NL2 Three Blind Mice #2- Roles Assigned Today. TRACK BUILDERS BEGIN
Check out some highlights from the previous competition below:
1. Elysium - Team 10: CrPijke, Marv, BlaseRhine
DOWNLOAD: https://nolimitscentral.com/exchange/park/1600
2. Blast! - Team 1: cb0688 Lcucu3, and Element 115
DOWNLOAD: https://nolimitscentral.com/exchange/park/1604
3. Ethereal - Team 12: Timo_Kho, Darkstar, GeCoDe
DOWNLOAD: https://nolimitscentral.com/exchange/park/1605
4. Chun Trails over Chromatica - Team 11: RobbinBob, H3lix, Emonadeo
DOWNLOAD: https://nolimitscentral.com/exchange/park/1599
5. Flug des Nachtkrapps - Team 2: PvM, bugmonster1, intim305
DOWNLOAD: https://nolimitscentral.com/exchange/park/1596
6. Minjek - Team 4: ngreenberg2019, Pupper, Bartelomeiis
DOWNLOAD: https://nolimitscentral.com/exchange/park/1593
7. Starship - Team 3: South Coasters, jpaufsc, TheCodeMaster
DOWNLOAD: https://nolimitscentral.com/exchange/park/1594
Today is the day! In about 1 HOUR and 15 MINUTES (from writing this), the sign up form will go LIVE!
I will drop the link to the form in here at that time, be ready by then!
3BM2 SIGN UP FORM IS NOW LIVE HERE
This form will remain open until Thursday, January 12 at 9:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time)
With only day 1 of registration in the books, we have now smashed our previous 3BM record and are up to 41 entrants!
One more will bring us to exactly FOURTEEN teams! (2 more than last years!)
If you haven’t already entered, definitely consider it! You have 4 more days to sign up!
🚨LAST CALL FOR 3BM SIGN UPS🚨
Following an overwhelming turnout, will be tightening the sign up window, which will conclude tomorrow at 9 PM EST
As it stands, weare now at 51 entrants or seventeen (17) teams!
Thank you everyone for your outpouring of enthusiasm!
We have officially closed the sign up for this years Three Blind Mice with a whopping record 60 entrants!! A grand total of 20 teams.
In the coming days I will be processing everyone’s information and assign roles and balance out all the teams. Stay tuned for an email Sunday morning disclosing your official role and next steps!
And we’re off! Everyone signed up should have received an email disclosing their role and relevant information. Track Builders have until Sunday, January 29 8:59:59 PM (EST) to submit their files before passing onto Supporters! Happy building!
NL2 Three Blind Mice #2 - 2023
Hosted by A113
Intro
Friends of the NoLimits Community, we would like to invite you to join NLC’s second official Three Blind Mice in NoLimits 2! The 2021 reboot of the NL1 competition was a smash hit with a record turnout of over 36 participants (12 teams of 3)!
If you’re not familiar, the format is simple. You are randomly assigned into a group of 3 roles:
Each person given 2 weeks to do their part before passing it along to the next. The project AND its team are kept entirely secret until the livestream reveal at the end. Following the livestream, the 3rd participant is able to upload onto the exchange. That means you have no idea who is on your team and you are not able to communicate with them at all!
You can check out the previous livestream for the 2021 edition here
Team Selection
On the entry form (goes live 1/7/23) enter your username, email, and list your preference of the desired role from 1st to 3rd, with 1st being your top choice. If you have no problem doing any of the 3, please elect “No Preference.”
You may also elect to be a “Substitute”, in case we can’t secure a spot for you on a team, and a participant has to back out midway through. You can not be a substitute and also have a role on another team; names will be entered on a first come first serve basis. Please note, by being a substitute you are committing to any of the 3 roles.
All names will be entered into a randomizer and you will be notified of your role after the deadline to enter (info on that down below). We will need your email to share your file to the rest of your team!
Rules and Scopes of Work: What can each role do?
Each role is responsible for performing tasks that are relevant to their role.
Please refer to the scope of work for each role.
Track:
In summary, you will be building a single, floating, colorless roller coaster with no name. When finished, upload the unencrypted NL2 Package to the submission form provided.
-Do NOT show any portion of the ride, in progress or complete, to anyone.
-Do NOT add a description of any kind to the Coaster Properties or Park Settings window.
-Do NOT use the Supports, Terrain, or Scenery tabs. Do NOT change the Environment.
-Do NOT build multiple coasters, including hidden ones. Only 1 coaster will be accepted in the file. The coaster can operate in continuous circuit mode or shuttle mode. (Thus, a dueling/racing coaster must be 1 mobius circuit.)
-Do NOT use Style settings for any piece of track.
...Style settings are handled by the Supporter and Environment/Themer.
-You can use Type settings for any piece of track.
-You can use block scripts
-The Coaster Properties window has some restrictions…
...Coaster name MUST be set to “3BM2 2023 Coaster” with no exceptions
...Do NOT change coaster colors. (This is the Environment/Themer’s job.)
...You can select coaster style, car, train count, and operation mode.
-Upload the unencrypted NL2 Package to the submission form provided.
Supports
In summary, you will be supporting the colorless roller coaster provided. You have creative freedom in determining some aspects of the ride so that you can create the proper structure.
-Do NOT show any portion of the ride, in progress or complete, to anyone.
-Do NOT add a description of any kind to the Coaster Properties or Park Settings window.
-Do NOT rename the coaster
-Do NOT use the Scenery tab. Do NOT change the Environment.
......You may add the clearance envelope while building. Please delete before uploading file
-Do NOT use the Coaster Properties window.
-Do NOT modify coaster track Type settings, or edit Type separators.
-You can modify coaster Style settings and separators.
......You are able to adjust spine type, crosstie spacing, and add tunnels as you see fit.
......Note that the Environment/Themer can also edit Style settings to suit their needs.
-You can use the Terrain tab. You can modify and (optionally) paint the terrain.
......Note that the Environment/Themer can also paint the terrain to suit their needs, but cannot modify its physical features.
-You can use the Move and Rotate functions of the Coaster tab to reposition the ride as needed.
......Do NOT use the Mirror function.
-Upload the unencrypted NL2 Package to the submission form provided.
Environment
In summary, you will be determining the theme and appearance for the roller coaster provided. You will be giving it the name and colors, and you will create the environment for the ride experience.
-Do NOT show any portion of the ride, in progress or complete, until judging goes live.
-Do NOT change coaster style, car, train count, or operation mode of the original coaster (named “3BM2 2023 Coaster”).
-Do NOT modify coaster track Type settings, or edit Type separators.
.....-You can ONLY modify station and storage settings to SHOW/HIDE building structures
-You can modify coaster Style settings and separators.
.....-This is meant to allow you to alter track and transport visibility should you elect to add custom launch fins, custom track, etc
.....-Keep in mind the Supporter has used these Style settings in order to properly support the ride. If you add or alter tunnels,
......changes in crosstie spacing and spine type may occur and can ruin the work of the supporter, so be mindful!
-You can create or apply an environment if desired.
-You can add or create scenery of all types. This includes (but is not limited to) foliage, lights, 3D objects, custom trains, custom track, scripted sequences, etc.
-You can add additional coasters for utilitarian purposes only… (e.g. for custom catwalks, railings, custom scenery, etc.)
.....-All coasters except the original “3BM2 2023 Coaster” MUST be set to “Scripted Block System” operation mode in the Coaster ......Properties > Mode tab. Do NOT use any other operation mode.
.....-Support scenery (if applicable) is allowed so long as it is kept to a separate coaster. Do NOT add supports to the original coaster track.
-You can modify terrain paint as you see fit.
.....-Do NOT modify terrain shapes or other physical features that DIRECTLY interact with coaster supports
.....-You may add or modify surrounding terrain if it does not interact with coaster-related structures
-You can edit the original coaster’s with its final name and color scheme!
.....-Do NOT edit the physics, spline, or operation mode.
-You can edit the Park Settings page with its final name and optional description.
-Upload the unencrypted NL2 Package to the submission form provided.
-Following the conclusion of the livestream reveal, Environment/Themers are allowed to upload to the NLC Exchange!
ALL ROLES:
-ARE NOT PERMITTED TO DISCLOSE THEIR ROLE on discord, forums, or to peers AT ANY TIME during the active competition
-ARE NOT PERMITTED TO DISCLOSE THEIR ROLE UNTIL AFTER the livestream reveal
-ARE NOT PERMITTED to go beyond their scope of work
-ARE NOT PERMITTED TO REVEAL ANY PORTION OF THEIR PROJECT DURING THE COMPETITION
If an entrant fails to perform the above tasks, their team’s entry is at risk for disqualification.
Schedule
Sat, Jan 7 @ 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST): Entry Form Open
Thurs, Jan 12 @ 9:00 PM (EST): Entry Form Deadline
Sun, Jan 15 @ 11:00 AM (EST): Roles Assigned via Email. Track Builders may begin when notified; other entrants please standby
Sun, Jan 29 by 8:59:59 PM (EST): Track File Submission Deadline. Files are processed and then distributed to supporters, who may begin when files are received. Distribution times may vary, dependent on when files are received.
Sun, Feb 12 by 8:59:59 PM (EST): Support File Submission Deadline. Files are processed and then distributed to environment/themers, who may begin when files are received. Distribution times may vary, dependent on when files are received.
Sun, Feb 26 by 8:59:59 PM (EST): Environment File Submission Deadline, Project Complete! Files are processed and then distributed to judges for review. Judges will be blind; in other words, not know who is on each team until…
TBD: Livestream announcement showing the top finishers and revealing team members for each project. Environment/Themers permitted to upload their teams’ ride onto exchange with fellow team names after livestream concludes.
Judging Criteria and Final Thoughts
While we evaluate the performance of each role, it is the cohesion, or unified vision/execution of a project that is king. The most successful projects display a tight level of "blind" coordination as if though one person is behind it.
What does this mean exactly? The challenge of the competition is obviously that you can not verbally communicate to your team mates (on top of not knowing who they are). So, that leaves you the ability and creativity to visually communicate your intent within your scope of work.
For example, is your layout clearly representing a certain style of manufacturer, or something unique? Does part of the layout suggest it needs to be hugging terrain or on a flat ground? These types of creative decisions can be picked up on by the next person. The supporter has the opportunity to also redefine the relationship of the ride to the ground, and communicate a lot to the Environment role as well. That said, DO be mindful that everyone has 2 weeks! Maybe handing someone a 5-mile-long coaster to support is unreasonable.
Please feel free to ask any questions and I look forward to what this year's installment will bring!
And please stay tuned for the sign-up form, roles are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.