gervais]

This variation on the earlier one was fun to make.. It's in two parts,.. 'The Banner'..

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345676-PBWBanner04.gif

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[David E. Gervais]

.. and a splash image entitled "The secret behind the banner"..

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/345677-PBWRender01.jpg

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[geoschmo]

Ok, now you ARE showing off. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[DeadZone]

disqualify him lol

[tyrrian]

kwok's banner is my favorite (love the fact that the xi'chung ship is spinning the web!), though all of them i've seen so far are really good. makes me wish my artistic abilities extended beyond music and language ;-)

[David E. Gervais]

Music? did you say Music? I wonder if Geo would like a PBW jingle/theme song,.. hmmm Now that would be interesting. People could give their eyes a rest and just listen. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[geoschmo]

We have a winner!

After long and careful deliberation, which I promise did not include darts or any other random selection, I've chosen the pic that I feel best captures the essence of what I was looking for. I purposly didn't give you guys much in the way of input, because I wanted to leave myself open to new ideas that I hadn't thought of. But Kwoks Xi'Chung spider web is spot on the direction I was already going in my mental images.

All of the sumbissions were great. You all can be proud. But I had to pick one, and I liked this the best.

http://www.captainkwok.net/images/mini-pbwbanner.png

David, when you get a chance if you could replace the mini-banner on the Malfador site with this one I'd appreciate it greatly.

Geoschmo

[Aiken]

Worthy choice. Although it doesn't say something about technical nature of PBW (all those connected PCs), it has an original idea behind. Speaking of originality, DEG's flying tubes with se4 addicted cyberjunkies are cool too.

[David E. Gervais]

Great Choice Geo. Congratulations To the winner, what's his name? lol http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif. The new banner has been sent to Aaron. (note I had to place it in the same edge frame as all the other banners (to remain consistant) but other than that it's the exact same banner.)

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Ragnarok-X]

isnt it Captain Kwok ? I think so.

[geoschmo]

Woo Hoo! It's up, and it looks good. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Renegade 13]

Congrats Kwok, it looks much much better than the original (no offense David http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif )

[Captain Kwok]

Thanks guys!

[David E. Gervais]

I find it funny when you all say "No Offense David" lol because I kind of find that my original banner (done in haste) is pretty offensive on it's own.

another fine point, if all my works were good, then how would I improve. I got to mix it up a bit, right? every once in awhile it's good to take one step back to follow up with two steps forward.

BTW along with your banner there was 3 new sites added to the Fan list, quick test,.. who can name them?

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Captain Kwok]

I noticed the new Lithuanian(?) site... which I couldn't make heads or tails of.. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[David E. Gervais]

Dutch? I guess you mean the Lithuanian fan site. Yes that's one of the new ones. I hope we get more 'International' fan sites it will make for a more 'global' feel to the community.

One down two to go.. any more guesses?

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Fyron]

Here is a Russian site with some SE4 stuff:

http://space.diaspora.ru/index.php?p=se&n=1

One of the new sites is Olympus Champion Shipyards.

I still see no Kazharii Imperium under the SEIII section...

http://kazharii.spaceempires.net/

[Caduceus]

Good choice on banner! Sorry I never got back to manipulating mine. But I am still learning on GIMP so I will probably continue to tweak it and such...