Designers Notes

So you want to be a designer?

The following notes will give a few helpful tips for new designers.

Alpha Stage: Design, then test your map several times before asking for beta help. Be sure that the easy level is playable. Your beta testers will help you tighten up your design. Save their energy for details, not major design issues. If they contribute to major changes, give them extra credit.

Beta Stage: A map designer will assemble a team of two experienced beta testers, (not counting Aditiya who may be your third) who will be your support team. Your beta testers will also back you up during the contest itself by replying to forum questions if you are not able. You, as a designer, will be expected to attend to the forum daily and deal with questions in a timely manner. Should the designer be away, for any reason, the beta testers may reply to the questions. Be sure to discuss your plans, your intentions with your team. Tell them how much you expect from them in forum support.

You and your design team will also score your contest. You will need two persons to score the contest. The thumbnail maps will be provided for you in the final results page. Scoring should be completed in a timely manor, (less than one week).

The reason only two beta testers are suggested is to provide you with as many participants (in the final contest) as possible. Aditya is the only possible third beta tester as he never competes, yet is a skilled beta tester.

The purpose of CBC is to provide entertainment for as many players as possible. Completion Criteria should allow for a large number of participants. Winning criteria can be tighter. Don’t make a hard map that only a few “pros” can finish. Entrants for "easy level" games, with practice, have moved up to "hard level" of difficulty. You will note from the archives, that some folks entered, finished low, and over time, improved their position in final results for later contests. In the forum discussions, helpful tips from experienced players will improve everyone's playing abilities! The most difficult part of designing a contest map, is to design it for as many players as possible. Note that it is quite common for beta testing to take a month or more.

In Summary, here is the procedure for Designers:
1. Alpha test your design yourself!

2. Find two beta testers who agree to work with you. Choose them from the list of past testers, or advertise for them on the forum. Communicate with them during testing; Let them know your plan/intention.

3. Prepare your story/text/instruction. Have your betas review the text. Some folks are great editors. Adapt the CBC text format from previous contests for your game.

4. Upload to CBC: (Submit your contest designs to the CBC Administrator.)

• a. "Easy" and "Hard" starting positions
• b. Text for the web page. (use an old CBC page and edit it for your game, following the format of our page)
• c. Notes from your testers, pastes from their emails to you will be fine. CBC has the best beta testers! Your beta testers experience is an advantage, so share the fun with them during your contest’s presentation. Your betas must approve of your starting maps!
• d. Send in your "makers files". Once your map has been accepted for presentation, and should you be "away", your support team can deal with questions and your map can be edited while you are away.

5. When your game is chosen for presentation, it will appear in a list in a forum thread. As the starting date nears, your contest will appear in the Library page. Note that all CBC submissions become the property of CityBuildingContests. Your name will appear on the "Staff" page when your game files are complete and your contest maps have been selected. If your submission is for the Emperor MP campaign library, your name will appear on the Staff page when your campaign is selected.

6. During the contests the designers will check the forum daily. If the designer is ill or away, the betas for that contest will be able to reply to questions. Please don’t let questions remain un-addressed for more than two days. Let folks know you have read the message and are working on a reply.

7. The contest submissions will be sent to you for scoring. Score your contest. Decide if all three on the team, or only two of you will score the contest. Send the results to CBC within a week.

Many of CBC’s beta testers have extensive testing experience with the game developers. As a new designer, you will have the support of the best betas around! Pharaoh/Cleo has many unusual game features which will require the help of an very experienced beta tester. Please don't rush your testers!

Happy Designing!

CBC Review Team

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